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

1.       Introduction
Noosa Shire is located within the Southeast Queensland bioregion, an area of exceptionally high biodiversity that
supports a diverse range of ecosystems. It is this ecosystem diversity that results in a significantly high proportion
of threatened species and ecological communities. To ensure the future protection and enhancement of existing
biodiversity values, The Noosa Environment Strategy (NES) was developed in 2019. In relation to long-term
survival of threatened and protected fauna, the NES detailed Council’s commitment to significant implementation
actions for the first three (3) years of the Strategy (19/20 to 21/22). Hence, the objective of the Road Map (this
document) is to guide Council’s approach to the on-going management and recovery of threatened terrestrial,
aquatic, and marine fauna within the Noosa Shire Local Government Area (LGA) and adjacent coastal waters.

The NES identified specific targets for each of Council’s environmental strategies. The primary focus of Strategy
1.3 is to,
                 ‘Improve long-term survival for threatened species and ecological communities’

Figure 1: Strategy 1.3 of the Noosa Environment Strategy (2019)




For net improvement of local biodiversity values, an integrated approach in threatened species conservation
across a diverse range of key habitats is required. This approach will support related Council environment
strategies, fostering improved outcomes in threatened fauna conservation. This will be achieved through the
development and implementation of clear management strategies and key performance indicators, via the
pathway presented within this Road Map;

     1) Review of Council’s investments in threatened species conservation, including stakeholder involvements
     2) Desktop review of Council’s supporting biodiversity assessments, along with relevant external resources
     3) The identification of key habitats, ecological communities and fauna of conservation significance
     4) A review of the current and foreseeable threatening processes to biodiversity (e.g., climate change)
     5) The shortlisting of fauna species (29) for potential management priorities (based on conservation advice)
     6) The development of a Decision Matrix tool to identify a total of nine (9) species for priority management
     7) A Stakeholder Consultation Plan that included an Expert Panel to complete the Decision Matrix
     8) Collation of stakeholder nominations to determine the final nine (9) species for priority management
     9) The provision of a detailed delivery plan to action species conservation and recovery programs
     10) The development of an Anticipated Delivery Schedule detailing the key milestones, timelines and
         resources required to implement the recommendations provided within this Road Map.