2020-02-11 P&E Agenda - Item 5 - Attachment 2 - Draft Noosa Biosecurity Plan 2020

3. Background and Context
3.1      Description of Noosa Shire
Geological history and a sub-tropical climate has shaped Noosa’s landscape and ecosystems. The
original inhabitants, the Kabi Kabi people, had a close affinity with their environment and were
influential in shaping vegetation and habitat, particularly through the use of fire, over many thousands
of years.
With European settlement in the late 1800s non-native plant and animal species were introduced
into the area, impacting on vegetation, flora and fauna. As settlement expanded so did the extent of
invasive species such as cats, dogs, pigs, ornamental plants and agricultural weeds. Other species
were accidently released which also threatened the environment and agricultural productivity. Today,
the release of invasive plants and animal species is still a risk and authorities are working hard to
minimise these threats through border controls and regulation through the Biosecurity Act 2014.
Some invasive species are now naturalised and are unlikely to ever be eradicated from Noosa Shire.
They may now perform an ecosystem function, for example, erosion control, habitat for native
species, or sequestration of nutrients from waterways. The role of the Noosa Biosecurity Plan is to
prioritise which species are a focus for management and identify actions that can be implemented
in a practical and cost effective way.




                           Broad-leaved pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius),
                       Photo: Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries




Noosa Biosecurity Plan 2020                                                                      Page 5