Appendix B - Agricultural Assessment

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4       Existing Assessments of Agricultural Potential
The subject land is zoned rural and is not included in the ALCA overlay. Public domain data for
agricultural potential within agency data sets include the agricultural land classes assembled as part
of the Land Audit1 as well as individual survey reports.

Figure 1 shows a compilation of these data sets. Unfortunately, the subject lot is located on the
common border of 3 very different data sets.
     Map unit LP1:100,000 is from the series of acid sulphate mapping data sets. These are areas
       of deep sands and texture contrast soils of low fertility and moisture storage capacity. The
       scale of this work is 1:100,000 and is a regional data set. The site inspection indicates that
       these soils dominate the area proposed for more intense development.
     Map Unit SW1:100,000 is from the same data set. These are areas of non saline water
       logged soils associated with the drainage lines.
     Map Unit Cb321:2 million is from the national data set of the Atlas of Australian soils. It is
       1:2,000,000 in scale and is not suited for assessments of this type.

The south eastern boundary of the site literally touches the 1987 horticulture land suitability
mapping where soils similar to LP soils have been mapped and assigned to a marginal land
suitability classification (rank 4) in that now dated work. The Land Audit agricultural land classes
data set shows the area to the south east to include ALCB or limited arable land defined as … limited
crop land that is suitable for a narrow range of current and potential crops. Land that is marginal for
current and potential crops due to severe limitations but is highly suitable for pastures. Land may be
suitable for cropping with engineering or agronomic improvements. That definition is similar to the
concept of marginal suitability.

Whilst the agency data sets use differing methodologies and terminology even when referring to
the same soils in the same landscapes, there is general agreement that the land is not ALCA and this
agreement thus supports the designation of the area in the OMG9 natural resources overlay map as
not being within the Agricultural Land Conservation area. Given the coarse scale of these data sets,
it is likely that the area is dominated by non GQAL soils.

Map OM 9.5 from the Noosa Plan is reproduced in this report as Figure 2 and shows that the
Tewantin and Doonan Natural Resources overlay does not contain any Agricultural Land
Conservation and ALCA area.

5       GQAL status
An unpublished report2 which was prepared in 2012 for the “Noosa on Weyba” Development
contains more detailed soil mapping information for the subject land and has also helped inform
this report.

That report more accurately defines soils in the area than that available from the state agency data
sets discussed above. The methodology used in the analysis of this data and outcomes are detailed
below.

1
 For details of classes see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/agriculture/sustainable/ag-land-audit/guide-
for-local-government/agricultural-land-classes
2
   PRELIMINARY GOOD QUALITY AGRICULTURAL LAND AND STRATEGIC CROPPING LAND ASSESSMENT, NOOSA ON
WEYBA DEVELOPMENT NOOSAVILLE, QUEENSLAND PREPARED FOR NORTHBROOK CORPORATION PTY LTD SEPTEMBER 2012 by
Gilbert and Sutherland.

                                                                 Rural Review Hofmann Hollett Road 25 Nov 2019