Att 4. Ecological Assessment Report - 555 Louis Bazzo Drive.pdf

Please note that koala priority areas only exist in koala district A which is the South East Queensland "Shaping SEQ"
Regional Plan area. These areas include the local government areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Lockyer Valley,
Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba (urban extent).

Section 7.2 identifies if your property is in a koala priority area.

6.1.4 Identified koala broad-hectare areas
There are seven identified koala broad-hectare areas in SEQ. These are areas of koala habitat that are located in areas
committed to meet development targets in the SEQ Regional Plan to accommodate SEQ's growing population including
bring-forward Greenfield sites under the Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy and declared master planned areas
under the repealed Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and the repealed Integrated Planning Act 1997.

Specific assessment benchmarks apply to development applications for development proposed in identified koala broad-
hectare areas to ensure koala conservation measures are incorporated into the proposed development.

Section 7.2 identifies if your property is in an identified koala broad-hectare area.


6.2 Koala habitat planning controls
On 7 February 2020, the Queensland Government introduced new planning controls to the Planning Regulation 2017 to
strengthen the protection of koala habitat in South East Queensland (i.e. koala district A).

More information on these planning controls can be found here:
https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/mapping/legislation-policy.

As a high-level summary, the koala habitat planning controls make:

     • development that involves interfering with koala habitat (defined below) in an area that is both a koala priority
       area and a koala habitat area, prohibited development (i.e. development for which a development application
       cannot be made);
     • development that involves interfering with koala habitat (defined below) in an area that is a koala habitat area but
       is not a koala priority area, assessable development (i.e. development for which development approval is
       required); and
     • development that is for extractive industries where the development involves interfering with koala habitat
       (defined below) in an area that is both a koala habitat area and a key resource area, assessable development
       (i.e. development for which development approval is required).

Interfering with koala habitat means:

    1. Removing, cutting down, ringbarking, pushing over, poisoning or destroying in anyway, including by burning,
       flooding or draining native vegetation in a koala habitat area; but
    2. Does not include destroying standing vegetation stock or lopping a tree.

However, these planning controls do not apply if the development is exempted development as defined in Schedule 24
of the Planning Regulation 2017. More information on exempted development can be found here:
https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/mapping/legislation-policy.

There are also assessment benchmarks that apply to development applications for:

- building works, operational works, material change of use or reconfiguration of a lot where:

     • the local government planning scheme makes the development assessable;
     • the premises includes an area that is both a koala priority area and a koala habitat area; and
     • the development does not involve interfering with koala habitat (defined above); and

- development in identified koala broad-hectare areas.

The Guideline - Assessment Benchmarks in relation to Koala Habitat in South East Queensland assessment
benchmarks outlines these assessment benchmarks, the intent of these assessment benchmarks and advice on how
proposed development may meet these assessment benchmarks.




Vegetation management report, Department of Resources, 2024                                                           Page 24