Appendix E - Ecological Assessment Report

Ecological Assessment Report v1                                                           NCES Ref: J000669
Lot 2 on RP131369 – 108 Black Mountain Range Road, Black Mountain



7     CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1       Conclusion
A desktop and field investigation have been undertaken to determine the environmental values
present within Lot 2 on RP131369, located at 108 Black Mountain Range Road, Black Mountain.
The outcomes of the desktop and field investigations identified the following:
      ·    The site supports local and State level biodiversity values.
      ·    Areas within the site are mapped within the Noosa Plan 2020 Biodiversity, waterways, and
           wetlands overlay map as containing the following overlays:
            o Areas of Biodiversity Significance;
            o MSES Environmental Values;
            o Waterways;
            o MSES Regulated Vegetation – intersecting a watercourse;
            o MSES Regulated Vegetation – Category R GBR riverine; and
            o Riparian Buffer Area.
      ·    Two vegetation communities were observed within the site:
            o Vegetation Community 1 (VC1) – Regrowth notophyll vine forest; and
            o Vegetation Community 2 (VC2) – Open pasture with low density trees.
The application has been assessed against several assessment frameworks and determined to be
compliant as follows:
      ·    The Noosa Plan 2020, Overlay Code 8.2.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay
           Code – Compliant subject to Councils acceptance of minor impacts to planted vegetation
           within the mapped Area of Biodiversity Significance and MSES Regulated Vegetation
           (Category R GBR Riverine) overlay and the mitigation strategies proposed to mitigate against
           these impacts.
      ·    Nature Conservation Act 1992 – Compliant.
      ·    Vegetation Management Act 1999 and the associated State Code 16: Native Vegetation
           Clearing – Compliant - No referral required.
      ·    Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2017 - Schedule 11, Part 2 of the Planning
           Regulation 2017 – Proposed development complies with the Assessment Benchmarks.
      ·    Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – Generally compliant. No
           significant impacts anticipated to threatened flora of fauna species or threatened ecologically
           communities.

7.2       Recommendations
The following recommendations are set to reduce the environmental impact of the proposal:
      ·    A suitably qualified and experienced arborist is engaged to assess the risk to native
           vegetation within the mapped Area of Biodiversity Significance and MSES Regulated
           Vegetation (Category R GBR Riverine) overlay posed by the proposed driveway upgrade.
           Individual trees over 150mm DBH within 15m of the proposed earthworks should be
           assessed to satisfy AS4970-2009. Where earthworks occur within Tree Protection Zones, an
           arborist supervision and certification must be undertaken;
      ·    A suitably qualified and experienced fauna spotter/catcher is present during any vegetation
           clearing; and
      ·    Conservation covenants be registered over the VC1 regrowth notophyll vine forest areas
           defined in Figure VC01.



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