Attachment A to Judgment for 19Aug 2024 (6)

2         Description of the site and proposed development
This chapter provides a description of the site and proposed development.

2.1       Site description
The location of the site is shown in Figure 2.1. The site is 2.02 hectares (ha), has frontage to Lake Weyba
Drive and Sail Street and is serviced by mains water.
The eastern part of the site contains a residential dwelling, several shed structures and a pool.
Vegetation in this part of the site is maintained and consists of mature canopy trees and a mown grass
understorey.
Unmanaged bushland vegetation occurs within the western part of the site and is contiguous with the
bushland vegetation in the Noosa National Park – Lake Weyba Section which adjoins the northern and
western boundaries of the site.
Catalyst identifies the pre-clear RE of the western part of the site as a mix of RE 12.3.4 Melaleuca
quinquenervia, Eucalyptus robusta woodland on coastal alluvium (RE 12.3.4), RE 12.3.5 Melaleuca
quinquenervia open forest on coastal alluvium and RE 12.3.11 Eucalyptus tereticornis +/- Eucalyptus
siderophloia, Corymbia intermedia open forest on alluvial plains usually near coast (RE 12.3.11) which
correlates with a mix of VHC 22.1 Melaleuca open forests on seasonally inundated lowland coastal

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swamps (VHC 22.1) and VHC 16.1 Eucalyptus dominated forest on drainage lines and alluvial plains
(VHC 16.1). Notwithstanding, Catalyst identifies the western part of the site as VHC 22.1 which has a
much higher total potential fuel load than VHC 16.1, ie 28.4 tonnes/hectare (t/ha) for VHC 22.1
compared to 16 t/ha for VHC 16.1.
Although not relied upon as a bushfire mitigation measure in this BMP, there is a Queensland Parks
and Wildlife Service (QPWS) fire break and fire trail along the northern and western boundaries of the
site which adjoin the Noosa National Park. Land adjoining the north-western corner of the site is
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subject to waterlogging which is likely to affect the regular maintenance and use of the QPWS fire
break and fire trail in this area.
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Private properties adjoining the northern and southern boundaries of the site have landscaped
gardens or maintained bushland vegetation which has a mown grass understorey.
The eastern boundary of the site adjoins Lake Weyba Drive, a park with maintained vegetation and an
estuary of Lake Weyba.
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2.2       Proposed development

The overall development layout plan for the proposed development is provided in Appendix 1 and
shows the proposed layout of lots, private cul-de-sac extension to Sail Street, bushfire exclusion zone
- hereafter referred to as a bushfire protection zone (BPZ) - and fire trail.
The proposed development relies on the radiant heat exposure assessment in the JER which was based
on the VHC mapping in Catalyst and used the understorey potential fuel load and total potential fuel
load from VHC 22.1. Results of the radiant heat exposure assessment from the JER were used by the
parties of the appeal to reach a provisional agreement about the proposed BPZs shown in the overall
development layout plan.
The ecological investigations discussed in the Joint Experts’ Report – Ecology 2022 (Ecology JER) for
the appeal, ground-truthed the REs in the western part of the site that would be subject to
rehabilitation within proposed lot 8. They identified RE 12.3.4, which correlates with VHC 22.1, occurs
in the north-western corner of the rehabilitation area within proposed lot 8 and RE 12.3.11, which
correlates with VHC 16.1, occurs in the balance of the rehabilitation area within proposed lot 8. The
ground truthed REs and corresponding VHCs have been applied to the bushfire hazard assessment in

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