Draft Biodiversity Policy

No longer on display. Expired on 27 October 2021, 05:00 PM

Council on 21 September 2021 resolved to place the draft Biodiversity Policy on public exhibition and open for public comment.

The draft is an update of the 2016 policy and sets out the procedures and responsibilities for the management of biodiversity within the Ku-ring-gai LGA.

Background

Council recognises that biodiversity is part of Ku-ring-gai’s common goods and that its condition and function in the landscape is intrinsic to the wellbeing of the community, including future generations; the health of our economy; and to our social and cultural identity. The purpose of this policy is to provide a management framework for the protection and conservation of the Ku-ring-gai Local Government Area’s biodiversity assets and values, in accordance with international, national and state agreements, legislation, policies and programs.

Policy Objectives

Retain, maintain and restore biodiversity within the Ku-ring-gai LGA.
Ensure biodiversity is appropriately addressed and integrated within strategic land use planning, policy and decision-making.
Continually improve knowledge of the area‘s biodiversity resources, values and ecological processes through systematic surveys and data management.
Strategically collaborate with the community, educational institutions, NGOs, special interest groups, the Indigenous community and all levels of government to maintain, enhance and restore biodiversity at a local, regional and national level.
Undertake frequent monitoring and evaluation reporting to assess conservation performance; enable adaptive management; provide feedback to the community and identify future management priorities.
Protect and enhance the carbon reservoir in Ku-ring-gai’s ecosystems to mitigate against climate change and implement adaptive management responses to address the impacts of climate change on Ku-ring-gai’s biodiversity.
Continually seek investment opportunities with key organisations to advance improvements in biodiversity and to encourage innovation.

There have only been minor amendments to the policy. These include legislative updates, consolidation of implementation activities and the addition of monitoring and evaluation actions to ensure they are measurable against the objectives of the policy.