2016-07-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                               12 JULY 2016


10                       NOOSA SHIRE KOALA CONSERVATION PLAN
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                               Principal Environment Officer, Peter Milne
                                     Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index                                ECM/Subject/Koala Policy Management

Attachments                          1.    Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan (36 Page attachment provided
                                           separately to this agenda. 2 hard copies available in the Councillors’ Room)

                                     2.    Summary of public submissions


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Principal Environment Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 12 July 2016 and
A.                       Acknowledge and thank submitters for their comments on the Koala Conservation Plan;
B.                       Adopt the Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan; and
C.                       Commence the implementation of actions as identified in the Koala Conservation Plan.




REPORT
At its Ordinary Meeting of 28 April 2016, Council resolved to undertake public consultation on the
Noosa Shire Draft Koala Conservation Plan. Public consultation closed on 10 June 2016 and
forty-one submissions were received. In summary most of the submissions concerned:
                       Greater domestic and wild dog control;
                       More protection and enhancement of koala habitat through the Environment Levy Program;
                       Providing incentives to plant trees for private landholders;
                       Translocating koalas to increase local populations;
                       Greater penalties for illegal tree clearing;
                       More community education and media on koala conservation;
                       Stopping development in koala habitat areas;
                       Verification of koala sightings on Noosa North Shore;
                       More koala road signs and measures to slow traffic;
                       Using tourism as a measure to support koala conservation;
                       Greater use and promotion of the ‘Koala Tracker’ website for recording koala sightings;
                       More funding for fauna rescue organisations;
                       Greater use of koala detection dogs particularly prior to development;
                       Using Noosa Shire koalas as the recipients for the first round of Chlamydia vaccines;
                       Improved koala infrastructure such as fencing and underpasses;

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