MidCoast Koala Reference Group
Nominations closed at 4:30pm Friday 24 March for membership to the MidCoast Koala reference Group. Once the decision is made by Council in relation to membership to the group we will be in contact and advise all nominees of the outcome.
The MidCoast Koala Reference Group is being formed to support the implementation of the MidCoast Regional Partnership (MRP) Project being funded by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) under the NSW Koala Strategy. The Reference Group was established by Council at the 14 December 2022 Council meeting (resolution 531/2022).
The NSW Koala Strategy has provided funding to MidCoast Council for the MRP Project which involves three key actions:
- recruitment of a Koala Project Officer over a 4-year term to assist Council in delivering local koala conservation actions
- preparation of mapping to identify strategically important koala habitat areas in the MidCoast, and
- using the koala habitat mapping to inform the possible development of a draft Koala Plan of Management with the aim of maintaining and enhancing priority koala habitat areas in the MidCoast LGA.
The Reference Group will provide input to the development of the Koala Plan of Management that will highlight key projects in priority koala habitat areas of the MidCoast. It is intended that this strategic document will frame the successful delivery of local actions under the NSW Koala Strategy.
Reference Group members
The membership of the Reference Group will include:
- two (2) Councillors
- two (2) representatives from the Biodiversity & Conservation Division of the NSW Department of Planning & Environment
- one (1) representative from each of the following State government agencies who manage public land in the MidCoast LGA:National Parks & Wildlife Service, NSW Forestry Corporation, and Crown Lands.
- one (1) representative from Hunter Local Land Services
- eight (8) community representatives from a diverse range of interests including but not limited to: representative from NSW Farmers, Traditional owner representative, representative from a koala carer group o representative from a community environment group, rural landholder representative, general community representative, representative from the planning or development industry, representative from MidCoast 2 Tops Landcare.
Councillor Representatives
Cr C Pontin
Cr D Smith
Cr P Epov