ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST GROUPS –
DRAFT SHARED SUBMISSION – WOSP 11 APRIL 2007
BEAUDESERT SHIRE
The environmental organizations within the Beaudesert Shire, consider that:
1. Protection of the Natural Environment is a top priority all over the world, including
Beaudesert Shire for wildlife, for flora, for mankind and because of the threat of
global warming, drought and increasing population.
2. The local and regional economy benefits from a well managed natural environment
as well, e.g. ecotourism, nature based tourism, land value increase.
3. The Whole of Shire Plan does not have a vision for maintaining natural areas, flora
and wildlife. There is no reference to fauna at all in the existing WOSP.
4. Natural areas are distinctive features but need to be considered integrally with parks,
reserves, farming land and urbanized areas.
5. WOSP does not have a clear vision on the protection and sustainable use of the
natural environment other than its support for human purposes.
6. Humans benefit from conserving natural habitats and wildlife, and getting in touch
with nature. A natural environment provides health benefits and a different
experience, one that can’t be obtained any other way. Our children’s children should
be able to enjoy natural environments in the future.
7. Nature is more than green spots between human-made and maintained land. We
have a special responsibility to manage natural areas to ensure biodiversity,
especially as Beaudesert Shire is part of one of Australia’s biodiversity hotspots. We
must manage sufficiently large habitats where natural processes can continue to take
place.
8. The size, shape and sustainability of each area of high conservation value needs to
be assessed. This must include privately owned property that is playing an important
role in maintaining biodiversity.
9. A greater strategic investment of resources is needed in the improvement of water
quality for water supply and the maintenance of biodiversity (aquatic and terrestrial
fauna and flora). For example, Bromelton Industrial estate is located between the
storage dams and the off-take weirs at Bromelton and the Cedar Grove Weir.
The environmental organizations within Beaudesert Shire request that the Whole Of Shire
Planning Vision be drastically adjusted to add a comprehensive vision for the environment, and a
Green Infrastructure plan:
a. Clearly differentiate between natural, environmentally significant land and land
maintained for predominantly human purposes.
b. Areas need to be designated as essential for natural life support systems: an
interconnected network of both privately managed and protected land and water that
supports native species (flora and fauna), that maintains natural ecological processes,
sustains air and water resources and contributes to the health and quality of life. Wildlife
does not just use remnant vegetation, but also open cleared spaces as well as sporting
grounds and private property.
c. Green infrastructure – We need to plan, design and invest in a matrix of corridors, private
land and protected areas. Linking Corridors and substantial areas, is not only meant to
separate the shire from other surrounding shires, but also for ecological purposes. It
includes mountainous areas, lowland areas and river systems throughout the shire. The
Albert and Logan River riparian zones are important ecological systems that require
substantial investment. It requires planning that continues to protect, enhance, connect
and buffer World Heritage Areas, Flinders Peak Corridor, the Darlington Range, Scenic
Rim, bioregional corridors and ecological areas.
d. Monitoring of flora, fauna, biodiversity and ecological processes facilitates strategic
management and rehabilitation.
e. Green infrastructure should have the same statutory planning status as other strategic
regional and subregional infrastructures. The establishment of an annual WOSP
environmental infrastructure plan is needed.
f. Systematic identification and mapping of cultural heritage throughout the shire is needed
before the finalization of WOSP and other strategic plans. The development of a Whole
of Shire cultural heritage management plan protects and maintains these resources
across the Shire.
In subsequent planning to the Vision, we strongly recommend that the following points relating to
the natural environment be included:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Planning, design and investment in Green Infrastructure needs to follow the same
principles and approaches that are used for built infrastructure, starting as soon as
possible because of the complexities of the requirements of fauna and flora and
ecological relationships.
The ecological sustainability of future development. Development should be put on hold
(e.g. development approvals, building and road construction) until Green Infrastructure
has been defined and planned.
The involvement of specific and local experts in this field as core team members in the
development of and ongoing implementation of the WOSP and other strategic planning
processes. This must include more regular consultation with key stakeholders such as
environmental interest groups.
Multiagency measures and resourcing are needed to achieve a major reduction in diffuse
and point source discharges, pollution and sedimentation across the Albert and Logan
Rivers.
Greater investment in a fully functioning Environmental Department within Beaudesert
Shire Council i.e. resources and more officers. The Environmental Department also
needs to have greater input and authority in all levels of planning, planning processes as
well as the approval process for development applications and tree clearing permits.
Comprehensive flora and fauna studies need to be completed before any development
approval or consideration of development can be made.
Greater planning and resource investment is needed for ecotourism and recreational
areas (including passive enjoyment of natural environments) to satisfy the competing
recreational demands from the predicted growth of population for South-east Queensland
that will, without such investment, continue to degrade the ecological processes,
conservation and biodiversity values of the shire.
A strategic shire wide environmental fund and off-set program is needed to address the
shire wide impacts that increased population is going to have on the health of the shire. It
must address the social and environmental responsibility council has on issues such as
increased litter, increased road kill, loss of biodiversity, more extreme sports, more
recreational encroachment into the most isolated areas of national parks and council
owned land, increased fire risk on reserves, the reduction of ground dwelling mammals
and native birds from increased numbers of domestic cats and dogs, degraded air and
water quality.
An environmental fund should include funding for farmers and other land managers for
maintenance of biodiversity on their property.
Signed
Tamborine Mountain Landcare – Jaap Vogel (President) 15 March 2007
Tamborine Mountain Progress Association – Jeanette Lockey (President) 18 March 2007
Yugambeh Land Enterprises - Scott Hunter (Projects Coordinator) 29 March 2007
Tamborine Mountain Natural History Association – Nadia O’Carroll (President) 30 March
2007
LACA (Logan and Albert Conservation Association) – Andy Grodecki (President) 2 April 2007
LARC (Logan and Albert River Catchments) - Andy Grodecki (President) 2 April 2007
BRISBOCA – Rod Bloss (President/Secretary) 3 April 2007
Brisbane Region Environment Council - Ted Fensom (Acting President) 11 April 2007
Oxley Creek Catchment - Anne Clarke (Chair) 11 April 2007
TSGS (Tamborine Sustainable Garden’s Society) - Liz Forrester (President) 6 April 2007
Wild Mountains resort
Beechmont District Landcare Association - Craig Perkins (President) – 16 April
Logan Village group RAIDE (Residents Action on Infrastructure, Development and
Environment) 16 April 2007