DERM Wetland Agency Response MCU11/0254

                                                                                                                   4

                                                                                                          Notice
                                                                            Advice Agency Response

Wetland:
The Assessment Manager should consider the potential impacts of the proposed development on wetland
values, including the water quality, natural hydrological flows and ecological functioning of the wetland.
Development should meet the following outcomes:

•    Maintain ecological values of the wetland. There is no loss of wetland habitat and adverse impacts on
     the functioning and integrity of a wetland from development are avoided. A report prepared and
     certified by an appropriately qualified professional may assist the Assessment Manager to consider the
     impacts of the development on the ecological values and functioning of the wetland. If adverse impacts
     are unavoidable, the Assessment Manager is encouraged to ensure that the values lost are offset in
     order to achieve an environmental outcome equal or better than the wetland values that are impacted.

     Where a wetland management area is mapped as a 'significant coastal wetland' under a Regional
     Coastal Management Plan it should be assessed, against the policy for areas of state significance
     (natural resources). An Implementation Guideline should be consulted:
     http://www.derm.ald.gov.au/services resources/item details. php?item id=202304&topic id=54.
     For areas where a regional coastal management plan does not exist, where the wetland management
     area is also defined as a 'significant coastal wetland' under the State Coastal Management Plan -
     Queensland's Coastal Policy 2001 (SCMP), any approval is consistent with SCMP policy 2.8.1, Areas of
     state significance (natural resources).
•    Maintain wetland water quality. The water quality of any waters in and linked to the wetland is
     maintained and managed to protect the environmental values of the wetland, and to ensure that the
     water quality objectives listed under Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 are
     achieved.

•    Maintain wetland water regime. The existing water regime (including surface and groundwater) within
     and linked to the wetland is maintained and managed to protect existing natural hydrological processes
     within the wetland ecosystem. This includes safeguarding natural fluctuations in size and location of the
     wetland, and retaining and allowing for regeneration of native vegetation.

To ensure that the proposed development is able to meet the above outcomes, the Assessment Manager is
encouraged to consider the requirement for a buffer area between any proposed works and the wetland. A
wetland buffer has two components:
    •    a support area adjacent to the wetland that maintains and supports the environmental values of the
         wetland; and

    •    a separation area around the support area that protects the wetland from external threats such as
         sediment and nutrient discharge from surrounding landuse.
Buffer distances should be maximised in order to maintain existing biodiversity values, habitat connectivity
and to minimise edge effects. Unless otherwise determined by a suitably qualified professional, the following
buffer widths are accepted by DERM as precautionary buffer widths likley to absorb impacts from external
uses.
     •    within urban areas, a minimum 50m buffer to wetland
     •    outside of urban areas a minimum 200m buffer to wetland
     •    for'significant coastal wetlands', a buffer width of 200m to wetland




Page 2 of 4 •091217                                            Department of Environment and Resource Management