Bushfire Risk Assessment 2025 Final - Noosa Springs 2022026

Bushfire Risk Assessment v3                                                              NCES REF: J001433
Select Areas of Noosa Springs Residential Estate, Noosa Heads



far west of the side slope including steeper slopes in parts. Given the lack of fire run potential from
the south and west of the slope (i.e. Lake Weyba), this fire hazard assessment has adopted cross
contour conditions for Area 3 commensurate with the slope conditions underlying the most likely fire
run scenarios being from the north-west and south-east.
Plate 12 depicts topographic conditions within and adjacent to the site.




                             Plate 12 – Area 3 Topography (Source: Noosa Council Maps)

2.3.3    Vegetation Hazard Classes
Area 3 was previously assigned a VHC 9.1 Moist to dry eucalypt open forest classification however
following several years of above average rainfall and subsequent development of a clearly dominant
vineforest mid storey and understorey, it has now been assigned a VHC 8.1 Wet eucalypt tall open
forest. The canopy tree height has not necessarily attained 30m, which is the structural threshold for
tall open forest, however, can be expected to in the future hence a conservative approach has been
adopted in the VHC 8.1 assignment. The northern end of Area 3 is particularly sparse and technically
reflective of VHC 9.1 fuel loads and vegetation structure. However, adopting a conservative
approach, is expected to transition to VHC 8.1 consistent with what has occurred in the balance of
Area 3.
Area 3 comprises a mosaic of native open forest, coastal rainforest and wetland floras. In general,
the mid to upper slopes comprise open forest over a disturbed vine forest and weedy understorey
subject to numerous steep slopes and occasional slips subject to remediation effort. The mid to lower
slopes comprise a mosaic of scattered eucalypts over regrowth rainforest whilst the flats comprise
palustrine wetland (i.e. paperbarks and swamp she-oaks). A narrow assemblage of mangroves is
also often present on the tidal limit.
The canopy on the mid to upper slopes is dominated by a mix of mature Eucalyptus tereticornis,
Corymbia intermedia and Lophostemon confertus to 18-26m height whilst the canopy on the lower
slopes was host to low flammability coastal regrowth rainforest species including Glochidion
sumatranum (dominant), Waterhousia floribunda, Macaranga tanarius and Cupaniopsis
anacardioides along with scatterings of Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (Bangalow palm).
Several prominent Ficus trees are also present. The mid-storey is often dense and dominated by
low flammability coastal rainforest species. The understorey is generally host to recruiting rainforest
tree and shrub species along with wetland species such as Gahnia aspera and Lomandra longifolia
as well as numerous vine species. Supplejack and barbed wire vine are common throughout. The
coastal lake margin was host to coastal and wetland species including Cupaniopsis anacardioides,
Melaleuca quinquenervia, Lophostemon suaveolens, Hibiscus tiliaceus and Casuarina glauca.
Limited high flammability surface fuel loads are present throughout Area 3 because of the low-



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