MCU14/0106 & OPW15/0001 Appendix F - Ecological and Bushfire Management Response

Noosa Civic Expansion
Bushfire Assessment Report



As illustrated in the extracts from the Noosaville Natural Hazard: Bushfire & Acid Sulfate Soils Overlay (Map
OM9.4), presented in Table 3-2 below, parts of the Noosa Civic site and adjoining land are classified as a
Medium Bushfire Hazard Area. However it should be noted that the Noosaville Overlay mapping precedes
development of the existing Noosa Civic centre, other lands to the north-east and associated roads and
carparks, which have significantly fragmented the area of native forest surrounding the subject land, hence the
above OM8.4 classification is considered to be conservative.

Table 3-2        Noosaville Natural Hazard: Bushfire & Acid Sulfate Soils Overlay (Map OM8.4) Extract
 Extract                                                                           Legend




                                                                                   Indicative location and extents of:

                                                                                             The existing        Noosa       Civic
                                                                                              development



                                                                                             The proposed         Noosa      Civic
                                                                                              expansion




The SPP 1/03 Guideline identifies three features of the landscape that strongly contribute towards the
behaviour of bushfires, which are described in Table 3-3.

Table 3-3        Bushfire Hazard Landscape Factor Contributions
 Bushfire Hazard                     Contribution
 Landscape Factor
 Vegetation   community              The structure and species composition of vegetation communities determine the rate at
 structure and species               which dry fuel accumulates. Some vegetation communities protect fuel from drying out
 composition.                        in all but extreme bushfire seasons, making the vegetation susceptible to very destructive
                                     bushfires, whilst other vegetation communities may expose fuels to drying and therefore
                                     be frequently available for burning.
 Land slope                          As a general rule, bushfire intensity and the rate of spread of bushfires rises in proportion
                                     to slope, with bushfires burning faster and with greater intensity uphill, and slower
                                     downhill. Steeper slopes also increase the difficulty of constructing ring roads and
                                     firebreaks and limit the access for emergency crews.
 Aspect                              Aspect affects bushfire hazard due to the effects that exposure to direct sunlight has on
                                     different vegetation communities, including the drying rates of fuels. Aspect also
                                     correlates closely with exposure to low humidity winds that increase bushfire intensity.
                                     The intensity and rate of spread of bushfires tends to be greater on slopes with north to
                                     westerly aspects, although this influence is not considered to be significant on land with
                                     a slope less than 5%.



QIC Noosa Civic Pty Ltd                                       Version 2                                                  23 April 2015
J13041_Bushfire Assessment V2.docx                      Commercial in Confidence                                              Page 5