Ecology and Bushfire RFI - 21 Jirrima Crescent, Cooroibah

Response:
A Rehabilitation Plan has been prepared and provided as an attachment to this Response Letter. The
general site information detail included within the Rehabilitation Plan has sought to address items 2.1-
2.4, whilst the remainder of the Plan includes details to address Items 3.1 – 3.3 of the Information
Requested by Council.
The rehabilitation of the full extent of Council’s mapped Riparian Protection Area is not proposed for
several reasons. Most importantly, the rehabilitation of the full extent of the 150m wide Riparian
Protection Area would introduce a new unit of hazardous vegetation within the site that would result
in an unacceptable bushfire risk to the development. In addition, the rehabilitation of the full extent
of the mapped Riparian Protection Area is excessive given the minimal level of impact proposed as the
development has been strategically designed to avoid any impacts to the ecological values of the site.
Therefore, a rehabilitation strategy has been prescribed which is commensurate with the level of
impact proposed.
The Rehabilitation Plan has concentrated rehabilitation management of the immediately flanking
riparian zone of the mapped first order waterway that traverses through the site. The Noosa Plan 2020
defines the Riparian Zone as land which adjoins, directly influences, or is influenced by a body of water.
The Queensland Department of Resources seeks to preserve native vegetation within 10m of the
defining bank of a first order watercourse (refer Table 2 within State Code 16 – Native Vegetation
Clearing) as this is recognised as the critical zone that contributes stability and influences water quality
within the adjoining waterway. The Rehabilitation Plan has therefore used the 10m width as detailed
within State Code 16 to define the Riparian Zone flanking the onsite first order waterway and has
prescribed the proposed rehabilitation works accordingly.
Note that the Rehabilitation Plan relies heavily on Assisted Natural Regeneration as the primary
rehabilitation strategy. This strategy is expected to be highly successful within the site which already
contains framework species indicative of a pre-clearing regional ecosystem 12.3.4 Melaleuca
quinquenervia, Eucalyptus robusta woodland vegetation community. A site inspection in March 2022
observed that there was significant remaining in-situ ecological resilience within the soil seed bank
and persistent native herb species despite the ongoing long term mowing regime. Extensive
experience in the rehabilitation of similar vegetation communities has proven that once the primary
disturbance factor is removed (e.g., mowing, grazing etc.), the ecosystem rapidly re-establishes
without the requirement for revegetation.
Plate 1 below presents a photograph of regrowth contained within the property adjoining the site’s
northern boundary in which mowing/grazing was excluded from the riparian zone approximately five
years ago (as per Nearmap imagery which depicts the area clear of vegetation in May 2017). The area
has naturally regenerated from nearby and soil stored seed sources and includes a diversity of
indicative species such as Melaleuca quinquenervia, Lophostemon suaveolens, Eucalyptus robusta and
Acacia leiocalyx. It should also be noted that the majority of these species are also considered koala
habitat species.




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