Attachment 7C - Flora and Fauna Survey Assessment_Noosa Landfill - Revision 3

                                                                                      Native Foresters



4.0 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS
Development of supporting infrastructure for the two new cells (Cell 2.3 and 2.4);
construction of the southern stormwater drain; changes in landfill profile; as well as surface
and groundwater water hydraulic changes, have the potential to impact on the surrounding
vegetation communities and fauna habitats.

4.1      Impacts to flora
Direct and indirect impacts (including potential impacts) to the Endangered Scribbly Gum
woodland ecosystems (RE 12.5.3), Least Concern ecosystems (RE 12.5.4, 12.3.5 and
12.3.13) and regrowth ecosystems that occur in the impact areas and buffer as a result of
clearing; groundwater lowering and changes to surface flows are summarised below.

Clearing Impacts:

      Edge effects as a result of proposed clearing (e.g. increased light, weeds, dust etc.)
      Loss of up to 2.475 ha of regrowth (Category X) Eucalypt and Melaleuca woodland
       that occurs on the eastern landfill boundary and provides an important buffer between
       the degraded landfill edge and the high ecological value remnant ecosystems further
       east.
      Loss of up to 0.275 ha of remnant Scribbly Gum woodland RE12.5.3. mapped as
       Category X vegetation
      Loss of up to 0.170 ha of mapped remnant Scribbly Gum woodland RE12.5.3.
      Loss of up to 0.480 ha of mapped remnant Eucalypt woodland RE12.5.4.
      Potential loss of up to 8 large Scribbly Gums with arboreal hollows dependent upon
       the final alignment of the southern stormwater discharge drain.

Groundwater Level Changes Impacts:

      Potential fracture/breaching of a shallow, indurated layer with potential impacts on
       moisture-dependent species in the lower strata of adjacent ecosystems.
      Groundwater lowering at depth is unlikely to cause impacts to the Endangered
       RE12.5.3 and Least Concern RE12.5.4 as follows:
       o The dry sclerophyll plant communities growing on weathered sandstone have
           adapted over millennia to these soil conditions and are likely to be able to
           withstand a certain degree of groundwater lowering.
       o The Scribbly gums (Eucalyptus racemosa) which dominate the canopy have the
           capacity to root to 15 metre depth and do not appear to be affected by historical
           landfill development and operation.
       o The community is not showing any signs of being affected by historical
           groundwater lowering for the existing cells (2.1 and 2.2).

      Moderate impacts to RE 12.3.13/12.3.5
       o RE 12.3.5 typically has standing water on the surface for three months of the
          year. Any desiccation resulting from groundwater lowering may lead to a decline
          in sedges and a shift towards less water-demanding grasses in the understorey.
          The Melaleucas in the canopy will persist in drier conditions.



Noosa Landfill & Resource Recovery Centre – Fauna and Flora Assessment – Revision 3
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