Sunshine Coast Biosecurity Plan

In October 2024, Council adopted the Sunshine Coast Biosecurity Plan 2024. This 5-year plan replaced the 2017 plan.

The Plan provides a framework for managing priority invasive plants and animals.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2014 everyone in Queensland has a general biosecurity obligation (GBO). This GBO requires everyone to manage biosecurity risks under their control.

The Act requires local governments to prepare a biosecurity plan. This is to assist community and land managers to meet their GBO for weeds and pest animals.

Protecting our region against invasive species is an ongoing priority for Council.

The Biosecurity Plan includes information to assist landholders with invasive species management. This helps to focus efforts and effectively allocate time and resources to weed and pest management.

The Plan presents the highest priority invasive plants and animals for the Sunshine Coast. These were determined by assessing all species (listed in the Act) that are impacting or threatening our region.

The Plan sets out management objectives for each of the priority species. These are:

• Prevention
• Eradication
• Containment
• Asset protection

Reasonable and practical measures to achieve each of these management objectives are included in the Plan.

The Plan also identifies alert and locally significant species. These are species that are not listed in the Act but have the potential to impact our region.

The Sunshine Coast Council Biosecurity Implementation Plan 2024 supports the Biosecurity Plan. This details ongoing and new actions for Council and the community to carry out to protect our region.