SARA RFI - Ecological Assessment Report

Ecological Assessment Report
3 - 7 Serenity Close, Noosa Heads

   ● Vegetation removal to be undertaken by suitably qualified contractors;
   ● Vegetation clearing is staged or takes place sequentially, allowing animals to move
       to adjoining habitats;
   ● Any tree pruning or maintenance works is carried out by a qualified arborist in
       accordance with AS 4373 2007 Pruning of amenity trees;
   ● All cleared native vegetation is mulched on site and recycled for use in landscape
       treatments;
   ● Mulch stockpiles are to be located in existing cleared areas, outside of tree
       protection zones and at least 40 m from waterway / wetland areas;
   ● Mulch stockpiles are subject to erosion / sediment control measures in accordance
       with Council design standards;
   ● Exotic vegetation mulch is to be disposed of as green waste at landfill;
   ● Undertake weed removal via non-invasive methods in accordance with best practice;
       and,
   ● Control / prevent public and construction personnel access into areas of retained
       vegetation.

All vegetation clearing and ongoing vegetation management must meet all approval
conditions. This includes compliance with the VMP which includes management practices
and mitigation strategies which aim to reduce impacts on native vegetation present on
the site. Additional tree survey was conducted in 2023 along the six (6) metre setback of
the site along Serenity Close.

Consequential changes to the current VMP, to give effect to the latest plans, can be
conditioned as part of a development permit and submitted as part of a subsequent
operational works application to Council. Additionally, a tree sensitive construction
methodology should be prepared for works within the tree protection zone (TPZ) of Tree
79 (refer to the VMP), which may include, vacuum excavation of any excavated areas,
relocation of footings to avoid structural roots and/or the use of structural soils within the
TPZ. The latter can be conditioned as part of a development permit and submitted as part
of a subsequent operational works application to Council.

In addition, it is recommended that replacement planting should be carried out on the
balance land to replace dead or dying trees that were previously identified for retention
on the approved plan L-SD-1.01 (DBI Design Pty Ltd, Rev. A, August 2009; Appendix 1).
Replacement planting should be located within areas of retained vegetation and will
include like for like replacement of species identified on the approved plan. The latter can
be conditioned as part of a development permit and submitted as part of a subsequent
operational works application to Council.

A Translocation Plan should be prepared for Cymbidium suave, which includes procedures
for identification, demarcation and salvaging of the orchid and/or its host plant. The
orchid has a rhizome and root system which penetrates the decaying heartwood of its
host tree, therefore, the host tree or as much of the trunk as possible must be retained
(Jones, Hopley et al. 2010). The following measures should be included in the
Translocation Plan:




                                                                                         58 | 66