FINAL Response to Information Request_ 03.05.2016

A review of the bushfire hazard overlay contained in the Noosa Plan shows the site and surrounding area is
mapped as medium bushfire hazard. While the natural hazards, bushfire mapping provided by the State
Planning Policy of December 2013 indicates the Potential Bushfire intensity covering the eastern portion of
the site are very high and high. The lower portions are coved by a Potential impact buffer of 100 metres
around the very high and high bushfire intensity polygons.

A recent site inspection by Council’s bushfire consultant indicates:
     The proximity of the proposed development and structures to large areas of hazardous vegetation
       within the Noosa National park and the Giraween Nature reserve combined with the slopes of the
       landform around the subject site, make the bushfire hazard mapping as contained in the State
       Planning Policy of December 2013 more accurate than the mapping contained in the Noosa Plan.
     It was noted a number of potential koala food and habitat trees were located within the subject site
       along the southern boundary and whole the plans provided with the application do not show any of
       these being retained, it is likely that Council may require some if not all of these trees to be retained
       within the site.
     Irrespective of the retention of the Koala food and habitat trees within the site, there are a number of
       large trees within the adjacent road reserve and Giraween nature Reserve, some of which have been
       shown on the Plans and many of which are not. The retention of these trees, which we assume will be
       mandatory, will bring the canopy of those trees closer than that identified on the plans for the proposed
       structures, particularly Buildings “D”, “E”, “F” and “G”.
     The land from slopes up into the subject site from the south and south-west. Additionally,
       while the site is located on the western side of the sandy ridge, the norther boundary is only some 35
       odd metres from the top of that ridge with the landform sloping down and away from that ridge
       to the east and into lands which contains hazardous vegetation.
     A significant issue with coastal vegetation and fire is that afternoon wind changes can cause fires
       burning in a northerly or southerly direction to change once that sea breeze becomes dominant and
       this may clatter the direction of the fire significantly depending on its predominant direction where
       wind may be an influence. Again introduce slope into this change and it may be a fire burning to the
       east of the site could go from a low or medium intensity fore to a high intensity fire driven by a wind
       change and speed and slope.
     The site is located at the end of a relatively narrow and windy roadway which is some three plus
       kilometres from a clear area at Noosa Junction or 3.2 kilometres from Noosaville. It is acknowledged
       that the site is 300 plus metres from the Noosa Springs Golf Course and there may be shorter
       pedestrian links to one of the southern fairways, however, these travel distances are relevant for
       potential residents self-evacuating from the area should a bushfire threaten to area or for Emergency
       services, Qld Fire and Community Safety resources to access the site to provide some protection of
       life and property from a bushfire involving vegetation within the adjacent Noosa National Park or
       Giraween Nature Reserve.
     Added to this road network during a potential bushfire event are the residents of the existing
       residential units at the end of Resort Drive and the potential significant increase of residents and other
       members of the public which would be in the adjacent Precinct F following its completion.

The submitted Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan Report (Duke Consulting, November
2015) uses the mapping of the site as a medium bushfire hazard area to base its response to the overlay
code. Contemporary mapping contained in the State Planning Policy of December 2013 rather than the
bushfire overlay mapping in the Noosa Plan (amended September 2013) should reasonably be used. Based on
the State Planning Policy of December 2013, the proposed development: -
     Would not comply with Specific Outcome 04,
     The setbacks specified in response to Specific outcome 07 are not adequate and have not taken into
        considerations the proximity of the canopy to proposed structures.
     Additionally, the use of Resort Drive to facilitate safe evacuation may not be adequate and as such the
        response, without further information may also cause the application to fail Specific Outcome 07




JFP Ref: M2652                                                                                               Page 8