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

                                                     Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan 2016




The State Government Supported Community Infrastructure Koala Conservation Policy (2014)
outlines how state public sector entities will consider koala conservation outcomes in the
planning and delivery of government supported community infrastructure such as roads and
buildings.

Similar to National legislation, in most cases State planning provisions do not stop
development, but provide measures to avoid/mitigate/offset impacts to koalas.

Local
The Noosa Plan 2006
The State Planning Policy (SPP) 2014 states that local government planning schemes are to
appropriately integrate State and National interests including biodiversity matters. The SPP
State interest-Biodiversity Parts 1-6 state that the planning scheme needs to consider matters
of national and state significance and facilitate a net gain in koala habitat.

At a local government level vegetation protection across the Noosa Shire is currently achieved
through the Noosa Plan Biodiversity Overlay Code which protects significant vegetation.
Development within these mapped areas requires assessment by Council and under the
Noosa Plan certain activities such as clearing for access, fencing and a dwelling house are
exempt. Landholders or contractors can be prosecuted for illegal clearing within the mapped
Biodiversity Overlay area and may be required to re-instate vegetation. Outside of the mapped
Biodiversity Overlay, protection provisions for all trees are included in the current round of
Noosa Plan planning scheme amendments.

In terms of Council infrastructure development projects such as roads, there are two Council
non-statutory adopted policies that apply to koalas and their habitat:

Noosa Koala Conservation Policy
This policy states that impacts on koalas and koala habitat from Council planned capital and
operational works are to be assessed through the following process:
    i)	In the first instance, investigate measures to avoid any impacts on koalas and koala
        habitat from planned works;
    ii)    Mitigate unavoidable impacts from works;
    iii)   Offset unavoidable impacts as close as possible to the impact site

Tree Management on Public Land Policy
This policy applies to all Council public land including parks, road reserves and other council-
owned land including community facilities. The policy states:
    i)     Trees are valuable assets and must be managed accordingly
    ii)	Council maintains a general commitment to the sustainable management of trees
         on public land and also the greening of open space
    iii)	Unavoidable removal of trees from public land may be offset with planting to ensure
          there is no net loss of trees on Council controlled land

In terms of Council’s infrastructure planning and design, it is the intent of this Koala
Conservation Plan that developments within Koala Habitat Areas (see Map 3, page 18) are
consistent with these policy provisions.



                                                                                 Noosa Council | Page 9