Appendix B - Terrestrial Ecology Assessment

5.5 Council Biodiversity Outcomes
The relevant parts of the 2020 Noosa Plan Biodiversity Overlay Code are addressed in ATTACHMENT F.

The purpose of the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands overlay code is to protect, rehabilitate and
enhance ecologically important areas and improve connectivity and ecological linkages across Noosa
Shire. The overall outcomes sought for the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands overlay code are:

   1. The natural resources and ecosystem values of Noosa Shire are protected and enhanced
      including ecologically important areas and land and environmental values of scenic, aesthetic,
      cultural, educational, recreational, scientific, economic and social value.
   2. Development is designed, sited, constructed and operated in a way that avoids adverse impacts
      on ecologically important areas, ecological systems and processes.
   3. Development design and layout provides for ecological connectivity across the landscape
      through the protection, rehabilitation and enhancement of native vegetation and ecological
      linkages.
   4. Ecological linkages and riparian vegetation are conserved, managed, enhanced and
      rehabilitated to protect and improve biodiversity, ecosystem health, landscape stability and
      resilience.
   5. Development design and layout provides for the protection and establishment of appropriate
      buffers to waterways, wetlands, native vegetation and significant fauna habitat.
   6. The terrestrial and aquatic native flora and fauna and their habitats are protected and
      enhanced.
   7. Development and its associated landscaping provides for the rehabilitation of ecologically
      important areas, degraded ecosystems and habitats to achieve a functional and healthy
      ecosystem state that requires minimal human intervention.
   8. Development is designed, sited, constructed and operated to avoid or minimise adverse impacts
      on koalas and their habitat and to provide for connectivity and safety for the long term viability
      of the koala population.
   9. In urban areas, biodiversity values are protected and enhanced to assist with ecosystem health,
      flora and fauna, urban amenity and quality of life.

The proposed development is considered to meet the intent and overall outcomes for the overlay
code because:

     •    development is low level of impact and within an area already disturbed and cleared;
     •    the area of native vegetation to be disturbed is small and infested with non-native invasive
          species;
     •    the area of native vegetation is separated from other bushland patches by fencing and
          roadways;
     •    habitat values and fauna movement corridors will not be fragmented or significantly
          disrupted;
     •    the land is not an ecologically important area or part of any ecological linkage;
     •    opportunities exist to enhance the local ecological values of the retained vegetation through
          a planting and weed control exercise (and additional landscaping throughout the site); and
     •    the loss of koala habitat trees can be compensated for through planting on the subject land
          or offset through a financial contribution in accordance with the State offset legislation.




Terrestrial Ecology Assessment – Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel                                        18