2020-07-16 SM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 2 - Final Noosa Plan 2020 Parts 1-3

 industry sectors is a particular focus. Established retirement communities, aged care facilities and transportable home parks are also
 protected. Land set aside for retirement and aged care facilities at Tewantin, Cooroy, Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Sunrise Beach will
 help cater for demand. The initiatives of Federal and State Government and community based not­for­profit entities in delivering more
 affordable housing for residents in need are likely to be an important component of new housing.

 Given Noosa Shire's popularity as a destination for visitors, accommodation is under increasing pressure from both residents and
 guests. Visitor accommodation areas at Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Noosa North Shore are protected for visitors to the exclusion of
 permanent occupants. The limited number of sites available for new resort development is protected for this purpose. Conversely,
 neighbourhoods of permanent residents are protected from influxes of short­term visitors whose interests and priorities are not
 compatible with residential amenity. Party houses are restricted from establishing in Noosa Shire.

 3.2.5             Noosa's natural environment
 The natural environment of the Shire is valued for its intrinsic biodiversity as well as for the range of ecosystem services that humans rely
 on including the provision of food, water, raw materials, minerals, recreation, tourism and cultural values. It provides for soil quality and
 fertility, water filtration, air purification, climate regulation, pollination, erosion control, decomposition and recycling of wastes. These
 ecosystem services support the health and wellbeing of the community, contribute to the character and identity of places, provide access
 to clean air and water, provide for a productive economy, including tourism and agricultural sectors, and offer opportunities to enjoy
 nature, meet others, learn and be active and creative. Biodiversity conservation also provides protection from natural hazards such as
 flooding and coastal erosion.

 Through protection and enhancement of the natural environment, the scenic amenity and landscape character of the Shire remains
 attractive and contributes to the lifestyle qualities valued by the community and visitors to Noosa Shire.

 The Noosa Shire has outstanding environmental values with a diverse range of distinctive landscapes and exceptional biodiversity of
 great local, regional and global significance. Of the 55 per cent of the Shire covered in native vegetation (as at 2017), more than 40,000
 hectares i s classified as 'remnant' vegetation. While the Noosa Shire comprises 1.4 per cent of the total area of SEQ, it contains
 representations of 39 per cent of the regional ecosystems that can occur in the SEQ bioregion.

 Noosa Shire has a great diversity of ecological communities and flora and fauna species that are recognised and protected including the
 critically endangered lowland rainforest community and critical habitats such as internationally recognised migratory bird habitats and
 marine turtle nesting sites. Unique ecosystems include rare subtropical examples of patterned fens (wetland ecosystem), coastal
 lagoon systems, sand lakes and dune systems. The Shire supports a significantly high proportion of endangered vegetation. Around 230
 km2 of the Shire (over one third) is covered by protected reserves (as at 2017). As a result of this, and long standing management efforts,
 the Noosa River estuary has been consistently awarded an A rating for water quality, the highest in SEQ.

 A network of habitat areas and linkages provide ecological connectivity from a wide cross section of ecosystem types and altitudinal
 ranges. These connecting habitat areas are shown on Strategic Framework Map SFM­4 ­ Biodiversity. A diverse network of wetlands is
 also present, of good ecological condition and encompassing over 16,000 hectares. This interconnected biodiversity network has strong
 adaptive capacity to endure the impacts of climate change and other emerging challenges because of the size and connectedness of
 protected areas and remnant vegetation. Management actions and land use planning decisions are focused on strengthening and
 building linkages to facilitate ecosystem diversity and movement both within and beyond Noosa Shire.

 The diversity, distribution and condition of environmental values of the Noosa Shire play a critical role in conservation management
 locally and for the broader SEQ region, providing important safe refuge areas for flora and fauna in the face of rapid development and
 growth to the south.

 Noosa Shire celebrates a balanced relationship between humans and the environment and its international recognition as a UNESCO
 Biosphere Reserve is testament to this. However, Noosa's environmental values are under pressure from a variety of threatening
 processes including from climate change, weeds and invasive species, vegetation clearing, habitat fragmentation from development,
 erosion and sedimentation, declines in soil health and growing visitor numbers.

 The Noosa community and Council continues to be recognised as a leader in environmental management and ecological sustainability
 and Noosa Shire is an exemplar for biosphere reserves. Continued effort is required to protect and enhance local and regional values,
 build resilient ecosystems and enhance connectivity. This is best achieved through strong partnerships with the community, information
 sharing, education and land use controls.

 Managing development and land use impacts on environmental values and the ecosystem services on which we rely involves limiting
 urban development to within existing Urban Boundaries and protecting environmental matters of local, state and national significance.
 This requires careful location, design and management of development to avoid and mitigate adverse impacts on biodiversity, individual


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