2018-07-10 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                        10 JULY 2018


The overall design of the development is consistent with the desired built form for the area with
small buildings scattered across the site. The approval also provides for dedication of land at the
rear of the site which is to the community’s benefit.
With regard to infrastructure charges it is noted that as part of Appeal 96/2012 in relation to the
extension of the relevant period, that infrastructure contributions for the ‘missing’ networks of
stormwater were imposed.”
Assessment
South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009 – 2031 (SEQRP)
In accordance with the South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) the subject site is
identified as being within the Urban Footprint.
The SEQRP recognises that….
      The Urban Footprint identifies land that can meet the region’s urban development needs to
      2031 in a more compact form….
      The Urban Footprint does not imply that all included land can be developed for urban
      purposes. For example, national parks and state forests will continue to be protected and
      managed under state legislation such as the Nature Conservation Act 1994 and the
      Forestry Act 1959, and remnant vegetation will continue to be protected under the
      Vegetation Management Act 1999.
      Land in the Urban Footprint may be unsuitable for urban development for other reasons,
      including constraints such as flooding, land slope, scenic amenity, and the need to protect
      significant biodiversity values.
The proposed development provides for urban development which is consistent with the intent of
SEQRP. However, the site contains significant environmental values. The site is currently
vegetated and the development will result in significant vegetation removal. Up to date reports
assessing flora and fauna have not been submitted with the current application. There is justified
concern that the application will impact on significant vegetation and fauna habitat which form
important parts of the Noosa biodiversity network. The ecological issues are discussed in more
detail later in this report.
The impact of the development on koala habitat was assessed as part of the initial application in
accordance with the requirements of the Nature Conservation: Koala Conservation and
Management Plan 2006-2016 (the Management Plan). Accordingly, conditions were included
relating to koala friendly fencing, rehabilitation of areas with koala habitat trees, the presence of a
spotter and sequential clearing. These conditions were included to ensure that the development
complied with the requirements of the Management Plan.
The South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Planning Provisions
(Koala SPRP) (November 2015) applied to the site at the time the extension to the relevant
period was lodged with Council. Accordingly, Division 7 applies which requires assessment of an
application in a Koala Assessable Development Area in which a total cleared area or
development footprint will exceed 500m2.
The main two assessment criteria under Koala SPRP relate to the provision of offsets where
clearing mapped koala bushland habitat. To the extent the premises is inside the Urban
Footprint, site design must avoid clearing non-juvenile koala habitat trees in areas of bushland
habitat, with any unavoidable clearing minimised and significant residual impacts
counterbalanced under the Environmental Offsets Act 2014. Site design must also avoid clearing
non-juvenile koala habitat trees in areas of high value rehabilitation habitat, and medium value
rehabilitation habitat, with any unavoidable clearing minimised and significant residual impacts
counterbalanced under the Environmental Offsets Act 2014. The regulated mapping obtained in
February 2016 shows the site within an urban area and within the Koala Assessable
Development Area, however the site is not mapped as bushland or rehabilitation habitat and, as
such, no offsets were applicable under the Environmental Offsets Act 2014.

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