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1 INTRODUCTION
We know that protecting, using and enjoying our natural environment is important to the people of the MidCoast region. This was made clear in the vision articulated in the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) 2030:
“We strive to be recognised as a place of unique environmental and cultural significance.”
The environment is a core value in the CSP, which states:
“We value our environment: Our natural environment is protected and enhanced, while we maintain our growing urban centres and manage our resources wisely.”
In order to meet the community’s aspirations, MidCoast Council set a road map for where we wanted to be by 2030 (goals), how we would get there (activities) and who could help (stakeholders). We chose three goals:
• We protect, maintain and restore our natural environment • We manage resources wisely • We balance the needs of our natural and built environments
This State of the Environment Report (SOE) provides a summary of our progress towards these goals, looking after the natural assets we love and depend on. The time frame covered in this report is 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2021.
The reporting period was a challenging time for the environment and our community. We experienced the worst drought on instrumental record in 2019. Then came bushfires that burnt 209,549 hectares of vegetation and killed our precious wildlife. In March 2021 major flooding to the Manning River resulted in widespread bank erosion. Much of Council’s efforts have involved working with our partner agencies and the community to remediate the impacts of these natural disasters.