Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

threatened species, populations, and ecological communities and protection of
critical habitat.
• Implement mechanisms for identifying and managing threatening processes.
• Minimise the modification of natural ecosystems, habitat loss and fragmentation.
• Improve fire management regimes.
• Effectively manage water resources to conserve biodiversity and meet
environmental, economic, social and community needs.
State government has identified local government as a lead organisation for the development
and implementation of policies and management practices to achieve ecological sustainable
development and conserve biodiversity (i.e. to develop local biodiversity action plans). Local
government is also identified as a lead organisation along with other key agencies to improve
cooperative approaches to weed and pest management.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service Division of DECC is currently revising the NPWS
Biodiversity Strategy. It is based on the 2001-2005 Commonwealth plan and provides
information under the general themes of land, freshwater, ocean/estuaries, weed/pest disease
threats, natural resource management, human induced threats such as climate change, fire and
soil degradation, Aboriginal heritage, knowledge and governance/partnerships and incentives.
The strategy incorporates actions identified under the NSW Fisheries Aquatic Biodiversity
Strategy and this is a significant change as the previous plan only considered terrestrial
biodiversity. The strategy will have performance indicators and a timetable for implementation.
Statewide targets and indicators are also being developed by the Natural Resources
Commission (NRC) that was established in 2004 (see http://www.nrc.nsw.gov.au for more
information on the NRC). These will guide the work of the CMAs including investment in natural
resource projects. They aim to provide a basis for the regional auditing of Catchment Action
Plans (CAPs) and to ensure transparency and consistency in funding allocation and reporting. A
final report on the recommendations for State-wide standards and targets is not yet publicly
available.
Specific legislation to achieve biodiversity conservation is summarised in Part 2 of the
Biodiversity Planning Guide for NSW Local Government (Fallding et al. 2001).
Since publication of the Biodiversity Planning Guide (Fallding et al. 2001) some legislation has
been superceded, relevant changes are presented in Table 2.1. An important amendment to the
Threatened Species Conservation Act provides for biocertification of LEPs.
Table 2.1 Updates to Relevant Environmental Legislation.
Legislation Main feature Local government roles and
responsibilities
Environment Protection
and Biodiversity
Conservation (EPBC) Act
1999
• List nationally extinct,
endangered and vulnerable
species and communities.
• Assessment of Matters of
May need to refer actions or
proposals for approval to the
Commonwealth.
Native Vegetation Act
2003(replaces the Native
Vegetation Conservation
Act 1997)
Threatened Species
National Significance.
• Property Vegetation Plans
(PVPs).
• Provisions for Routine.
Agricultural Management
actions (RAMAs).
• Biocertification of
Dual consent role in some
cases for vegetation removal.
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 39