2021-06-17 OM Agenda - Item 2 - Attachment 1 - Draft Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Management Plan 2021-2026

7. Noosa Reserve Management Framework
   2021-2026
Council will follow best practice management principles throughout its Natural Areas Program.

Best practice bushland management principles are detailed in the SE Qld Ecological Restoration
Framework Guideline and Manual (Chenoweth 2012) and are focused on developing ecosystem
resilience. This is defined as the ability of an ecosystem to recover its structure and function
following a disturbance event.

The five key principles are:
 Restored ecosystems incorporate assemblages of species reflecting those in reference
   ecosystems and have the potential to recruit further species by natural means;
 Restored ecosystems support the same structure and function as reference ecosystems;
 Restored ecosystems consist of indigenous species of local provenance to the greatest extent
   practicable;
 Restored ecosystems are self-sustaining to the same degree as a reference ecosystem, such
   that they are resilient to normal periodic stress; and,
 Restored ecosystems interact with the surrounding landscape and contribute to ecosystem
   services.

Of the four approaches to ecosystem restoration outlined in the manual, Council has adopted
natural regeneration and assisted natural regeneration as priority approaches. This works best
where evidence of ecosystem resilience is apparent within the reserve as determined by a
Bushland Operational Assessment.

Where evidence indicates that ecosystem resilience is absent from a reserve or sections of a
reserve, ecosystem reconstruction (revegetation/ direct seeding) may be necessary. However it
can be an expensive option in relation to establishment and ongoing maintenance costs.

In most cases, assisted natural regeneration through targeted actions, such as controlling invasive
species, is appropriate for Council’s bushland reserve network. The intent within a reserve is to
improve the resilience rating of all sites within the reserve over time, with a priority on working on
the best most resilient areas first. The exception to this is where outlier transformer weeds are
present in a reserve and require control to prevent further spread.

Best Practice Guidelines and triage (looking after the best areas first) approaches to developing
strategic works programs have guided the following Management Framework, Reserve
Prioritisation and Management Program Category approaches.


7.1    Formal Management Framework
A clear and transparent framework for planning is necessary to guide on ground works that
achieve Council’s objectives within the limited funding resources that exist.

A clear and transparent adaptive planning process also allows Council to track the progress of
works against targets and change actions if necessary. Typical adaptive planning processes follow
a Plan – Do – Review process, but most importantly, they need to include sound monitoring and
evaluation components.

Figure 16 outlines the management framework that will be adopted for the Natural Areas program.




Noosa Bushland Reserves Strategic Management Plan 2021 – 2026                                  Page 27