Document Actions
South West Biodiversity Project
While the South West Biodiversity Project came to a close in September 2009 due to lack of funding, there are many tools developed through the project that can benefit Local Governments in the South West Region.
Local Government through its activities as a land manager and a decision maker within the land use planning process has a key role in the retention, protection and management of biodiversity within the South West Region.
To assist Local Government in fulfilling its biodiversity conservation roles and responsibilities, the South West Local Government Biodiversity Project has been developed by the Western Australian Local Government Association and supported by funding from the South West Catchment Council.
The project involves those Local Governments within the South West Catchment Council Region where it is particularly important that they actively plan for and undertake biodiversity conservation because of severe and continuing development pressure. Within the project area Local Governments are required to make land use planning decisions that have the potential to significantly impact on more than 267,000ha of native vegetation of which 49,000ha exists on the Swan Coastal Plain.
The South West Local Government Biodiversity Project has been developed by the Western Australian Local Government Association and supported by funding from the South West Catchment Council to assist the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, City of Bunbury, Shire of Busselton, Shire of Capel, Shire of Dardanup, Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup, Shire of Harvey, City of Mandurah, Shire of Manjimup, Shire of Murray, Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Shire of Waroona to fulfil their responsibilities as a manager of natural areas and as a key decision maker within the land use planning process. The project has four main components:
1. Awareness raising and training
The project will further develop Local Governments awareness of their potential roles in biodiversity conservation through:
Local Government Biodiversity Capacity Survey - This component will investigate the needs and capabilities of all 13 participating Local Governments through surveying their biodiversity conservation capacity. This survey will enable the project to:
- Tailor services to the requirements of each Local Government;
- Establish a baseline from which the future biodiversity conservation capacity of Local Governments can be compared;
- Increase awareness and involvement of Local Government in the project and the SWCC NRM strategy;
- Identify how each Local Government currently addresses biodiversity conservation and NRM issues in their Town Planning Scheme, Local Planning Strategy, Local Planning Policy and general Council Policies.
Mapping and GIS - The project will resource participating Local Governments with GIS mapping and statistics aimed at assisting Local Governments and their communities to gain an understanding of the extent and potential ecological values of the biodiversity resource existing within their area.
2. Biodiversity assessment and planning framework
So that Local Governments biodiversity strategies can contribute towards regional biodiversity targets, the project will create a framework based on similar work undertaken for Local Governments in the Perth Metropolitan Region (Local Government Biodiversity Planning Guidelines for the Perth Metropolitan Region). The involvement of the SWCC NRM sub-regions, Department for Planning and Infrastructure and State environmental agencies in the project has been negotiated.
3. On-ground management and assessment of natural areas
Strategic on-ground management and assessment of natural areas occurring in Local Government reserves will be encouraged through providing funding assistance to Local Governments to undertake these activities.
4. Local Biodiversity Planning Strategies
Where participating Local Governments already have the capacity to strategically plan for biodiversity conservation, the project will assist in the development of Local Biodiversity Strategies in accordance with a process similar to that promoted in the Local Government Biodiversity Planning Guidelines for the Perth Metropolitan Region. These Strategies will enable Local Governments to put in place:
- Amendments to their Local Planning Strategies and Town Planning Schemes;
- A Biodiversity local planning policy for development assessment;
- Incentives for private land conservation; and
- A Strategic reserves management action plan.
The project is replicating and adapting some of the processes and tools developed by the Association’s Perth Biodiversity Project. Click here to find out more about the Perth Biodiversity Project.