Approved Plan - RAL21/0017

  Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba (urban extent).

  Section 7.2 identifies if your property is in a koala priority area.

  6.1.4 Identified koala broad-hectare areas
  There are seven identified koala broad-hectare areas in SEQ. These are areas of koala habitat that are located in areas
  committed to meet development targets in the SEQ Regional Plan to accommodate SEQ's growing population including
  bring-forward Greenfield sites under the Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy and declared master planned areas
  under the repealed Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and the repealed Integrated Planning Act 1997.

  Specific assessment benchmarks apply to development applications for development proposed in identified koala
  broad-hectare areas to ensure koala conservation measures are incorporated into the proposed development.

  Section 7.2 identifies if your property is in an identified koala broad-hectare area.


  6.2 Koala habitat planning controls
  On 7 February 2020, the Queensland Government introduced new planning controls to the Planning Regulation 2017 to
  strengthen the protection of koala habitat in South East Queensland (i.e. koala district A).

  More information on these planning controls can be found here:
  https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/mapping/legislation-policy.

  As a high-level summary, the koala habitat planning controls make:
         • development that involves interfering with koala habitat (defined below) in an area that is both a koala priority area
         and a koala habitat area, prohibited development (i.e. development for which a development application cannot be
         made);
         • development that involves interfering with koala habitat (defined below) in an area that is a koala habitat area but is
         not a koala priority area, assessable development (i.e. development for which development approval is required); and
         • development that is for extractive industries where the development involves interfering with koala habitat (defined
         below) in an area that is both a koala habitat area and a key resource area, assessable development (i.e. development
         for which development approval is required).


  Interfering with koala habitat means:
         1) Removing, cutting down, ringbarking, pushing over, poisoning or destroying in anyway, including by burning,
         flooding or draining native vegetation in a koala habitat area; but
         2) Does not include destroying standing vegetation stock or lopping a tree.


  However, these planning controls do not apply if the development is exempted development as defined in Schedule 24 of the
  Planning Regulation 2017. More information on exempted development can be found here:
  https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/mapping/legislation-policy.

  There are also assessment benchmarks that apply to development applications for:
  - building works, operational works, material change of use or reconfiguration of a lot where:
          • the local government planning scheme makes the development assessable;
          • the premises includes an area that is both a koala priority area and a koala habitat area; and
          • the development does not involve interfering with koala habitat (defined above); and

  - development in identified koala broad-hectare areas.

  The Guideline - Assessment Benchmarks in relation to Koala Habitat in South East Queensland assessment benchmarks
  outlines these assessment benchmarks, the intent of these assessment benchmarks and advice on how proposed
  development may meet these assessment benchmarks.




Document Set ID: 21583439
  Vegetation
Version:         management
         1, Version               report, Department of Resources, 2021
                    Date: 11/08/2021                                                                                Page 22