Biodiversity Management

The MidCoast region contains important biodiversity and natural assets, which have intrinsic value and play a vital role in supporting our community’s socioeconomic and cultural wellbeing. Maintaining healthy and biodiverse environments underpins the economy of the region and the way of life of its residents and visitors.

Much of the natural habitat in the region is on private land. To achieve our communities’ vision for a healthy natural environment, we have a shared responsibility to appropriately and effectively manage, conserve and restore the biodiversity, environment and natural assets of the MidCoast region. From July 2018 to June 2021 Council undertook a range of projects to protect biodiversity across multiple tenures, working with community and government partners.

Biodiversity Framework

Over three years to June 2021, MidCoast Council developed a Biodiversity Framework in partnership with the community and other stakeholders. The framework was adopted by Council in July 2021. It outlines a 10-year program to maintain and enhance the condition and function of the natural environment.

Applying clear and consistent objectives for biodiversity will assist in meeting statutory requirements and achieving biodiversity outcomes. The framework brings together tools, projects and plans to help Council work in a coordinated and adaptive way.

The biodiversity program within the framework is grouped within six themes:

• Engagement and partnerships • Reserves and conservation agreements • Land management • Science and knowledge • Strategic planning and policies • Land use planning and development

Implementation of the Biodiversity Framework will be both on Council land and private land, through voluntary partnerships and programs with the community, farmers and other landholders. It will work in the context of legislation and align with other relevant plans and policies.

It will position the MidCoast region to capture investment opportunities and help maintain our areas’ liveability and desirability.

Land for wildlife

Most of the MidCoast region is made up of privately owned land which supports around 70% of our native vegetation. To protect and restore natural habitats, it is therefore crucial that private landholders get involved. Land for Wildlife is a voluntary program facilitated by Council that encourages landholders to manage biodiversity and wildlife habitat on their properties, focusing on the value of bushland in maintaining healthy catchments and supporting agriculture. In the MidCoast region, there are currently 77 properties participating in the program covering over 2,000 hectares of land.

Backyard Bushcare

The Backyard Bushcare initiative in Pacific Palms was designed to allow locals and Council to work together to protect the environment and enhance the bushland of the area.

The program ran over four years and included the inspection of over 1,250 properties for environmental weeds and the implementation of an extensive engagement program to work with landholders to remove weeds in their own backyards.

Based on initial inspections there were three main aims and key messages of the program:

• Pull out Bitou Bush, pull out Asparagus weeds • If you are getting new plants for your garden, make sure they are either native or nonseeding • Control other environmental weeds

To compliment these aims and assist in making local backyards more bushland friendly staff from the Natural Systems team undertook a variety of engagement initiatives including: