2023-03-07 - P&E Agenda - Item 4 - Attachment 1 - Environmental Services - Threatened Fauna Recovery Road Map

                       Stakeholder Consultation Plan
             Noosa Threatened Fauna Recovery Road Map Indicator
                          Species Selection Process


Background
The Noosa Environment Strategy identifies specific targets for each of Council’s environmental strategies. The
primary focus of Strategy 1.3 is to, ‘Ensure populations of key threatened indicator species remain viable’. For net
improvement of Shire-wide biodiversity values, an integrated approach in threatened species conservation, across
a diverse range of key habitats is recommended to support other related Council environment strategies.

Through the comprehensive Desktop Review contained within the Noosa Threatened Fauna Recovery Road Map,
a total of twenty-nine (29) Shire-wide conservation significant species were shortlisted from the available
resources. That is, species which reside in the Noosa LGA that are currently listed under the Nature Conservation
Act (Queensland) or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Commonwealth), and afforded
either of the following conservation advices;
     • Critically endangered
     • Endangered
     • Vulnerable
     • Conservation dependent (EPBC) / near threatened (NCA)

A comprehensive Decision Matrix tool has been developed to allow an Expert Panel to score and rank the
shortlisted twenty-nine (29) fauna species in relation to items critical to the delivery of the NES, and the nine (9)
identified threating processes to biodiversity values. This method will then determine the final species list for the
Noosa Nine.

Approach
Using the Decision Matrix, stakeholders from the Expert Panel will score the twenty-nine shortlisted fauna species
of conservation significance against the selection criteria. For item / criteria one ‘Conservation Advice’ which is
critical to the delivery of the NES, a suitably qualified Noosa Council Environmental staff member has completed
this section of the Matrix. This was undertaken through reference to the supporting information identified in Section
3.

For item two ‘Suitability for Longitudinal Population Trend Monitoring’, along with all other nine (9) criteria (identified
threatening processes), members of an Expert Panel will be presented with the opportunity to score and rank each
of the twenty-nine shortlisted species in relation to their susceptibility to the identified threatening processes.

On competition of the consultation program, the results from all participants will be collated. This exercise will
determine the nominated species for conservation under the Noosa Threatened Fauna Recovery Road Map.

The expert panel will be formed to represent key stakeholders invested in regional threatened fauna species
management. Where possible, panel members will be sourced from the following stakeholder groups;
            • Noosa Council
            • Sunshine Coast Council
            • CSIRO
            • Academics (ecologists)
            • Local wildlife conservation organisations
            • Wildlife consultants

Methods