Ecological Assessment

State and Local Government Ecological Assessment
Noosa Civic Expansion



> tracks, scats, animal remains, movement pathways, feeding signs and any other traces of animal
  presence were recorded when observed. Where practical, scats and other traces were collected and sent
  to Barbara Triggs of Dead Finish for further analysis (see Appendix A for CV); and
> trees were closely observed for scratch marks, nests, hollows to determine their value as habitat and their
  frequency of usage.
Ground searches were not limited to transect lines and were undertaken opportunistically throughout the
Study Area.

2.1.4.4            Elliott Trapping
A total of 20 A-size (33cmx10cmx8cm) Elliot traps were placed every 5m along each of the 100m transects
for 4 nights. 15 traps were baited with peanut butter, oat, honey and vanilla mix and 5 traps with the same
mix and a salami piece. Traps were positioned in a secure sheltered position and insulated by piling leaf
litter on top of the trap. Traps were checked each morning, closed and then opened each afternoon.

2.1.4.5            Pitfall Trapping and Funnel Trapping
Pitfall trap lines were positioned at each transect and at one additional location. The pitfalls lines consisted
of 3x 20L buckets spaced at 3-7m apart. Wildlife was guided to pitfall traps along drift netting. On either side
of the drift net 2 funnel traps were also placed (i.e. a total of 4 traps per site). Cover including sticks, larger
pieces of wood (that may act as floating platforms to prevent drowning) and leaf litter were placed in the
bottom of each bucket. Extra dirt and leaf litter was placed in each bucket to ensure insulation in the case of
an animal being caught in it. Pitfall traps were checked in the morning, midday, and evening.

2.1.4.6            Hair Tubes
A total of 30 hair funnels were located in trees and on the ground along Elliott trap transects over areas on
Study Area (10 funnels per transect line and additional pitfall line). The hair funnels were baited with peanut
butter, honey and oat mix. Hair funnels were left in situ over the 5 days / 4 nights of the survey after which
they were collected and inspected for animal hairs. Funnels containing hairs were analysed by the specialist
consultant Barbara Triggs of Dead Finish.

2.1.4.7            Spotlighting
Spotlighting was carried out on each night of the survey for 1 hour each night with each survey area covered
over the study duration. Spotlighting also included stag watching at dusk. A total of 5 nights of spotlight
survey were undertaken with 2 observers walking parts of the Study Area using head torches and a spotlight.
Fauna were detected through direct sightings and via calls.

2.1.4.8            SM2BAT+ Detection
Microchiropteran bat activity on Study Area was surveyed using an SM2BAT+ detection unit fitted with an
Ultrasonic microphone. The SM2BAT+ unit was placed in areas close to transects and potential flyways and
left to record during the night (Figure 2). The unit was retrieved and moved each morning. Recordings were
sent to Greg Ford, a Toowoomba based bat echolocation and call analysis specialist, for analysis (see CV
attached in Appendix A).

2.1.4.9            Camera Trap
A motion-sensing camera trap was placed at locations with the best potential to yield passing fauna. The
area in front of the camera was baited with the oat mix to further attract fauna.

2.1.4.10           Koala Methods

KRAM
The Koala Rapid Assessment Method (Woosnam-Merchez et.al., 2012) is a protocol developed for indirect
detection of the Koala. In accordance with the described general protocol the study site was stratified based
on vegetation community (i.e. landscape scale features) and a number of individual rapid assessment sites
at each sampling location were undertaken. At each sampling location three sites along a 100m transect
were assessed (at 0, 50 and 100m). In these sampling locations 10 trees were systematically selected that

QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                  Version 1                                 5 December 2014
J13041_Ecological Assessment State Local_V1.docx   Commercial in Confidence                                Page 9