2016-04-19 P&E Committee - Item 4, Attachment 1 - Draft Koala Conservation Management Plan

1.2.2     Conserving koalas and habitat through non-statutory means

There are a number of opportunities to further protect and enhance koala populations
and habitat through non-statutory measures. The focus of koala conservation activities
will be:

       In areas identified as core habitat or within essential corridors between core
        habitat areas, as shown in Map 3, page16.
       Prioritised in areas identified as low to medium risk (see Map 4, page 17),
        where there is a greater chance of maintaining a viable population of koalas in
        the long term.

The following programs may be used to support koala conservation measures:

Land for Wildlife (LFW) programs and Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA)

Landholders with suitable properties can apply to become part of the SEQ Catchments
Land for Wildlife (LFW) program. Currently there are 300 LFW landholders within
Noosa Shire and it is Council’s most popular voluntary private land conservation
initiative. There is opportunity to provide incentives to LFW landholders to re-instate
koala habitat on their land. Once the Noosa Plan Biodiversity Code-Vegetation
Protection provisions are approved in the current round of planning scheme
amendments by the State, publicly funded vegetation works can be afforded long term
protection on private land.

The Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) program is a voluntary program where
private landholders can elect to have a portion of their land protected under covenant
that remains on title. Council provides a financial incentive to the landholder to fund
environmental works and/or a rate contribution. Many of the VCA property owners
have started from the LFW program. An agreed property management plan is
developed with the landholder and this guides environmental works on the land.

Through the LFW and VCA programs there is opportunity to expand conservation
efforts on private land and reinstate koala habitat and linkages through revegetation
projects.




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