Fauna Management Plan v2 - Essence Peregian Beach

Fauna Management Plan v2                                                                     NCES REF: J000488
215 David Low Way, Peregian Beach



5      FAUNA MANAGEMENT MEASURES – DURING CLEARING

5.1      Vegetation Clearing Direction
All trees are to be searched for wildlife presence prior to felling and potential or known habitat trees
are to be left standing for a minimum of one night prior to eventual felling.
Vegetation clearing is recommended to be undertaken such that only one clearing front is progressed
at any one time within any one vegetation community. This will allow fauna to move away from the
clearing front into adjacent vegetation or seek refuge in the Council Reserve / National Park adjacent
to the site.
5.2      Sequential Vegetation Clearing
Vegetation clearing is to be carried out using a sequential clearing method as follows:
       1. The groundcover and mid-storey are to be cleared first utilising a slasher with a mulching
          head attachment or similar. Any hollow-bearing trees and/or other significant habitat features
          identified during the initial site inspection will be retained. All under scrubbing works will be
          completed with a suitably qualified fauna spotter/catcher in attendance.
       2. After under scrubbing of each area is complete, non-habitat trees (i.e. trees other than those
          identified as habitat trees) will be cleared and stockpiled for mulching. Clearing of non-habitat
          trees will only occur where their removal will not impact on identified habitat trees (e.g.
          canopies do not interconnect with habitat trees).
       3. After under scrubbing and clearing on non-habitat trees, an elevated work platform or cherry-
          picker will be used in conjunction with a chainsaw operator and suitably qualified fauna
          spotter/catcher to inspect and remove arboreal habitat (e.g. hollows, dreys or nests) as
          necessary prior to habitat tree felling. This method involves the fauna spotter/catcher
          inspecting each of the potential habitat features to determine the presence of arboreal fauna.
          This process is detailed following the step by step basis below:
         i.    The fauna spotter/catcher (with arborist unless the fauna spotter/catcher has a working
               from heights certificate and chainsaw certificate) will inspect each potential habitat
               resource (i.e. ringtail possum drey) identified in each tree using the cherry-picker. This is
               usually carried out by simply looking into hollows with the assistance of a small torch,
               however, burrow and bore-scopes can also be useful for deep hollows.
         ii.   If fauna is located within a hollow, the tree is either to be left standing for such time until
               the fauna relocates on its own accord, or, a piece of towel or rag will be firmly placed in
               the entrance to prevent the wildlife from escaping as in most cases arboreal fauna
               become aware of the presence of the fauna spotter/catcher and may attempt to flee the
               nesting/denning hollow due to a perceived threat. If an occupied ringtail possum drey is
               encountered, the fauna spotter/catcher should quietly approach (i.e. avoid contacting
               other branches) the drey in the cherry-picker bucket and physically capture the possum
               by placing the entire drey in a catch bag or only the possum if it emerges from the drey.
        iii.   In instances where the fauna does not relocate on its own accord, and once the hollow
               entrance has been secured, the arborist or fauna spotter/catcher will cut the entire hollow
               limb off below the cavity where the branch remains solid. In circumstances where a
               hollow continues into the main stem of the tree, a small window will be carefully cut into
               the hollow, allowing the fauna spotter/catcher to plug the hollow above and below the
               window, then the hollow limb removed and lowered to the ground in sections.
        iv.    When the fauna has been safely secured within its hollow, the entire limb can then be
               placed in the cherry-picker bucket or lowered to the ground using ropes depending on
               the size of the limb.
        v.     The catch bag will then be placed in a cool, quiet location until translocation to the
               recipient habitat site, when at dusk the bag is re-opened to allow the fauna to emerge of
               its own accord.




2019                                              13