Ecological Assessment

State and Local Government Ecological Assessment
Noosa Civic Expansion

Regulatory instrument                              Framework                                                               Relevant background information for Study Area

                                                                                                                           Koala Conservation of the SARA DA mapping system
                                                                                                                           The Study Area is entirely within a Koala Assessable Development Area
                                                                                                                           (KADA). Refer to South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning
                                                                                                                           Regulatory Provisions May 2010 entry below.

South East Queensland Koala Conservation           The SPRP is a State planning instrument that regulates new              In addition to being mapped within a KADA the Study Area is also mapped as
State Planning Regulatory Provisions May           development at the development assessment stage and remains             mostly Medium Value Bushland, with small portions of the Study Area mapped
2010 (SPRP)                                        current under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. The SPRP               as Medium Value Rehabilitation, Low Value Bushland or Generally Unsuitable
                                                   covers areas of the highest priority for koala conservation action.     (Appendix F).
                                                   The SPRP regulates assessable development (i.e. development
                                                   that planning schemes or planning legislation has identified as         Under the SPRP, development in a KADA that is a material change of use or
                                                   requiring assessment). Koala habitat values maps that form part of      reconfiguring a lot or operational work in any koala habitat type must comply
                                                   the SPRP depict koala habitat values occurring within assessable        with criteria in Table 7 column 2 which includes various assessment criteria.
                                                   development areas defined under the SPRP.                               Notably one of these is that “site design must avoid clearing non-juvenile Koala
                                                                                                                           habitat trees in areas of bushland habitat, with any unavoidable clearing
                                                                                                                           minimised and offset in accordance with Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat
                                                                                                                           in South East Queensland Policy at a ratio of 5:1 or equivalent cash
                                                                                                                           contribution.”

                                                                                                                           The Editor’s note at the beginning of the SPRP document states that the
                                                                                                                           Environmental Offsets (Transitional) Regulation 2014 amends the operation of
                                                                                                                           the existing SPRP as above. Where the SPRP specifies offsetting, it is now to
                                                                                                                           be regarded as a reference to provision of offsets under the Environmental
                                                                                                                           Offsets Act 2014.

Nature Conservation Koala Conservation             The Koala plan has been superseded by the SPP and the SPRP,             The Study Area falls within Koala District A on the District Area Map under the
Plan and Management Program 2006 –                 with relation to planning and development. Other elements of the        Koala Plan. Within District A, if clearing is to occur, then sequential clearing as
2016 (The Koala Plan)                              plan remain in place.                                                   outlined in Section 15 of the Koala Plan is mandatory. If clearing is proposed to
                                                                                                                           occur within a Koala Habitat Area (KSA, KCA, UKA, PKADA or KADA) within
                                                                                                                           District A then both sequential clearing (Section 15) and a Koala Spotter
                                                                                                                           (section 16) will be mandatory.
                                                                                                                           As the Study Area falls within District A and is mapped as Koala Development
                                                                                                                           Area (KADA), then both sequential clearing and a Koala Spotter will be
                                                                                                                           mandatory for vegetation clearing.

Environmental Offsets Act 2014,                    The purpose of the Environmental Offsets Act 2014 is to                 Significant residual impacts on Matters of State Environmental Significance
Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014 and          counterbalance the significant residual impacts of particular           (MSES) may require an offset under this Policy. The MSES are identified
Environmental Offsets Policy 2014                  activities on prescribed environmental matters through the use of       under the Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014 and include:
                                                   environmental offsets. Under the Environmental Offsets Policy                     Regulated vegetation
                                                   2014, offsets on ‘prescribed environmental matters’ may be
                                                   provided as a proponent driven offset (i.e. land-based) or a                     Connectivity areas
                                                   financial settlement offset calculated using the financial settlement
                                                   offset calculation methodology (payment is made to DEHP or local                 Wetlands and watercourses
                                                   government to satisfy the offset condition).
                                                                                                                                    High preservation areas of wild river areas

                                                                                                                                    Protected wildlife habitat (including inter alia non-juvenile koala




QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                                                               Version 1                                                                                        5 December 2014
J13041_Ecological Assessment State Local_V1.docx                                                Commercial in Confidence                                                                                      Page 14