2021-12-07 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda - Updated

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   7 DECEMBER 2021


The proposed layout provides for lots which are less than the 1000m2 minimum required by the
planning scheme however the size of the lots are generally consistent with the prevailing lot size
on Lake Weyba Drive and to the eastern side of Sail Street.
However, there are a number of significant issues which arise from the site being prone to flooding
and bushfire.
Bushfire
The subject site is located within a Bushfire Hazard Area with the western portion included in a
‘High Potential Bushfire Intensity’ and a majority of the lot to the east mapped as ‘Potential Impact
Buffer’. An Impact Buffer typically includes all land within a 100m radius of any hazardous
vegetation.
The Natural Hazard Overlay Code does not support the creation of additional lots on land which is
subject to fire hazard and where the safety of people and property cannot be suitably maintained.
The applicant has submitted a Bushfire Hazard Assessment (BHA) to determine the bushfire risk
for each proposed lot. The report includes:
      Hazardous vegetation is located to the north and west of the site. The dominant fire weather
      winds across South-East Queensland are typically derived from the north/north-west to
      west/south-west hence the fire runs from the north and west are positioned in a high-risk
      position relative to the lots. The ‘likelihood’ for the probability of the assessed bushfire attack
      mechanisms impacting the development footprint is therefore deemed to be ‘likely’ should a
      fire occur in the adjacent bushland.
      …….. Lots 5 and 9-12 are exposed to a range of bushfire attack mechanism risks. The most
      severe risk is attributed to the risk of ember attack from the north and west with the balance
      attack mechanisms subdued by the existing and proposed extent of separation to the
      adjacent VHC 22.1 hazard.
The report also identifies that lots 4 and 6 are also subject to a risk of ember attack from the north.
To mitigate the risk presented by bushfire the BHA seeks to employ 15-metre-wide Asset
Protection Zones (APZ’s) in the west of Lots 9-12. An additional 20m wide low threat firebreak is
proposed to the rear of the APZ’s on Lots 9-12 within lot 12 which offers further separation to
mitigate radiant heat impacts.
The AHZ also states:
      ….approximately 6.5m of land is proposed to separate the northern limit of the Lot 5 and the
      Lot 12 building envelope to the northern site boundary, followed by the NP firebreak trail
      which measures approximately 20m fully cleared width.
      …..The provision of fire breaks and fire trails within a site located in a bushfire prone area
      offers an important bushfire defence measure to assist in reducing the risk and severity of
      bushfire ingress onto and through a site. A significant risk of fire impact has been identified
      from the west and north of the site. An approximate 20m wide cleared National Park fire
      break flanks the northern and western perimeters of the site.
      NCES (author of the AHZ) have liaised with Mr Aaron Jenson – Ranger in Charge of the
      adjacent NP whom has confirmed NPWS regularly maintains the adjacent firebreak and
      therefore this fire break can be relied upon to serve as a component of the APZ’s for the
      development site.
      Given the location of the fire break within the adjacent NP the trail is deemed to be a
      permanent and reliable fire break which will separate the development from the NP VHC
      22.1 hazard for the life of the development.
An information request was issued regarding the on-going use and maintenance of QPWS&P fire
line to provide an asset protection zone of lots 12, 4 and 5. QPWS has provided the following
information:


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