2017-06-06 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      6 JUNE 2017


A 25 metre wide electrical easement exists within the eastern boundary of the site and the Noosa
National Park. This easement contains power lines and the vegetation situated within the
easement is managed to protect the asset and generally limited to grass.
The following image details the 25 metre wide easement to the east of the site.

                                                        25 metres wide
                                                        easement




                     Figure 10: Aerial photograph detailing 25 metre wide easement

The national park directly abuts the sites northern boundary along which a continuous strip of
existing vegetation will be retained, the width of this strip ranges from 5 metres to 21 metres.
The applicant has submitted a landscape concept plan which is designed to accord with the
requirements of the Bushfire Management Plan. The need to provide bushfire protection limits
the amount of re-planting that can be undertaken.
Koala Habitat and Offsets
The application involves the clearing of 1.01 hectares of vegetation which is mapped as Medium
Value Bushland Koala habitat according to SEQ Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory
Provisions.
Survey work in 2014 failed to find koalas in the development footprint, with one koala located in
bushland south of the Noosa Civic development. A recent Council commissioned review of koala
records notes the intersection of Walter Hay and Eenie Creek roads as being a location for koala
movements. The vegetation contained within the proposed development footprint contains
regrowth vegetation used as a food source by koalas. No reliable estimates exist for the numbers
of koalas using the site and the surrounding resources.
The site is zoned for development as part of the Shire Business Centre and clearing is
anticipated to facilitate development. Clearing could be conditioned to comply with SEQ Koala
Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provisions. Any clearing of koala habitat is required to
be offset in accordance with Environmental Offsets Act 2014.


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