Attachment 3 - Regional Ecosystem Assessment

                                                                                       Native Foresters




5.0 RESULTS – OFFSET SITE
5.1      Offset Site Vegetation RE Assessment

For the 3 attributes measured during the offset site vegetation RE Assessment, results
were compared with the reference site RE benchmark value data for that ecosystem.
Reference site benchmarks for required RE 12.3.1, 12.3.2 and 12.3.11 were obtained from
the Noosa Council ORP report for Lake Macdonald, approved in 2006.

The percentage of the RE benchmark calculated corresponds to requirements in the
Queensland Herbarium Regional Ecosystem Assessment Kit Version 1.0, (DES, 2022)
and in conjunction with the ‘Methodology for surveying and mapping regional ecosystems
and vegetation communities in Queensland’ (Neldner et al. 2022).

Results of the RE Assessment for each plot site within the OA’s and reference site
benchmark data are given in Table 6 below. Where vegetation within OA’s was
homogenous in desktop analysis, these areas were grouped together, and two
representative plot sites were chosen that were characteristic of the total grouped OA’s
vegetation.

The raw data for RE Assessments within OA 3 to 27 undertaken at Plot Sites A to K from
which the summary data is derived is provided in the document submitted in conjunction
with report - RE Assessment Kit, Noosa Council Offset Site, document no. 220920-REA-
D. It is noted that RE Assessments were only undertaken for OA's that are not currently
mapped as remnant status, therefore OA's 1 & 2 are not included in the assessment (Refer
Figure 1).

Of note is one OA (number 13) on the northern bank of the lake which did not align with
the required RE types as it contained a sedimentary land zone rather than an alluvium
one, however it did meet the requirements for remnant status, as shown below and does
increase the amount of listed Of Concern RE in the offset site. This vegetation aligned
with RE 12.9-10.1 – Tall open forest on sedimentary rocks, usually coastal. Canopy
species include Eucalyptus resinifera, E. grandis, E. robusta, Corymbia intermedia +/- E.
microcorys, Melaleuca quinquenervia, Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera and
Lophostemon confertus. (DES, 2022) QLD Government RE Benchmark values for SEQ
for RE 12.9-10.1 are shown below in table 6.

It is noted that the table below does not include AO’s 1 & 2 currently mapped as remnant,
or AO’s 15, 17, 18, 19 which remain regrowth as cover % benchmark clearly not met on
desktop or in field.




Regional Ecosystem Assessment – Noosa Council Offset Site – Lake Macdonald Catchment                  15