2015-03-03 Planning & Organisation Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   3 MARCH 2015




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PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                         3 MARCH 2015

                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.
                The Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (2014) provides the
                mechanism for the Planning Minister to declare an area to be a Biodiversity
                Development Offset Area (BDOA) for the purposes of achieving a net benefit
                for koala conservation. Offsets for koalas have already occurred in the Noosa
                Shire (e.g. Settlers Cove development) and will likely occur into the future.
                Meanwhile the state's Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan (2006)
                and the Nature Conservation (Koala) Management Program (2006 - 2016)
                prescribe outcomes for Koala Habitat Areas and criteria against which
                development in these areas must be assessed. Parts of Noosa Shire are
                identified as "Koala Conservation Areas" and also "Urban Koala Areas".
                Notably the mapping for these areas excludes some urban locales where
                koalas are known to exist, and also ignores the bulk of the Noosa hinterland
                where koalas are known to exist. The planning and development provisions in
                the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan (2006) and the Nature
                Conservation (Koala) Management Program (2006 - 2016) have now been
                superseded by the South East Queensland Koala Conservation State
                Planning Regulatory Provisions 2010 (SPRP).
                Noosa Council's own planning scheme includes a biodiversity overlay that
                identifies potential koala habitat areas derived from state mapping. There are
                currently inconsistencies and shortcomings in this mapping. For some specific
                developments this mapping may have an impact on vegetation removal,
                although not in respect to the clearing for a house site for example.
                Koala provisions in the Noosa Plan biodiversity overlay code requires
                developments to include measures to assist the survival of koalas and provide
                for koala movement across the landscape. The code calls up design
                measures in the Nature Conservation Plan 2006.

                As guidelines and koala mapping are revised over time, the planning scheme
                will need to be updated to reflect these changes.
                It is important to note that there are restrictions on what Council can and
                cannot do in terms of planning decisions that may impact on koalas. Council
                cannot, for example, readily prevent construction of houses on private
                property where that development is in accord with other government
                instruments and also in accord with aspects of the planning scheme.

                WHAT THE KOALA MANAGMENT POLICY MAY CONSIDER

                The Noosa Council Koala Policy may consider issues such as:

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