2019-06-11 P&E Agenda - Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Environment Strategy

Biodiversity
Goal                                                              •    bacteria and fungi break down organic matter and
                                                                       improve the soil conditions needed to grow our food
By 2030 the condition and extent of our natural
                                                                  •    vegetated catchments and riparian areas along
ecosystems has improved.
                                                                       waterways help to capture and slow down rainfall
Biodiversity is part of all environments on our planet                 runoff, protecting waterway health and reducing flood
- terrestrial, aquatic and marine. It is not static, but               risk
constantly changing. It can be increased by genetic               •    waterways and marine environments provide
change and evolutionary processes, and it can be reduced               opportunities for recreation and support our fisheries
by a range of threats which lead to population decline and             resources
even extinction.
                                                                  •    bushland areas provide spaces for recreation and
Noosa Shire is located within the south-east Queensland                nature appreciation, to exercise, relax and reflect
Bioregion, an area of exceptionally high biodiversity, lying      •    coastal ecosystems provide recreation, cultural
in the zone where tropical and temperate land zones                    values and scenic vistas important to Noosa’s identity
overlap. This provides for a set of conditions that support a          and character.
great variety of plants and animals.
                                                                  A healthy natural environment contributes to our quality
Noosa has a large variety of all three levels of biodiversity;    of life and is vital in supporting Noosa’s economy and
at the genetic, species and ecosystem level. These are            community. It takes a whole-of-community effort to ensure
supported by a wide range of ecosystem types, including           we preserve, enhance and celebrate our local native
rainforests, beaches, woodlands, wetlands, lakes, rivers,         plants, animals, and ecosystems, so they remain healthy,
forests, mountains and marine areas.                              resilient and valued by all the community.

Conserving biodiversity is an essential part of safeguarding      3 core strategies identified in this theme are:
the biological life support systems on Earth, collectively
                                                                  •    protect and enhance existing ecosystems, vegetation
described as ecosystem services. These are fundamental
                                                                       networks and habitats
to our physical, social, cultural and economic well-being. It
is also simply the right thing to do, to ensure that those that   •    expand vegetation networks and habitat
come after us get to wonder at the natural beauty of the          •    improve long-term survival for threatened species and
environment we enjoy today.                                            ecological communities
Noosa’s biodiverse ecosystems and landscapes are
important for their inherent values as well as providing
essential services to the local community:

•    trees and plants filter carbon and provide the clean air
     we breath
•    wetland ecosystems filter pollutants from our water
     and support fish production




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