Attachment 6 - Ecological Assessment

Ecological Assessment Report v1                                                       NCES REF: J000542
Lot 9 on RP225312 – 100 Cooyar Street, Noosa Heads




                                                EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

North Coast Environmental Services have been commissioned to prepare an Ecological Assessment
Report for Lot 9 on RP225312 located at 100 Cooyar Street, Noosa Heads, QLD (herein referred to
as ‘the site’). The report was requested to identify the environmental values of the site and to
determine the suitability of a Material Change of Use (Aged Care Facility Renovations) development
application to be submitted to Noosa Shire Council. The outcomes of the environmental
investigations identified the following:
        The site supports local, State and Commonwealth level biodiversity values.
        The site is mapped within the Noosa Plan 2020 as being situated in the Community Facilities
         Zone and is affected by the Area of Biodiversity Significance, MSES Environmental Values,
         and Riparian Buffer Area Biodiversity Code overlays.
        Three dominant vegetation communities were identified within and adjacent to the site:
             o    Vegetation Community 1 (VC 1) – Paperbark open forest with shrubby understorey;
             o    Vegetation Community 3 (VC 3) – Banksia woodland with mixed understorey; and
             o    Vegetation Community 2 (VC 2) – Modified areas with low density of mature trees.
        The development proposal avoids impacts to the identified Ecologically Important Areas
         onsite. The clearing of a small number of she-oaks within VC3 may be required to
         accommodate the proposed extension which could currently be cleared under exempted
         development fire break management provisions listed in the Planning Regulation 2017.
The application has been assessed against several assessment frameworks and determined to be
compliant as follows:
        Noosa Plan 2020, Code 8.2.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands – Compliant.
        Vegetation Management Act 1999 and the associated State Code 16 Native Vegetation
         Clearing – No further assessment is required.
        State Code 25 Development in South East Queensland koala habitat areas – No further
         assessment is required.
        Nature Conservation Act 1992 – Compliant provided the provision of;
             o     a suitably qualified and experienced fauna spotter/catcher is present during all
                  vegetation clearing onsite
The following recommendations are set to reduce the environmental impact of the proposal and to
secure DA approval:
        Appropriate erosion and sediment control works are conducted to mitigate the impact to the
         adjacent offsite waterway and wetland during construction;
        If required a Fauna Management Plan can be prepared for the future OPW application to
         manage the risk of impact to terrestrial fauna during civil works. The FMP includes a
         requirement for a suitably qualified and experienced fauna spotter catcher to be engaged to
         supervise vegetation clearing onsite;
        All future landscaping and revegetation work consists of suitable local native species drawn
         from local Regional Ecosystems.




© 2022                                                ii