A fresh approach to enhancing the health, wellbeing and prosperity of South East Queensland

You are invited to the

Sunshine Coast Community Roundtable for the

SEQ Natural Resource Management Plan Review

19th February 2014 9am - 1pm Lakeview Room, Lake Kawana Community Centre, 114 Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina
Tea & coee from 8.30am & lunch at 12noon

What has happened to the natural assets in your local area over the last ve years that might have aected community wellbeing, the local economy or the environment? How will your local area respond to future changes such as populaon growth and extreme weather events (oods, droughts, res, heat waves etc.)? What are the issues and the opportunies? Community roundtables are an opportunity to comment on what acons and investment in natural assets are important for you and your community. Community acons can include things such as conserving a parcular patch of bush, keeping your local creek healthy or planning spaces for outdoor recreaon acvies. This informaon will be used to update the SEQ Natural Resource Management Plan so it can beer guide community, industry and government support for landholders in the management of their local areas. RSVP essential: Susie Chapman schapman@seqcatchments.com.au by 14th February, 2014 Please notify of any special dietary requirements when registering.

What are natural assets?

Natural assets are provided by the natural environment and include: farmland bushland, forests and other wild places rivers, creeks and wetlands beaches and Moreton Bay islands, reefs and the ocean nave animals and plants sand, gravel and mber clean air and good climate. Other important assets are our people and heritage, both Indigenous and other, which are important to recognize and value in a community that works together.

Why are natural assets important ?

The natural assets of South East Queensland (SEQ) are important for the economy, lifestyle and wellbeing of the community. Natural assets provide many of the services that aract people to live in the region such as the weather, clean air, great beaches and waterways as well as the wide variety of plants and animals. Most importantly they play a role in buering the community and business against extreme weather events (such as the ooding experienced in 2011 and 2013). How natural assets are looked aer and used is important if SEQ is to remain such a great place to live, work and play. In economic terms (from : Managing what maers: The cost of environmental decline in SEQ, Marsden Jacobs):

Managing signicant natural assets like the beaches and the bush will return an esmated $8 billion for tourism (to 2031). Preserving good farm land for its income earning potenal and as a natural resource will return over $1.2 billion a year in food and bre. An esmated 475,000 people in SEQ parcipate in recreaonal shing each year (a parcipaon rate of 22.6%), which is valued at $150 million per year, over six mes as much as commercial shing. Natural assets also provide the space and venues for outdoor recreaon and provide inspiraon and mental and physical wellbeing. It has been esmated that maintaining these areas will save $10 million in health costs (to 2031).

The SEQ NRM Plan Update Project is being coordinated by a Project Reference Group made up of representaves from Council of Mayors SEQ, Healthy Waterways Ltd., Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning, Department or Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, South East Queensland Catchments Ltd., Qld Tourism Industry Council, Sunshine Coast Environment Council (represenng SEQ Environment Councils), Growcom and Chamber of Commerce and Industry Qld.