MCU22/0118 – DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FOR A MATERIAL CHANGE OF USE – SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATION AT 94 & 142 NOOSA DR, NOOSA HEADS (Referred from Planning & Environment Committee dated 7 November 2023 - Item 5.1) · ATTACHMENT 1 – OFFICER’S REPORT

(f) provide for safe and appropriate koala
    movement across the landscape.

Assessment
The applicant has provided the following comments relating to development within mapped koala
habitat:
      Ecoteam has advised the design aims to protect and enhance koala habitat and avoid
      adverse impacts by retaining those features (trees and connectivity) crucial to koala habitat
      function, but also through a long-term approach to managing the habitat with weed
      management, replanting and replacement. Further, that strategically placed exclusion
      fencing to separate koalas from the risk of road trauma in combination with koala-
      permeable fencing to encourage movement of koalas in safer areas will meet the koala-
      sensitive fencing guideline.
      Ecoteam has considered the “do nothing” approach against the “limited development”
      approach for the site. It is advised the koala habitat is degrading, because of weed
      infestation and without intervention the prognosis is not good for many of the existing trees.
      The facility of the site for koalas is an important element of the linking vegetation along
      Noosa Drive, and the site forms a node of habitat that should be maintained and improved.
      The proposal seeks to enhance the habitat through weeding, tree replacement and infill
      planting with E. robusta warrants consideration in balancing some level of development
      (and tree removal) at the site.
      It is also advised that the design reflects input for developing a permeable and safe koala
      habitat amongst tourist facilities and has the potential to enhance koala habitat at the site
      in the long term, especially through the retention and enhancement of koala food resources
      at the site.
The Southeast Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy mapping administered by the
Department of Environment & Science (DES) identifies the site as containing Koala Habitat Area
(core). The proposal includes vegetation clearing, including the removal of koala food trees. The
application material indicates a total of 117 Koala Trees (food or habitat) have been confirmed
on the site, with the proposal requiring a total of 27 of the koala trees to be removed and another
6 possible removals, subject to arborist assessment. Therefore, a total of 33 koala trees may be
required to be removed to facilitate the development footprint. It must be noted however that the
true total vegetation loss cannot be known at this point due to the time it can take for disturbance
to large tree root systems (as a result of construction activities) to affect the tree, resulting in
damage and/or loss of the tree.
The application material has not addressed how developing within the middle of a core koala
habitat area will assist in the survival of koala populations in the area and/or mitigate potential
threats to koalas, including providing safe and appropriate koala movement across the
landscape. The submitted application material does not provide sufficient information to
demonstrate compliance with PO11, as the development requires the removal of koala habitat
and feed trees to achieve the development footprint, and as such does not maximise and
enhance connectivity between koala habitat trees, nor protect and enhance koalas and koala
habitat or avoid adverse impacts.
Although it is acknowledged that the proposal would result in rehabilitation works being carried
out on site, it is the responsibility of the property owner to carry out ongoing maintenance and
pest management on a regular basis to ensure the property does not become degraded. In
regard to the comments from the applicant that the ‘koala habitat is degrading, because of weed
infestation and without intervention the prognosis is not good for many of the existing trees’, it is
considered that the applicant is using the historical degradation of the site due to a lack of
maintenance by the property owner as justification to allow development of the ecologically
significant area to potentially reduce further degradation on site, rather than carrying out the
necessary maintenance on the site (regardless of any proposed development) to ensure existing
vegetation is salvaged and protected into the future.


It is also noted that Council requested the applicant to provide evidence that the proposal can
be constructed on site and operate whilst complying with the SARA conditions and covenant
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