Attachment 3 - Regional Ecosystem Assessment

                                                                                       Native Foresters



1.0 INTRODUCTION
Native Foresters has been commissioned by Noosa Council (NC), to conduct an
assessment of vegetation communities present within an established environmental offset
site at Lake Macdonald, adjacent to Cooroy-Noosa Road, approximately 2.2 to 6km from
Cooroy (Latitude: -26.4047/ Longitude: 152.5478), in order to assess the vegetation
condition in relation to its remnant status.

This report summarises the findings of the Regional Ecosystem (RE) assessment
undertaken in July 2022. It provides a summary of the current offset vegetation condition
with regard to its remnant status prepared in accordance with relevant guidelines, and
where relevant for the project, documents supporting the change of vegetation to remnant
status have being included for submission to Department of Environment and Science
(DES).

1.1      Background

NC are currently delivering a remnant vegetation Offset Restoration Plan (ORP) with the
aim of restoring a minimum of 24ha of remnant vegetation at an environmental offset site
secured in 2005. The offset site which includes 27 individual sites, otherwise referred to
as the Offset Areas (OA), covers a total area of 39.1ha which covers parts of 20 allotments
surrounding the upper sections of Lake Macdonald, located within the Noosa Shire
hinterland.

The ORP which was submitted for assessment in 2005 is due to be delivered in June
2026, forms part of the approval conditions to offset the significant residual impacts on a
Matter of State Environmental Significance (MSES) which was the clearing of 20.6ha of
remnant vegetation associated with the expansion of the Noosa Landfill & Resource
Recovery Centre (RRC), located at 561 Noosa-Eumundi Road, (Lot 77 SP298776).

Although originally under NC tenure, changes in the ownership of water assets mandated
by state government resulted in Lake Macdonald and the land parcels which contain the
OA’s being under SEQ Water tenure. SEQ Water is working in collaboration with NC to
enable delivery of the offset project and is negotiations are continuing regarding
undertaking a PMAV process or a voluntary declaration to allocate the OA’s within
allotments under their tenure to Category A regulated vegetation - a conservation offset.

NC are currently in the final phases of the offset timeframe and require assessment of
vegetation to determine progress of the offset delivery.

1.2      Objectives

The objective of the RE assessment is to investigate and report on the present condition
of vegetation within the OA’s in relation to its remnant status. Field data obtained during
the assessment will inform documents submitted to DES and the QLD Herbarium to
support a change in remnant status where relevant. The objectives of this project are as
follows:




Regional Ecosystem Assessment – Noosa Council Offset Site – Lake Macdonald Catchment                      3