North Coast Regional Natural Resource Management Plan launched
11 Jul 2023
The North Coast’s reputation as a tourist and lifestyle destination, sought by people all over the world, is largely due to the region’s iconic natural, production and cultural landscapes and seascapes.
The launch of the North Coast Natural Resource Management Plan by Local Land Services will see a more strategic approach to supporting healthy and resilient landscapes across the region.
Louise Orr, General Manager of North Coast Local Land Services said, “The North Coast is home to the most biodiverse region in New South Wales and the third most biodiverse region in Australia and this plan will help us protect, manage and restore this natural diversity.
“The North Coast Natural Resource Management Plan will help ensure that the region’s natural resources continue to support our diverse and vibrant communities, industries, and markets and the contribution they make to the NSW economy.”
The Plan sets out how North Coast Local Land Services will focus its effort and resources to deliver natural resource management in partnership with public and private landholders, Aboriginal stakeholders, current and future investors, regional community and other stakeholders, over the next five years.
“Collaborating with partners and stakeholders to design and implement programs and projects and providing landholders with the best advice our team can offer will be the two keys to making this plan work,” Ms Orr said.
North Coast Local Land Services will work with partners and stakeholders in new and novel ways to improve landscape health and help communities prepare for natural disasters and other uncertain futures.
Other NRM providers, the corporate sector and investors are now offering unique opportunities and markets that can deliver local environmental and sustainable agriculture outcomes here on the North Coast. The Plan also guides how we co-design partnerships with the region’s aboriginal communities and stakeholders that maintain and improve culture on the north coast.
The Natural Resource Management Plan also addresses the many threats to the North Coast, including habitat loss caused by a growing population and expanding production activities, new and existing biosecurity risks, biodiversity decline and the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Ms Orr continued, “These threats create ongoing and cumulative stress on the North Coast’s communities and resources, and we recognise the cost and strain that drought, flood, fire and Covid events have placed on the region over the past five years.
“Every day we see the fatigue experienced by local communities who are in a constant state of disaster response and recovery. The critical link between healthy landscapes and people’s well-being and this plan will contribute to the remediation and recovery of landscape and community health across the North Coast region.”
The North Coast Regional Natural Resource Management Plan is available on the Local Land Services website.
For more information, please contact:
E: Jacqui.grellman@lls.nsw.gov.au
M: 0436 455 685