Appendix B - Terrestrial Ecology Assessment.pdf

2. MATTERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE – DESKTOP ANALYSIS
2.1 Databases and Mapping
The following databases and reports were reviewed prior to undertaking field investigations, to
determine vegetation communities and component plant species likely to be encountered on the site:

     •    Commonwealth’s EPBC Online Protected Matters Search Tool with search buffer of a 2km;
     •    Queensland Wildlife Online database with search radius of a 2km buffer (co-ordinates -
          26.4169; 153.0873);
     •    Queensland Regional Ecosystems Report and Regulated Vegetation;
     •    Koala Habitat Mapping;
     •    Flora Survey Trigger Map; and
     •    Council’s ecological/biodiversity mapping layers.

2.3 Commonwealth EPBC Act
The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the
national framework for considering matters of national environmental significance (MNES).

The Commonwealth database search tool of MNES2 identifies several national values (listed under the
EPBC Act 1999) potentially occurring within 2km of the subject land as follows:

     •    three listed threatened ecological communities (Coastal Swamp Oak {Casuarina glauca}
          Forest of New South Wales and South East Queensland ecological community; Lowland
          Rainforest of Subtropical Australia; and Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh)
     •    65 threatened species (including grey-headed flying fox, koala, frogs and plant species)
     •    47 migratory species
     •    50 marine species, whales and other cetaceans (not considered relevant for the subject land)
     •    26 invasive species
     •    2 Nationally Important Wetlands

These species include pelagic birds, marine turtles, migratory shorebirds, sharks and whales. These
species are not considered further in the assessment due to habitat requirements and unlikelihood of
occurring on/near the subject land. The ecological communities are also not relevant to the subject
land as they do not occur in this locality. The MNES database report is provided in ATTACHMENT A.

2.4 State Remnant Vegetation and Flora Mapping
The State (DNRM) administers clearing of regulated vegetation under the Vegetation Management
Act 1999 (VMA). The Regulated Vegetation Management Map 3 shows the site as supporting least
concern (green shading) remnant regional ecosystem RE12.2.5 (Corymbia intermedia +/- Lophostemon
confertus +/- Banksia spp. +/- Callitris columellaris open forest on beach ridges usually in southern half
of bioregion) as a small patch in the north (refer Extract A). Due to the zoning and being within an
urban area (i.e. urban area and urban purposes), there are no specific clearing approval requirements
to be met under the VMA.

RE12.2.5 is also mapped (refer cross blue cross hatching in Extract A) as essential habitat for three
frogs (acid frogs), the glossy black-cockatoo, the koala and a wattle (Acacia attenuata) 4.




2 Commonwealth (2020) EPBC Protected Matters Report. Accessed November 2020.
3 DNRME (2020) Regulated Vegetation Management Map and Supporting Mapping. Accessed November2020.
4 Note: In 2017 the land was not mapped as essential habitat for koala, the wattle of the glossy black-cockatoo.



Terrestrial Ecology Assessment – Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel                                                      6