A report on the council meeting agenda deals with a draft Koala Recovery Strategy.

Port Macquarie-Hastings is home to one of the largest population of koalas on the state’s east coast but the koala population is in decline, research shows.

The draft Koala Recovery Strategy has been developed to manage the long-term sustainability and recovery of the koala population.

The council report said the strategy identified the key threats negatively impacting the local population and provided actions and guidelines to aid and support population recovery. 

The draft Coastal Koala Plan of Management is also on the meeting agenda.

The council report said the draft Coastal Koala Plan of Management was only one of a suite of proposed policy changes to provide a comprehensive set of planning controls to manage the impacts of development on koala habitat. 

Meanwhile, a draft Bonny Hills Community Plan is earmarked for approval at the September council meeting.

Bonny Hills was identified as a pilot project for the development of the first community plan.

The council is embarking on about 17 community plans across the local government area over the next two years.  

The council deferred consideration of the draft Bonny Hills Community Plan in August pending further engagement with the Bonny Hills Progress Association. 

A report to the September meeting outlines the subsequent engagement with the progress association and presents an updated draft plan for endorsement. 

“Further, it provides an overview of the lessons learnt during the Bonny Hills “pilot” planning project which have informed the future framework for community planning across our local government area,” the report said.

The council meeting at the Burrawan Street council chambers begins at 5.30pm on September 19.

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