Strategic Offset Policy and Biodiversity Offset Guidelines · Attachment 2 - Noosa Biodiversity Offset Guideline Final

ORGANISATIONAL GUIDELINE - Biodiversity Offsets


    •   Offset status (active, completed, failed)
    •   Monitoring and evaluation methods
    •   Performance results
    •   Reporting requirements


RELATED STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Noosa Environment and Sustainable Living Policy 2019 - outlines the principles by which Noosa
Council will partner with the community to manage Noosa’s natural environment, to maintain and
continually improve on the Noosa Biosphere. It recognises that Noosa will continually strive for a
higher standard of biodiversity improvement in the way we manage and live in our environment.
Human impacts on biodiversity values will be avoided and minimised before resorting to mitigation,
offsets, or rehabilitation.
Noosa Environment Strategy includes targets for which offsets are an important mechanism for
achieving nature positive outcomes, sustainable living and improving ecosystem resilience to climate
change. Other supporting plans may also apply, such as species management plans.
Corporate Plan and Sustainability Principles
Noosa’s vision of “Different by Nature” as well as Noosa Council’s seven Sustainability Principles
enshrined in Noosa Council’s Corporate Plan 2023-2027, are supported by a strong framework for
ecological compensation. Two principles relating specifically to Council’s offset framework and
‘nature positive’ goal.
    •   “Resources are sustainably managed so that the lifestyle and wellbeing of the community is
        enhanced whilst safeguarding our natural systems and without compromising the ability of
        future generations to meet their own needs.”
    •   “Noosa’s environment is protected, preserved and managed in a manner that is nature
        positive, low carbon and climate resilient and respects our Traditional Owners spiritual and
        cultural connection to Country.”
The Noosa Plan 2020 strategic outcomes for 2041 support the need for a strong offsets program
that prioritises Net Gain over merely ‘minimising loss’, demonstrating best practice and keeping in
line with Noosa’s nature positive goal.
    •   “Noosa Shire is the most biologically diverse area in SEQ, supporting a wealth of
        environmental assets and ecosystem services that support the community's health, wellbeing
        and prosperity.”
    •   “The natural environment is protected and enhanced to maintain and improve biodiversity,
        ecological processes, native habitat, connectivity, native species health, landscape character
        and scenic amenity.”
    •   “The value of ecosystem services provided by the natural environment is recognised through
        maintenance of biodiversity, water quality, air quality and soil resources, which in turn
        provides and supports the Shire's food production, water supply, primary production, climate
        regulation, flood regulation, soil formation, and cultural, social, recreational and tourism
        values.”
    •   “The ecological resilience and capacity for the natural environment to evolve and adapt to
        the predicted impacts of climate change is supported though the maintenance of healthy,
        well-functioning ecosystems that facilitate genetic, species and ecosystem diversity and
        movement both within and beyond Noosa Shire.”
    •   “Adverse impacts from development on biodiversity, ecosystem health, ecological processes,
        soil, air and water quality are avoided. Where avoidance is not practicable, adverse impacts
        are minimised or mitigated and it is demonstrated that: on the balance of social, economic
        and environmental considerations, the development is in the interests of the community; and
        any adverse impacts incurred are compensated by suitable habitat replacement and
                                                                                              Page 10