2016-12-12 General Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 6 - Biodiversity Assessment Report

                                                     Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report



5.2       Bio div e r sit y r is k a s s es sm ent
The Noosa Shire is a unique example that demonstrates a balanced relationship between humans and
the environment. The shire has been able to retain significant environmental values whilst other areas
across the SEQ region have undergone significant development. However, Noosa’s biodiversity values
are still under pressure from a variety of threatening processes. As detailed in Section 3.0, key threats
to Noosa’s biodiversity are climate change, ongoing incursion of weed and invasive species, clearing of
non-remnant vegetation, erosion and sedimentation of waterways, inappropriate fire regimes, degradation
through recreational use, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat fragmentation and barrier effects to key
habitat nodes and ecological corridors.

The majority of these threats are a product of development across Noosa with the severity and magnitude
of these threats often much greater in urban and rural areas. Climate change on the other hand is a
global issue and will affect the entirety of Noosa and its biodiversity values to some degree depending on
the level of exposure and sensitivity of the values to change. The following spatial analyses have been
undertaken to further understand the risks from development and vulnerability to climate change.

          5.2.1   Development risk assessment
A broadscale analysis of development risk was undertaken using Noosa Shire’s current land zoning and
protected areas mapping. Development risk was categorised as either high or low according to the
following:

      •    Low development risk – formally protected areas (e.g. national park), state forest, forest reserves,
           areas under conservation agreements (VCAs), areas zoned open space conservation
      •    High development risk – all other areas

The results of this high level analysis indicate that 60% or ~52,000 ha of the shire has a land zoning that
puts it at a higher risk of development compared to surrounding land (Figure 30). This figure includes
land that has already been developed to some extent (e.g. existing urban areas) and where biodiversity
values may have already been lost or degraded. It is also important to note that within currently
undeveloped areas, there is not a suggestion that all parcels designated as ‘high development risk’ are
intended for development, but rather that the current zoning would more easily allow development to
occur.




  © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD                                                                           77