5668Ecological Impact Report

Ecological Impact Report v1                                                                 NCES REF: J001116
Lot 3 on RP179954 & Lot 2 on RP175675 – 40 & 56 Donnellys Road, Ridgewood QLD


4.0 SITE ASSESSMENT

4.1 Flora
The ecological assessment comprised an inspection of the values present about the existing
boundary and proposed new boundary alignments. Figure VC01 outlines the vegetation
communities observed. The area was generally observed to host native and exotic plantations with
scattered mature native trees and weed dominated areas.
Vegetation Community 1 (VC1) exhibited a native species hardwood plantation containing mature
Eucalyptus microcorys (tallowwood) and Eucalyptus cloeziana (Gympie messmate) planted in rows
over a mown grass understorey (refer Plate 6). Given its planted growth form (i.e., planted rows) and
comprehensive lack of midstorey and understorey (i.e., mown grass), VC1 is not considered
representative of a natural bushland unit. The planted rows within VC1 were setback 5m from the
existing boundary alignment and from the top of bank of the driveway cutting.




                Plate 6 – VC1 – Native species hardwood plantation with mown grass understorey

Vegetation Community 2 (VC2) included exotic vegetation of varying compositions across the
assessment area. Given their exotic species dominance, none of the units of VC2 were considered
to represent native bushland units.
VC2a exhibited a slash pine plantation with weed dominated understorey containing mature Pinus
elliotii (slash pine) over a Lantana camara (lantana) dominated understorey (refer Plate 7). Other
weed species present in the understorey included Macroptilium atropurpureum (siratro), Senna
pendula var. glabrata (easter cassia), Bidens pilosa (cobblers pegs) and Solanum mauritianum
(tobacco bush). It should be noted that other species of Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum),
Corymbia tessellaris (Moreton bay ash), and Celtis sinensis (Chinese elm) were also present but in
very low densities (i.e., generally >40m apart).




                          Plate 7 – VC2a – Slash pine plantation with lantana understorey

VC2b exhibited an exotic dominated bushland patch with low densities of native species present
(refer Plate 8). Celtis sinensis (Chinese elm) dominated the canopy with scattered Pinus elliotii (slash

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