2016-12-12 General Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 6 - Biodiversity Assessment Report

                                               Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report



Within the Noosa Shire itself, the key landscape elements include:
    • Large to medium sized habitat nodes with extensive core habitat (i.e. >10 ha)
    • Small sized habitat nodes with the presence of core habitat (i.e. 1 – 10 ha) connected to other
        habitat nodes (supported)
    • Small sized habitat nodes with the presence of core habitat not connected to other habitat nodes
        (unsupported)
    • Patches with no core habitat connected to habitat nodes
    • Patches with no core habitat indirectly connected to habitat nodes (stepping stone habitat)
    • Ecological corridors of clustered or connected patches that link habitat nodes
    • Matrix of cleared areas, scattered trees and sparse regrowth

The large and medium habitat nodes are associated with the extensive coastal lowland vegetation of the
Cooloola recreational area and Noosa National Park as well as the hinterland vegetation within the
Woondum National Park, West Cooroy State Forest Park, Tuchekoi National Park, Yurol State Forest,
Ringtail State Forest and Tewantin National Park. These areas provide extensive core habitat that is of
a high quality sufficient to support viable populations of fauna species, particularly threatened and
endemic species as well as species that were once more widespread during previous geological periods.
These areas provide a critical role in population dynamics both within the shire and broader region as the
main source areas for fauna and flora. The large and medium habitat nodes are the second largest
landscape element within the shire (Figure 8), which demonstrates Noosa’s biodiversity significance.

The distribution of the large and medium habitat nodes across the shire provides a cross-section of both
coastal and inland habitat types supporting a diverse array of species. This includes rainforest and
coastal dune heath and woodlands, riverine and lake systems, wallum heath in the east, through to
woodlands and tall open forests of the Cooroy and other plateaux and mountains to the west and north-
west. Numerous smaller habitat nodes connected to the larger and medium habitat nodes are also
distributed across the shire, providing supporting habitat for species and biota (Figure 8). The smaller
habitat nodes are sink areas for fauna species dispersing from the larger source habitat areas within the
shire.

The habitat nodes frame the entire shire and are separated by a matrix of cleared areas, scattered trees,
regrowth and urban areas, which can be a barrier or high risk dispersal option for fauna species (Figure
8). This matrix is however bisected by smaller connected patches as well as patch fragments (stepping
stone habitat), which maintain a degree of connectivity across Noosa. Areas with a greater proportion of
smaller connected patches within the shire form the key ecological corridors across Noosa and maintain
important habitat connectivity across the matrix and between the nodes. These corridors include:

    •   Kin Kin Creek
    •   Sandy Creek
    •   Remnant, contiguous remnant and dense regrowth between Kin Kin, Cootharaba and Pomona
    •   Six Mile Creek
    •   Remnant, contiguous remnant and dense regrowth between Federal, Black Mountain &
        Ridgewood
    •   Ringtail Creek

These corridors consist of small remnant vegetation patches as well as regrowth vegetation interspersed
with small cleared areas. These corridors provide both current connectivity values as well as potential
future value following regeneration and rehabilitation. Due to the high proportion of existing patch
connection, these corridors are of strategic importance for allocating future acquisition investment,
rehabilitation resources and funding. Recommended biodiversity conservation management actions
include:


  © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD                                                                      31