Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan

5. Bushfire Hazard Assessment
5.1       Desktop Assessment
SPP Bushfire Prone Areas
The QLD SPP recognises the study area as containing two (2) areas of High Potential Bushfire Intensity encompassing
surrounding vegetation to the north, east and west of the subject site. Vegetation south of Mckinnon Drive is nominated as
Medium Potential Bushfire Intensity is located in the southern extent of the study area, three (3) areas of Mediumor High
Potential Bushfire Intensity corresponding to existing bushland areas surround the entirety of the subject site. Mapped High
Bushfire Hazard Area encroaches the northwestern extent of the subject site. The associated Potential Impact Buffer (100m)
encompasses the balance of the subject site and broader study area.
Refer to Figure 4 for an extract of the SPP Bushfire Prone Area mapping for the subject site and surrounding area.

Local Bushfire Hazard Overlay
The NP2020 Bushfire Hazard overlay mapping recognises the study area as containing three (3) areas of Medium and High
Potential Bushfire Intensity. The hazardous vegetation is located adjacent to the subject site to the north, and is located within
the study area to the south, east and west. The Potential Impact Buffer from the identified hazard areas encompasses the
balance of the subject site and broader study area.
It is noted that the spatial extent of the NP2020 Bushfire Hazard overlay aligns with the SPP mapping. The extent of hazard areas
corresponds to the distribution of remnant and non-remnant vegetation communities present within the study area and
surrounding areas at the time of mapping.
Given the conformance of the NP2020 mapping with the state product, refer to Figure 4 for the extent of the overlay mapping
constraints.

Vegetation Community Assessment and Fuel Loads
The Department of Resources (DoR) Regional Ecosystem mapping database was interrogated to determine vegetation
communities that could contribute to the bushfire hazard. The Regional Ecosystem mapping indicates that vegetation in the
south and northwest is classified as Category B remnant vegetation. Vegetation to the east, northeast, and southwest is
classified as Category C regrowth vegetation. The rest of the vegetation on the subject site is non-remnant. The regional
ecosystem descriptions within the study area are as follows:
      ▪       RE12.5.3 – Eucalyptus racemosa subsp. racemosa woodland on remnant Tertiary surfaces;

      ▪       RE12.5.2a – Corymbia intermedia, Eucalyptus tereticornis open forest on remnant Tertiary surfaces, usually near
              coast and on deep red soils;

      ▪       RE12.3.4 – Melaleuca quinquenervia, Eucalyptus robusta woodland on coastal alluvium; and

      ▪       RE12.3.13 – Closed heathland on seasonally waterlogged alluvial plains usually near coast.

It is noted that the regional ecosystem mapping is mapped as RE12.5.3/RE12.5.2a at a ratio of 80/20 and RE12.3.4/RE12.3.13 at a
ratio of 90/10. Given the dominant percentage of the vegetation community is identified as 12.5.3 and 12.3.4 respectively, it is
likely that this communities would have the higher degree of influence on the behaviour of fire front and thus will be use has the
vegetation classifications for the subsequent assessments.


Refer to Figure 5 for a spatial representation of regional ecosystem designations surrounding the subject site.
A review of the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) Vegetation Hazard Class (VHC) Fuel Load table (July 2019) provides an
accepted conversion of RE descriptions to appropriate Vegetation Hazard Class descriptions. It provides the 80th percentile
potential fuel load (PFL) categories for the relevant vegetation community, as replicated in the table below (refer to Table A).




www.thereforgroup.com.au    24-0565E/BF | Sunshine Butterflies | Bushfire Management Plan | 12.03.2026 | Version 1.0           12