2018-09-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              11 SEPTEMBER 2018


Land that is located next to or within CPAs are potential land parcels of interest for conservation
purposes. The following methodology is outlined in the conservation land guideline to identify the
highest priority land:
    Land parcels 30ha or more in size;
    Located next to or within CPAs;
    Have high biodiversity value (based on the Noosa Biodiversity Assessment Report 2016).
Before a particular land parcel can be considered for voluntary acquisition or private land
conservation, further detailed analysis will be required on a case-by-case basis. For example, the
land parcel may meet the key criteria however be weed infested, affected by future development
such as a road corridor or may be vulnerable to climate change impacts including sea level rise.
The Conservation Land Guideline further guides the categorisation of priority land parcels into
preferred public or private land tenures which may be suitable under the following programs:
1.    Environment Levy Land Acquisition Program
The Environment Levy Policy provides the head of power for the voluntary acquisition of
environmentally significant land. Recent purchases include 25SP104706 on Cooloothin Creek
(106ha) for $2.7m and 115SP173075 Johns Landing (49ha) for $2.2m (70% funded through the
levy).
The Conservation Land Guideline offers two types of land acquisition models:
Land acquisition and retain in public ownership
The Conservation Land Guideline provides a mapping methodology to identify large land parcels
in the lower Noosa River catchment for acquisition and public ownership because of the
environmental significance of some of these land parcels in the catchment and the potential for
development pressure in this part of the Shire.
Note that other parcels of land not identified through the mapping methodology may be
considered for acquisition on a case by basis. For example, smaller parcels of environmentally
significant land located within CPAs and forming a critical link could be considered for acquisition.
An Environment Levy Working Group (ELWG) assesses land acquisition proposals and makes
recommendations to Council.
Revolving fund
Under the Environment Levy Policy land can be purchased, protected by Nature Refuge, and on-
sold (or parts thereof). This model allows expansion of the protected area estate in private
ownership to free up financial capital for further purchases. The Voluntary Conservation
Agreement (VCA) program has a similar outcome (i.e. private land with Nature Refuge or
covenant) however the buying and selling is managed by the private landholder. Because the
majority of levy funds are likely to be utilised for land in the lower Noosa River catchment, a
revolving fund provides a mechanism to purchase land parcels of interest in other parts of the
shire. There are three types of revolving fund mechanisms:
    Purchase, apply a Nature Refuge dedication and on-sell entire parcel with a house site;
    Purchase, subdivide for park purposes and on-sell house site;
    Purchase two adjoining parcels, boundary realignment and on-sell house site.
Should Council approve the revolving fund guideline to progress a revolving fund program further
detailed investigation will be undertaken around the financial accountability mechanisms for a
revolving fund.
A guideline has been drafted to progress a revolving fund program (Attachment 2).




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