2019-10-28 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                        28 OCTOBER 2019


The applicant’s ecological report has stated Koalas utilisation of the site is “unlikely due to the
habitat not being particularly favourable. It is possible the koala occurs in surrounding more
suitable habitat and could occasionally wander onto the subject land.” The majority of the main
canopy species on the site are known koala food trees.
Given the size of the land and the location of suitable non-juvenile koala food trees, koalas are
likely to utilise the area for feeding purposes. A recent Koala Corridor study, commissioned by
Council, has reported koalas immediately adjacent to the site and within 500m of the site on a
number of occasions.
The Planning Regulation 2017 requires development to avoid clearing non-juvenile koala habitat
trees, and where clearing cannot be avoided, the clearing is minimised with any unavoidable
clearing to be offset.
Using the methodology of the Queensland Government Environmental Offset calculator the
quantum of the offset should be balanced against the previously dedicated land for
environmental purposes. This land has an area of 11.15 ha and is identified lot 3 on SP182845.
An area of 1.87 ha was also registered as environmental covenants, totally 13.02 ha of land set
aside for environmental purposes, including habitat for koalas. Notably some of the covenant
areas are likely to be reduced due to the required pedestrian linkages and the proposed bushfire
clearing.




                 Figure 8: 11.15 ha Park Dedication Lot 3SP182845 (Red Outlines)



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