2022-02-08 Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA              8 FEBRUARY 2022



THEME: BIODIVERSITY
Actions: Protect and enhance existing ecosystems, vegetation networks and habitats
1. Undertake environmental restoration      At the Ordinary Meeting on 17th June 2021 Council endorsed the Bushland Reserve Strategic
   activities   throughout      Council’s   Management Plan 2021-2026. The Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Management Plan is the
   conservation     reserves.    Prepare    operational mechanism for the implementation of several targets identified within the Noosa
   Bushland Operational Assessments         Environment Strategy. The Noosa Environment Strategy sets the ‘big picture’ for our
   (BOAs) for Council reserves to monitor   environment and sustainability across all plans and subsequent implementation documents. This
   the success of work.                     plan will deliver outcomes across all of the 4 themes of the Noosa Environment Strategy being
                                            Biodiversity; Waterways, Wetlands and Coasts; Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience; and
                                            Sustainable living.

                                            Bushland Operational Assessments (BOAs) are a resilience-based method for mapping native
                                            vegetation condition within an area of bushland. The intent of the mapping is to guide on-ground
                                            restoration works to improve ecosystem resilience. These assessments create the ability to
                                            provide quantifiable baseline data to monitor efforts for the next 5 years. Through its methodology
                                            and assessment criteria, the Bushland Reserve Strategic Management Plan identifies 57
                                            reserves requiring a BOAs. These are now all completed.

                                            A report outlining the success of community participation in voluntary conservation programs,
                                            including Community Bushland Care was presented to the Planning and Environment Committee
                                            on 7 December. This indicated that In terms of outputs, the volunteers contributed 4771 hours
                                            labour in the 2020/2021 financial year. This figure does not include the many unrecorded hours
                                            that group leaders contribute in preparation and planning. Since 2016 Bushcare volunteers have
                                            planted 11206 trees and removed 1248 cubic meters of invasive environmental weeds. 4 larger
                                            community plantings were held in Council reserves. Community interest in this program
                                            continues to be extremely high with officers receiving 4 applications for new groups in this
                                            reporting period.

                                            As noted in the report, there is a risk in being unable to adequately manage ongoing growth and
                                            participation in the Community Bushland Care Program and this has been identified as a priority
                                            for funding consideration in the 2022/23 FY budget.
                                            In addition, Council received State Government funding as part of the Southeast Queensland
                                            Community Stimulus Program, which allowed for the appointment of 4 bushland restoration
                                            employees in the 19/20 financial year to current date. This has allowed the additional restoration
                                            works in more than 20 reserves.



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