Attachment 7B - Fauna and Flora Assessment_NoosaLandfill_NorthernSection_Revision3

                                                                                 Native Foresters



Several Endangered Swamp crayfish (Tenuibranchiurus glypticus) were present in the ephemeral
ponds in the Melaleuca wetland. Swamp crayfish will reproduce, overwinter and /or avoid
desiccation within elaborate community burrows that extend to depths of more than one metre.
Further information on this species is provided in section 4.0.

No Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) or evidence of Koalas was found within the survey area.
However, a previous survey conducted at the Noosa Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre by
Native Foresters (2019) identified historical evidence of habitat utilisation within the surrounding
Eucalypt-dominated woodland ecosystems. There are also four WildNET records within the
surrounding one kilometre radius, suggesting the possibility of a local population. The survey site
and surrounding remnant bushland is within a locally refined Koala Habitat Area, and Koala food
and habitat trees e.g. Eucalyptus robusta and Melaleuca quinquenervia, are common across the
survey area. As such, it is considered likely that the area may be used by local Koala populations.
Koalas are listed as Vulnerable under the NC Act 1992 and the EPBC Act 1999.

3.4      Assessment of breeding places and fauna habitat quality

Generally, the natural vegetation within the survey area has been assessed as possessing
moderate habitat values, providing some breeding habitat as well as refuge, roosting habitat and
basking sites for native fauna.

The vegetated swamp contains many depressions that are seasonally inundated. These
depressions form ephemeral ponds which are exploited by a number of Least concern frog
species for breeding (e.g. Eastern sedge frog, Striped marsh frog, Graceful tree frog and Striped
rocket frog). The amphibian population was limited to the more common Least concern species
e.g., with the Vulnerable-listed Wallum frogs potentially being excluded from these disturbed
edges due to the dilution effect of stormwater on pH of surface waters and groundwaters; and
potential inter-species competition and/or predation.

The ephemeral ponds formed after rains are also exploited for surface activity, foraging and/or
potentially breeding by freshwater crayfish species (e.g. Endangered Swamp crayfish). The
breeding biology of Swamp crayfish however is poorly documented. Available data suggest that
breeding may occur at any time of year (Dawkins, 2015; E. Meyer, pers. comm.) and very little is
known about their breeding habitat requirements. Differentiating between areas of breeding and
non-breeding habitat is therefore impractical and, for the purposes of this assessment, areas of
occupied habitat are regarded as breeding places.

No hollow bearing trees or trees showing early stages of hollow formation were observed in the
survey area. Trees within the Melaleuca woodland exhibited an average DBH of 150mm with an
average height of 10-12m. No significant coarse woody debris (e.g. large hollow stumps and logs)
were observed within the survey area.

A small active burrow system and digs were observed within the fauna survey area, likely
belonging to Bandicoot (Perameles sp. or Isodon sp.), Bush rat (Rattus fuscipes), Swamp rat
(Rattus lutreolus) or Melomys sp as shown in Figure 8.

Table 4 provides an analysis of the potential presence of threatened species as listed in WildNET
and/or the EPBC Protected Matters Search Tool or based on the field habitat suitability
assessment that may occur within the area (i.e. one kilometre radius) and comments on the
likelihood of those species occurring in or around the survey site.



Noosa Landfill & RRC - Northern Section – Fauna and Flora Assessment – REV3              24