Attachment 3 - Landscape Responses

Issue 5
Condition 18 (MCU18/0028.01) details that the landscaping works must be undertaken in accordance
with Planning Scheme Policy PSP 3 – Landscaping Plants and Guidelines. Plantspecies included
within the submitted LP1 Planting Plan - Ground Floor and LP2 Planting Plan
– First Floor do not meet the preferred plant species listed in PSP 3 with some also not beingAustralian
natives for example; Licuala grandis, Plumeria obtuse, Chamaedorea cataractarum, Heliconia stricta
'Jamaican Dwarf' etc.
Response
BLD Issue B Planting Plan nominates 460 plants to be installed. Of those, 412 (89%) are natives. The
Noosa Plan 2020 9.4.5 Landscaping Code Species Selection Performance Outcome 10 does not
quantify overall percentages of natives or ornamental plant species to be used in a landscape design.

Acceptable Outcome 10.2(a) allows less than 25% exotics can be used around pools. The re-
designed Issue B plan has 23% exotics (non-native ornamentals plants) around Unit 1’s pool and 11%
around Unit 2’s pool.

PSP03 has relevance predominately to natural areas such as undeveloped open space and
revegetation, where nominated plants will thrive and have an excellent opportunity to self-seed and
replicate, and is not necessarily always practical in an urban context such as our site. PSP3.5.
mentions ‘Preferred Plant Species’ and PSP3.5.1 states “Essentially, other species may be utilised in
landscape plans however evidence that they are of local origin should be provided.” – Refer to BLD
Issue B, Sheet LD2 Plant Schedule for notes regarding which nominated plants are native. The
majority of the tree and shrub selections are from PSP03 plus others from the Queensland
Governments Vegetation Management Pre-clear mapping Regional Ecosystems 12.3.4 and 12.3.5
Plant Lists.

Our site has many tight, constrained and high-profile spaces. Plants selected for our design were
selected for their longevity, proven performance, visual impact (i.e. pool areas) plus their ability scale
their respective spaces. Many of the shrubs and groundcovers nominated in PSP03 are not long-
lived, nor appropriate for planting proximity to pools due to litter drop and stamen drop which can clog
pool filters. Plants were also selected to integrate with selected PSP03 plants to form a cohesive and
integrated design outcome with rich and layered planting, varying flower types, leaf textures and
sizes.

All non-native plants are contained within the private open spaces of the units. Gardens along the
road frontage, visible to the public, contain all native plants. There are no designated undesirable
plant species nominated on the plans.

Issue 7
Condition 18a (MCU18/0028.01) requires trees to be included which grow to a minimum heightof 6m at
maturity and provided at 3m centres and minimum 200mm pot size. The MCU approved plans
(Drawing number 01 TP02 – approved 28/09/2018) identifies more trees than what is proposed in the
submitted landscape plans. In addition the height of these trees do not meet the required 6m at
maturity.
Information Required
  7. Amend the submitted landscape plans to include additional trees as detailed on the MCU
     approved plans (Drawing number 01 TP02 – approved 28/09/2018) that grow to a minimum of
     6m at maturity. As detailed above (Information Request #3) some of the identified trees are
     non-natives and do not meet the Noosa Plan 2020 requirements therefore review the species
     and substitute.
Response
The MCU Condition of planting trees at 3m centres is not practical nor best practice. Along the site’s
eastern and western boundaries there are proposed stormwater pipes which we cannot plant trees
within 1m of and the majority of the garden beds are 1m or less in width – to narrow for trees. There is
also an existing sewer line running through the site, east to west in the rear of the site (as nominated
on our plans). Unity Water does not allow trees to be planted within 1.5m of sewers and trees need to


   211027      9   Ann   St   BLD   Information        Request      Response            P a g e 2|3