2019-02-18 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               18 FEBRUARY 2019


The draft has been developed with regular community input and engagement, with environment-
related community groups, and the community more broadly, with feedback already sought on
Your Say Noosa on the key elements that should be part of the strategy.

The final version of the Environment Strategy will include an Implementation Plan that will include
key implementation actions for the first 3-4 years of the life of the strategy, and a clear framework
for monitoring and evaluating the success of the strategy. With the release of the draft
Environment Strategy, the community will be asked for their input into key implementation actions
to contribute to this plan.

The Environment Strategy is expected to have a 10-year timeframe, with regular reporting (at
least biennial) on the tracking of success against targets identified in the document.

Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting, 15 December 2016, Item 6, Page 9:
That Council note the report by the Principal Strategic Planner to the General Committee Meeting
dated 12 December 2016, and:
A.    Endorse the Biodiversity Assessment Report provided at Attachment 1 for the purpose of
      informing the development of an Environment Strategy and supporting Biodiversity
      Conservation Plan other than for the following issues:
      1.    Note that this is not the only substantial area of coastal mainland remnant vegetation
            between Byron Bay (300 km south in northern NSW) and Bundaberg (250 km to the
            north) as referred to on page 17, item 2.1, paragraph 2; and
      2.    Note that Noosa Council considers the koala as a threatened mammal for West
            Cooroy State Forest for the purposes of the table on page 128.
B.    Request staff to prepare a discussion paper for the purposes of community consultation for
      the development of an Environment Strategy and Biodiversity Conservation Plan.

Finance
The draft Environment Strategy has been prepared internally using existing staff resources.
Implementation of the strategy may involve significant financial resources, however this will be
considered as part of normal budget processes. An Implementation Plan will be developed and
presented to Council with the final strategy, after consultation with the community, which will
include potential costs and funding sources associated with any actions.

Risks & Opportunities
The Environment Strategy, along with the Local Economic Plan, Social Strategy, Transport
Strategy and Noosa Planning Scheme, form the key strategic policy documents for Noosa
Council. This strategy and overarching policy are the missing pieces to complete this framework.
These documents will be critical for prioritising and guiding appropriate environmental and
sustainability outcomes.

The risk of not having a coordinated and strategic approach to the environment, that considers
local, regional and global issues, could mean investment decisions and actions are misdirected
towards areas that are not of greatest priority. Opportunities to work in partnership with the
community may also be missed where there is no clear direction and common vision for the
future.




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