2019-10-28 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                          28 OCTOBER 2019


These matters are further discussed below.
Bushfire Management
Council’s Bushfire Mapping assigns a hazard rating of very high bushfire intensity. A Bushfire
Management Plan (BMP) has been prepared as part of the application on the basis that the
vegetation will be cleared on all lots with the exception of the majority of vegetation within lots 3
and 7 being retained.
The BMP included the following recommendations (in italics):
Lots 12 -15
The area adjoining the environmental reserve at Lots 12 – 15 requires a 20m buffer from
development. This land will be cleared and will be used for car parks and access and it is
proposed that no building be constructed in this area.
The southernmost section of Lot 12 includes an existing 40 metre wide environmental covenant
area. The immediate 20 metres in this environmental covenant will be managed with the
following actions:
    All weeds will be removed.
    All understorey up to 6m in height will be removed and the ground fuels maintained at less
      than 8 tonnes per hectare by manual means which is proposed to be the responsibility of
      the owner of Lot 12.
Lots 23 -25:
….any design for development of these lots would require a perimeter road around the eastern
and northern boundary to provide adequate separation to achieve a maximum Construction
Standard of BAL 29 under AS3959-2018.
The area under the power line be managed as manicured grassland as is the current practice.
The provision of low threat separation up to 20 metres with access and adjoining vegetation with
fuel loads of 20+tonnes/ha will confirm that proposed residences will be constructed to Bushfire
Attack Levels (BAL) under AS3959-2018 of 29 and less for those lots with greater separation
distances.
Energex were an advice agency referral authority as an existing Energex easement is located
within proposed lot 23 adjacent to the eastern boundary, the applicant proposes that access for
lots 23 -25 be via this easement and that the easement area form part of the bushfire buffer.
Energex have advised that they did not object to the application on the basis that any bushfire
protection works within the easement are undertaken by the owner of lot 25.
However, Council’s consultant bushfire expert advises that the reconfiguring of these lots is not
appropriate as no satisfactory secondary emergency egress has been provided from the site so
that the eastern end does not present an entrapment constraint. Further advice from Council’s
consultant bushfire expert states the layout is problematic due to the constrained and singular
access into and out of these lots and the proximity of the hazardous vegetation would
compromise the safety of people and property from a bushfire event within the Noosa National
Park – Weyba Section. This is a similar issue to that which was raised in the recent aged care
application for the site which was refused by Council.
Further measures proposed by the applicant’s BMP include:
    Reduction of fuel loads in existing environmental covenant areas for which Council is a
      covenantee including the clearance of vegetation within Covenant L. The applicant
      maintains that under section 3.2 and 4.3 of the covenant that vegetation management for
      fire safety is appropriate and in fact was the original purpose of the covenant area. This
      management would be restricted to ground fuel management similar to the result of an
      intermittent fire passing through the area i.e. all ground fuels would be removed and
      managed but upper canopy of fire safe trees can be retained; and

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