2019-02-18 GC Agenda Att 1 to Item 8 - Draft Environment Strategy

Biodiversity
Goal: By 2030 the condition and extent of our natural ecosystems has improved

Biodiversity is part of all environments on our planet - terrestrial, aquatic and marine. It is not static,
but constantly changing. It can be increased by genetic change and evolutionary processes, and it
can be reduced by a range of threats which lead to population decline and even extinction.

Noosa Shire is located within the South-east Queensland (SEQ) Bioregion, an area of
exceptionally high biodiversity, lying in the zone where tropical and temperate land zones overlap.
This provides for a set of conditions that support a great variety of plants and animals.

Noosa has a large variety of all three levels of biodiversity; at the genetic, species and ecosystem
level. These are supported by a wide range of ecosystem types, including rainforests, beaches,
woodlands, wetlands, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains and marine areas.

Conserving biodiversity is an essential part of safeguarding the biological life support systems on
Earth, collectively described as ecosystem services. These are fundamental to our physical, social,
cultural and economic well-being. It is also simply the right thing to do, to ensure that those that
come after us get to wonder at the natural beauty of the environment we enjoy today.

Noosa’s biodiverse ecosystems and landscapes are important for their inherent values as well as
providing essential services to the local community:
    Trees and plants filter carbon and provide the clean air we breath
    Wetland ecosystems filter pollutants from our water and support fish production
    Bacteria and fungi break down organic matter and improve the soil conditions needed to
        grow our food
    Vegetated catchments and riparian areas along waterways help to capture and slow
        down rainfall runoff, protecting waterway health and reducing flood risk
    Waterways and marine environments provide opportunities for recreation and support
        our fisheries resources
    Bushland areas provide spaces for recreation and nature appreciation, to exercise, relax
        and reflect
    Coastal ecosystems provide recreation, cultural values and scenic vistas important to
        Noosa’s identity and character.

A healthy natural environment contributes to our quality of life and is vital in supporting Noosa’s
economy and community. It takes a whole-of-community effort to ensure we preserve, enhance
and celebrate our local native plants, animals, and ecosystems, so they remain healthy, resilient
and valued by all the community.

3 core strategies identified in this theme are:
     Protect and enhance existing ecosystems, vegetation networks and habitats
     Expand vegetation networks and habitat
     Improve long-term survival for threatened species and ecological communities




Noosa Shire Environment Strategy                                                                   Page 12