Approved Plans - MCU21/0024

AS3959:2018 allows for the use of data sets provided by the relevant authority having jurisdiction
for the site i.e. Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES). These datasets are published
via the Catalyst Fire Management System portal (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services,
2020) for Fire Danger Index and the Bushfire Resilient Communities technical document
(Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), 2019) for published fuel loads.

3.1    Step 1 – Determination of the relevant Fire Danger Index (FDI)
QFES datasets for Fire Danger Index are published via the Catalyst Fire Management System
portal (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, 2020). The relevant FDI value for the site is
47.

3.2    Step 2 - Assessment of Vegetation Communities
The different types of vegetation communities determine the rate at which dry fuel accumulates.
Some vegetation communities protect fuel from drying out in all but extreme bushfire seasons
and can then be susceptible to very destructive bushfires. Alternatively, vegetation communities
may expose fuels to drying and therefore be frequently available for burning. Frequent bushfires
can result in the development of bushfire-tolerant grassy woodlands or grasslands and these
present less destructive bushfire behaviour.

The site supports remnant native vegetation which forms part of a larger patch of remnant
vegetation that extends to the south-east and east of the site. This vegetation is mapped as
Category B (remnant) conforming to the regional ecosystem (RE) 12.11.16 – Eucalyptus
cloeziana open forest on metamorphics +/- interbedded volcanics (DNRME, 2020). Site
verification of the vegetation community within and surrounding the site confirmed the accuracy
of this mapping. The average height of the canopy is 21 – 25 m, with an estimated canopy cover
of 70%. The shrub layer is generally absent with some small patches of hickory wattle (Acacia
disparrima var. disparrima) and red ash (Alphitonia excelsa) with some native vines. The ground
layer is dominated by native species including forest grasstree (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii), blue
flax lily (Dianella caerulea) and bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum).

The vegetation community on site corresponds to a Vegetation Hazard Class (VHC) of 8.1 – Wet
eucalypt tall open forest (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), 2019). Published
fuel loads for this VHC (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), 2019) are 31 t/ha
for total surface fuel load and 35 t/ha for total overall fuel load.




PR20257_BAL_327 Kinmond Creek Rd, Cootharaba                                                    7