2015-07-21 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                            21 JULY 2015


Policy Provisions – Where offsets may be                Assessment of DTMR’s proposal
delivered
In general terms, the location of koala offset sites    Generally meets this requirement as the offset is
should be informed by the needs and status of local     occurring in part within koala habitat areas mapped
koala populations and koala habitat, and the            as part of the proposed planning scheme
proximity and significance of the impact being offset   amendments. For offsets proposed outside the
on local and regional koala populations and koala       mapped areas, these areas are suitable for
habitat.                                                rehabilitation and will provide connectivity to
                                                        adjacent bushland.

Koala offset sites should form part of, or contribute   Generally meets this requirement as discussed
to, strategic koala habitat networks within the local   above.
government area or the South East Queensland
region (as appropriate).

The location of koala offset sites may also be          Re-vegetation of cleared lands will increase local
informed by:                                            biodiversity. However, it is noted that the previous
    The potential benefits arising from the koala     tender document allowed for the clearing of
      offsetting activity to other biodiversity.        regrowth vegetation to establish the koala habitat
                                                        offset planting.
    The ability of the koala offset site to
      complement local and State recreational
      open space outcomes.



The Guideline: Offset for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in South East Queensland Policy also
outlines how to determine the optimum location for an offset obligation stating that:

Generally the optimum location for an offset is as close as possible to where the habitat was
cleared. This is based on the principle that the offset contributes to establishing koala habitat to
benefit the koala population where the loss occurred. However, locating offsets in the immediate
vicinity of a development site may not always be possible or appropriate. In some cases, greater
conservation outcomes may be delivered by locating offsets elsewhere (e.g. within other
identified strategic koala offset networks). The following hierarchy of criteria (from most to least
important) can be used to help determine the optimum location for the offset.

1.    development site (if appropriate)
2.    same suburb/local plan/development control plan area as the development site
3.    same waterway catchment or biodiversity corridor as the development site
4.    same assessable development area of the SPRP
5.    same local government area as the development site
6.    adjoining local government area within the SEQ bioregion.

Sites that are not considered suitable include areas that present a high risk to koalas or areas
that are physically isolated from other koala habitat. This may include sites that are surrounded
by major road infrastructure, located along roads with high volumes of traffic and/or located within
urban environments where very little habitat and habitat connectivity exist.

For example, State-controlled roads and arterial roads generally carry high traffic volumes that
would create significant barriers to koala safe movement if no mitigation techniques were
employed (refer to Koala Sensitive Design Guideline). However, there is a capacity for koalas to
move throughout the landscape across lower traffic volume roads found in suburban and
residential areas (typically 50km/h or less).




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