2021-06-08 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       8 JUNE 2021


7    NOOSA BUSHLAND RESERVE STRATEGIC FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2021

Author            Principal Environment Officer, Peter Milne
                  Environment and Sustainable Development Department

Index             ECM/ Bushland Reserve Management

Attachments       1.   Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Fire Management Plan 2021
                       (40 page attachment provided separately to this report)
                  2.   Summary of results from public consultation
                  3.   Safe Assure Peer Review


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Principal Environment Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 8 June 2021 and
A.   Note the submissions received as summarised in Attachment 2 and thank the submitters for
     their input into the Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Fire Management Plan 2021; and
B.   Adopt the Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Fire Management Plan 2021 as shown in
     Attachment 1.



REPORT
Background
In 2015 Council adopted the Noosa Bushland Reserve Fire Management Plan. Being a 5-year plan
this document is now up for review. The Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Fire Management Plan
2021 (referred to as the FMP for the remainder of this report) replaces the 2015 Plan and has been
updated to take a greater risk-management approach, recognising that there are multiple factors
involved including risks to staff and contractors, neighbours, and biodiversity.
The FMP applies a methodology to identify the highest priority reserves for management. Risk has
been assessed for:
    On reserve: Staff, contractors, volunteers, visitors and biodiversity
    Off reserve: Risks to neighbours
The risk assessment has been informed by the following mapping products provided by Queensland
Government:
    Potential Bushfire Intensity mapping
    Broad Vegetation Group (BVG) mapping, which informs planned burn frequencies
    Bushfire Interface Zone mapping
Each of the risk categories have been weighted, with a heavier weighting towards immediate reserve
neighbours, and a final risk score applied. Those reserves with assessed Very High to High risks (as
shown Map 1) are identified as a priority for management and are included in a 5-year operational
plan of works to help mitigate risk to life, property and biodiversity.



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