Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Message from the Mayor
Logan City Council is committed to delivering a green and renewable City of the future. Our natural environment plays a pivotal role in supporting our community’s liveability and quality of life. With Council’s adoption of our new vision and Corporate Plan 2017–2022, we are committed to becoming a next generation government – one which innovatively manages our environment, our infrastructure, economic productivity and work-life balance to bring quality lifestyles to our community. The premise of sustainability is to ensure the long-term social, environmental and economic health of a city. This requires responsible corporate governance so that the benefits can be enjoyed by people today and for future generations to come. Council’s Environmental Levy funds a range of environmental initiatives, services and activities that supports this goal by embracing new ways of creating better communities.
To be an innovative dynamic city of the future we must protect and enhance the natural environment across our City through responsible urban planning, education and capacity building within our community. I am pleased to present the City of Logan Naturally Green 2016/17 Environmental Levy Annual Report which highlights the environmental initiatives, projects and services being delivered across the City.
Mayor Luke Smith, City of Logan
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Message from our Health, Environment and Sustainability Committee Chair
The City of Logan has a diverse range of natural vegetation types including significant areas of koala habitat that remain largely undisturbed. 70 per cent of the City is rural or semi-rural and there is 77,428 hectares of ecological corridors through the City. We also have 2,633 hectares of wetlands and 2,177 kilometres of waterways. This annual report highlights the key achievements, initiatives and services delivered through environmental levy funds that supports our vision of becoming an innovative, dynamic city of the future.
The range of innovative environmental initiatives and services we have delivered is broad and diverse. Achievements include improving our waterways with the implementation of the Logan Rivers and Wetlands Recovery Plan, as evidenced by the State of the Catchment report for southern Moreton Bay, through to the development of strong long lasting partnerships with our community through the Land for Wildlife program and the delivery of innovative environmental events, activities and services. Continuing our important work in these areas will ensure a green and sustainable future.
Cr Cherie Dalley, Acting Chair, City Health, Environment and Waste Committee
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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Environmental Levy Financial Snapshot
2016/17 Income: • $7,921,435 from Environmental Levy rates charge • $318,138 from land sales and other income
2016/17 Expenditure: Acquisition and Management of Ecologically Significant Land • $3,124,037 included: – $2,235,823 on bushland maintenance and Bushcare – $224,928 on aquatic and environmental weed control – $663,286 on environmental park projects and ecologically significant land management services
Community Engagement, Community Support and Environmental Education services • $858,650 included: – Land for Wildlife and Conservation Incentive Partnership program – Environmental events and activities – EnviroGrants – World Environment Day poster competition – Rural Land Holder engagement
Connecting Landscapes, River Recovery, Nature Conservation and Climate Change services • $2,153,353 included: – Development of the Logan River Vision 2017–2067 – Logan rivers and wetlands recovery actions – Koala conservation actions – Slacks Creek restoration project works – Flying fox management actions – Waterbody asset management works – Carbon and energy management actions
Appropriation to Reserve Funds $1,619,188
Total Reserve Balance as at 1 July 2017 $4,714,768
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
2016/17 Income:
$7,921,435 from Environmental Levy rates charge
$318,138 from land sales and other income
2016/17 Expenditure:
$3,124,037
$858,650
Acquisition and Management of Ecologically Significant Land
Community Engagement, Community Support and Environmental Education services
$2,153,353
$1,619,188
Connecting Landscapes, River Recovery, Nature Conservation and Climate Change services
Appropriation to Reserve Funds
$4,714,768 Total Reserve Balance as at 1 July 2017
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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City of Logan – Naturally Green
Logan City Council’s Environmental Levy funds are generated and managed in accordance with Council’s adopted Environmental Levy policy and supports the delivery of Council’s corporate environmental priorities and services:
Priority: Green and Renewable (GR) We use responsible urban planning in the City of Logan to protect rural living, our natural environment and green spaces. Our hectares of parkland are surrounded by waterbodies and waterways that meander through the City. We enable investment and delivery of renewable technologies and prepare our city transition to a carbon conscious community. We value our environment, safeguarding our biodiversity, local wildlife, threatened species and green corridors. Priority outcomes: • A carbon neutral and green city • Our waterways and waterbodies are healthy • We employ sustainable waste management and recycling practices Environmental Levy funds are allocated to acquire land, fund capital investment and operational costs (including employee costs) to deliver services, projects and initiatives across three key themes.
Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
1 Acquisition and Management of Ecologically Significant Land
Albert River Park
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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Acquisition and Management of Ecologically Significant Land
• Operational maintenance of Council’s 415 environmentally significant parks and areas (5,278 ha) – this includes weeding, bushfire prevention, pathways/trails and signage • Delivery of the City of Logan BushCare program with 18 Bush Care groups across the City
Create an interconnected network of green infrastructure across the city
• Management of waterbodies to remove aquatic and environmental weeds including treatment at 18 key waterbodies • Weed treatment at 954 properties throughout the City • Delivery of environmental parks infrastructure upgrades which included: – Doug Larsen Park bank stabilisation and revegetation – Garoona Park and Ken May Park revegetation – Gould Adams Park bank stabilisation and revegetation – Lake Dennis revegetation – Riverdale Park revegetation (stage 2 works) – Tygum Lagoon bank stabilisation and revegetation
Albert River
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Logan River, Woodhill
Operational maintenance of Council’s
Delivery of the City of Logan BushCare program with
environmentally significant parks and areas
Bush Care groups across the City
Management of waterbodies to remove aquatic and environmental weeds including treatment at
Weed treatment at
415 18
18
954
properties throughout the City
key waterbodies
Delivery of environmental
parks infrastructure upgrades
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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2 Community Engagement, Community Support and Environmental Education
Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) 2017
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Community Engagement, Community Support and Environmental Education
• Delivery of a range of environmental events and activities including: – Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) 2017 – Land Management and Conservation Incentives Day – Wildlife Carers Celebration – Logan Muddy Monsters – Nature Play days
Facilitate and support planning, education and capacity building to protect and enhance the natural environment across the City (e.g. corridors, biodiversity, ecosystems, wildlife)
– Over 20 other environmental workshops and activities • EnviroGrants – over $110, 000 of community grants to fund 21 environmental projects and 12 wildlife carers • Conservation Incentives Program – 270 properties on the Logan Land for Wildlife (LfW) program: – 22 new properties joined LfW in 2016/17 which equates to 69 hectares of additional habitat (total property area 98.4ha) – 3,900 plants and $7,000 worth of land management supplies distributed to private land holders – 34 of 35 Land Management Vouchers redeemed ($2950) – 6 Voluntary Conservation Covenant (VCC) properties, 11 Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) properties, and $41,000 in VCC Grants for on-ground works
Logan Muddy Monsters Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) 2017
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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Community Engagement, Community Support and Environmental Education
• World Environment Day Primary School Poster Competition – over 3,000 students from 27 schools participated • Logan Animal Ambulance – – 2,357 wildlife rescues in the City of Logan – 10 rescues in areas adjacent to the City of Logan – 40% of the wildlife rescues resulted in the wildlife being rehabilitated and released back into the environment – Top three types of wildlife rescued were native birds (1670), possums (356) and macropods (i.e. wallabies and kangaroos) (131). Other wildlife rescued included koalas, gliders, echidnas, lizards, turtles, bats, snakes and frogs • Delivery of the City of Logan Eco Awards celebrating those in the community that are taking steps to help Logan become a more environmentally sustainable City, 2017 Logan Eco Award Winners: – Eco Champions Award – Kim Downs and Liz Hall-Downs – Junior Eco Champion Award – Savannah Christopher – Eco Business Award – Bushcare Services – Eco Organisation Award – Logan River Branch of Native Plants Queensland
Brush-tailed rock wallaby
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Koala
Grey-headed flying fox
Glossy black cockatoo
Logan Animal Ambulance
2,357 wildlife rescues in the City of Logan
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rescues in areas adjacent to the City of Logan
40% Top 3 of the wildlife rescues resulted in the wildlife being rehabilitated and released back into the environment
types of wildlife rescued were native birds (1670), possums (356) and macropods (i.e. wallabies and kangaroos) (131)
Other wildlife rescued included koalas, gliders, echidnas, lizards, turtles, bats, snakes and frogs
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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3 Connecting Landscapes, River Recovery, Nature Conservation and Climate Change
Carter Park, Bannockburn
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Connecting Landscapes, River Recovery, Nature Conservation and Climate Change
• Development and delivery of the Logan River Vision and Implementation Plan which included: – 105,043 people reached through social media; – 10,000 engaged community members through workshops, surveys, community activities and online tools – Identification of 7 precinct areas to deliver the community’s vision across three themes – river play, river destinations and river health
Finalise the development of the vision for the Albert River to identify opportunities for the health and usage of the asset
• Slacks Creek Recovery and Restoration Project co-funded through the Federal Caring for Our Country grant – actions included: – maintenance and management of the project’s 25.3 hectares following extreme flooding and damage caused by ex-tropical cyclone Debbie – removal of over 2 tonnes of rubbish from project sites – engagement of over 480 community members through activities, walks and events delivered on project sites
Lions Riverside Park, Riverbend
• Water body asset management framework actions
Implement the Logan River Vision to improve the accessibility, ecological health, recreational value and economic benefit of the asset • Scrubby Creek bank stabilisation works – bank re-shaping, rock and timber stabilisation and planting
• Development of the Healthy Land, Healthy Rivers Property Management Planning information support package • Completion of the Paradise Road/Slacks Creek fish way in partnership with Reef Catchments NRM – jointly funded by Australian Government and Logan City Council Environment Levy • Wetland Story Map is an interactive representation of information about some local wetlands, giving residents and visitors the ability to find information about a wetland from a map
• Lake Dennis and Ken May Park riparian rehabilitation works • Habitat restoration and bank stabilisation at Riverdale Park Lagoon and Tygum Lagoon • Revegetation and bank stabilisation at Garoona Park • Bank stabilisation at Gould Adams Park • Recreational Health Water Quality Monitoring Program – fortnightly monitoring of the eight river sites and six water body and creek sites
Implement the Logan City River and Wetlands Recovery Plan 2014–2024 to improve the accessibility, ecological health, recreational value and economic benefit of the asset Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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Connecting Landscapes, River Recovery, Nature Conservation and Climate Change
• Flying-fox Management Plan actions – vegetation management works at Regents Park, Batty Halloween event, education and community workshops • Koala Conservation plan actions – koala scat detection dog surveys and research into trialling drones for koala detection project • Refinement of the City’s ecologically significant land mapping and prioritisation • Significant and threatened species conservation actions including the annual Glossy Black Cockatoo awareness day • Development and delivery of the Common Nature Conservation Classification System (CNCCS) project which will be used to update the Logan Planning Scheme environmental mapping • Delivery of the Energy Management Framework (EMF) with tools to assist Council to implement changes to current business practices that will reduce energy consumption and costs
Logan River, Carbrook
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Develop and implement a carbon reduction strategy for the City of Logan to reduce and offset carbon emissions • Delivery of energy usage baseline report for Council’s operations • Establishment of Energy Management Dashboard to track energy consumption across Council’s operations • Feasibility studies into: – ground mounted solar power opportunities – solar power at the majority of Council’s large facilities – cogeneration, pool heating technologies, and solar power at the Logan North Aquatic Centre and Library
Development and delivery of the Logan River Vision and Implementation Plan which included:
105,043 10,000 people reached through social media
engaged community members
Slacks Creek Recovery and Restoration Project co-funded through the Federal Caring for Our Country grant – actions included:
maintenance and management of the project’s
25.3
hectares following extreme flooding and damage caused by ex-tropical cyclone Debbie
removal of over
2 tonnes of rubbish from project sites
engagement of over
480
community members through activities, walks and events delivered on project sites
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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Luscombe Weir, Albert River
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Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
Environmental Levy Annual Report 2016/17
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This book is printed on recycled paper, manufactured from 100% post consumer waste.