2018-07-10 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   10 JULY 2018




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                      10 JULY 2018

                                                                                          ATTACHMENT 2

            ling » |    NOOSA                                                         Council Policy
             ©      |   COUNCIL                          ENVIRONMENT LEVY POLICY

            Corporate Plan Reference:        Our environment is protected, enhanced and valued by the
                                             community
            Endorsed by Council:             19 July 2018
            Policy Author:                   Director Environment and Sustainable Development

           POLICY PURPOSE
           The purpose of the Environment Levy (“the Levy”) is to raise funds to conserve and/or improve
           ecosystem health and biodiversity in the Noosa Shire and to support initiatives in partnership with
           the community that protect, enhance and increase the resilience of Noosa’s natural environment.
           This policy outlines the environmental and administrative principles that will provide direction for the
           allocation of Environment Levy funds by Council.
           The head of power for the Levy comes from Section 94 of the Local Government Act 2009 that gives
           Council the ability to impose a separate charge on all rateable land in the shire. In doing so, Council
           can only use funds raised via a separate charge for the specific purpose identified in the revenue
           statement adopted each year as part of Council’s annual budget process.
           In that context, this policy provides guidance and further details about how the Council will manage
           the Levy and its implementation.
           Key aims of the Levy are to:
           e     Protect environmentally significant land through acquisition;
           °     Support the private landholder Voluntary Conservations Agreement Private Landholder
                 Conservation    Partnership   Program     where’   such_   involvement    adds_   to   the
                 protection/enhancement of biodiversity in the Noosa Shire and/or promotes or enhances
                 biodiversity and wildlife habitats and corridors; and
           °     Allow for the provision of funding through Environmental Grants program initiatives that build
                 community capacity and are in keeping with the purpose of the Levy.

           POLICY SCOPE
           This policy applies to all programs, activities or incentives that are directly or indirectly funded or
           supported, wholly or partly, by the Levy.
           Council will review the amount of the Levy each year as part of the preparation of the annual budget
           and adoption of the annual revenue statement.

           POLICY STATEMENT
           The allocation of Levy revenue will be limited to the following categories:
           1.    Acquisition of Environmentally Significant Land
           The acquisition of environmentally significant land (or an interest in the land) shall be part of a wider
           strategy for landscape protection and preservation/enhancement of biodiversity in the Noosa Shire.
           One or more of the following approaches may result in land purchases:
           °     Landholders contacting Council with an offer to sell;
           °     Council contacting owners of high priority parcels of land with offers to purchase;
           e     Purchasing land that’s already for sale on the open market; and

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