2016-07-12 - Item 10 - Att 1 - Koala Conservation Plan

       Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan 2016




     1.2.5       Informed infrastructure decisions
     National and State legislation, The Noosa Plan, and Council policy, guide Council infrastructure
     decisions.

     Best practice design and construction is to be applied to existing or planned infrastructure that
     impacts on koalas in mapped Koala Habitat Areas. Measures to mitigate may include hard
     infrastructure (exclusion and guiding fences, bridges, underpasses and culverts, koala ladders)
     or soft measures (speed limit reductions, signs, road markings, improved street lighting).

     Hard infrastructure
     In 2008, the Australian Government conducted a study titled ‘Review of mitigation measures
     used to deal with the issues of habitat fragmentation’. The researchers concluded that there
     was strong evidence that mitigation structures such as wildlife crossings were effective for
     individual fauna (koalas utilising bridge underpasses and culverts), but the long term impact of
     the habitat fragmentation (e.g. construction of linear road through habitat) on fauna populations
     is unclear.

     In discussion with wildlife rescue organisations and based on koala threat mapping the
     following Noosa Shire roads are identified as being highest risk:
         •      Eenie Creek Road, Noosa Heads
         •      Eumundi Road (Noosaville to Doonan)
         •      Noosa-Cooroy Road (Tewantin to Tinbeerwah)
         •      McKinnon Drive (Tewantin to Noosa Banks)
         •      Bruce Highway (Black Mountain)
         •      Yurol Forest Drive, Pomona
         •      Noosa Drive, Weyba Creek
         •      Jampot Creek Road, Pomona
         •      Beckmans Road, Tewantin




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