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

•    Indicative local links where high connectivity of smaller or narrower patches of koala habitat exist along
     both sides of a short section of road and koalas may be crossing within these small sections or pinch
     points. This occurs more frequently in highly fragmented koala habitat or along riparian corridors.

Figure 5 shows the connectivity analysis and indicative regional and local links across roads.

2.2.2.          Density of Koala Records
Many koala records are reported in more populated areas such as Noosa Heads where koala habitat is highly
fragmented and koalas must move further distances between small patches of habitat.

Density and date of records may also indicate:

•    possible blind spots on the road;
•    possible wall barriers (such as gabion or concrete barriers);
•    koalas entering the road via gaps/damage in existing koala exclusion fencing;
•    speed and lighting;
•    lack of koala infrastructure; and
•    habitat availability (old records may indicate where there once was habitat).

Koala record data obtained from SEQC included Koala Tracker, Wildnet and USC records. More recent USC
records have also been incorporated into this project.

Koala records were weighted by record date, with more emphasis placed on areas with recent records than
those where koalas have not been recorded for many years.

Figure 6 shows koala records while Figure 7 shows a density analysis applying higher weightings to more
recent records.

2.2.3.          Overall Combined Risk
Connectivity and density models were combined to produce an overall risk map for the project area. Sections
of road that are high risk for koala-vehicle collisions are identified in Figure 8 and symbolised per the road
hierarchy. Road sections symbolised purple represents both high connectivity and koala sightings and/or
recorded koala mortalities on major roads. Road sections symbolised blue represent local roads with high
connectivity.

All roads identified by the model correlate to roads previously identified by:

•    local fauna care/citizen science organisations (including Queensland Koala Rescue, Koala Crusaders,
     Koala Tracker and Noosa Koala Sightings facebook group)
•    DEHP fauna hospital records (to road precision only)
•    Noosa Koala Conservation Plan (Noosa Council 2016)

2.2.4.          Hotspot Areas for Audit, Gap Analysis and Collaboration
The modelling discussed above identified all high risk sections of all roads within the Noosa Council area.
Hotspots can easily be identified for auditing, gap analysis, recommendations and collaborations, depending
on existing koala infrastructure, ownership and hierarchy.

Figure 9 shows all identified hotspots areas for:

•    auditing and condition assessment for existing koala infrastructure on Council roads (purple)
•    priority areas for field investigations and recommendations - high risk sections on major Council roads
     that can be used for future capital works programs (red)
Koala Infrastructure Audit & Feasibility Report                                                          Page 4

Noosa Council
17SUN-0087/1700860