2017-02-13 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   13 FEBRUARY 2017




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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                                     13 FEBRUARY 2017

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      Our vision for Queensland’s protected area system
        Queensland will grow a world-leading protected area system
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      to effectively conserve the state’s unique natural assets.
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        This will be achieved by:
        e   working towards the terrestrial protected area target set through the United Nations
            Convention on Biological Diversity
        e   conserving and managing a comprehensive, adequate and representative sample of
            Queensland’s biodiversity to secure geographically well connected protected areas that
            provide important ecosystem services, conserve biodiversity and that are resilient to
            impacts, such as the effects of climate change
        e   recognising and supporting the community’s significant and diverse contribution to
            protected areas
        e   striving for Queensland’s protected area system to meet best practice standards.

      Protected areas in context
      Queensland’s protected areas are managed to provide key ecological, economic and social benefits to all Queenslanders. In
      addition, Queensland has a number of international and national obligations regarding the establishment and management
      of protected areas.
      United Nations Convention on                                collaboratively deliver the National Reserve System (NRS),
     Biological Dive rsity                                        which aims to provide long-term protection to samples of.
      Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Australia’s ecosystems, and the plants and animals they
      Biological Diversity (the Convention). The Convention is a  support, in a national network of public, Indigenous and
      legally binding global treaty that promotes the development private protected areas.
      of national strategies for the conservation and sustainable While the NRS currently extends to just over 17% of Australia’s
      use of biological diversity. The parties to the Convention  terrestrial areas, significant work still needs to be done,
      agree to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services       including in Queensland, to ensure that the NRS contains
      through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically     comprehensive and adequate representation of our
      representative and well-connected systems of protected      outstanding natural values.
      areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.
                 .                                                 Queensland context
      Australian context                                          The Queensland Government is committed to protecting
      One of the key requirements of the Convention is that       and enhancing its protected areas, as well as meeting its
      member countries implement the Convention through           international and national obligations.
      a national biodiversity strategy. This strategy Is then     Maintaining and protecting healthy and resilient
      considered in all planning and activities that impact on                    :      .            we
       Se                   .                .                    ecosystems provides a wide range of significant benefits to
      biodiversity. The Australian, state and territory governments Queenslanders, including improved nature conservation
      adopted Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy      climate chan e miti tion ae roved water    quali    ,
      2010-2030 to achieve their commitments under the                       Inge mItig   »impl           quality,  .
              .                  .        .                       reduced soil erosion, cleaner air, health benefits, tourism
      Convention. The strategy provides a nationally agreed       opportunities and areas for social interaction
      approach to conserving Australia’s biodiversity in the face   PP
      of climate change and other threats, and identifies that    The draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy is being
      Australia needs to rapidly and effectively address the threats developed to give focus to government actions to update
      to its biodiversity and take appropriate actions to maintain, and improve protected area programs and partnerships
      restore and protect its ecosystems.                         using innovative approaches. The Queensland Government
                                                                  is seeking your input in developing this strategy.

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