Ecological Assessment Report

                                                                                Ecological Assessment Letter




Vegetation Management Act 1999

The site is mapped as supporting regulated vegetation (Category B remnant) under the RVM map,
however vegetation clearing associated with the development is exempt clearing under the Planning
Regulation 2017 (lot size is less than 5 ha).

Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995

The site is mapped within the Coastal Management District and is within a Coastal area subject to
erosion and storm tide inundation. However, the proposed development footprint area is outside of the
Coastal area subject to erosion and storm tide inundation. The site inspection confirmed that the
development footprint area is outside of the coastal area subject to erosion and storm tide inundation.
The development area is still within the Coastal Management District. However, the ‘State Code for
Accepted Development For Tidal works, or work completely or partly in a coastal management district’
(August 2017) is not applicable to this application, because the application does not involve works that
are required to be assessed under that code. Therefore, no further assessment is required under this
Act.

5.3 Proposed rehabilitation works

The owners acknowledge the prior unapproved vegetation clearing which took place on the property
prior to them purchasing the property. Although they are not responsible for the clearing, they would like
to partly compensate for this loss of ecological values on the property by carrying out some rehabilitation
works in various locations throughout the property. The vegetation removed from the property appears
from aerial photos to be the same as vegetation community 2, being a eucalypt forest with a rainforest
understorey, akin to regional ecosystem 12.3.11a: Open-forest of Eucalyptus tereticornis and/or E.
siderophloia, Lophostemon confertus with vine forest understorey.

The proposed rehabilitation works will be a combination of assisted natural regeneration and
reconstruction, in various locations. Most of the rehabilitation works will focus on areas of Melaleuca
quinquenervia forest, as these areas are the most degraded on the site. Very little rehabilitation can be
done in the area around the dwelling because this area has to remain a low hazard vegetation type for
bushfire management purposes. The rehabilitation areas will be located as shown in Figure 4.

Rehabilitation area 1 will be rehabilitated via reconstruction (new planting) and assisted natural
regeneration. Plants species will be primarily selected from regional ecosystems 12.3.1 and 12.3.2
(Table 5). Butterfly foodplants will be included in this area to provide food for the caterpillars of various
local species, including the vulnerable Richmond Birdwing Butterfly. Area 1 will be blanket mulched with
aged forest mulch, to a depth of 75mm. Canopy trees will not be planted in this area, to retain the existing
views from the house out to the Noosa River and Lake Cootharaba.

Rehabilitation area 2 will be rehabilitated primarily via assisted natural regeneration techniques, due to
the presence of adjoining forest and high likelihood of a diverse seed bank in the soil. Some minor direct
replanting may be required to supplement natural regeneration. This area should regenerate with
species from the adjoining forest, being regional ecosystem 12.3.4 (Melaleuca forest).




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