2021-02-09 P&E Agenda - Item 6 - Attachment 1 - Draft Noosa Bushland Reserve Strategic Plan 2021-2026

Tenure of Council-managed Bushland Reserves

 Land Tenure                                               Area (ha)
 Reserve (Council as Trustee)                              1459.7
 Free Hold                                                 1203.15
 Land Lease                                                0.77
 State Land / USL (Council as Trustee)                     16.33
 National Park (Joint Management)                          13.2
 Road Reserve / Esplanade (Council as trustee)             466.85

Reserve tenure does have some influence over the management and rehabilitation actions that are
permitted to occur within bushland reserves. In particular, freehold parcels allow for greater scope
of protection mechanisms such as Nature Refuge declarations and they also provide greater scope
of additional value-adding, such as facilitation of formal legislative biodiversity and carbon offsets.

Reserves that originate as part of a Development Assessment process may have ‘on-maintenance’
periods for ecological restoration actions covering several years as guided by formal flora and
fauna surveys and management plans. Great potential exists for closer alignment to the
development assessment process with regard to species data collection, and the formalisation of
standardised management plans. This will avoid duplication and reduce the planning burden as
new bushland reserves come on line.



6.3     Current Management Resourcing
6.3.1       Internal Council Investment
In 2020, Noosa Shire Council employs 6 staff to manage its bushland reserve network including
managerial, technical and on-ground staff. The Natural Areas team works very closely with:

       Council Pest Management Officers - There is an active fauna (native and pest animal)
        monitoring program in place in a number of key reserves utilising sand plots and fauna
        cameras. Outcomes of this monitoring determine pest animal management activities.
       Community Bushland Care Officer - Manages the Bushland Care Program, funded through
        Council’s Environmental Partnerships program. Approximately 60% of the sites included in
        the Bushland Care program occur on bushland reserves.
       Council’s Parks & Gardens branch - Many Bushland Reserves abut Open Space
        recreational parks requiring interface management between teams. These can sometimes
        include mowing, tree and invasive species management.
       Council’s Civil Operations team - A significant amount of drainage, pathway, beach access
        and bridge infrastructure occur within or adjacent to Bushland Reserves at times resulting
        in hydrological changes and debris accumulation.

NSC engages both internal staff and external contractors to undertake on-ground works in
designated reserves.

Bushland reserves are generally inspected annually by staff.


6.3.2       Community Involvement
Noosa’s community are passionate about the natural landscape they live in, and there are active
community groups and a volunteer network working within Council’s bushland reserves on a


Noosa Bushland Reserves Strategic Plan 2021 – 2026                                             Page 23