A Biodiversity Strategy for PMHC LGA

Policy background

Key Natural Environment Strategy:To maintain and improve existing environmental values in the Port Macquarie-Hastings LGA.

Focus area 4 - We understand and manage the impact that the community has on the natural environment. We protect the environment now and in the future.

Action 4.7.1.2Prepare a draft biodiversity strategy to determine environmental priorities for conservation and restoration.

• Increased knowledge for PMHC for strategic planning

• Maximise development AND conservation of assets

• PMHC in good stead for new Biodiversity Cons. Act.

• Funding opportunities (rural landholders and Council)

• Solves current problems for development industry:– Increased certainty and provision of offsite offsets.

Why Have a Biodiversity Strategy?

A Biologically Rich Area

The Great Balancing Act

Current Situation

1

•Land purchased for development

2

•Specialists engaged; plans created

3

•Environmental consultant engaged

4

•Biological values of land assessed...

Possible Outcomes of Assessments

Land has low biological value= the development proceeds

Possible Outcomes of Assessments

Land has moderate biological value= the development proceeds if the impact can be “offset”.

On-site offsets currently used regularly.

Expensive, ineffective, sometimes impossible....

On-site offset requires trees to be planted...

Poor outcomes....

Many Benefits of Off-site Offsets

• Less ‘squeezing in’ to accommodate conflicting goals

• Less expense to developers to ‘juggle outcomes’

• Less risk to developers of losing lots for trees;

• Benefits to private landholders= funding for works;

• Better, more certain outcomes for biodiversity

Possible Outcomes of Assessments

Land has high biological value= the development meets time and expense and may not even be able to go ahead.

I wish I would have known this earlier!!!!

Current Situation: Data Poor Environment

• Northern Rivers Regional Biodiversity Management Plan looks at some priority areas and corridors

Too broad for planning

Built using coarse data

Errors at Fine Scales

A New Way Forward....

• “Biological prioritisation” software (e.g. Zonation) can simultaneously assess the value of areas (50 m grids) across an LGA for hundreds of species.

• Shows which areas are important for biodiversity conservation and which areas are not so important.

• The ranking is based not just on how many species live there, but species uniqueness is considered.

• System developed by universities. Used worldwide.

Maps produced to aid strategic planning

• Already been applied by Councils at the regional level and individual Council level.

High Conservation

Upper HunterLow Conservation

Landscape Connectivity

• Important for wildlife: breeding, feeding, refuge.

• Important for community: recreation/ tourism.

• Powerful software (GapClosR) available to identify key corridors and breaks in corridors.

Outcomes

• Relative biological values known across LGA;

• Knowledge before development process starts;

• Knowledge available to enable off site offsets.

• Knowledge for landholders seeking funding.

• Enables PMHC to access funding (as per Tweed).

An Example of Funding

• Tweed Shire and Byron Shire Councils have gained $2.1 million from the Federal Government for their Koala Connections project. $1.5 m in in-kind support.

• The project also won the 2014 NSW Natural Environment Sustainability Award

The New Biodiversity Conservation Act

• State/Federal Environmental Legislation under review

• The Biodiversity Conservation Act review suggests:

– Moves towards prioritisation modelling;

– Greater role ($$) for private conservation;

– Moves towards offsite offsets.

Greater Emphasis on Threatened Species

• Universal acceptance/ importance of protection.

• Recovery Plans for all threatened species in NSW;

• Funding directed to Saving Our Species Program;

• Biodiversity Strategy = help to access this funding.

The Biodiversity Strategy will NOT:

• Make definitive decisions on development:– Due processes still need to be followed;– But more information available up front.

• Rezone areas for environmental protection;

• Force decisions on private landholders;

• Affect existing arrangements (Area 13, 14, 15).

PMHC Well-Placed to Commence

• Excellent data sets available:– Vegetation mapping for LGA (BioLink, 2013);

– Koala Habitat Mapping for LGA (BioLink, 2013);

– BioNet, BirdLife Australia, Other Data

•Strategic Links:– University of Melbourne;– Lake Macquarie City Council;– Office of Environment and Heritage.

Summary

• Responds to customer demands:– Developers requests for certainty and offsets;

– Rural landholder requests for better access to $;

– Internal PMHC need for offsets (e.g. Airport);

Why Have a Biodiversity Strategy?

• Will put PMHC in good position for forthcoming Biodiversity Conservation legislation.

• Increased knowledge for PMHC for strategic planning

Summary

Why Have a Biodiversity Strategy?

The Biodiversity Strategy will:

• Identify the biological assets of the PMHC LGA;

• Identify the threats to these assets;

• Identify actions to protect assets/ minimise threats;

• Back zone land for environmental protection.

Summary

The Biodiversity Strategy will NOT:

Rough Steps (also see Project Plan)

1

•Form Reference Group inc. Councillors, scientists, local stakeholders (development and biodiversity)

2

•Work with Reference Group to develop project scope and methodology; community briefings

3

•Commence modelling in accordance with above;

4

•Draft models (maps) examined/discussed by Council and then Reference Group

5

•Models (maps) refined and rediscussed by Council and then Reference Group;

6

•Acceptance of maps by Council;

7

•Write draft Biodiversity Strategy, Council reviews, community reviews, write final Biodiversity Strategy;

8

•Present to community (urban and rural customers); rural landholder information nights etc.

Thank you for your time

• Biodiversity is important for the culture, economy, ecological health and identity of an area.

• Not all areas of the LGA are equal for biodiversity.

• A Biodiversity Strategy greatly aids strategic planning.

Conclusion

Future Meeting and Workshop Themes

Expert Panel

• Provide local expert knowledge• Critic methodology and modelling outputs• Includes State Agencies (Forest Corp, NPWS, Dept.

Lands, Office of Environment and Heritage)• Panel of 8 and Council Staff.