Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

3 VISION
3.1 Community Biodiversity Values
What the community advised Council in regard to their environment was captured in the
Gosford Vision 2025. Council undertook extensive community consultation to develop a set of
Vision Statements that have been considered and adopted by Council in 2006 to guide strategic
direction. The Vision 2025 long term goals for the environment that relate to biodiversity
include:
• "Actively manage and enhance natural environment, including wetlands and
riparian corridors.
• Maintain thriving diversity of plants and animal species.
• Provide COSS corridors links and natural connectivity.
• Growth permitted which preserves natural environment and sustainable
agricultural activity.
• Retain unspoilt bushland in proximity to suburbs to enhance the quality of local
life.
• Support education program to foster community involvement in protecting the
natural environment and cultural heritage.
• Protect air and water resource.
• 'Closed loop' for energy, water and waste.
• Reduced reliance on automobiles."
The community through its vision also developed potential strategies to achieve the long term
goals. Those specifically relating to biodiversity issues are:
• "Continue to protect the region's ridgelines from urban development.
• Protect and enhance COSS reserves with appropriate buffer zones and create
natural linkages across the landscape.
• Protect and actively manage the region's existing natural habitats; protect and
conserve corridors for wildlife migration so that a diversity of native plants and
animals thrive across the region.
• Maintain all of Gosford's waterways - including coastal lagoons, estuaries,
beaches and dunes - as pollution-free, natural habitats to enable the
continuance of their healthy function.
• Maintain Gosford's village character within designated green zones to retain
the character and identity of local communities.
• Develop a tree planting program that promotes the use of local native species.
• Develop public education programs that foster community involvement in
stewardship of Gosford's natural environment."
3.2 Biodiversity Principles
The Biodiversity Strategy has incorporated the long term goals relating to Biodiversity and the
following set of principles as contained in Council's Biodiversity Management Policy R 0.18
have been applied in developing this Strategy.
• Biodiversity conservation is a key role for Council and part of its core business.
• Council will apply a precautionary approach where there is a chance that a
plan or activity may lead to irreversible biodiversity consequences.
Biodiversity Strategy Page 19