Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

Actions
• Enhancing community education by providing incentives to encourage
biodiversity conservation actions including, but not limited to, Voluntary
Conservation Agreements and Property Vegetation Plans.
1 Council to develop, implement and promote a broad range of educational tools
to involve the broad community in maintaining biodiversity.
2 Council to continue to support and consider its expansion of the volunteer
Bushcare Program and acknowledge the volunteers contribution.
3 Develop and promote voluntary conservation incentives to private landholders
and public land managers to encourage the retention and management of
habitat for significant flora and fauna in association with Voluntary
Conservation Agreements and Property Vegetation Plans..
4 Encourage community involvement in biodiversity conservation via monitoring
programs and restoration of targeted areas.
5 Develop and implement an education strategy to raise awareness in the
community of the threats to biodiversity through all available means.
6 Involve schools in biodiversity conservation through integration with Schools'
Environment Management Plans, support for teacher in-service training and
curriculum materials.
7 Provide staff and councillor training to equip them with an understanding of
biodiversity values and issues facing Gosford.
8 Develop a companion animals program to address the impacts on biodiversity
particularly in relation to pets such as cats and dogs in reserves and other
environmentally sensitive areas.
3.3.4 Collect Information and Improve Knowledge and Research
The primary objective of information collection is to improve the knowledge and
management of biodiversity. A key to achieving biodiversity conservation is the
acquisition and application of well-founded knowledge.
This approach includes:
Actions
• Implementing and refining our inventory and monitoring system for biodiversity.
• Biodiversity conservation is based on the application of scientific research and
best practice.
• Undertaking monitoring and adaptive management to improve biodiversity
conservation
1 Collect further biodiversity information to fill in necessary data gaps as
identified in Council's commissioned reports and Council's Biodiversity
Technical Report.
2 Continually upgrade, enhance and make available information to assist staff in
environmental assessment and management.
3 Identify and undertake future research that addresses key biodiversity issues
in Gosford and that will improve environmental monitoring and management.
4 Continue to enable and support staff access to Council's Geographical
Information System (GIS) that identifies the location of environmentally sensitive
lands and high conservation areas to assist in future decision-making to protect
these areas.
Biodiversity Strategy Page 24