Protecting and conserving biodiversity in an active farming region
In May 2015, Council adopted a Biodiversity Management Strategy (BMS) to protect and enhance biodiversity in our Local Government Area (LGA), which is an active farming region.
Learn more about our BMS with the Lismore Biodiversity Management Strategy video.
Objectives of the BMS are:
- To maintain or increase biodiversity and sustain ecological processes by developing a greater understanding of the flora and fauna, habitats and ecological processes of the Lismore LGA and improving community awareness of biodiversity through education.
- To foster partnerships with, and develop opportunity for rural landholders, industry, Indigenous and community groups to improve the management of biodiversity across the Lismore LGA.
- To promote a landscape connectivity approach as the basis for managing biodiversity and building landscape resilience to climate change.
- To contribute to the identification and mitigation of the pressures on biodiversity values.
- To provide a framework of targeted management priorities to maintain and improve biodiversity in the Lismore LGA.
- To build capacity and increase opportunities for landholders and community groups to enhance and manage biodiversity values on their land across all land tenures in the Lismore LGA.
- To provide for ecologically sustainable development.
Outcomes from this funding include:
- Assistance to manage weeds and restore natural areas on rural properties.
- Cleaner roadsides with weed management in high-conservation value areas.
- Assistance for community groups to restore natural areas.
- River bank restoration in rural and urban areas.
- More efforts to conserve biodiversity in the Lismore LGA, including restoring koala habitat.
- Better management of urban bushland reserves and more nature-based recreation in the urban setting.
- More opportunities to get involved and gain knowledge about the environment and land management through community events, workshops and field days.
- More recognition and reward for good stewardship of the land and environment.
The BMS includes a Rural Landholder Initiative that recognises rural landholders as the primary stewards of biodiversity and facilitates partnerships with them, industry and Aboriginal and community groups to manage biodiversity in the long-term.
The BMS will help Council to develop policy and will inform strategic planning and development approvals to ensure we have a consistent approach to biodiversity management. The BMS will also outline how to reduce pressures on biodiversity, promote biodiversity education and encourage landowners and the community to get involved in on-ground activities.
The greater aim is to restore native vegetation across all land in the Lismore LGA from the rainforests of the Nightcap Range through our urban and village centres right down to the Richmond River floodplain. The BMS promotes vegetation connectivity throughout the LGA as the basis for biodiversity management.
In February 2016, the NSW Government approved Council’s application for a special rate variation to fund on-ground implementation of the strategy. The determination can be found on the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) website: http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Industries/Local_Govt/Special_Variations_and_Minimum_Rates/Applications_Determinations
The rate increase commenced on 1 July 2016 and applies to three rating categories: Residential, Rural Residential and Farmland.
The rate rise is be based on the NSW Valuer General’s land values. In the first year (2016/17) the average urban resident will pay about $24 per year; the average rural resident will pay about $30 per year; and the average farmland resident will pay $48 per year. Note that the average farmland cost is higher due to higher average land values.
For more information on how the rate affects you and what is will fund, read our Special Rate Variation Information Sheet.
Below is the adopted BMS and associated documentation.