2019-04-09 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   9 APRIL 2019




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                         9 APRIL 2019

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    present in understorey composition and the site is heavily dominated with a Melaleuca
    quinguenervia overstorey.

    3. Literature Review
    The property is categorized under the " Vegetation of Noosa Shire" Report 1995 as being:

    " Sub-type 4.2 Melaleuca quinguenervia with Wetland Understorey
    The variation in the fluctuating water table determines the length of the period during
    which these communities are waterlogged. Some sites have free water all year round (in
    years of average or greater rainfall), whilst other sites are flooded for only certain parts of
    the year. The factor they share in common is the regular and prolonged inundation which
    results in the understorey of these forests being dominated by wetland plant species
    {Appendix 2, Site #019). This is in contrast to the other Melaleuca forest which has a
    more variable understorey and less frequent and regular history of inundation. Melaleuca
    guinguenervia dominates the canopy with only infrequent occurrence of other species
    such as Eucalyptus robusta, E.tereticornis and Lophostemon suaveolens. These latter two
    species are more commonly found in the drier Melaleuca communities. Members of the
    Cyperaceae and Restionaceae are common elements of the understorey of these regularly
    flooded forests, Ferns may be locally abundant and form a diagnostic understorey on
    some sites with Blechnum cartilagineum, a species which has substantial cultural
    significance to Aboriginal peoples. Land filling and drainage practices have probably
    destroyed many of these Me/aleuca communities outside the Crown estate.

    The Melaleuca communities would appear to be one of the most threatened habitat types
    remaining on the coastal plain. Their former extent is now difficult to comprehend, as
    detailed historical distributions for this Vegetation Type are not readily available. To
    ascertain the location of any remnants of this forest type would be a valuable exercise In
    order to determine whether or not any extent remnants retain the natural attributes of this
    community. Drainage and fire (often with associated grazing) usually results in the
    destruction of these communities, so the degraded or regenerating phase of this forest

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