2017-02-07 P&E Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 8 Community Feedback on New Noosa Plan

Submitter                 Comments                                                                              Staff Response
THEME: BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Sub-Theme: Vegetation Management

          1, 121, 170    Need to have stricter regulations on tree clearing on urban blocks. Planning           The current Noosa Plan was recently amended to reintroduce provisions
                         guidelines need to set down clear requirements for relocating native species if        dealing with vegetation management. These provisions are extensive and
                         someone is planning to develop any or all of the native land.                          require Council approval to most interference with vegetation. However there
                                                                                                                are allowances for development sites where buildings and services including
                                                                                                                roads are approved to be located.
                                                                                                                Relocation of existing native vegetation is not a current option and would
                                                                                                                likely be both costly and incurring a high failure rate.

                   16    Like leafy environment. Do we have to always encourage natural landscapes as           Council’s policies do specifically prefer plantings selected from species
                         they are changing the amenity from tropical to dry. Appear less green in colour        indigenous to the area. However there is also some allowance for non-natives.
                         overall.                                                                               The Parks and Natural Areas team would be consulted on preferred species
                                                                                                                lists for the New Noosa Plan.

  26, 64, 80, 100, 121   Maintain and strengthen biodiversity conservation and sustainability across the        These submissions propose a number of initiatives towards better care of our
                         shire. Encourage more native tree planting and understory plants for birds. There      local environment. Generally these are of an operational nature and are not
                         is a growing need for local recognition of, and proactive management of impacts        capable of being effected through the New Noosa Plan. Refer these
                         and threats to endemic threatened and endangered species, notably koalas. I            submissions to the Biodiversity Plan.
                         support Land for Wild Life and Voluntary Conservation agreements, Bushcare and
                         river-care groups (e.g. NICA). Strongly support sustainably produced local food,
                         provided no further natural vegetation is cleared for such production. I also
                         support planned reforestation of native flora and riparian planting. In particular,
                         we are looking forward to maintaining native vegetation cover and ensuring
                         further fragmentation does not occur, and is rectified wherever possible. We
                         would support greater efforts to retain native species on private land. Urge council
                         to recognise the value of native vegetation and wildlife corridors in land adjacent
                         to Noosa Shire (i.e. Coolum/Peregian Springs)

                  121    Natural Resource Management. The New Noosa Plan must direct the protection of          The New Noosa Plan will likely continue provisions similar to the current plan
                         these natural resources to ensure there is no interference with that, as some past     in relation to mapping important biodiversity areas and requiring
                         developments have strongly attempted. Such development could have                      consideration to the natural values within those areas when assessing
                         permanently changed the entire character of the Shire and its ecosystems.              development applications, by way of overlay mapping and associated codes.
                         Strengthen laws and penalties to those that damage our natural environment.
                         Provide increased protection for dunal systems and turtle habitat.

        132, 139, 187    Support the undertaking of new biodiversity mapping within the Shire which aligns      This is being undertaken with the Biodiversity Plan.


                                                                                                                                                                                     Page 17