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

                                                                                      Native Foresters



4.2       Impacts to fauna

The following impacts and potential impacts to native fauna from landfill expansion works
have been identified:

Clearing Impacts:

      Loss of up to 2.475ha of regrowth (Category X) Eucalypt and Melaleuca woodland
       Loss of up to 0.445 ha of remnant Scribbly Gum woodland RE12.5.3. and 0.480 ha
        of remnant Eucalypt woodland RE12.5.4. including the loss of leaf litter, woody
        debris, vegetation, burrows and ephemeral ponds that provide habitat, including
        breeding habitat, for native fauna.
       There are up to eight relictual hollow-bearing Scribbly gums with dbh>1 metre that
        provide potential habitat for arboreal mammals and hollow-dependent fauna (e.g.
        microbats, owls, possums, gliders) at the southern end of the clearing area and
        within the area proposed for the southern stormwater drain that may be impacted by
        works.
       Loss of up to 0.650 ha of mapped Koala habitat (core).

Groundwater Level Changes Impacts:

         Excavation for the new cells may potentially breach/fracture any indurated material
          underlying areas of shallow ‘perched’ groundwater, reducing surface expression of
          perched groundwater. This could be detrimental to Swamp Crayfish and/or Wallum
          Froglet inhabiting these areas.
         Areas that receive inputs from the groundwater drainage management system may
          become wetter over time, with resulting changes in species composition and
          vegetation structure. Grasses and dry sclerophyll species may be replaced by
          sedges and wet-sclerophyll species. This may improve the habitat value of these
          areas for amphibians, although whether Wallum Frog species will be favoured will
          depend on the quality/pH of the groundwater.

Surface water Changes Impacts:

         Changes to vegetation community composition and structure associated with
          increased surface water flows may affect the amenity or suitability of the habitat for
          breeding, foraging and dispersal by native fauna:
              o Localised waterlogging around stormwater outlets and proliferation of water-
                 dependent native flora species (e.g. Melaleuca, sedges and ferns) will
                 enhance the amenity and suitability of these areas for amphibians and
                 crayfish, however Wallum Frog competitor species are likely to be favoured
                 by the higher pH typical of surface runoff.
              o The spread of weed species forming dense infestations (e.g. Para grass,
                 Setaria grass, and Singapore daisy) around stormwater outlets is likely to
                 intensify, unless an ongoing management commitment is made;
              o An increase in understorey species will result in a higher fire risk.




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