Response to Info Request - Attachment 6b - Ecological Assessment Part 2 MCU18-0015 & RAL18-0001 · MCU18/0015

                           Ecological Assessment – Attunga Heights




8 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
JWA Pty Ltd have been engaged by Novato Group to complete an ecological assessment of
land proposed for development at Attunga Heights, Noosa Hill.

The assessment has involved the following:
   •   determining the suite of Commonwealth and State listed threatened and regionally
       or locally significant flora and fauna species that occur in the locality from
       literature and database records;
   •   ground truthing vegetation communities and determining their conservation status
       in accordance with the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines
       (DNRM) Regional Ecosystem Framework (Vegetation Management Act [VMA, 1999]);
   •   assessing the likelihood of occurrence of threatened flora and fauna species on the
       subject site;
   •   searching for and recording threatened and regionally or locally significant flora
       and fauna species;
   •   assessing habitat provided by the site in the context of the surrounding area;
   •   assessing the corridor values of the site at a local and regional scale;
   •   assessing the potential impacts of the proposed development on ecological values
       and determining appropriate mitigation measures;
   •   addressing relevant statutory requirements regarding impacts to flora, fauna and
       ecological communities; and
   •   addressing compliance with relevant development assessment codes and policies.

The current certified Regional Ecosystem mapping of the site shows a combined Of Concern
RE 12.2.1 / 12.2.5 on the subject site. Site surveys revealed the occurrence of two (2)
broad vegetation communities within the subject site, including:

   •   Community 1: Tall dry open forest (12.2.5); and
   •   Community 2: Tall wet open forest (12.2.1).

Parts of these communities do not meet remnant criteria in terms of height and canopy
cover and have been categorised as regrowth. The remainder is considered to represent
remnant vegetation.

No significant flora species were recorded on the site. The flora survey failed to not detect
any EVNT plants in the clearing impact area. A clearing permit from DEHP is therefore not
required. However, as the protected plants flora survey trigger mapping shows the site as
mapped as a High-Risk area, an exempt clearing notification must be submitted to DEHP
within one (1) year of the survey being undertaken and at least one (1) week prior to the
clearing commencing.




Job No: Q12038/RW3                       JWA Pty Ltd                                      58