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




                                                EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

North Coast Environmental Services have been commissioned to prepare an Ecological Assessment
Report for Lot 7 on RP216403, Lot 394 on M371117, and Lot 650 on M37380 located at 48-59 Kabi
Road, Cootharaba QLD (herein referred to as ‘the site’). The report was requested to identify the
environmental values of the site and to determine the suitability of a Material Change of Use (youth
camp) development application to be submitted to Noosa Council. The outcomes of the
environmental investigations identified the following:
    •    The site supports local and State level biodiversity values.
    •    The site is mapped within the Noosa Plan 2020 as containing Area of Biodiversity
         Significance, MSES Environmental Values, and MSES Regulated Vegetation – intersecting
         a waterway course.
    •    The development proposal has avoided impacts to the identified Ecologically Important Areas
         onsite precluding modification of the denuded watercourse. A small number of semi-mature
         trees located external of the VC1b Regrowth Rainforest unit will be impacted by the proposed
         Village 1 location.
The application has been assessed against several assessment frameworks and determined to be
compliant as follows:
    •    Noosa Plan 2020, Code 8.2.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands – Compliant subject to
         Council acceptance of the measures proposed to mitigate the impact of the proposed
         development on the mapped MSES Regulated Vegetation – intersecting a watercourse (i.e.,
         FMP and appropriate sediment and erosion control works).
    •    Vegetation Management Act 1999 and the associated State Code 16 Native Vegetation
         Clearing – No further assessment is required.
    •    State Code 25 Development in South East Queensland koala habitat areas – No further
         assessment is required.
    •    Nature Conservation Act 1992 – Compliant provided;
             o    A suitably qualified and experienced fauna spotter/catcher is present during all
                  vegetation clearing onsite; and
             o    Further advice is sought regarding the requirement for a Protected Plants Clearing
                  Permit from DES prior to any vegetation removal next to VC1b due to the identified
                  presence of Xanthostemon oppositifolius (southern penda) which is listed as
                  ‘vulnerable’ under the NC and EPBC Act;
    •    Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – referral is deemed
         unnecessary at this time.
The following recommendations are set to reduce the environmental impact of the proposal and to
secure DA approval:
    •    Appropriate erosion and sediment control works are conducted to mitigate the impact to the
         adjacent waterways and dams during construction;
    •    A Fauna Management Plan is prepared for the future OPW application to manage the risk of
         impact to terrestrial and aquatic fauna during civil works. The FMP includes a requirement
         for a suitably qualified and experienced fauna spotter catcher to be engaged to supervise
         vegetation clearing and waterway augmentation on the site;
    •    Further advice is sought from DES regarding the requirement for a Protected Plants Clearing
         Permit prior to any vegetation removal next to VC1b; and
    •    All future landscaping and revegetation work consists of suitable local native species (NOTE:
         revegetation design should consider tree fall risk and bushfire risk).




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