Attachment 3 - Regional Ecosystem Assessment

                                                                                       Native Foresters




6.0 Summary & Recommendations
Summary

    1. The offset delivery requires a total area of 24 ha to be offset. The required areas
       for each of the 3 RE’s are:
            a. Endangered Regional Ecosystem (RE) 12.3.1 - 19 ha.
            b. Of Concern RE 12.3.2 - 5 ha; and
            c. Least Concern RE 12.3.11 - approximate 11.1ha designated for additional
                restoration.
    2. RE Assessments were undertaken across the 27 OA’s which make up the total
       offset revegetation area of 39.1ha to determine the condition of the vegetation in
       relation to its remnant status.
    3. The majority of the 27 OA’s contain mature vegetation that is in good ecological
       condition and meets the requirements for remnant status in relation to time since
       clearing occurred, canopy height and cover benchmarks, and characteristic
       species.
    4. If proposed RE changes are updated and mapped as remnant then the total area
       possible to be considered remnant status is 35.19ha (table 7).
    5. All OA’s contain mixed (heterogeneous) RE’s except 1, 2, 13 & 25 which were
       100% 12.3.1a.
    6. Analysis of relative areas for each RE type found the offset site contains a total of
       19.396ha of RE 12.3.1a meeting the required 19ha; 4.314ha of RE 12.3.2 falling
       slightly short of the desired 5ha; and an additional 10.686ha of RE 12.3.11. OA 13
       was assessed to contain 0.79ha of RE 12.9-10.1 (Of Concern).
    7. OA 13 on the northern bank of the lake did not align with the required RE types as
       it contained a sedimentary land zone and aligned with the dominant mapped RE
       12.9-10.1, however it is noteworthy as it did meet the requirements for remnant
       status and does increase the amount of assessed Of Concern RE within the offset
       site to the required 5ha.
    8. A total of 3.9ha of offset area remains as regrowth as it does not meet the height,
       cover or species requirements (OA – 17, 18 19, and the centre 0.5ha of 4). This is
       a result of access issues associated with adjoining private properties which
       impacted on the ability to conduct revegetation and maintenance works.
    9. Where an update to state RE mapping to show a change in vegetation to remnant
       status was justified RE Kit Assessment forms were collated and are included as a
       separate document - RE Assessment Kit, Noosa Council Offset Site, document
       no. 220920-REA-D.




Regional Ecosystem Assessment – Noosa Council Offset Site – Lake Macdonald Catchment                      23