UPDATED DA - Attachment 8 - Flora and Fauna Assessment

                                                                                                 Native Foresters




4.2      Flora assessment

4.2.1 Vegetation communities in the impact area

The vegetation community in the western parcel consists of high value regrowth that is moderately
weedy at the southern end transitioning to predominantly native at the northern end. Dominant
species in the canopy are Paperbark tea-tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) and Scribbly gum
(Eucalyptus racemosa). In the midstorey, White hazelwood (Symplocos stawellii), Wild quince
(Guioa semiglauca), Cheese tree (Glochidion ferdinandi) and Red ash (Alphitonia excelsa) are
dominant. The understory is variable. Some areas are predominantly Bracken fern (Pteridium
esculentum) with native sedges, grasses and grass trees (e.g. Schoenus brevifolius, Imperata
cylindrica, Entolasia stricta, Lomandra spp, Xanthorrhoea sp), however other areas adjacent to
the rainwater tanks and roadways are dominated by non-native species (e.g. Sphagneticola
trilobata, Ardisia japonica). There are also elements of wet heath in the north-eastern section with
species such as Prickly moses (Acacia hubbardiana), Wallum hakea (Hakea actities) and
Queensland wax flower (Philotheca queenslandica). Median canopy height is 15 metres and
canopy cover is approximately 30%. Species composition is characteristic of the Endangered RE
12.5.3 – Scribbly gum woodland on remnant tertiary surfaces / weathered sandstone. See Figure
3 for examples of some of the vegetation in the western parcel.

The northern edge of the eastern parcel is mapped as remnant RE 12.5.3, however the flora
survey found that the patch consisted of young regrowth dominated by Paperbark tea-tree (Figure
4a). Most trees were dbh 200mm or less, with one individual with dbh 500mm the largest tree in
the parcel (Figure 4b). Scattered Black she-oak (Allocasuarina littoralis) were also present,
however no eucalypts occurred in the parcel. The drain through the area was not flowing during
the survey, however surface water was present behind the concrete containment area at the
southern end of the parcel where planted Creek Mat-rush (Lomandra hystrix) was dominant
(Figure 4c). Weeds were prominent around the around the open edges of the site (Figure 4d),
while a dense carpet of Singapore daisy was present across much of the site (see Figure 4a).

Vegetation was generally found to be in moderate condition across both parcels, with a diversity
of native flora species alongside patchy weed incursions, particularly dense infestations of
Singapore daisy and a proliferation of the non-local native tree Brown silky oak (Grevillea
baileyana). Vegetation condition improves away from the edges where landfill influences diminish.

State RE mapping has predominantly designated Site A as non-remnant Category X vegetation.
Analysis of aerial history suggests that the vegetation was cleared in 1967 and grazed until 1971,
followed by a period of growth (Appendix K). Since 1984, it has not been cleared, except for the
road edges near the entrance which were cleared when the waste facility was established in the
late 1980s. As such it should be considered high value regrowth (40 years old) that is approaching
the structural and compositional thresholds of a remnant ecosystem. Some of the scattered
remnant Scribbly gums (Eucalyptus racemosa) in the western parcel are large (dbh 700 – 1,000
mm) and are of hollow-bearing age (see Figure 3) which indicates that scattered trees were
retained as shade trees when the area was cleared in 1967. See Figure 2 and Appendix M for
locations and details of larger trees, SL plants and other habitat features




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Noosa Landfill & Resource Recovery Centre Expansion – Site A, Rev 2 – Fauna & Flora Assessment          19