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

                                                     Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan 2016




There are also some local residents who are ‘champions’ in monitoring local koalas and who
record their sightings and photos on Facebook.

Koala Tracker is a ‘citizen science’ web based facility and is a very useful database. Verifiable
data from this resource has been used to inform the Noosa koala habitat maps. Members of
the public can record their koala sightings online.

Each organisation will continue to keep their own records. Any koala records received by
Council can be entered onto the WildNet database for use in the State Essential Habitat
Mapping.

Koala Habitat Mapping
To help guide Council and community koala conservation actions it is important to accurately
identify koala habitat areas. There are currently several mapping resources available to
Council. Statutory maps are used for development assessment purposes. Local mapping
can provide more detail to State mapping and can be used as supporting material to inform
development assessment decisions.

Statutory koala habitat maps include the Queensland State Planning Policy (SPP) Wildlife
Habitat Mapping, State Planning Regulatory Planning Provisions (SPRP) mapping (see map
1, page 8) and Essential Habitat mapping for threatened species (including koalas)

Non-statutory koala habitat maps include the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) Noosa
Koala Habitat Atlas and the South-east Queensland Catchments (SEQC) Noosa Koala
Habitat and Threat Mapping Project. These are discussed below.

In October 2000 the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) provided Council with the Noosa
Koala Habitat Atlas. Suitable feed and shelter trees were identified that had koala ‘scats’
underneath. Vegetation types were attributed to the location data and shire-wide maps
developed. The maps identify primary, secondary and tertiary habitats based on the likely
density of koalas utilising that particular habitat type.

In 2015, Noosa Council engaged SEQ Catchments to develop local koala maps for Noosa
Shire. Similar to the AKF Koala Habitat Atlas, the SEQC Noosa Koala Habitat Mapping
Project has taken an evidence based approach to identifying habitat. This means that
land can only be mapped as koala habitat if there has been evidence of koalas using that
particular vegetation in Noosa Shire. Map 3 on page 18 shows the SEQC koala habitat
mapping. The SEQC koala habitat mapping is a verifiable mapping resource because it is
based on local evidence and also includes regrowth, which koalas often utilise. Fifty per cent
of koala records have been found to be outside remnant vegetation in regrowth and other
areas.

Koalas are recorded in National Park, State Forest, Council controlled land such as Bushland
Reserve and on private land. There are some important vegetation linkages that cross
jurisdictional boundaries and Noosa Council will work with Sunshine Coast Council and
Gympie Shire Council to help protect this habitat.




                                                                                Noosa Council | Page 17