Response to Information Request 23 November 2023

Comment:
Native Foresters has determined that the MNES listed Coastal Swamp Sclerophyll Forest of NSW and SEQ is
not present onsite. Further, has determined that the site is not providing breeding or foraging habitat for the
MSES listed Glossy Black Cockatoo for the following reasons:

   •   There are no hollow bearing trees or trees showing early stages of hollow formation were observed
       in the survey area that would provide suitable breeding habitat for Glossy Black Cockatoo.

    • There are no Glossy Black Cockatoo food trees of the Casuarina or Allocasuarina spp present onsite.
(refer Attachment 4A & 4C).

10. Provide further information that demonstrates that the applicant has considered alternative sites or design
    options to protect the ecologically important area (EIA).

Comment:
It is evident from the ecological assessments undertaken that the subject land is the preferrable location
being bounded by the existing facility on three (3) sides. The ecological assessment has revealed that the
development is suffering from edge effects, because of the location.

Other parts of the site have been considered however remain contiguous with the remaining land to the
northeast in Lot 77. There is no other land that is available that would be suitable for an expanded RRA, given
the existing infrastructure that is already in place. Put simply, other design options on any other land
surrounding the existing facility would result in a greater amount of ecological impact.

11. Demonstrate how the proposal will result in no long-term net loss of EIA (i.e. offset) and how adjacent EIA
    will be protected from development impact.

Comment:
The applicant is proposing to provide an environmental offset comprising about 1.8ha of land towards the
south and east as shown on the Proposed Offset Planting Plan (refer Attachment 1). While the State
Assessment Referral Agency (SARA) has not provided a referral agency response at this stage, a response was
previously provided on 18 May 2013 for the same development. This required an environmental offset to
counterbalance the removal of 0.67 ha of remanent vegetation intersecting with a wetland. The offset being
provided by the applicant is nearly three (3) times that required by SARA.

Native Foresters has advised that the proposed environmental offset will provide for the … establishment of
a total rehabilitation area of 1.8ha to mitigate the combined impacts to Koala Habitat and Endangered RE
12.5.3, which is designed to include the following:

   •   Provision of a dedicated Koala Tree Offset planting for Lot 77 which will provide an area of 1.8ha located
       within the Landfill Facility to offset the 1.02ha of land to be cleared. The rehabilitation area is to be
       designed to improve and or create vegetated Koala movement corridors and provide for the 3:1 offset of
       koala trees where 3 trees are planted for each 1 cleared.

   •   Within the Koala rehabilitation works a minimum of 0.21ha of designated revegetation aimed to achieve
       RE 12.5.3 - Eucalyptus racemosa subsp. racemosa woodland on remnant Tertiary surfaces (DES, 2022),
       to mitigate the impacts to Endangered RE.
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