2019-03-12 P&E Agenda - Item 5 - Attachment 2 - Koala Infrastructure & Feasibility Report

Appendix B Detailed GIS Methods
Connectivity
• Merge koala habitat for NSC (MSES, SEQC, regrowth), SCC (MSES) and GRC (O2 ecology) (2km buffer
   from Noosa shire boundary)
       o MSES koala bushland – 1
       o MSES, noosa hab known – 2
       o MSES, noosa hab possible – 2
       o GRC – H and MH hab – 2 (within 2km boundary of Noosa Shire) -2
       o SCC – MSES bushland (within 2km boundary of Noosa Shire) – 2

Rate all as 2 (high) apart from NSC- MSES no correlation to 1 (medium)

•    Dissolve all habitat, neg buffer 50m (100m corridor width) and rebuff out 50m
•    Calc geometry and select out >5 hectares – core remnant and bushland = rating 3 (multiply later)
•    Convert to rasters
         o Koala habitat
                  ▪ Merged koala habitat high = 2
                  ▪ Merged koala habitat medium = 1
                  ▪ Non habitat = 0
         o Core habitat/viable corridor (>5ha, >100mwide)
                  ▪ Core habitat = 3, other = 1
         o Koala habitat x Core habitat = total habitat value
                  ▪ Core high quality = 6
                  ▪ Small/rural high quality = 4
                  ▪ Core medium quality = 3
                  ▪ Small/rural medium quality =1
                  ▪ No habitat = 0
•    Create connectivity through focal stats using sum (rect) 500m radius (or less regarding built-up areas??)
         o Reclassify from 0-4 using 5 natural breaks
•    Identify roads that have high connectivity (5 – cell is >50% surrounded by koala habitat) rather than
     intersects koala habitat. This easily both identifies both core habitat either side of the road as well as
     smaller connected patches putting less emphasis or very isolated patches of habitat.

Density

•    Collate all sightings (SEQC/wildnet, council, grc, koala tracker (April 2015), AZWH, ALA)
•    Add field source, date
•    Rate by date, distance from road, HBC
         o Sighting by Date
                   ▪ 2014-2016 = 5
                   ▪ 2012-2014 = 4
                   ▪ 2010-2012 = 3
                   ▪ 2000-2010 = 2
                   ▪ Pre2000 = 1
Koala Infrastructure Audit & Feasibility Report                                                          Page B

Noosa Council
17SUN-0087/1700860