Reference Document Fauna Management Plan OPW25-0057 · OPW25/0057

            Fauna Management Plan v1                                                                        NCES REF: J001343
            Lot 105 on SP118458 – 62 Lake MacDonald Drive, Cooroy, QLD



            5     FAUNA MANAGEMENT MEASURES – DURING CLEARING

            5.1        Vegetation Clearing Direction
            All trees are to be searched for wildlife presence prior to felling and potential or known habitat trees
            are to be left standing for a minimum of one night prior to eventual felling.
            All trees for removal should be felled in open areas of the site to avoid impacts to surrounding and
            vegetation. The management measures detailed below are general in nature and all measures may
            not apply to the subject site. The fauna spotter/catcher will ultimately be responsible for determining
            which management measures are applicable based on the pre-clearing fauna surveys.
            5.2        Sequential Vegetation Clearing
            Vegetation clearing is to be carried out using a sequential clearing method as follows:
                  1.         Any habitat trees; hollow-bearing trees and/or other significant habitat features identified
                             during the initial site inspection, are to be cleared last.
                  2. The grassy understorey is to be slashed first to create a disturbance activity which
                     encourages ground dwelling fauna to relocate from the impact area.
                  3. Non-habitat trees will be cleared and stockpiled for mulching. Clearing of non-habitat trees
                     using machinery will only occur where their removal will not directly impact adjoining habitat
                     trees (e.g., canopies do not interconnect).
                  4. After clearing of non-habitat trees, an elevated work platform or cherry-picker will be used in
                     conjunction with a chainsaw operator and suitably qualified fauna spotter/catcher to inspect
                     and remove arboreal habitat as necessary prior to habitat tree felling. This method involves
                     the fauna spotter/catcher inspecting each of the potential habitat features to determine the
                     presence of arboreal fauna. This process is detailed following the step-by-step basis below:
                       i.       The fauna spotter/catcher (with arborist unless the fauna spotter/catcher has a working
                                from heights certificate and chainsaw certificate) will inspect each potential habitat
                                resource (i.e., ringtail possum drey) identified in each tree using the cherry-picker. This
                                is usually carried out by simply looking into hollows with the assistance of a small torch,
                                however, burrow and bore-scopes can also be useful for deep hollows.
                       ii.      If fauna is located within a hollow, the tree is either to be left standing for such time until
                                the fauna relocates on its own accord, or a piece of towel or rag will be firmly placed in
                                the entrance to prevent the wildlife from escaping as in most cases arboreal fauna
                                become aware of the presence of the fauna spotter/catcher and may attempt to flee the
                                nesting/denning hollow due to a perceived threat. If an occupied ringtail possum drey is
                                encountered, the fauna spotter/catcher should quietly approach (i.e., avoid contacting
                                other branches) the drey in the cherry-picker bucket and physically capture the possum
                                by placing the entire drey in a catch bag or only the possum if it emerges from the drey.
                   iii.         In instances where the fauna does not relocate on its own accord, and once the hollow
                                entrance has been secured, the arborist or fauna spotter/catcher will cut the entire hollow
                                limb off below the cavity where the branch remains solid. In circumstances where a
                                hollow continues into the main stem of the tree, a small window will be carefully cut into
                                the hollow, allowing the fauna spotter/catcher to plug the hollow above and below the
                                window, then the hollow limb removed and lowered to the ground in sections.
                   iv.          When the fauna has been safely secured within its hollow, the entire limb can then be
                                placed in the cherry-picker bucket or lowered to the ground using ropes depending on
                                the size of the limb.
                    v.          The catch bag will then be placed in a cool, quiet location until translocation to the
                                recipient habitat site, when at dusk the bag is re-opened to allow the fauna to emerge of
                                its own accord.
            All vegetation is to be felled onto the site and is to avoid impacts to offsite vegetation. Any disturbance
            to adjoining vegetation, including incidental deposition of vegetative waste material, is to be



Document Set © ID: 23931063
                2024                                               14
Version: 1, Version Date: 15/07/2025