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



      c) provide for safe and appropriate koala movement across the               Development incorporates revegetation and landscaping that provides food, shelter and           NJKHT’s in a mapped KHA core. It is considered the clearing can be
         landscape; and                                                           movement opportunities for koalas                                                               undertaken as exempt clearing as per the definition of ‘exempted development’
      d) provide for a net gain in mature and actively regenerating                                                                                                               clause (K) (i.e., one off 500m2) as well as clause O (iv),(B) ….necessary for
         koala habitat.                                                           AO11.3                                                                                          fence road or vehicular track.
                                                                                  Development is designed to maximise and enhance connectivity between koala habitat
 Editor's Note—Koala habitat mapping is in Schedule 2 Mapping.                    trees and ensure safe koala movement.                                                           AO11.2 – Limited landscaping is proposed given the site is essentially already
                                                                                                                                                                                  landscaped. Revegetation works can incorporate koala habitat trees if
 Editor's Note—The Planning Regulation 2017, schedule 10 states                   AO11.4                                                                                          required by council.
 that development that interferes with koala habitat, in an area that is          During construction, measures are incorporated to not increase the risk of death or injury to   NOTE: Revegetation list must not conflict with the completed bushfire
 both a koala priority area and a koala habitat area, is prohibited               koalas, by including koala movement measures, as defined in the Planning Regulation 2017        reporting for the project (refer NCES BHAMP 2022) by introducing a new
 development (subject to the exceptions stated in schedule 10 of the                                                                                                              bushfire risk (i.e., creating a new hazardous open forest vegetation unit
 Planning Regulation 2017).                                                                                                                                                       adjacent to the buildings). The revegetation areas identified in Plate 20 are
                                                                                                                                                                                  considered suitable for compensatory plantings.
 Editor's Note- These performance outcomes and acceptable
 outcomes apply to:                                                                                                                                                               AO11.3 – Development has been maximised in the cleared open areas of the
                                                                                                                                                                                  site with any available koala movement opportunities to be maintained via
 a) development on land in a koala priority area, where the                                                                                                                       retention of koala habitat onsite in-situ (VC2 & VC3).
 development does not interfere with koala habitat and where the
 benchmarks are additional to and not inconsistent with, the                                                                                                                      AO11.4 – A fauna spotter/catcher is recommended to be present during any
 assessment benchmarks stated in schedule 11, part 2 of the                                                                                                                       future clearing activities to satisfy the duty of care requirements under the
 Planning Regulations 2017; and                                                                                                                                                   Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Compliance with AO11.4 can
 b) development on land outside the koala priority area, where the                                                                                                                be set as a condition of approval
 development does not interfere with koala habitat in koala habitat
 areas.

 Bushfire Management
 PO12                                                                             No acceptable outcome provided                                                                  A Bushfire Hazard Assessment has been prepared which demonstrates that
 Bushfire management measures are adopted based on ecological                                                                                                                     the development is not within a bushfire hazard area. Minor clearing for the
 principles, which:                                                                                                                                                               driveway is recommended in the BHAMP (NCES, 2022) and can be undertaken
     a) maintain and enhance biodiversity;                                                                                                                                        as exempted development.
     b) minimise threat of fire to the natural environment, as well as
          life and property; and
     c) provide for effective use and maintenance of buildings and
          structures.
 Editor's note—The performance outcome applies to properties in
 bushfire hazard areas and only where clearing is reasonably
 necessary for the control of bushfire risk to a building or structure.
 Bushfire hazard areas are shown on Bushfire Hazard Overlay maps
 in Schedule 2.
 Scenic Amenity
 PO13                                                                             AO13.1                                                                                          AO13.1 All vegetation is proposed to be retained as per AO13.1 (where
 The scenic amenity and vegetated character of the landscape is                   Vegetation is retained:                                                                         applicable), noting that the watercourse proposed for modification exhibited no
 protected by retaining vegetation:                                                  a) on and within 30 metres of prominent ridgelines and on sloping sites;                     riparian vegetation.
     a) along and around watercourses and drainage lines;                            b) in gullies;
     b) on steep slopes and ridgelines;                                              c) along watercourses and drainage lines;
     c) along the major road network; and                                            d) within 10 metres of the major road network; and
     d) that forms coastal vistas to and from beaches.                               e) along the front coastal dune system.




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