2 David Low Way - Attachment 2 - Ecological and Bushfire Assessment Report 9-8-17

                                                                              Ecological and Bushfire Assessment Report
                                                                                  Lot 71 on MCH 2854, Castaways Beach




3               Results
3.1             Desktop Assessment Results
A review of the Development Assessment Mapping System and Noosa Plan overlay mapping indicates that
the Site supports the following mapped ecological values.
>     The majority of the Site is mapped as supporting Category B regulated vegetation (remnant).
>     The Site is located within the Coastal Management District and ‘Erosion Prone Areas’.
>     The Site does not support any recognised Queensland Waterways (for waterway barrier works) however
      Burgess Creek to the north is a Category 3 (High) waterway.
>     The north and western parts of the Site are within a potential impact buffer associated with areas of bushfire
      prone vegetation located to the west of David Low Way.
>     Noosa Plan Biodiversity Overlay classifies the entire Site as property ‘Environmental Protection Area’ and
      ‘Riparian Buffer Area’ and as such any development proposal will require assessment against the
      Biodiversity Overlay Code.
Copies of the applicable mapping are provided in Appendix A.
Appendix B provides a full summary of the detailed desktop assessment that was completed for threatened
flora and fauna species in accordance with the methodology outlined in Section 2.2.1. This assessment
indicates that the Site locality has the potential to support or be occasionally utilised by a number of wildlife
species of conservation significance.

3.2             Field Assessment Results
3.2.1           Flora
Overall the vegetation on the Site exhibits a high level of weed infestation and modification associated with
existing residential development which has been present on the site since the late 1970s. The flora survey
identified over 94 flora species of which 48% are non-native species. A complete list of the native and exotic
flora encountered during the flora survey is provided as Appendix C.
Field observations generally support the State regulated vegetation mapping classification of the Site as
supporting “remnant vegetation” comprised of Least Concern regional ecosystem RE12.2.14 Strand and fore
dune complex. However some inaccuracies exist with the existing mapping, including:
>     the extent of remnant vegetation, in that areas of the Site that support dwellings and associated
      infrastructure are also mapped as remnant vegetation; and
>     the north-western portion of the Site also supports elements of Least Concern regional ecosystem
      RE12.2.5 Corymbia intermedia +/- Lophostemon confertus +/- Banksia spp. +/- Callitris columellaris open
      forest on beach ridges, which has a Least concern status pursuant to the Vegetation Management Act.
Representative photographs of the vegetation on the Site are provided in Plates 1 to 4.
The Site does not support any marine plants or land subject to tidal influences. Burgess Creek located to the
north of the Site is a freshwater system that is used to as an outfall from the Noosa wastewater treatment
plant.




8 August 2017                                          Cardno                                                        5