Bushfire Hazard Assessment

Bushfire Hazard Assessment
14 Serenity Close, Noosa Heads




6.1             INPUTS


Fire behaviour modelling was carried out via GIS spatial modelling using rasterised inputs 2
described by Leonard et al. (2014):

    i.          Fuel load based on a combination site-based survey and desktop assessment of
                vegetation hazard class.
   ii.          Maximum landscape slope.
  iii.          Fire weather severity/FFDI.


6.1.1           VEGETATION HAZARD CLASS AND FUEL LOAD


Fuel load was derived from an estimate of potential fuel load (tonnes/ha) for 25 grouped
vegetation hazard classes (VHCs). VHCs have been categorised from a combination of
regional ecosystem maps, pre-clearing regional ecosystem maps (where no remnant
vegetation is mapped), foliage projection cover maps, land use maps, water body maps,
air photo interpretation (API) and tree plantation maps (Leonard et al. 2014). Map 4 and
Map 5 (attached) show the SPP VHCs and SPP potential fuel loads for the site assessment
area, respectively.

As the proposed development involves changes to the configuration of vegetation within
the site assessment area, a post-development map of VHCs was necessary. The post-
development map incorporated:

           i.    the proposed development footprint,
          ii.    landscaping and rehabilitation outcomes proposed as part of the development of
                 the land, including the effects of revegetation,
         iii.    other differences between VHCs observed from a combination site-based survey
                 and desktop methods.

VHCs were assessed at several locations within the 150m site assessment area (Refer to
Map 6 and Appendix 2). VHCs within the site assessment area were determined in
accordance with Bushfire Resilient Communities (Queensland Fire and Emergency
Services 2019) using a combination of:

           i.    Quaternary botanical survey according to Neldner et al. (2012);
          ii.    Current regional ecosystem mapping 3; and,




2 VHC/fuel load, maximum landscape slope and fire weather severity input rasters can be accessed via the

Queensland Government Information Service (http://dds.information.qld.gov.au/dds/).

3Department of Environment and Science (2021). Biodiversity status of remnant regional ecosystems v12.0.

Queensland Herbarium. Brisbane, State of Queensland..


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