Koala Conservation Initiatives September 2015 Julie O’Connor Senior Conservation Partnerships Officer

2 Koala Conservation Plan Protecting Council Land Planning Scheme Community Nature Conservation Program Environmental Offsets Pest Management Conservation Partnerships Programs Overview

Koala Conservation Plan PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL3 Currently in draft, scheduled for endorsement in November 30 management actions to meet the following 5 desired outcomes: Building knowledge Planning and policy; Support partnerships and community engagement; Mitigate threatening processes Increasing advocacy and education.

Protecting Council Land PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL4  Buderim Forest Park Nature Refuge  Bobbie Sattler Nature Refuge  Cooroibah Environmental Reserve Nature Refuge  Pattens Nature Refuge  Policeman Spur Nature Refuge  Symplocos Nature Refuge  Tanawha Tall Gums Nature Refuge  Doonan Wetlands Nature Refuge  Frizzos Nature Refuge  Jill Chamberlain Nature Refuge  Kenilworth Bluff Nature Refuge  Kingsgate Drive Nature Refuge  Marist Brothers Nature Refuge  Mountain Creek Conservation Area Nature Refuge  Verrierdale Rise Nature Refuge Nature Refuges

Protecting Council Land PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL5 CNCP Program 42 Bushland reserves Approx 400 active volunteers Actively managing 158 ha, including some with koala habitat

Planning Scheme Biodiversity, Waterways & Wetlands Overlay Codes “development avoids or minimises adverse impacts on koalas and koala habitat”; Criteria for Assessable Development – Koala Conservation Acceptable Outcomes Avoids clearing non-juvenile koala habitat trees; Provide safe koala movement & habitat connectivity; Must comply with Koala Sensitive Design Guidelines (EHP 2012); Construction practice not to increase risk of koala injury or death; Any damage to retained native vegetation is rectified; Incorporates landscapes that provide food, shelter & movement opportunities. Approx 240 applications received in May under superceded PS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL6

7 Previously five State Acts and policies dealing with offsets -fragmented, duplicating… Now combined (Environmental Offsets Act 2014, Regulations and Policy) and provides consistent framework - matters identified as a National, State or Local scale can be offset; Environmental Offsets State Offset FrameworkSCC Offsets Guidelines for Environmental Offset Provision & Management

Environmental Offsets PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL8 External Energex & TMR – London Creek Environmental Reserve Stage 1& Stage II Koala Offset – Doonan Creek Environmental Reserve Stage I Internal Sippy Downs Drive – Skippy Park, Landsborough Muller Park Development – rehabilitation works Doonan Bridge Road East – Doonan Wetlands ER

Pest Management & Monitoring $470K additional funding per year for next three years (Environment Levy) Includes wild dog control, monitoring and management PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL9

Tree & Vegetation Management on Council Land Policy Of note: Trees & native vegetation managed as important assets; Predominance of locally native species in the built & natural landscape; Higher rates of retention & protection of trees & native vegetation; Minimum of no net loss of trees & native vegetation on council controlled land. PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL10

Conservation Partnerships 11 Land for Wildlife LFW Incentives Voluntary Conservation Agreements Landholder Environment Grants Environment Levy Partnerships

Land for Wildlife Program Currently 871 LFW members – 674 fully registered and 197 ‘working towards’ full registration Almost 7,000 ha of retained habitat with over 600 ha under restoration Just over 60% of remaining bushland in private ownership 21 workshops/field days delivered to 369 LFW members The 1,462 ha of non-remnant vegetation within the LFW program is greater than all non-remnant vegetation in protected tenures combined, including state and Council land 12

LFW Incentives Program 16,000 tubestock provided to 59 landholders; 110 nestboxes installed on 22 properties; 20 LFW members received herbicides for weed control on their properties; Koala food tree incentive component added this year PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL13

Regional LFW Survey July/Aug 2013, 401 members from SC participating 363 properties planted 441,000 trees 95% of SC respondents reported plans to continue weed control 13% had plans to also assist on other VCA/LFW properties 60% of respondents were adjoining either State or Council conservation land 14

Voluntary Conservation Agreement Program Currently 66 VCA properties in SC Protecting 1,056 ha of high quality habitat All current VCA landholders started as LFW members. 15

Landholder Environment Grants 2015 round – 118 applications approved for funding. Cost to Council $341,348. Total projects value $1,056,091 16

EL Partnerships $550,000 per year to environmental community organisations for 1 to 3 years funding for 22 organisations involved in private and public land conservation, and wildlife care and rehabilitation. PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL17

Thank you PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL18