2015-01-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                     12 January 2015


                                                                                  ATTACHMENT 1


                                                                                Council Policy
                                                          Environment Levy Policy


    Corporate Plan Reference:                   Looking after community assets

    Endorsed by Council:                        <Insert Date of Ordinary Meeting >

    Policy Author:                              Director Planning & Infrastructure

POLICY PURPOSE
The purpose of the Environment Levy (“the Levy”) is to raise funds to conserve and/or improve
biodiversity in the Noosa Shire. 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:
•       Protect environmentally significant land through acquisition;
•       Support the Voluntary Conservation Agreement program where such involvement adds to
        the protection/enhancement of biodiversity in the Noosa Shire and/or promotes or
        enhances biodiversity and wildlife corridors; and
•       Allow for the provision of funding to the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Trust so that Noosa
        Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd may undertake projects that are in keeping with the
        purpose of the Levy.
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.
The Levy will be supported by an Environment Levy Guideline to guide staff in operational
matters relating to the implementation of the Environment Levy Policy.
POLICY STATEMENT
The allocation of Levy revenue will be limited to the following three primary output categories:
1.      Acquisition of Environmentally Significant Land
The acquisition of environmentally significant land shall be part of a wider strategy for landscape
protection and preservation/enhancement of biodiversity in the Noosa Shire. One or more of the
following approaches may result in land purchases:

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