ATTCH 2 - IR Response - Ecological and Bushfire IR Response (Cardno)

: WE17035                                                                   11
13 November 2017


The proposed plan of development will not, due to both its nature and scale, have any realistic potential to
significantly impact on local populations of any native fauna species for the following reasons.

     a) The extent of fauna habitat disturbance/modification that would occur is negligible, with:

                      the Site having a total area of only 0.97 hectares;
                      of which approximately 0.35 hectares is occupied by existing dwellings and landscaped areas;
                       and
                      existing fauna habitats to be preserved and enhanced within approximately 0.33 hectares of
                       land that will be subject to Statutory Environmental Covenants.

     b) The quality of the fauna habitat that would be permanently impacted by the proposed development is
        low, having been subjected to substantial modification in the past associated with:

                      existing residential uses;
                      weeds; and
                      the construction and operation of a major roadway which extends along the entire western
                       boundary of the Site.

     c) The proposed development does not introduce a new form of land use to the Site, with the Site having
        been used for residential purposes for a period of approximately 30 years.

     d) Extensive areas habitat similar to that which would have occurred on the Site prior to the
        commencement of residential uses in the 1980s occur on public land in the Site locality, including
        adjacent foreshore reserves and the Noosa National Park.

In respect of Council’s request to “Provide a fauna assessment in accordance with Planning Scheme Policy
18 Ecological Assessment Guidelines Section 7” the flowing responses are provided.

     a) The Ecological Assessment Guidelines are guidelines which set-out the general nature of ecological
        assessments that are recommended to inform the preparation and assessment of a development
        application that triggers assessment against the Biodiversity Overlay Code of the Noosa Plan. Strict
        adherence to the Guidelines is not mandatory and the nature and scale of desk and field based
        investigations should be tailored to address the particular circumstances under investigation.

     b) To complement the ecological (flora and fauna) assessment presented in the Ecological Assessment
        Report (Cardno, 8 August 2017) a supplementary field survey was completed on 12 October 2017.
        The scope and findings of that supplementary survey are summarised in Annexure C. The findings
        of the supplementary survey are consistent with the findings of the previous survey work and findings
        documented in the Ecological Assessment Report (Cardno, 8 August 2017).

     c) The Ecological Assessment Report (Cardno, 8 August 2017) submitted in support of Application and
        the further assessments provided herein are consistent with the Guidelines for the following reasons.

                 a. Relevant reference documents and information sources have been considered.

                 b. The assessments have been prepared by appropriately qualified and experienced ecologists.

                 c.    The assessments are informed by an appropriate combination of desktop and field based
                       surveys and assessments which take into account the small size and disturbed nature of the
                       Site and the nature of the surrounding landscape.

     d) The information that has been provided to Council concerning the ecological values of the Site and
        the likely nature and scale of impacts to those values is considered to be sufficient to enable Council
        to make an appropriately informed assessment of the proposed development.




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