Media Release

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Issue date: Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Green sweep in city's new conservation strategy

Gold Coast City Council is set to establish a bold new green target for the city, aiming to have 55 per cent of the city's land area covered by native vegetation by 2040. The new draft Nature Conservation Strategy was presented to Council's Sustainable City Future Committee today (19/5). The committee has recommended it be endorsed by the full Council when it meets on Monday (25/5).

Committee Chairperson, Councillor Peter Young, said the draft document was an essential tool in delivering the Gold Coast’s Bold Future headline target of having a higher proportion of native bushland than any other major city in Australia by 2040.

Cr Young said studies conducted for the strategy showed that native vegetation covered almost 63,700 hectares, or just under half the city's land area in 2005.

"Council initiatives, including Voluntary Conservation Agreements for private landholders, have ensured almost 13,500 hectares, or close to 10.5 per cent of the city are now managed for nature conservation."

"However the studies have shown that vegetation loss remains a major threat to the city's natural environment."

"In fact, between 1998 and 2005 we lost bushland at an average rate of 422 hectares a year, so this strategy is vitally important if we are to halt, and then reverse, that trend." He said this strategy sought to achieve 'no net loss' of native vegetation by 2019 and to then move to increasing the area of coverage.

"We will need to engage a range of initiatives, from protecting and managing existing native vegetation cover, through partnerships with the community and private landholders, continued land acquisition and regulatory measures such as the Planning Scheme."

"Existing revegetation programs would also be used to 'offset' native vegetation cleared for urban development."

"We would hope to have 55 per cent of the city's land area covered with native vegetation by 2040," he said.

Cr Young said the city’s efforts to address climate change and protect native wildlife, including koalas, were largely dependent on the strategy’s success.

"This work shows we have a great diversity of vegetation and wildlife in our city."

"We have:

1672 species of native plants, (93 of which are either endangered, vulnerable or rare)
75 different vegetation communities, from mangroves to mountain rainforest.
604 native animals, including 36 amphibians, 70 reptiles, 357 birds, 91 mammals and 50 freshwater fish, (a total of 53 of which are endangered, vulnerable or rare).

“These are important natural assets which are worth preserving."

Cr Young said the document was a complete review of Council’s first Nature Conservation Strategy which benchmarked the city's natural inventory in 1998. "That study showed the Gold Coast had one of Australia's most biodiverse cities in Australia and initiated our Open Space Acquisition Program and voluntary landholder conservation programs."

"But the message from this review is we need to ramp up these efforts."

Cr Young said the new draft strategy took a holistic approach, integrated catchments and coastal environments as well as land-based conservation. "It also establishes nature conservation as a core business of Council and places a strong emphasis on working with the Gold Coast community to achieve nature conservation."

"And it gives us a framework for communicating the importance of the natural environment and its long term contribution towards the liveability of Gold Coast City."

"Through Bold Future the community clearly told us they want a city 'loved for its green, gold and blue'. This strategy is central to our achieving this vision."

When endorsed by Council, the strategy will be available on Council's website: www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au