2019-11-18 GC Agenda - Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Draft Noosa Biosecurity Plan 2020

1. Executive Summary
Biosecurity is defined as efforts to prevent, respond to, and recover from, pests and diseases that
threaten the economy and the environment. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 all public and private
landowners have a general biosecurity obligation to control invasive plants and animals on their
land. The Act also requires local governments to have a Biosecurity Plan for their local government
area and this is also identified in key action under the Noosa Environment Strategy 2019.


Invasive animals and plants can be a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human health.
Prevention and eradication at early stages can save a significant amount of financial resources in
the long term. The purpose of the Plan is to identify priority actions for local government, other
government agencies and private landowners on biosecurity matters within Noosa Shire.


It is also acknowledged that some introduced plants are now naturalised and perform an
ecosystem function stabilising soil, providing habitat for fauna and absorbing nutrients in wetland
areas. Extreme control measures without natural regenerative approaches can cause
environmental harm. This Plan takes a risk management approach with pest plants and animals
and prioritises geographic areas for targeted inspections and management actions.




Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Noosa Biosecurity Plan 2020                                                                    Page 4