Approved Reference Documents - 132001.210127.3

Bushfire Hazard Assessment & Management Plan v2 NCES REF: J000542
Lot 9 on RP225312 — 100 Cooyar Street, Noosa Heads

 

Woodland

Woodland ral

 

Plate 4 —- Dominant forest fire runs (Source: QLD Globe)

2.5 Past Fire History

Several prominent bushfires have occurred in the northern Sunshine Coast and Noosa region in
recent years. Successive extremely hot summers in the latter half of the 2010-2020 decade resulted
in severe fire events within the paperbark wetlands and heathlands on the eastern foreshore of Lake
Weyba, in the Peregian section of the Noosa National Park to the south of Noosa Springs as well at
Cooroibah. Smaller fires also occurred in the Girraween Nature Refuge immediately flanking the site
to the north-east and in a small urban bushland park to the north-west (presumedly an act of arson).

The severity and frequency of these events was largely unprecedented on the Sunshine Coast and
resulted in mass evacuations of local communities. These fires have temporarily reduced local fuel
loads whilst promoting fire prone vegetation regeneration. Post fire fuel loads can attain pre fire
volumes within +/- <5 years as a result of low decomposition rates and rapid regrowth following fire.
Therefore, the occurrence of a recent fire should not be misinterpreted to facilitate reduced fire risk
for any more than 2-3 years, particularly for heathland and paperbark communities. Three
successive La Nina wet seasons have followed the fires resulting in low fire risk conditions. The wet
seasons have exacerbated the recovery of fuel loads in the fire affected bushland noting many of
the affected heathland areas appear to have reattained significant fuel loads already.

 

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