Minutes of Meeting

Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee Meeting

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 1 October 2015
Time	2.00pm

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes             
1 October 2015

Minutes of the Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee Meeting held on Thursday, 1 October 2015

File No: I2015/1213

PRESENT:   Cr S Richardson (Mayor), Cr A Hunter, Cr R Wanchap, Cr Basil Cameron (left 2.30)

Staff:   Sharyn French (Manager Environmental & Economic Planning)

            Alex Caras (Team Leader Land Planning) – Report 5.1

            Claire McGarry (Events and Grants Officer) – Report 5.2
Michelle Chapman (Minute Taker) – left 2.45

Community voting members:          Andy Baker, Luke McConnell, Kate Smillie, Peter Westheimer

Community non voting members:   Chris Sanderson,

Cr Richardson (Chair) opened the meeting at 2.20pm and acknowledged that the meeting was being held on Bundjalung Country.

Apologies:

Sandi Middleton (Sustainability Officer), Angus Underwood (Team Leader Natural Environment), James Mayson, Donovan Adcock, Joanna Immig

Declarations of Interest – Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary

There were no declarations of interest.

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Committee Recommendation:

That the minutes of the Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee Meeting held on 6 August 2015 be confirmed, noting the minutes were reported to 17 September Ordinary meeting resulting in Res 15-433 to 15-435.

(Richardson/Westheimer)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Business Arising from Previous Minutes

Cr Cameron – Integrated Weed Management Strategy, interested in expanding to rural areas and relationship with Roadside vegetation Management Plan.

· Include as item agenda for next meeting and invite Cr Cameron for input.

Cr Simon Richardson - Zero Emissions Byron

· Major companies are interested in partnerships to achieve the Beyond Zero Eissions targets

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 5.1             Biodiversity, revegetation and rural residential living

File No:                        I2015/838

Committee Recommendation:

That the Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee:

1.       note this report.

2.       request that Biodiversity and Sustainability Advisory Committee members be considered members on the Rural Land Use Bounce group, if formed.

3.       request Staff explore the ability to use rural development contributions for biodiversity enhancement works.

4.       receive regular updates on the Rural Land Use Strategy by it becoming a regular agenda item for this Committee.

5.       support Staff exploring landowner incentive options for biodiversity enhancement works at the local property and landscape scale.

(Richardson/Westheimer)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried

Report No. 5.2             Event Sustainability

File No:                        I2015/1104

Committee Recommendation:

That the Biodiversity and Sustainability:

1.       note the report and provide feedback to Council’s Events and Grants Officer.

2.       encourage further conversations with event providers to facilitate rail based transport to and from the sites.

(Westheimer/Baker)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried..

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 3.40pm.