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

Introduction
The vision of Noosa Council is Noosa: different by                 The Environment Strategy will help prioritise investment
nature. Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than our          and deliver an integrated approach to managing Noosa’s
commitment to environment and sustainability.                      environment. It also seeks to recognise the role Council
                                                                   can play in achieving these intended outcomes, and how
For thousands of years, Noosa’s natural environment has            we can work with other management agencies and the
been integral to the Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) people’s              Noosa community to achieve excellence in environmental
cultural values, customs and spiritual beliefs. Aboriginal         management.
peoples have been environmental stewards of the region
around Noosa for millennia and still maintain a deep               Policy and planning context
relationship today with the biodiversity, waterways and
wetlands of the area.                                              The Environment Strategy is guided by Council’s Corporate
                                                                   Plan, Sustainability Principles and Environment and
Historically, Noosa has chosen a different path to other           Sustainable Living Policy. It is also informed by applicable
areas of south-east Queensland and today we reap the               international, Commonwealth and State legislation and
benefits, with large tracts of retained vegetation, the            policy.
healthiest waterways in the region, and an engaged and
active community.                                                  In 2015 Noosa Council adopted a set of six Sustainability
                                                                   Principles to ensure consideration of sustainability across
These great strengths also form the basis of our economy           all areas of Council business;
as people travel from all over the world to enjoy Noosa’s
natural environment. The value of the Noosa brand also             1. Resources are sustainably managed so that the
provides great opportunities for new ‘smart’ and ‘green’              lifestyle of the community is preserved, without
industries to develop and thrive, diversifying our economy            compromising the ability of future generations to meet
beyond tourism, whilst offering high economic value and               their own needs.
low environmental impact.                                          2. Noosa’s economy is prosperous, diverse and
                                                                      protective of its unique environment.
More than 50 years of environmental activism, dating back
to 1962 when Dr Arthur Harrold established the Noosa               3. Noosa residents belong to a community that values its
Parks Association, has resulted in a community that places            diversity, accessibility and affordability.
a high value on the natural environment. It has also resulted      4. Noosa’s community is inclusive, connected and
in a community that seeks to live sustainably and reduce its          resilient and encourages participation and information
impact on that environment.                                           sharing.
The purpose of this Environment Strategy is to provide             5. Noosa’s community benefits from quality places
a long-term, overarching framework to maintain and                    and programs that enhance wellbeing and support
continually improve on this historical trajectory. It recognises      creative, active and healthy lifestyles.
that Noosa will continually strive for a higher standard in        6. Good governance is achieved through effective and
the way we manage and live in our environment. It includes            efficient decision making, made in the interests of the
clear strategies, targets and a range of outcomes that                community.
Noosa Council seeks to achieve, in partnership with the
community.




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