The seven (7) focus areas of the Policy will guide Council to conserve and protect the natural environment of Ipswich. An overview of each focus area and what it includes is below. You can see the full details of what the focus areas include in the Natural Environment Policy.

Focus area 1

Biodiversity & Threatened Species Recovery

  • Identify, protect, maintain and rehabilitate priority natural environment values.

  • Protect and improve habitat for threatened species and priority wildlife, including koalas.

  • Enhance and protect key habitat corridors to maintain or increase connectivity for wildlife.

  • Understand, identify and reduce the impact of threats to wildlife, including koalas.

  • Gather data, prioritise, plan and support other government initiatives for wildlife protection.

  • Further incorporate the importance of natural habitat's into council’s operations.

  • Implement sustainable land-use planning practices.

  • Develop and implement regulatory and non-regulatory tools that support natural environment outcomes.

  • Work towards avoiding, minimising or mitigating negative impacts before any remaining impacts are offset.

Focus area 2

Wetlands & Waterways Improvement

  • Protect, rehabilitate and maintain wetlands and waterways.

  • Invest in waterway recovery projects at priority sites.

  • Monitor aquatic communities and connectivity of waterways.

  • Identify and address key sources of sediment which impact water quality.

  • Improve bank stabilisation at strategic locations.

  • Increase community education and awareness of key issues impacting waterways.

Focus area 3

Urban Biodiversity Enhancement

  • Catalogue, conserve and enhance urban biodiversity values and the ecological systems that support them.

  • Create and enhance corridors in urban areas.

Focus area 4

Natural Area Restoration & Protection

  • Invest in strategic restoration activities to re-establish habitat corridors.

  • Implement sound environmental management principles.

  • Manage protected natural areas and partner with private landholders to reduce the impacts of changing climate.

Focus area 5

Experiencing Nature

  • Support Traditional owners with maintaining connection to cultural lands and sites.

  • Encourage community to connect with nature.

  • Promote and provide for sustainable outdoor/nature-based recreational activities, environmental education and eco-tourism opportunities.

  • Invest in sustainable provision of nature experiences.

  • Enable high quality sustainable outdoor/nature-based recreation opportunities in natural areas.

  • Monitor outdoor/nature-based recreation activities demand and impacts on natural values.

  • Provide, manage and maintain outdoor/nature-based recreation activities, facilities and settings.

Focus area 6

Community Awareness & Support

  • Partner with others on collaborative projects.

  • Work closely with the community.

  • Support community contribution of information through citizen science programs.

  • Increase recognition of natural areas, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Landscapes with the community.

Focus area 7

Governance, Measuring & Reporting

  • Implement outcome based, priority driven and adaptive investment of council funds.

  • Comply with relevant legislation, policy and plans while pursuing continuous improvement and leadership in operations and activities.

  • Identify, collect, monitor, review and report about natural values, environmental performance and visitation.

  • Operate programs driven by best available knowledge and data, cross-referenced with community interest and capability.