Bushfire Report

                                       BUSHFIRE ASSESSMENT REPORT
Client: The Knowles Group                                                        Location: Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville

13.36 Water supply for fire fighting
Firebreaks and fire access tracks           S9.1
O9 Firebreaks or fire access tracks         Firebreaks are provided by—                 Eenie Creek Road provides a break
provide—                                    a) a cleared road reserve not less than     to the south. The proposed car park
a) adequate access for fire fighting and    20m wide located around the perimeter       and easement provides a fire break
    other emergency vehicles; and           of the development;                         to the east. The OS3 buffer to the
b) adequate width to minimise the risk of   OR                                          south will be thinned and replanted
    fire crossover                          b) fire access tracks between the           with fire retardant species to reduce
                                            development and surrounding                 the risk from this area. A 20m buffer
                                                                                        is provided to vegetation to the west
                                            vegetated lands that—
                                                                                        and a 24m buffer to vegetation to the
                                            i. are a minimum cleared width of 6m;       north. Vehicle access for fire
                                            ii. have a maximum grade of 1 in 8          appliances is provided to the north,
                                            (12.5%) ;                                   south (Eenie Creek Road), east and
                                            iii. have a formed pavement;                west. The proposal therefore meets
                                            iv. have access at each end and in          the minimum requirements under the
                                            other locations where necessary;            Noosa Plan for a 20m firebreak.
                                            v. have passing areas and turning
                                            areas;
                                            vi. have clearly identified access points
                                            for emergency vehicles; and
                                            vii.are located on public land or within
                                            access easements that are granted in
                                            favour of the Sunshine Coast Regional
                                            Council and the Queensland Fire and
                                            Rescue Service.



6.2 Qualitative Assessment

The subject site is located on the periphery of a large tract of flammable vegetation to the east and
south. This vegetation is predominantly located in the Noosa National Park and is protected for
conservation purposes. QPWS also implement fire hazard reduction works within the National
Park.

It is possible, though unlikely, that a large scale fire may impact the site and area under the
influence of low humidity and south westerly or south easterly (higher humidity) winds following a
period of prolonged drought. Fortunately, in South East Queensland the fire weather required to
give incidence to such a fire event very rarely occurs. A fire of this scale would impact many streets
and properties in the area including the Noosa Civil Shopping precinct and not singularly impact
the subject site. The impact of such a fire would assume that fire authorities would be unable to
contain the fire before it reached the subject site.

Fire scar mapping and site evidence revealed that fire frequency in the area is low to medium. It is
considered that the fire threat on the site is medium with any fires starting in close proximity (within
a few hundred metres) easily brought under control by fire authorities. A large landscape scale fire
approaching from the east or south is an unlikely / very rare event. The proposed clearing on the
site significantly reduces the potential threat of such a fire.

The proposed setbacks to nearby vegetation are of sufficient distance when combined with the
adoption of building construction standards to mitigate against embers and incident radiant heat
flux from a fire front. The adoption of additional suitable mitigation measures such as water supply
and appropriate construction standards for the facility, especially to mitigate against ember attack,
will reduce risk to acceptable standards.

Aged Care Facilities are potentially vulnerable uses in bushfire prone areas with the presence of
infirm persons that may be subject to severe anxiety in the face of an oncoming bushfire and or the
presence of smoke, embers etc. Evacuation is a key issue as well as providing defendable space
for fire authorities. Evacuation would be along Eenie Creek Road via one of the 2 provided access
points. The most likely evacuation would be towards the north / northwest such as Walter Hay
Drive avoiding roads that would not be cut off by fire.

Covey Associates Pty Ltd                                     15                                        Project No: 161953
Consulting Engineers                                                                                    120443Rpt Issue 2