2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   13 JANUARY 2020




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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                               13 JANUARY 2020

           POLICY GUIDELINE — Private Land Conservation Partnerships
           What funds can be used for under the EMP
           The type of works or materials required will be identified in the agreed EMP. Examples include:
           °     engagement of contractors for ecological restoration works and fencing;
           °     engagement of contractors for pest control;
     |     °     engagement of consultants for services such as ecological surveys or fire management
                 planning and approved works;
           °     purchase of materials such as herbicide and/or hand tools;
           °     purchase of wildlife apparatus such as nest boxes.
           Funds cannot be used for the purchase of machinery such as chainsaws, mowers, brush-cutters or
           tractors.
           VCA properties may be eligible for grants and other funding from state and federal governments
           such as environmental or carbon offsets.
           VCA funds cannot be used for works that are a regulatory requirement such as a condition of
           development or subject to compliance action by a regulatory authority.
           Commissioning works
           The EMP priorities will be discussed on-site annually with a Council officer, the landholder and
     |     contractor/consultant to agree and review works undertaken_and identify upcoming works. Agreed
           works will  be confirmed in writing    by Council and     co-ordinated  by the   landholder and
           contractor/consultant. Once works have been completed to the satisfaction of Council and the
           landholder, the contractor/consultant will be paid by Council. Where the EMP provides an allowance
           for supply of materials, the landholder shall obtain a quote from the supplier and provide to Council
           for written approval prior to funding being expended and provide a tax invoice for reimbursement of
           funds. Once the 5 year term is complete, the landholder is eligible for an ongoing annual property
           visit from a Council Officer upon request_through the Land for Wildlife program. This may involve
           discussions on further land conservation management and priorities.-
           ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
           The Environment Levy Working Group will make recommendations t¢e-Gounsitenthe spending of
           Environmenttew-funds forthe VCA pregran-on-an-annualbasis.on which properties to enter into
           agreements with.
           The Voeluntan--Conservation AgreementVCA Program will be managed by the Environment
           Services Branch.
           DEFINITIONS
           “Biodiversity” refers to the variety of all life forms - all the different plants, animals and micro-
           organisms, and the ecosystems of which they are a part.
           “Conservation Land Guideline” is a mapping methodology to identify environmentally significant
           land for potential acquisition or for private land conservation outcomes.
           “Core Protected Areas” are large biodiverse areas that consist collectively of public land already
           under conservation protection such as National Park, Bushland Reserves and Nature Refuges.
           “Environment” refers to the use of the word to describe the natural (not man-made) environment
           of the region and includes the natural ecological systems of air, water, soil and associated species
           of flora and fauna.
           “Environment Levy” refers to a Levy raised by Noosa Council (in accordance with section 94 of
           the Queensland Local Government Act 2009), on all rateable properties within its jurisdiction, in
           order to meet the objectives in this policy.
           “Biodiversity Corridors” are broad tracts of vegetated, cleared and partly cleared land, extending
           across the Noosa landscape that consolidate or connect core habitat, and can occur across private
           and/or public land.
           RELEVANT LEGISLATION
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