Our natural areas support different ecosystems and vegetation communities and consist of an extremely diverse range of plants and animals.

Over 42% of the region is covered in native vegetation. Notable protected areas include D’Aguilar National Park, Freshwater National Park, Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park and Beerburrum West State Forest.

Our region’s biodiversity has been significantly reduced by habitat loss from land clearing and fragmentation due to rural production, expansion of urban development and infrastructure.

The health of our biodiversity is also under pressure from pest and weed incursion, and changes in the distribution of native plant and animal populations, habitat function and species behaviour. Climate change and increasing frequency of natural hazards and extreme events is placing stress on our natural ecosystems and their ability to adapt, leading to an overall loss of ecological resilience.

The region is known for its beautiful natural areas, and residents are passionate about protecting the natural environment, which is central to our lifestyle, providing the green spaces in which to play, relax and enjoy, as well as ecosystem services central to our wellbeing such as clean air and water. Protecting and enhancing natural areas will help safeguard the region’s unique environmental values and natural capital for future generations.

Council is already undertaking a number of programs and initiatives to protect, restore and rehabilitate natural areas and improve conservation outcomes. The Strategy will continue to support, promote and expand this work on both public and private land, including through partnerships with stakeholders. By enhancing environmental values, Council will continue supporting the natural ability of ecosystems to restore and retain their value and have the best chance to adapt following impacts by natural hazards, or other stressors.

• Council’s Land Buyback for Environmental Purposes program has secured 99 hectares of koala and wildlife habitat since 2020.
• Council has planted more than 110,000 trees across 91 sites since 2014 as part of its voluntary offsets program.
• Signage and wildlife stencils on roads in habitat areas and ecological corridors promote native animal awareness.
• Rope bridges, underpasses, refuge poles and animal exclusion fencing at key crossing points minimise vehicle collisions with native animals.
• Council programs that manage invasive weeds and pest animal species.
• Land for Wildlife is a voluntary conservation program that partners with 600 landholders.

• Connect, protect, enhance and expand our region’s network of natural areas, wildlife habitats and movement corridors, and mitigate the threats which challenge their viability.
• Facilitate effective partnerships with private landholders, other levels of government, Traditional Custodians and community organisations to support the protection, enhancement and connection of special natural areas, wildlife and their habitats.
• Establish a monitoring and reporting program for the health of the region’s special natural areas and wildlife to inform coordinated management.

Maintain the extent of native vegetation* cover (currently 42%) in the region whilst accommodating population growth (no net loss**) and review the target by 2028 with a view to increasing cover over time.

* includes vegetation mapped as koala habitat area on the Koala Conservation Plan Map and vegetation included on the State Government High Value Regrowth and Remnant Vegetation Maps.

** means no overall reduction in native vegetation cover.

• Vegetation community diversity and wildlife habitat extent and condition (ie composition, structure and function) is maintained with a view to increasing both over time and remnant and high value regrowth vegetation is protected.
• Identify current and emerging threats to biodiversity from pest plants and animals and incorporate responses into planning and operational decision making.
• Plan wildlife corridors for connectivity to allow wildlife movement, improve genetic diversity among species, consider climate change impacts, the need to buffer for impacts at its edges (eg weeds, changes in vegetation cover) and avoid adverse impacts from infrastructure such as road corridors, and urban development.
• Select priority areas for restoration, enhancement and wildlife corridors based on existing or potential environmental values, the area’s function and the ecosystems it supports in the landscape.
• Work in partnership with the Queensland Government to expand the conservation estate, increase protection, biodiversity and connectivity of natural areas, and support environmental values.
• Identify, expand and connect isolated natural areas for protection on Council land where possible to improve ecological viability, increase wildlife habitat, respond to a warming climate, and provide managed access for enjoyment and education (where appropriate).
• Plan and undertake enhancement and restoration of natural areas in Council’s estate using best practice approaches to address ongoing maintenance and hazard reduction requirements, access, weed and pest management, pollution, litter control, and facilitate connections to other natural areas.
• Land acquisitions and private land conservation are focused on achieving ecologically viable natural areas and habitats through linkages with other natural areas across the landscape and undertaking restoration in priority areas.
• Facilitate programs and projects that increase urban biodiversity, wildlife habitats and connectivity, increase urban tree cover and greening of the urban landscape.
• New development in existing and emerging urban areas avoids impacts on regional-scale corridors, riparian (waterway) and wetland areas, larger natural areas, and values and significant wildlife habitats to preserve linkages across the landscape and retain connected habitats for native wildlife.
• New development outside of existing and emerging urban areas avoids impacts on and further enhances natural areas and wildlife habitats, riparian (waterway) and wetland areas providing linkages to regional and local-scale corridors or other natural areas.
• Locate fauna movement infrastructure in areas that maximise safe movement of wildlife across the landscape, reducing barriers between and within local and regional-scale corridors, and linking natural areas.
• Council will lead and work collaboratively with stakeholders, advocate for ongoing protection of natural areas, build and strengthen stewardship, and effectively implement legislative, planning and regulatory provisions to preserve environmental values.
• Local and regional priority areas for restoration and enhancement are identified and private landholders and other stakeholders partner with Council on restoration activities supported by information, education material and advice.