2016-09-06 P&E Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 6 - Noosa Parklands Park Management Plan

         Noosa Parklands Park Management Plan




     (weevil) of salvinia within the lagoon, but due to non-optimal conditions (i.e. shaded waterbody)
     this wasn’t successful. The Salvinia has spread to a downstream lagoon. It is unlikely that
     Salvinia will ever be eradicated from the lagoon. It is a recommendation of the Plan that further
     investigation be made into methods of control to reduce the extent of Salvinia in Wooroi Creek.

     The Heritage Park Bushland Care Group was formed in 2003 and is made up of community
     members who play an active role in managing remnant bushland within the park. The group
     has completed numerous projects within the bushland areas of the park (Figure 4) including
     focussed management on the priority pest plants (Table 4) and other invasive pest plant
     species such as setaria and para grass. The group has received a number of State and
     Federal grants to assist with regeneration works, including most recently the Heritage Park
     Healthy Habitat Project, funded by the Queensland Government Everyone’s Environment
     grants program. This project will involve controlling pest plants and planting 600 native trees,
     plants and shrubs along Wooroi Creek. The project aims to improve the water quality of the
     creek and re-establish native plants for the wildlife listed as vulnerable under the Nature
     Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act) including koalas, the Richmond birdwing butterfly and the
     glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami). The group also participates in working
     bees once a month and have facilitated tree planting activities within the park by Girl Guides
     and local schools.


     4.2 Natural hazards
     The Noosa Local Disaster Management Plan 2015-16 (Noosa Council 2015b) identifies fire
     and flood as being the highest risks for the Noosa Shire.

     The majority of the park is mapped as medium bushfire hazard on the Natural Hazard
     Bushfire OM 9.4 (Noosa 2013), with one small section of high bushfire hazard in the north
     east section of the park. Noosa Council manages the park’s fire hazards according to the
     guidelines and actions within the Noosa Bushland Reserve Fire Management Plan 2015
     (Noosa Council 2015c). As per this fire management plan there is a focus on developing
     the fire trail network (Figure 4). The width of the fire trail; depends on topography and
     requirements for a safe separation between fire crews and vegetation. Council has a
     maintenance regime for maintaining these fire trails as per the Noosa Bushland Reserve
     Fire Management Plan 2015 (Noosa Council 2015c; Appendix 8). This plan proposes further
     developing the bushland reserve fire trail network and widening in select areas (Figure 4). A
     1 m clearance beside boardwalks is also recommended as a measure to protect timber from
     a potential bushfire. Council has engaged experts to assess bushfire fuel hazard for the park.
     Once completed, Council will be able to determine the need for further fire trail works and
     potential planned burns.

     There are no landslide or flood hazard areas mapped within the park on OM 9.3 (Noosa
     2013), but there has been localised flooding recorded within the park, in proximity to property
     boundaries and minor road flooding (pers. comm. with resident) (see also Section 3.2).
     Wooroi Creek, which meanders through the park, naturally floods during severe rain events
     (e.g. 2008, 2013 and 2015), similar to other creeks and rivers in the Noosa Shire and SEQ.
     The level of flooding is directly related to the amount and intensity of rainfall in the catchment,
     not the amount of vegetation or debris in a naturally meandering creek. A flood investigation
     completed by a specialist hydraulic consultancy (Hydrology & Water Management Consulting
     2015) determined that removing natural debris1 from the entire Noosa Parklands floodplain


     1
      ‘Debris’ includes naturally occurring loose ‘woody’ material found on the floodplain and within creek banks, such as
     palm fronds, sticks, branches and fallen logs.

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