SARA - Pre-lodgement advice

                                                                                                 2203-27779 SPL



            priorities/fisheries/habitats/fisheries-development/accepted-development) or under a
            development approval (assessable development).

            Operational works that impact upon marine plants, including but not limited to slashing
            and/or mowing for residential development cannot comply with any of the prescribed work
            types under the ADR.

            If a development approval is required for assessable development that is the removal,
            destruction or damage of marine plants, the following will need to be provided in an
            application:
             completed copy of DA form 1 (https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/planning-
                 framework/development-assessment/development-assessment-process/forms-and-
                 templates)
             a full response to the relevant sections of State code 11
                 (https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/state-assessment-
                 and-referral-agency/state-development-assessment-provisions-sdap). Particular
                 attention should be paid to the following POs:
                     o    all development – impacts to marine plants – PO1 to PO3
                     o    all development in general – PO4 to PO15
                relevant plans as per SARA’s DA Forms guide: Relevant plans, including:
                         the total amount of marine plants that will be disturbed, identifying portion of
                          permanent and/or temporary disturbance (in square meters or hectares)
                         the location of the marine plants to be disturbed in relation to the development
                          works
                         the level of HAT, mean high water spring tide, and low water spring tide
                         location and extent of fish habitat within the development area, including
                          creeks, sand and/or yabby banks, drainage lines, lagoons and marshes.
                     Note: All plans should be able to be read to scale at A3 size.

            Please note that it is unlikely that a proposal to mow or slash marine plants or locate
            buildings over marine plants or on tidal land will comply with the State code 11.

            Response to State code 11
             In accordance with PO1, the application must demonstrate that the design, construction
               and maintenance of the development does not result in adverse impacts to marine
               plants and fish habitat. An application should include a vegetation survey that identifies
               the location of all marine plants on site.
                In accordance with PO2 and PO3, SARA maintains an ‘avoid, minimise/mitigate, offset’
                 requirement that applies to all matters of State environmental significance (MSES).
                 Marine plants are an MSES under the Environment Offsets Act 2014. All applications
                 impacting MSES must comply with the ‘avoid, minimise/mitigate, offset’ framework.
                 Details will need to be provided on how impacts to marine plants are avoided, and
                 where avoidance is not reasonably possible, it must be demonstrated that impacts have
                 been minimised and mitigated.
                 Notwithstanding any measures to avoid or minimise/mitigate impacts to marine plants,
                 the works may still result in a significant residual impact (SRI),and may require an
                 environmental offset. Offsets will not be considered until it has been demonstrated that
                 all reasonable measures to firstly avoid and/or mitigate impacts to marine plants have
                 been taken (refer to Queensland Environmental Offset Policy


State Assessment and Referral Agency                                                                Page 3 of 5