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



                                                                                  Recreational facilities (e.g., playgrounds, pergolas, barbeques) are setback a minimum of      increase of aquatic habitat. Furthermore, a Waterway Rehabilitation Plan is
                                                                                  10 metres from the top of the bank of a waterway.                                              recommended to reinstate a native vegetation buffer along the onsite waterway
                                                                                                                                                                                 to manage water quality and provide riparian habitat for local flora and fauna
                                                                                  Editor’s Note—Setbacks to waterways for certain uses and works are also specified in the       (NOTE: revegetation design should consider tree fall risk and bushfire risk).
                                                                                  relevant codes.
                                                                                                                                                                                 AO6.3 N/A. No public recreational facilities are proposed.
                                                                                  Editor's Note—Wetland areas are identified on the Queensland Wetland Program mapping

                                                                                  Editor’s Note – Any clearing of vegetation also needs to meet the outcomes of the
                                                                                  Earthworks Code and the Water Quality and Drainage Code.
 PO7                                                                              No acceptable outcome provided.                                                                N/A
 Vegetation within 400 metres of the full ponded water within Lake
 Macdonald is retained.
 PO8                                                                              AO8.1                                                                                          AO8.1
 Development on land adjacent to a waterway or wetland maintains                  Development adjacent to a waterway or wetland provides that:                                   a) N/A – No new lots are proposed.
 appropriate extent of public access to waterways and wetlands and                   a) no new lots directly back onto a riparian buffer area; and                               b) N/A – No new public roads are proposed.
 minimises edge effects.                                                             b) new public roads are located between a riparian buffer area or riparian zone and
                                                                                         the proposed development area.
 Surface and ground water hydrology
 PO9                                                                              AO9.1                                                                                          The development is not proposing activities which are likely to affect natural
 Development ensures that the natural surface water and ground                    Development does not impact on the natural surface water or groundwater hydrologic             groundwater hydrologic regimes. However, impacts to the waterway and dam
 water hydrologic regimes of waterways, wetlands and hydrologically               regimes and this is facilitated by:                                                            are proposed as a result of modification for an extended canoe run.
 sensitive plant communities are not adversely impacted.                              a) avoiding or minimising channelization, redirection or interruption of flow;             It is recommended any modification of the waterway proposed ensures in flow
                                                                                      b) avoiding groundwater extraction;                                                        into the adjacent rainforest unit is maintained as the vegetation in this location
 Editor's Note—Groundwater dependent ecosystems are identified on                     c) maintaining groundwater recharge and discharge processes;                               is reliant upon the moist conditions (refer northern most VC1a on VC02).
 Queensland Government Wetland Info mapping.                                          d) maintaining natural groundwater fluctuations;
                                                                                      e) avoiding causing ingress of saline water into freshwater aquifers of wetlands; and      Civil engineering plan to be provided by others. Appropriate erosion and
                                                                                      f) avoiding contaminants entering groundwater (e.g., from runoff, effluent disposal).      sediment control works are expected to control the potential adverse impacts
                                                                                                                                                                                 of the proposed modification.
 Rehabilitation of ecologically important areas
 PO10                                                                             AO10.1                                                                                         AO10.1 - Site landscaping is proposed to comply with AO10.1 as
 Development provides for ecologically important areas to be restored             Landscaping and rehabilitation complements and supports ecologically important areas by:       demonstrated in a Landscape Plan at OPW Stage.
 and enhanced through:                                                               a) utilising local native species;
    a) designing landscaped areas to complement and enhance                          b) utilising suitable plant species identified in PSP2 Landscaping;
        existing vegetation and ecological linkages;                                 c) restoring degraded ecosystems to achieve a functional ecosystem state that
    b) removing species likely to displace native flora species or                       requires minimal human intervention;
        degrade fauna habitat;                                                       d) replicating adjacent remnant habitats of the same type, including the understorey
    c) replanting and rehabilitating degraded habitat;                                   vegetation;
    d) replacing any vegetation removed with suitable local native                   e) creating or enhancing linkages between existing habitats;
        species;                                                                     f) avoiding the use of pest plant species listed in PSP2 - Landscaping;
    e) providing for fauna habitat; and                                              g) planting riparian zones to filter stormwater run-off, stabilise soil and provide for
    f) avoiding the planting of pest plant species.                                      wildlife habitat; and
                                                                                     h) providing ground and arboreal structures for fauna, which may include ground
                                                                                         depressions, rocks, hollows, nesting boxes and in-stream habitat.

                                                                                  AO10.2                                                                                         AO10.2 – Compliance with AO10.2 can be set as a condition of approval.
                                                                                  Vegetation cleared is replaced with:                                                           Compliance with AO10.2 is expected to be achieved at OPW stage via
                                                                                     a) plantings of equivalent area that replicate the floristic structure of the vegetation    additional reporting.
                                                                                          removed; or
                                                                                     b) where this is not possible due to the characteristics of the site and the development,
                                                                                          plantings twice the number of the removed trees and plants.

                                                                                  Editor’s Note — Revegetation and rehabilitation works are to be carried out in accordance
                                                                                  with an approved Revegetation and Rehabilitation Management Plan, as referred to in
                                                                                  PSP3 Ecological assessment guidelines.
 Koala habitat protection and enhancement
 PO11                                                                             AO11.1                                                                                         AO11.1 – The development does not generate unacceptable impact on existing
 Development is designed, constructed and operated to—                            Development design complies with the Koala Sensitive Design Guideline: A guide to koala        koala movement opportunities through the site and between patches of onsite
    a) protect and enhance koalas and koala habitat and avoid                     sensitive design measures for planning and development activities                              suitable koala habitat (i.e., VC2 & VC3).
        adverse impacts;                                                                                                                                                         Note - Mapped Koala Habitat Area Core occurs within the northeast, southern,
    b) provide measures to assist the survival of koala populations                                                                                                              and eastern site extents and the entire site is mapped within a Koala Priority
        in the area to mitigate any potential threats or risk to koalas;                                                                                                         Area (refer Section 3.4). The recommended driveway clearing; 3m fully cleared
                                                                                  AO11.2                                                                                         either side of the driveway, in the BHAMP (NCES, 2022) may impact several



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