Positive progress being made towards the targets of the Environment Strategy

Expansion of protected areas in the Noosa Shire, less waste to landfill and significant investment in community groups are some of the key actions Noosa Council has undertaken this year to deliver on its Environment Strategy. 

43% of Noosa shire - 34,499 hectares of land - is now being managed for its environmental values, with Council steadily nearing the target of 48% by 2028.

“Council’s work over the past financial year to progress the Environment Strategy makes for encouraging reading,” Mayor Clare Stewart said.

“We know protecting and enhancing our natural environment are important priorities for our community, and with this report, residents can rest assured our focus on the environment has been as strong as ever this past financial year,” she said.

“We’ve made big strides in waste management, diverting 53% of waste from landfill in 2022/23. That’s an increase of 7% on the previous year and it puts us firmly on track to meet the state’s target of 61% diversion by 2025.

“I’m pleased to confirm we’ve invested over $1.78 million into community organisations through our Environmental Grants Program since 2019 to deliver a wide range of environmental projects,” the Mayor said.

In June 2023, Council purchased a 69-hectare Federal property with significant biodiversity and conservation values using funds from the Environment Levy. A Nature Refuge will be placed over the property to ensure its environmental values are protected.

“43% of our shire – or 34,499 hectares of land – is now being managed for its environmental values and we’re steadily nearing our target of 48% by 2028,” the Mayor said. 

“It’s not just providing habitat for our native fauna but providing all residents and tourists with a natural experience that we value so much in Noosa.”

Council’s Environment and Strategy Director, Kim Rawlings, said Council’s Private Conservation Partnerships Program also continues to grow. 

“We now have 437 Land for Wildlife (LfW) partnerships and 23 Voluntary Conservation Agreements (VCAs) in place with private landowners who are doing a tremendous job of conserving biodiversity and rebuilding wildlife corridors,” Ms Rawlings said.

Operationally Council continues to reduce its own emissions. Ms Rawlings said there is now more than 790kW of solar atop Council buildings.

“That’s an increase of over 100kW since 2021/22,” she said.

“Our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have decreased by 2.37% between the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial year.”

Community wide, Noosa’s emissions as a shire decreased between 2018 and 2022 by 27,590 tonnes of CO2-e.

Ms Rawlings said the Environment Strategy will be updated in the coming years to reflect updated data, new plans and strategies, and also to continue to support the Noosa Biosphere and UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MaB) program objectives.

A copy of the report is available on Council’s website.