2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   13 JANUARY 2020




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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                              13 JANUARY 2020

                                                                                         Attachment 1

             _¢ yy      NOOSA                                                        Council Policy
             @ | COUNCIL                                 ENVIRONMENT LEVY POLICY
            Corporate Plan Reference:        Our environment is protected, enhanced and valued by the
                                             community
            Endorsed by Council:
            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:
           °     Expand the Noosa conservation estate through;
                      o  protection of environmentally significant land through acquisition;
                      ©  support for Private Land Conservation Partnerships (such as Land for Wildlife and
                         Voluntary Conservations Agreement programs), where such involvement is in-
                         keeping with the purpose of the Levy;
           °     Build community capacity by the provision of funding through an Environmental Grants
                 program that supports environmental initiatives in keeping with the purpose of the Levy; and
           °     Support significant environmental projects and programs related to key Council strategies and
                 plans, that protect, enhance and increase the resilience of Noosa’s natural environment.
           °     Fund the delivery and implementation of the Noosa River Plan — River Management Program

           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 subject to the following principles:
           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 the preservation of biodiversity in the Noosa Shire.

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