Development Application part 2 OF 2 All of CD, Information in notes - MCU12/0216

Planning Assessment Report                                                                                                 Page 32
300 Kennedys Road, Lake Macdonald QLD 4563 – Extractive Industry




The proposed development for extractive industry will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the disturbed areas (from
the previous mining activities) over the land. Impacts on the environment will be limited as all proposed activities will be
within existing disturbed areas with no extension outside of the existing mining lease operational area.

The proposed development will be guided by a Site Based Management Plan (“SBMP”) prepared for the Site. The SBMP
provides a framework for environmental management on the Site and is a practical guide at the operational level to contain
impacts. The SBMP has been prepared to assist in the management and protection of surrounding environmental values
and describes how the operator proposes to manage potential environmental impacts which may be caused by carrying
out extractive industry activities (refer ATTACHMENT 8 – SITE BASED MANAGEMENT PLAN).

      iv.       is underpinned by environmentally sustainable development practices that avoid adverse impacts on
                immediate or surrounding settlements or ecosystems;

RESPONSE:
The proposed development for extractive industry is no different to the historical mining activities over the land. The only
difference to the historical mining activities over the land in comparison to this application for extractive industry is that the
extraction of the clay material will be used for its physical properties as fill (e.g. for rehabilitation purposes for the Neales
Quarry and White Pit Quarry to the south of the Site) as opposed to using the clay material for its ceramic properties
(which is defined as a “mineral” under the Mineral Resources Act 1989).

All extraction activities included as part of the proposed development will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the
existing mining lease approvals over the land.

The impacts on the environment will be limited as the proposed disturbance areas are located within portions of the Site
which have been previously disturbed. A large portion of the proposed disturbance areas currently supports cleared
paddocks and will not result in new isolated areas of disturbance. The proposed disturbance areas are contained within an
existing mining lease, and will expand upon the already disturbed mining footprint to enable landform reshaping. As a
result, the proposed disturbance areas avoid several ecological values recognised by State regulations including:

      areas of remnant vegetation pursuant to the Vegetation Management Act 1999;
      areas of high value regrowth vegetation pursuant to the Regrowth Vegetation Code;
      watercourses recognised by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (“DNRM”) under the Vegetation
      Management Act 1999 and Regrowth Vegetation Code;
      Koala Assessable Development Areas (“KADA”) pursuant to the Koala State Planning Regulatory Provisions
      mapping;
      referrable wetlands pursuant to the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 (however, the proposed disturbance areas
      are located within the 100 m buffer to such areas); and
      conservation estate buffers recognised by the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009.

In addition, the proposed disturbance areas also avoid mapped areas recognised by the Noosa Shire Planning Scheme,
including:

      environmental enhancement areas;
      koala habitat areas;
      major waterbodies or watercourses / drainage lines; and
      flood and landslide hazard areas.

Although part of the proposed disturbance area (western proposed disturbance area) is located within areas mapped
“Environmental Protection Area” under the Noosa Shire Planning Scheme, the Ecological Assessment Report for the Site
identified that:

             “The vegetation within both the proposed disturbance areas is non-remnant and is not high value regrowth
             vegetation pursuant to the VM Act. As described in Section 4.1.2.2 the on-site inspection confirmed that the
             vegetation communities within the proposed development areas would fall under the ‘non remnant vegetation’
             category described in Vegetation of Noosa Shire (Edition 2).




December 2012 / file ref. 1271_DA1_310_001                                                                      GROUNDWORK p l u s