Att4 - Ecological Assessment Report

Ecological Assessment Report v1                                                              NCES REF: J001061
Lot 7 on RP216403, Lot 394 on M371117, and Lot 650 on M37380 – 48-59 Kabi Road, Cootharaba


4.3.1    Vegetation Community 1 – Rainforest
VC1 is present in several separate patches about the proposed development areas and surrounds.
VC1 exhibits an average canopy height of 10-25m. Due to the variability in species between the
different units, VC1 has been split into three sub communities (refer below).
4.3.1.1 Vegetation Community 1a – Regrowth Rainforest
VC1a is present in the following units across the site:
    •    a linear unit in the southern site extent (refer Plate 11a right);
    •    an isolated unit in the central site extent (refer Plate 11a left);
    •    a small unit adjacent to VC1b in the central site extent (refer Plate 11b right);
    •    a small unit set amongst the VC2 unit in the eastern site extent; and
    •    another unit adjacent to the dam in the north-eastern site extent (refer Plate 11b left).
Minor variation between the above units was noted, however, they were considered materially the
same.
The canopy included Argyrodendron sp. Kin Kin (rusty tulip oak), Flindersia schottiana (bumpy ash),
Acacia disparrima (hickory wattle), Araucaria cunninghamii (hoop pine) and Commersonia bartramia
(brown kurrajong). Xanthostemon oppositifolius (southern penda) was also present in the smaller
unit of VC1a adjacent to VC1b in the central site extent (refer yellow circle VC01).
The mid-storey was characterised by Medicosma forsteri (Mt Mellum medicosma), Syzgium
luehmannii (riberry), Helcicia glabriflora (pale helicia), Mischocarpus anodontus (veiny pear-fruit),
Syzgium smithii (narrow-leaved lillipilli), Cupaniopsis serrata (smooth tuckeroo), Pleioluma
queenslandica (blush coondoo), Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (bangalow palm), and Livistona
australis (cabbage tree palm).
The understorey was sparse due to low light conditions but where present included Calamus muelleri
(wait-a-while vine), Ottochloa gracillima (graceful grass) Cordyline rubra (palm lily) and Gahnia
aspera (sawsedge).
A liner edge of Melaleuca quinquenervia (broad-leaved paperbark) was present fronting the northern
edge of the linear VC1a unit in the southern site extent (refer Plate 11a right). The northern most
unit of VC1a exhibited Syzgium spp. dominance in the canopy and mid-storey (refer Plate 11b left).
All units of VC1a are considered representative of an Ecologically Important Area under the NC
Planning Scheme (refer green shading VC01). Plate 11 depicts typical vegetation within VC1a.




                                        Plate 11a – VC1a – Regrowth rainforest




© 2022                                                      14