2015-08-18 Planning and Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                18 AUGUST 2015



5                        PROPOSED EXPENDITURE OF KOALA OFFSET CONTRIBUTION - SETTLERS
                         COVE
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                              Environment Officer, Conor Neville
                                    Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index                               ECM/Application/132008.176 (08/0176)

Attachments                         1.    Koala Offset Settlers Cove


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not Applicable

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Environment Officer to the Planning & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 18 August 2015 and;
A.                       Approve the planting and maintenance of 300 koala habitat trees in the Girraween
                         Nature Refuge using the koala offset financial contribution paid by CBD Settlers Cove
                         Pty Ltd pursuant to Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in SEQ; and
B.                       Approve the remaining koala habitat offset contribution paid by CBD Settlers Cove Pty
                         Ltd to be expended in accordance with Option 1 as outlined in the report.



REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide information regarding the proposed expenditure of
the koala offset financial contribution paid by CBD Settlers Cove Pty Ltd to meet their
statutory obligations under the State government’s previous koala policy Offsets for Net Gain
of Koala Habitat in SEQ. The contribution was required to be paid as a condition of a
development approval for a resort development of 109 dwelling units and 90 accommodation
units at Settlers Cove. The development was approved by Sunshine Coast Regional
Council on 8 April 2010 with the relevant period subsequently extended in 2013 to April
2017. The condition requires a monetary contribution to be paid to offset the removal of 48
mature koala habitat trees which would be impacted by the approved development and was
imposed pursuant to the requirements of the Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in SEQ.
106. A monetary contribution of $44,160 ($920 x 48 trees) must be made to Council for the
     off-set of 48 koala habitat trees in accordance with the Policy for Offsets for New Gain
     of Koala Habitat in South East Queensland. The monetary contribution must be paid
     within 12 months of this approval taking effect pursuant to the Offsets for Net Gain of
     Koala Habitat in South East Queensland
The Offset for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in SEQ provided the option of paying $920 per
mature koala habitat tree required to be removed to facilitate the development as a koala
offset. This financial option includes the cost of acquiring land outside the urban footprint in
South East Queensland.

1.                       Koala Habitat Offset Site Investigations
The Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in SEQ policy net gain objective is said to be met if
an offset contributes the equivalent of five new koala habitat trees for every non-juvenile
koala habitat tree removed. The policy requires the offset to be provided in an area identified


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