Ecological Assessment

State and Local Government Ecological Assessment
Noosa Civic Expansion


3                  Regulatory Framework
3.1                State Government Environmental Regulatory Instruments
Table 3-1 below summarises the State Government regulatory instruments pertaining to ecology and the relevant background information for the Study Area.

Table 3-1               State regulatory instruments
Regulatory instrument                              Framework                                                              Relevant background information for Study Area
Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Nature            The Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) provides for the                Database Searches
Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006            conservation and management of Queensland’s native wildlife,           Section 1.4.1 and Table 1-2, summarises the threatened species identified as
                                                   amongst other things. The Act prohibits the taking or destruction,     possible or likely to occur within the Study Area and that were consequently
                                                   without authorisation, of certain listed species. The Flora Survey     targeted during field work.
                                                   Guidelines – Protected Plants (The State of Queensland, 2014)
                                                   sets out the methods to be followed when the activity is to take       Protected Plants Flora Trigger Map
                                                   place within a mapped ‘High Risk’ area. This survey is required to     The Study Area is mapped as entirely within the ‘High Risk Area’ where
                                                   be undertaken prior to commencement of clearing.                       particular provisions of the NCA apply to the clearing of protected plants
                                                                                                                          (DEHP, 2014).
                                                   The Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 (NC(W)R) lists
                                                   the wildlife considered extinct in the wild, endangered, vulnerable,
                                                   near threatened, least concern, international and prohibited. It
                                                   states the declared management intent and the principles to be
                                                   observed in any taking of or destruction for each group.
State Planning Policy                              The Queensland State Planning Policy (SPP) is an overarching           Biodiversity Mapping
                                                   State planning instrument that was introduced in December 2013         The Study Area is mapped as containing MSES Wildlife Habitat (DSDIP,
                                                   as a set of comprehensive principles which underpin Queensland’s       2014). Interrogation of the GIS layer revealed that this area is regarded as
                                                   planning system. The SPP is administered by the Department of          Wildlife Habitat because it is mapped as Koala Medium Value Bushland
                                                   State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP). The SPP        Habitat under the SPRP.
                                                   mapping will apply where this mapping has not yet been integrated
                                                   into the local planning scheme.                                        Coastal Management District
                                                                                                                          The Study Area is mapped as wholly within the Coastal Management District
                                                                                                                          (DSDIP, 2014).

State Assessment and Referral Agency and           The State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) mapping for            Native Vegetation Clearing of the SARA DA mapping system
State Development Assessment Provisions            Development Assessment (DA) shows mapping layers relating to           The SARA mapping (Appendix G) does not illustrate the presence of
                                                   development assessment and matters of State interest. The State        Category A or B vegetation and the regulated vegetation management map
                                                   Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP) sets out matters of           (Appendix B) confirms the Study Area is entirely Category X.
                                                   interest to the State for development applications and guidance
                                                   regarding where an application requires assessment against the         Coastal Protection of the SARA DA mapping system
                                                   applicable State codes.                                                The Study Area is mapped wholly within the Coastal Management District and
                                                                                                                          the Coastal Management Zone. Under Module 10: Coastal Protection SDAPs,
                                                                                                                          Performance Outcome PO9 requires for areas within the Coastal Management
                                                                                                                          District that “Development avoids adverse impacts on matters of state
                                                                                                                          environmental significance, or where this is not reasonably possible, impacts
                                                                                                                          are minimised and an environmental offset is provided for any significant
                                                                                                                          residual impacts to matters of state environmental significance that are
                                                                                                                          prescribed environmental matters.”.



QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                                                             Version 1                                                                                          5 December 2014
J13041_Ecological Assessment State Local_V1.docx                                              Commercial in Confidence                                                                                        Page 13