2020-01-16 OM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 1 - Draft SEQ Koala Conservation Strategy 2019-2024

       6. Improving, mapping, monitoring, research and reporting


       The survey program seeks to address the KEP            Updates to koala habitat mapping
       recommendation to monitor koala densities at 10        The koala habitat mapping will be systematically
       to 20 sites across SEQ which are representative of     updated with new data to improve accuracy and
       koala populations in urban and rural landscapes,       track the changes in koala habitat over time. This
       and report on changes every two years. Program         process will ensure that only the highest quality
       finalisation will consider further survey methods,     koala habitat which offers the best opportunity
       viability analyses, and the development of             for koala persistence is mapped, and therefore
       monitoring design options to measure progress          protected through the new planning framework.
       towards targets and evaluate the success of
       management initiatives in the Strategy.                Regular updates to the mapping also provides
                                                              certainty to landholders that clearing controls are
       The monitoring program is expected to report on        only placed on the areas that contain high koala
       results against the program objectives publically      habitat values.
       every five years. There will also be a mechanism for
       the data to be provided to the KAC every five years    Outside of the property-scale map amendment
       for review and evaluation of koala conservation        process, all koala habitat mapping across SEQ will
       initiatives in the Strategy.                           be updated annually, and the boundary of KPA will
                                                              be reviewed and updated every five years.
       Engagement with external stakeholders is a crucial
       aspect of the ongoing survey program, and delivers     For more detailed information on these proposed
       on the KEP recommendation to work in partnership       koala conservation actions and goals, and how
       with local governments to develop standard             they link to the KEP recommendations refer to
       approaches to koala monitoring that could facilitate   Appendix 2.
       the integration of monitoring data.


       Koala Advisory Council’s annual report
       The KAC will provide advice to the Queensland
       Government about progress on the implementation
       of the Strategy, with a focus on continuous
       improvement, monitoring and evaluation.
       The KAC annual report for the Queensland
       Government will contain:
       • a summary of matters considered by the KAC
         for the reporting period and any relevant advice
         provided in relation to these matters
       • the outcomes of the Queensland Government’s
         mapping and monitoring programs for the
         reporting period
       • an evaluation of the progress towards the
         targets outlined in the Strategy for each annual
         reporting period
       • details of the Queensland Government’s actions
         undertaken for the reporting period
       • recommendations on implementing the
         Strategy, following the principles of adaptive
         management.




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