2016-07-12 - Item 10 - Att 1 - Koala Conservation Plan

                                                    Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan 2016




1.2.2	Conserving koalas and habitat through non-statutory
       means
There are a number of opportunities to further protect and enhance koala populations and
habitat through non-statutory measures. The focus of koala conservation activities will be:
    •	In areas identified as core habitat or within essential corridors between core habitat
       areas, as shown in Map 3, page18.
    •	Prioritised in areas identified as low to medium risk (see Map 4, page 19), where
       there is a greater chance of maintaining a viable population of koalas in the long
       term.

The following programs may be used to support koala conservation measures:

Land for Wildlife (LFW) programs and Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA)
Landholders with suitable properties can apply to become part of the SEQ Catchments Land
for Wildlife (LFW) program. Currently there are 300 LFW landholders within Noosa Shire and it
is Council’s most popular voluntary private land conservation initiative. There is opportunity to
provide incentives to LFW landholders to re-instate koala habitat on their land. Once the Noosa
Plan Biodiversity Code-Vegetation Protection provisions are approved in the current round of
planning scheme amendments by the State, publicly funded vegetation works can be afforded
long term protection on private land.

The Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) program encourages private landholders to
elect to have a portion of their land protected under covenant that remains on title. Council
provides a financial incentive to the landholder to fund environmental works and/or a rate
contribution. Many of the VCA property owners have started from the LFW program. An agreed
property management plan is developed with the landholder and this guides environmental
rehabilitation on the land.

Through the LFW and VCA programs there is opportunity to expand conservation efforts on
private land and reinstate koala
habitat and linkages through
revegetation projects.




                                                                               Noosa Council | Page 11