Byron Shire Council received approval in June 2008 from the NSW State Government to apply a special rate variation of 2% for the purposes of an environmental levy. This levy supports the implementation of Council's biodiversity, sustainability and coastal and estuary programs.
A five year works program and budget was approved by Council in July 2008, allocating the levy to priority actions for each program. These actions have been identified from the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, Greenhouse Action Strategy and Coastal and Estuary Management Plans.
Table: Actions and current status of environmental levy programs
| Action | Status |
|---|
| Biodiversity Extension Officer |
- This action is ongoing from the biodiversity levy
- Land for Wildlife now offered for landholders who wish to manage areas of their property for wildlife habitat
- Support and advise provided to landholders throughout the Shire to assist in managing significant biodiversity values ...more
|
| Bush Regeneration Team |
- This action is ongoing from the biodiversity levy
- The team is actively regenerating more than 35 sites of Council managed land throughout the Shire. ...more
|
| Environmental Communication Officer |
- Funding was allocated for a temporary officer to develop an environmental communication strategy and resources for the environmental levy programs
- Resources developed for all programs funded by the environmental levy can been viewed on the Environmental resources page.
|
| Threatened Species database |
- A user friendly database for recording sightings of all flora and fauna has been completed
- The database provides for direct input of significant flora and fauna records, management of data quality and easy retrieval of information
- Data entered will automatically update the information available to staff including for development assessment, planning, works and maintenance
- The database has been developed in a way that can provide for future publication of the information via Council's website.
|
| Coastal Zone and Estuary Management Plans |
- Funds have been allocated to undertake the restoration and rehabilitation of Site 14 and Site 15 in Simpson’s Creek under the Brunswick Estuary Management Plan
- Funding is allocated to mapping the June 2009 coastal erosion escarpment and ground-truthing the proximity of beach front development for risk management purposes
- Funding is allocated to undertaking a project on the history of coastal storms in the Byron Shire
- Funding is allocated to completing a modelling project on the impacts of erosion protection structures and works on the Byron Bay embayment
- Funding is allocated to completing a Review of Environmental Factors on the proposed trial beach scraping episode at New Brighton Beach
|
| Coastal Officer |
|
| Sustainability Officer |
- Funding for Council's Sustainability Officer is funded by this item of the works program
- Key projects include Sustainability E-Newsletter, Sustainable Streets Program, Food Security Programs, Greenhouse Action Strategy, Energy and Water Rebate Promotion, Community Gardens, Sustainable Procurement ...more
|
| Greenhouse Action Strategy |
- Establishment of Revolving Energy Fund, Renewable Energy Resources Study, Solar Photovoltaic Installations, Energy Meters in Shire Libraries, Renewable Energy Initiatives, Emissions Inventory, Climate Change Adaptation Study and Rebate Promotion.
|
Logo background
The 'Greenprint for a Sustainable Future' logo and watermark was originally created for the Byron Rural Strategy in 1998. Since then, the logo has been used for various environmental initiatives and was most recently altered to be incorporated as an environmental levy logo.
In modernising the logo to reflect current Council initiatives and work programs, the logo's colour has been changed from the original black on white composition to a khaki green. The change of colour symbolises Council's move towards a greener, more sustainable Byron Shire and features the iconic Mt Chincogan landscape.
As a development of the 'greenprint' watermark, the taglines 'Your Environmental Levy at Work' and 'This project is a Byron Shire Council Environmental Levy Initiative' has been added. The tagline specifically identifies the projects and initiatives as being funded by the Environmental Levy.
