Attachment H - Environmental Values Assesment

Ecological Assessment Report for Proposed Hinterland Adventure Playground – Noosa Shire Council
August 2109 by Noosa & District Landcare


Executive Summary
This report provides a description of the ecological survey undertaken for the Lower Mill Site,
Cooroy, Queensland in the Noosa Shire Council. The survey was conducted by Noosa & District
Landcare in August 2019.

The key findings of the ecological survey are summarized as:

Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES)

        No mapped remnant or regrowth Threatened Ecological Communities (TEC) as defined
         under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2000 (EPBC Act) were
         detected, however the rehabilitated vegetation at the site is considered to be consistent
         with recovering Regional Ecosystems 12.3.1, which is included within the ‘Lowlands
         Rainforest of Subtropical Australia’ TEC.
        No Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) listed threatened
         flora or fauna were detected.
        Two Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) were detected:
           - Asparagus aethiopicus cv. Sprengeri (Basket asparagus)
           - Lantana camara var. camara (Lantana)

Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES)

             No mapped remnants of ‘Endangered’ or ‘Of Concern’ Regional Ecosystems (RE) under
              the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA) were detected at the LMS.
              It should be noted however that directly upstream of the site is remnant RE 12.3.2
              (VMA – ‘Of Concern’) and directly downstream of the site is remnant 12.3.1 (VMA –
              ‘Endangered’).
             Portions of the Lower Mill Site is deemed as ‘Category R – Reef Regrowth Watercourse
              Vegetation’ under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA).
             One specimen was detected on site, Mallotus megadontus (Toothed Mallotus), which is
              listed as Vulnerable under Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA)
             The Cooroy Creek is listed as a ‘Major Water Course’ under the Water Act 2000
              assessment, and is part of the Upper Mary River Subcatchment.
             No lakes, springs or significant wetlands were detected.


The construction of viewing platforms on the Cooroy Creek involving the clearance of existing
vegetation and excavation of the creek bed, is only possible if an exemption is granted under
schedule 21 of the Planning Regulation 2017 or through an Accepted Development Vegetation
Clearing Code (ADVCC) under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and the Planning Act 2016. The
reserve tenure and freehold tenure have different requirements for exemptions to be granted and
are outlined in the relevant sections of this report.




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