Appendix F - Koala Assessment · REC15/0011

                                                                                     Koala Habitat Assessment
                                                                                        1 George St, Tewantin




1.0      Introduction
1.1      Background

RPS Australia East Pty Ltd (RPS) was commissioned to undertake a Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
assessment at 1 George St Tewantin, QLD (Lot 1 on RP220516). This assessment is required for the
purpose of Reconfiguring a Lot, as outlined in pre-lodgement advice provided by Noosa Council on 1 July
2014.

1.2      Site Description

The site covers an area of approximately 3.5 ha, and is bounded by George Street and urban development
to the north, rural residential development to the east and south, and Wooroi Creek reserve to the west. A
small tributary of Wooroi Creek runs west to east through the centre of the site (Figure 1).

There is an existing house located in the northern portion of the site that is surrounded by a cleared, non-
remnant area. Although much of the central portion of the site is remnant, it is heavily disturbed with the
ground-storey and mid-storey vegetation completely cleared and a high level of weed invasion. Vegetation in
the southern portion of the site, including the waterway and area south of the waterway, is remnant and
intact.

The site is located in the Noosa Local Government Area. The area immediately surrounding the house is
zoned as Detached Housing, while the remainder of the site is zoned as Rural Settlement.

1.3      Scope of Works

The aim of this assessment is to identify the value of the site for supporting Koalas. In particular, this
assessment focuses on the northern portion of the site (i.e. ‘assessment area’) as this is the area proposed
for development (Figure 1). The specific scope of works included the following:
 Provide a description of vegetation occurring within the assessment area;
 Identify the value of this vegetation for supporting Koalas; and
 Identify evidence for Koala occurrence.

1.4      Project Limitations

This report provides a brief overview of the likely value of the assessment area for supporting Koalas. The
level of detail is not sufficient for providing detailed population information, such as detailed estimates of
Koala population size or information on population structure. This report also does not provide an
assessment of the legal requirements (i.e. under Commonwealth or State legislation) of clearing Koala
habitat, nor does it provide an impact assessment.




PR122205-2; Rev A / August 2014                                                                        Page 1