2017-06-06 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       6 JUNE 2017


A total of 1.01 hectares of vegetation is expected to be cleared, including building envelopes, car
parks and landscaping. This is less than the 1.5 hectare area identified as Recreation/Mixed Use
which would reasonably be expected to be cleared of vegetation with any development of the
site. On balance, the scale and extent of clearing is consistent with the master planning for the
Noosa Business Centre.
It is noted though, that the proposed development will result in vegetation removal within the
Open Space Precincts 1 and 3. The removal of this vegetation degrades the Open Space buffers
and will result in the development being visually more prominent to the streetscape than intended
and create the potential for edge effect on the National Park to the rear of the site.
The vegetation in the development footprint is regrowth vegetation consisting predominantly of
Eucalypt, Melaleuca and Corymbia species, with a mixed age class of pioneer species. The
species assemblage is consistent throughout the development site.
In compensation for the removal of vegetation within the Open Space Conservation Zone
required for bushfire hazard management the applicant proposes:
     …to dedicate an equivalent area of land, to the northwest of the development footprint,
     currently included within the Business Centre Zone as Open Space Conservation Zone.
     This will ensure that the development does not result in any net loss of Open Space
     Conservation Zone area within the site. It is noted that the Ecological Assessment has
     established that the ecological value of the site is consistent across the site and as such
     this outcome will not diminish the ecological value of the Open Space Conservation Zoned
     area.
The development requires the removal of 2,522 square metres of land within the Open Space
Conservation Zone and it is proposed to dedicate 2,529 square metres of land within the
Business Centre Zone.
It is not possible to re-zone the proposed dedicated land through a Development Approval.
Therefore, a covenant for the purpose of vegetation protection may be placed over the proposed
dedicated 2,529 square metres of land within the Business Centre Zone.
Whilst the site is vegetated and within close proximity of the Noosa National Park the vegetation
is not of the same quality as that located within the national park. A key finding of the submitted
ecological report was that no significant / protected plant species occur on site.
A review of the applicant’s ecological report by the Shire’s external consultant identifies that the
subject site does not contain remnant vegetation.
     An analysis of aerial photography showed significant disturbance and vegetation clearing
     occurred at the site between 1979 and 1993 followed by little to no vegetation clearing
     since 2002 and potentially since 1993. The vegetation on site is therefore non-remnant and
     regrowth is at least 14 years old.
The following images detail aerial photographs of the site which demonstrate that the site does
not contain remnant vegetation due to previous clearing.




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