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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     Protected areas: Burrum Coast NP (1000ha), Great Sandy NP (2700ha); also in
     protected areas <1000ha.
      Extent reserved: Medium.
      Special ecological values: Habitat for rare and threatened flora species including Phaius
     australis and P. tancarvilleae.
      Comments; Extensively cleared for sugar cane and urban development in south of
     bioregion. Tallest stands associated with estuarine sediments.
      Subject to weed invasion especially groundse! Baccharis halimifolia. Data on clearing
     rate between 1995-97 indicate that the RE continues to experience an annual loss in
     excess of 1% of current extent per annumn, The area remaining is likely to fall below 30%
     within 5-10 years.
     Estimated extent: 36% remains of a preclearing area of about 51 000ha.
     Conservation status: Vulnerable.

     Regional ecosystems have been assessed using JANIS (1997) criteria to determine
     whether they are endangered or vulnerable. An endangered RE is defined thus:
     “ An endangered ecosystem is one where its distribution has contracted to less than 10%
     of its former range or the total area has contracted to less than 10% of its former area, or
     where 90% of its area is in small patches which are subject to threatening processes and
     unlikely to persist”.
     A vulnerable ecosystem is one which is:
     “j) approaching a reduction in areal extent of 70% within a bioregional context and
     which remains subject to threatening processes; or
      ii) not depleted but subject to continuing and significant threatening processes which
     may reduce its extent.”

      4, Field Survey data
      Field data collected from the site follows this brief discussion. There is presently a heavy
      occurrence of groundsel in the understorey of areas in and adjoining Site 1, however in
      some areas this is being superceded by other native pioneer species. Management of the

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