RFI - Attachment 4C - MSES-MNES Assessment - Noosa Landfill RRC- Revision 3

                                                                             Native Foresters



5.2.3 Criteria – Animals - Protected wildlife habitat (habitat for an animal that is
‘endangered’ or ‘vulnerable’ wildlife or a special least concern animal)
Section 5 of the SRI Guidelines (DEHP, 2014) states that a significant residual impact on
protected wildlife habitat is any prescribed activity that will:

         (a) lead to a long-term decrease in the size of a local population.
         (b) reduce the extent of occurrence of the species.
         (c) fragment an existing population.
         (d) avoid genetically distinct populations forming as a result of habitat isolation.
         (e) result in invasive species that are harmful to an endangered or vulnerable species
         becoming established in the endangered or vulnerable species’ habitat.
         (f) introduce disease that may cause the population to decline,
         (g) interfere with the recovery of the species, OR
         (h) cause disruption to ecologically significant locations (breeding, feeding, nesting,
         migration, or resting sites) of a species.

It is considered unlikely that the prescribed activity will have an SRI on Protected Wildlife
Habitat for Wallum froglet (Crinia tinnula), Wallum rocketfrog (Litoria freycineti) and Swamp
crayfish (Tenuibranchiurus glypticus) within the Noosa Landfill Expansion area for the
following reasons:

    •    Clearing 1.02ha ha of mapped protected wildlife habitat area within Lot 77 SP298776
         is not likely to be assessed as significant as it does not exceed the SRI criteria
         threshold specified in 3.1.1 of the Significant Residual Impact Guideline (DSDIP,
         2014). (Refer to Table 4 above – Essential Habitat). Although clearing is greater than
         0.5ha of vegetation with dense structure category, the clearing does not result in a
         greater than 10% permanent reduction in the extent of EH mapped within Lot 77.
    •    An Impact Management Plan has been prepared for the works and requires approval
         from DES prior to works to ensure impacts to Wallum froglet, Wallum rocketfrog, and
         Swamp crayfish are managed. The mitigation measures proposed in the Impact
         Management Plan (IMP) for Wallum froglet, Wallum rocketfrog, and Swamp crayfish
         developed for the site have been designed to avoid disruption to breeding habitat;
         protect retained Essential Habitat and avoid invasive species becoming established.
    •    Whilst there will be a loss of Essential Habitat (EH) and breeding habitat, and
         consequently a reduction in extent of occurrence of the species, the magnitude of
         impact is not considered significant considering the:
             o degraded condition of the remnant vegetation to be cleared in the impact area,
                 that constitutes EH for the species,
             o limited areas which are suitable for water holding for long periods needed for
                 tadpole development, and
             o the low density population.
    •    The breeding habitat identified during ecological surveys that is the subject of the
         Species Management Program (SMP), occurs in a partially disturbed area, within
         drainage lines which contain some weed species and litter and is not considered high
         quality habitat. The area is heavily impacted by noise, litter, dust, vapours, sediment
         and nutrient runoff and weeds from the adjacent landfill and Resource Recovery




Noosa Landfill & RRC Expansion – MNES & MSES Significant Impact Assessment                      24