2019-06-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   11 JUNE 2019


Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 12 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.


Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 21 February 2019, Item 8, Page 20
That Council note the report by the Manager Environmental Services to the General Committee
Meeting dated 18 February 2019 and:
A.   Adopt the Environment and Sustainable Living Policy provided at Attachment 1 to the
     report;
B.   Approve the draft Environment Strategy for the purposes of community consultation, as
     provided at Attachment 2 to the report.
C.   Approve the Community Engagement & Communications Plan for the draft Environment
     Strategy, as provided at Attachment 3 to the report.


Finance
The Environment Strategy has been prepared internally using existing staff resources.
Implementation of the strategy will involve further financial resources, which will be sought
through normal budget processes.
Actions identified in Year 1 (2019/20) of the Environment Strategy Implementation Plan represent
more than $1 million in potential Council funding as part of Council’s 2019/20 budget
consideration including ongoing existing priority programs contributing to the objectives of the
Environment strategy and a number of new activities as well as significant substantial staff time
and in-kind investment.
A number of actions included in the Implementation Plan are subject to current 2019/20 and
future budget considerations. The action plan will be reviewed annually.


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 is the missing piece 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.


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