Updated EMP Stage 2_Grasstree Court April 2023

2023 Ecological Management Plan – Grasstree Court – Lot 9



     5. VEGETATION CLEARING

Following implementation of necessary fencing and other pre-clearing requirements (including Council
acknowledgement) the clearing exercise can commence.

     5.1 Development Area - Lot 9 - Clearing Methodology
The clearing methodology for the development (built) area to be generally as follows:

     •     Implement fauna spotter and habitat protection/identification measures as described above.
     •     Once the trees within the area have been given the “all clear” from the fauna spotter catcher, the trees will
           be pushed over using controlled felling techniques with a hydraulic excavator.
     •     Fauna spotter catcher will be present for all clearing works.
     •     The vegetation will then be placed in a windrow with a north/south alignment as it is being pulled down. This
           will be repeated until all the vegetation required to be removed to facilitate the development has been
           knocked over and piled into windrows. Once all the vegetation has been knocked down, another excavator
           will be used to downsize the material ready to be mulched, where necessary.
     •     A grinder will then be used to process the material into stockpiles throughout the site.
     •     Stockpiles (mulch or soil) where necessary, are to only be placed within development area (i.e. not beyond
           property boundary or within bushfire buffer areas).
     •     Any large trees/logs will be appropriately cut and relocated to the rehabilitation site to create habitat/refuge
           resources 8.

Clearing and construction is to be limited to the hours of 6am and 6pm.


     5.2 Bushfire Buffer Areas
Following clearing of development area, an inspection of the bushfire buffer area by the ecologist and bushfire
consultant will occur in order to nominate trees/vegetation for retention.

Tree retention in this area is not mandatory (i.e. not a condition of approval), but desirable where practical for
ecological and landscape purposes but must not generate a bushfire risk. Trees for possible retention include Glossy
black-cockatoo feed trees (Allocasuarina), koala feed trees (i.e. eucalypt and allied species), grass trees
(Xanthorrhoea) and other suitable landscape or habitat specimens (e.g. mature banksias). The retention of specific
(agreed) feed trees has been considered as part of the bushfire management strategy.

Understorey/small trees for the buffer areas are to be cleared by hand (or light equipment) as per the bushfire
management plan/requirements (refer Meridian Urban, 2018).

Note: This area is identified for bushfire management which needs to take precedence over landscaping and ecology.


     5.3     Clearing Direction
For Lot 9 - clearing to start from Grasstree Court and progress in a south/south-westerly direction.

A Clearing Direction Plan is provided in FIGURE A2.




8 Not a requirement of the approval conditions. Trees to be relocated where possible – noting the project site has limited tree

canopy material.
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