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

                                                 Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report




Executive summary
The Biodiversity Assessment Report has been prepared to detail the current and future status of
biodiversity conservation in Noosa. This is to assist in determining the key issues for local conservation
management to be addressed in the Biodiversity Conservation Plan. It is the supporting research
document that ensures that the development of planning policy is based on current scientific
understanding of biodiversity values across Noosa.

To identify key issues for local conservation management all biodiversity values present across Noosa
were identified and ranked according to the values’ significance. Similarly, all relevant threats impacting
on biodiversity values within the shire were identified and assessed according to the risk they pose to
biodiversity values. Values of conservation significance were determined by analysing biodiversity values
of high significance that are at high risk to current threatening processes. Issues relevant to local
conservation management were considered to be conservation significant values that are currently
lacking protection or management at both a State and Federal government level and would benefit from
local scale management.

To support this approach, a methodology was developed based on a combination of desktop review and
spatial data interrogation and analysis, utilising desktop information, some field validated vegetation
records and a range of government supplied spatial data. A detailed mapping exercise was undertaken
to spatially identify and rank biodiversity values and threats across the shire. The mapping provided a
spatial illustration of the distribution of values and risks, whilst the ranking allowed for areas of
conservation significance to be identified and prioritised.

The key result of the Biodiversity Assessment Report are described in the following sections.

Noosa’s biodiversity values

Noosa contains a diversity of biodiversity values and natural landscapes within a very confined physical
area. Many of the values and landscapes are of great significance and globally unique. Noosa’s key
biodiversity values include:

    •   A Shire of 871.6 km2, with ~55% covered in native vegetation, and of this >40,000 ha in
        remnant condition
    •   A diverse range of vegetation communities, which can be classified into 61 Regional
        Ecosystems (REs). While Noosa Shire comprises 1.4% of the total area of South East
        Queensland (SEQ), it contains representations of 39% of the REs that can occur in the
        bioregion, including 32% of the total number of Endangered REs across SEQ.
    •   Unique ecosystems including rare sub-tropical examples of patterned fens (wetland
        ecosystem), coastal lagoon systems, sand lakes and dune systems.
    •   A number of ecological communities, flora, fauna and invertebrate species that are recognised
        and protected under State and Federal environmental law, including the critically endangered
        lowland rainforest community.
    •   A great diversity of wildlife and plants (~1,340 species of plants and 348 species of terrestrial
        vertebrate animals). At least 217 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles, 55 species of
        mammals, and 31 species of frogs are known from the area. This includes endemic species
        and relicts from the ancient Gondwanan period when all continents formed one landmass.
    •   Key fauna species including Koala, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Water Mouse, Ground Parrot,
        Coxen’s Fig Parrot, acid frogs, Cooloola Blind Snake, sea turtles, migratory shorebird species,
        Mary River Cod and Australian Lungfish.


  © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD                                                                       viii