2021-12-07 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda - Updated

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                            7 DECEMBER 2021


Corporate Strategy
The following Corporate Plan and Environment Strategy directions underpin protecting the
biodiversity of Noosa.
Corporate Plan 2017-2037 themes:
    Our environment is protected and enhanced and is valued by the community
    Noosa Shire is well managed and sustainable
Corporate Plan 2017-2037 20 year Outcomes:
    Biodiversity in Noosa Shire has been preserved.
    The Noosa natural environment is protected and enhanced.
Environment Strategy 2019 Goals:
    By 2030 the condition and extent of our natural ecosystems has improved.
Environment Strategy 2019 Strategies:
    protect and enhance existing ecosystems, vegetation networks and habitats
    expand vegetation networks and habitat
    improve long-term survival for threatened species and ecological communities
Risks & Opportunities
In terms of opportunity, these programs significantly contribute to outcomes across 3 of the 4
themes within the Noosa Environment Strategy being, Biodiversity, Waterways Wetlands and
Coasts and Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.

The steady growth of volunteer participation in the Community Bushcare Program highlights that
there is appetite within the Noosa community to become involved in programs that lead to quality
environmental outcomes. With further investment there is opportunity for Council to foster and
facilitate this interest and expand these programs.
The risks associated with continued growth of the Community Bushland Care program in particular
are focused around the Health and Safety of the volunteers and potential unintentional
environmental damage. An increase in volunteers, groups, working bees and project sites means
more opportunity for safety incidents and or environmental damage due to gaps in knowledge and
understanding. The following graph shows the weekly available staff time per group since 2016,
currently 3.1 hrs per group weekly:




                                                                                Page 112 of 140