Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

A - 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Gosford City Council Biodiversity Technical Report describes the context of why Council
should prepare a biodiversity strategy; background information on the human and
natural features of our area; and discusses the key biodiversity issues facing Gosford
City Council
The first question that needs to be considered is
"What is biodiversity and why do we need to protect it ?"
The answer to this question is provided in the following sections.
Key points
• Biodiversity refer to the rich diversity of all living things.
• Biological diversity occurs at three levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
• Biodiversity is necessary for maintaining functioning ecosystems, to provide clean
air, water and healthy soils, and to retain the natural features and wildlife that we
value in Gosford City.
A - 1.1
Purpose and Scope
Biodiversity conservation is a key role for local government and is set within a broader
framework of biodiversity planning policy and guidelines that operate at local, regional, state,
national and international levels.
Actions to conserve biodiversity are required at a range of scales and by all members of the
community; and that an understanding and appreciation of the interrelationships between
humans and their environment is critical to achieving biodiversity conservation.
Gosford City Council builds on previous environmental initiatives and programs such as
Council's Coastal Open Space System (COSS).
Key issues for Council that are identified and discussed are development pressures, that
changing characteristics of the region including the need for local employment opportunities,
sustainable resource use and budget limitations. It is noted that local government is
increasingly being required to extend its scope of responsibilities and operations, including
threatened species management.
A - 1.2
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity or biological diversity is defined as:
"The variety of life forms, the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the
genes they contain, and the ecosystems they form. It is usually considered at three
levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity" Commonwealth
of Australia (1996)
The NPWS Biodiversity Strategy further describes these levels
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 33