51 BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016-2026
DELIVERY
Objectives LAND USE PLANNING
The statutory planning framework in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region incorporates the principles of ecological sustainable use and management of natural resources.
Strategies
a) Give due consideration to the capacity of land, prior to the expansion of new irrigated and dryland cropping areas, including assessment of:
• soil health and capabilities;
• water supply;
• natural water cycle management;
• fragmentation of the landscape and ability to retain connectivity between natural landscapes and riparian buffers along water courses;
• crop type needs; and
• point source and diffuse release of chemicals associated with cropping.
b) Maintain a user-friendly and web-accessible mapping product for landholders to access property and NRM information.
c) Support creation of a public mapping platform to display approved developments so that the community, assessing agencies and decision makers are aware of the total footprint of approved developments.
d) Ensure that planning for significant projects and infrastructure developments incorporates measures to protect and appropriately manage natural resource assets, including:
• protecting and buffering healthy waterways;
• protecting water supplies from incompatible land use;
• protecting biodiversity through maintaining significant habitat areas and corridors;
• protecting good quality agricultural land and fertile soil resources from the encroachment of urbanization and inappropriate land use causing reverse amenity;
• avoiding disturbance of acid sulfate soils, and mitigating this where it has occurred; and
• appropriate waste management.
e) Maintain air quality buffer zones between sensitive land uses and industrial and agricultural development to ensure air is consistently healthy to breathe.
f) Investigate, and where suitable promote, alternative industries that are appropriate to the landscape and natural attributes of the area.
Natural processes and the protective function of landforms and vegetation are maintained or enhanced to mitigate natural hazard risks. a) Ensure that land use planning in our region does not lead to increased development in natural hazard areas( for example coastal erosion prone and storm tide inundation areas, steep slopes and bushfire hazard areas).
LAND