Biodiversity and agricultural natural preparedness and emergency response in Southern Gulf Queensland

Building on the lessons learned during the Black Summer bushfires and other recent environmental disasters, this project will contribute to actions under Target 17 of the 2022-2032 Threatened Species Action Plan, Environmental Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 of the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and Outcomes 1 and 3 of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program by: 

• Identifying and mapping biodiversity and agricultural natural capital assets at an appropriate scale for emergency response, including but not limited to the Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) with biodiversity values and overlaying this with extreme weather vulnerability/susceptibility information.
• Developing an emergency preparedness and response plan with the aim of reducing the impact of catastrophic events on species, ecosystems and agricultural natural assets by identifying mitigation measures in advance of emergency, expediting and targeting management activity during events, and expediting and targeting recovery post events.
• Undertaking community/stakeholder engagement activities (including information sharing with the community, landholders, First Nations people, emergency services, and governments) to share and integrate the information generated to enable consistency within a jurisdiction.