2022-03-08 Planning & Environment Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       8 MARCH 2022


A summary of project outputs is shown in the table below:
 ACTIVITY TYPE                                                                          Number
 No of grids surveyed                                                                Approx. 120
 No of sites visited / observations made                                                     556
 Biodiversity Overlay Changes – submitted to Council GIS Officer                             133
 Pre clear Regional Ecosystem Changes                                                         70
 Cover layer Changes                                                                         263
 ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS                                                                Number
 Koala scat locations identified                                                               4
 Glossy-black Cockatoo/ food trees identified                                                 53
 Hollow bearing trees                                                                         48
 New Endangered, Vulnerable or Near-threatened (EVNT) fauna & flora records
 Fauna - Tusked frog (2), Glossy black cockatoo (5)
 Flora - Acacia attenuata (2), Pararistolochia praevenosa (2), Symplocos harroldii
 (4)                                                                                         15
It is unlikely that the remaining 620 grids will be surveyed within project timeframes (i.e. by June
30 2022).
4.     Where to from here?
The Queensland Herbarium is being informed of potential vegetation mapping amendments
throughout this project. A batch of mapping amendments will be provided to the Queensland
Herbarium toward the end of the project at EOFY for their consideration and endorsement.

Previous Council Consideration
Nil.

Finance
The Vegetation Assessment Project is funded by the CAT D Bushfire Recovery Fund $60,000
and Environment Levy Environment Strategy 2019 Project Funding until 30 June 2022.

Risks & Opportunities
Mapping needs to be updated every two years to capture changes in land use and vegetation
cover, particularly the change in status from regrowth to remnant vegetation. Without regular
updates there is a risk of inaccuracies and poor environmental protection outcomes. This can
result in increased department workload to confirm the mapping through the development
assessment process. The underlying vegetation mapping also informs fire management planning
and any mapping inaccuracies can underestimate or overestimate bushfire hazard. Koala habitat
maps are based on accurate Regional Ecosystem mapping which triggers development
assessment provisions.

Consultation
External Consultation - Community & Stakeholder
Queensland Herbarium




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