2014-10-20 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                              20 OCTOBER 2014



REPORTS DIRECT TO GENERAL COMMITTEE


1       REQUEST TO CHANGE A CONDITION OF EXISTING APPROVAL FOR A MATERIAL
        CHANGE OF USE AND RECONFIGURING A LOT FOR 174 DETACHED HOUSING
        LOTS AT GREENWOOD GROVE, GARNET ST COOROY         -132004.240018.A -
        FURTHER REPORT

i   Author       Senior Development Planner, Denis Wallace
                 Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index            ECM / Application / 132004.240018.A     in for matio n




Attachments      Nil.


FURTHER REPORT
A report regarding a request to change existing approval 132004.240018 was included as Item 2,
page 6, of the Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda dated 14 October 2014. The item was
referred to the General Committee, with a further report requested addressing issues associated
with the clearing of debris from Cooroy Creek and additional modelling of extreme flood events. A
request has been made to the applicant for additional modelling and it will be provided to
Councillors if submitted.

The recommendation from the applicant’s engineers included on page 13 of the previous report
stated: “it is recommended that Noosa Council undertake on-going inspection of these culverts
and periodic clearing of potential debris upstream to minimise the likelihood of this high level of
blockage”. Feedback on the issue of clearing debris from the creek has been obtained from
Council’s Manager Civil Operations, Senior Ecologist and consulting hydrologist, 02
Environmental.

The advice is Council can undertake debris removal from creeks where associated with a risk to
its infrastructure but such works may require environmental approvals and/or management plans,
depending on the scope. Council generally does not carry out such works due to the fact that
woody debris has an important function in creek systems, in particular in providing habitat.
Cooroy Creek has the potential to support rare and threatened aquatic species, including Mary
River Cod, Mary River Turtle and the Queensland Lungfish. Council has also been actively
revegetating the creek’s riparian areas over a number of years in an effort to improve its
environmental values.

It is particularly undesirable for Council to remove in-stream logs that currently provide aquatic
habitat, however, removal of above-creek situated debris (such as that caught up in trees or
sitting above the watercourse) may be of less concern. If Council were to undertake debris
removal, an environmental officer would be required to oversee the work to ensure it is sensitive
to habitat values and is appropriately carried out.

It is understood that in 2013 the Sunshine Coast Regional Council had provided an undertaking
to remove some debris from Cooroy Creek at the repeated requests of neighbouring residents. A
Sunshine Coast Council crew attended the site to begin the work but it did not progress due to
rain. Following de-amalgamation, further inspections have determined that the need to remove
this debris is not desirable for habitat purposes and that removal would not have a significant
effect on flooding events.



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