Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

1 INTRODUCTION
In accordance with Council's adopted Biodiversity Management Policy, Council is aiming to
"Conserve the diversity and abundance of locally occurring native plants and animals and
micro-organisms in Gosford City at the genetic, species and ecosystem level. This is to be
achieved through forming active partnerships between the community, relevant
government authorities and within Council to manage this natural heritage for present and
future generations." (Gosford City Council Policy R0.18, 2008)
This strategy has been developed to allow Council to implement its Biodiversity Management
Policy in line with National and State objectives for Biodiversity Management. The various
strategies and actions have been developed based upon the knowledge and information
presented in the Biodiversity Technical Report (see attached appendix).
This strategy is a component of Council's highest level planning document titled Gosford
Community Strategic Plan 2031.
1.1 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. Biodiversity is usually considered at three
levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity." (Commonwealth of
Australia 1996)
These three levels work together to create the complexity of life on earth.
"Genetic diversity is the variety of genes within a species. Each species is made up of
individuals that have their own particular genetic composition. This means a species may
have different populations, each having different genetic compositions. To conserve
genetic diversity, different populations of a species must be conserved.
Species diversity is the variety of species within a habitat or a region. Some habitats,
such as rainforests and coral reefs have many species, while others, such as mud flats
have fewer.
Ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystems in a given place. An ecosystem is a
community of organisms and their physical environment interacting together. An
ecosystem can cover a large area, such as a whole forest, or a small area, such as a
pond." (NPWS 1999)
1.2 Why is Biodiversity Important?
Biodiversity is necessary for the successful functioning of ecosystems and is essential for the
maintenance of clean air, clean water and healthy soils. Some of the primary benefits of
biodiversity include:
• Maintenance of the quality of the atmosphere;
• Controlling and regulation of climate (moderation of temperature, wind and rainfall);
• Regulation of fresh water supplies;
Biodiversity Strategy Page 6