Ecological Assessment

State and Local Government Ecological Assessment
Noosa Civic Expansion



2.1.4              Assessment of Fauna

2.1.4.1            General
The fauna field investigation in line with approved permitting as follows:
> DPI Scientific User Registration 319;
> EPA Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Scientific Purposes Permit WISP05496608; and
> Animal Ethics Approval CA 2011/07/526.
Over the duration of the survey, vegetation communities within and outside of the development footprint were
assessed for fauna diversity. A one night survey from 8-9 April 2013 (coinciding with significant rain), a full
survey period over four days (29 April-3 May 2013) and a one day survey (23 September 2014) were
undertaken to detect a range of species. The following survey techniques were used during the 2013
survey:
> Diurnal/nocturnal bird searches;
> Ground searches;
> Targeted herpetological & amphibian searches (including a wet night survey);
> 2 full transects and one extra transect (excluding Elliott traps) in the representative habitats including:
    - Elliott trapping;
    - Pitfall trapping;
    - Funnel trapping;
    - Hair funnel trapping;
> Spotlighting;
> SM2BAT bat detection;
> Camera trapping;
> She-oak ort searches;
> Koala Rapid Assessment Method (KRAM) Koala search method;
> Koala tree counts utilising the point-centred quarter method; and
> Habitat assessment.
Further, opportunistic observations of wildlife were also noted during all Study Area visits.
Figure 2 illustrates the location of targeted fauna survey sites.

2.1.4.2            Diurnal / Nocturnal Bird Survey
Dedicated bird watching was undertaken for 20 minutes along transects and various other locations
throughout the Study Area every morning at dawn chorus (equating to approximately 2.5 hours each day).
During this time, two observers walked quietly along the transect or around a roughly 2ha area (point
surveys) to detect birds present both through direct observation and through calls. Birds were also recorded
when opportunistically observed during other survey activities. Nocturnal birds were searched for as part of
spotlighting activities on Study Area (described below).

2.1.4.3            Ground Searches
Ground searches were undertaken at each transect as part of morning and afternoon survey activities. This
entailed the following:
> active searches for cryptic fauna (such as Elf Skink and Cooloola Blind Snake) were undertaken including
  turning over logs, turning over rubbish piles, disturbing woodpiles, lifting loose bark on trees, investigating
  hollow logs and disturbing leaf litter;



QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                  Version 1                                5 December 2014
J13041_Ecological Assessment State Local_V1.docx   Commercial in Confidence                               Page 8