Noosa Biodiversity Plan Biodiversity Assessment Report
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General Committee Meeting - 12 December 2016 - Item 6 Attachment 1 Noosa Biodiversity Plan Biodiversity Assessment Report Prepared for Noosa Shire Council 2 December 2016 Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report DOCUMENT TRACKING Item Detail Project Name Noosa Biodiversity Plan: Biodiversity Assessment Report Project Number 2662 Liz Fisher Project Manager (07) 3503 7194 Suite 1, Level 3 471 Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4001 Prepared by Liz Fisher, Melissa Bruton, Mark Walton, Loren Appleby Reviewed by Ailsa Kerswell, Rebecca Britton Approved by Brad Dreis Status Final draft for Council endorsement Version Number 3 Last saved on 5 December 2016 This report should be cited as ‘Eco Logical Australia 2016. Noosa Biodiversity Plan: Biodiversity Assessment Report. Prepared for Noosa Shire Council.’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document has been prepared by Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd with support from Noosa Shire Council. Disclaimer This document may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the contract between Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd and Noosa Shire Council. The scope of services was defined in consultation with Noosa Shire Council, by time and budgetary constraints imposed by the client, and the availability of reports and other data on the subject area. Changes to available information, legislation and schedules are made on an ongoing basis and readers should obtain up to date information. Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report and its supporting material by any third party. Information provided is not intended to be a substitute for site specific assessment or legal advice in relation to any matter. Unauthorised use of this report in any form is prohibited. Template 29/9/2015 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ii Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report Contents Executive summary .............................................................................................................................. viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 Background................................................................................................................................. 12 1.2 Previous Biodiversity Planning Studies ...................................................................................... 12 1.3 Study scope and objectives ........................................................................................................ 13 1.4 Study approach .......................................................................................................................... 14 1.5 Study limitations ......................................................................................................................... 16 2 Noosa Shire’s Natural Environment ....................................................................................... 17 2.1 Location ...................................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 History ......................................................................................................................................... 17 2.3 Biophysical Characteristics ......................................................................................................... 18 2.4 Other ecosystem types & services ............................................................................................. 19 3 Biodiversity Values .................................................................................................................. 22 3.1 Vegetation communities ............................................................................................................. 22 3.1.1 Vegetation condition classes ...................................................................................................... 27 3.1.2 Conservation significant communities ........................................................................................ 27 3.1.3 Modified communities ................................................................................................................. 30 3.2 Landscape connectivity .............................................................................................................. 30 3.3 Threatened Ecological Communities .......................................................................................... 34 3.3.1 Lowland Rainforest ..................................................................................................................... 34 3.3.2 Saltmarsh .................................................................................................................................... 35 3.3.3 Littoral Rainforest ....................................................................................................................... 35 3.4 Flora and Fauna ......................................................................................................................... 38 3.4.1 Fauna species ............................................................................................................................ 38 3.4.2 Flora species .............................................................................................................................. 40 3.4.3 Habitat areas .............................................................................................................................. 42 3.5 River systems and waterways .................................................................................................... 45 3.5.1 Noosa River Catchment ............................................................................................................. 45 3.5.2 Mary River Catchment ................................................................................................................ 45 3.6 Wetlands ..................................................................................................................................... 47 3.6.1 Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR sites) ............................................................. 48 3.6.2 Nationally Important Wetlands .................................................................................................... 49 3.6.3 State Significant Wetlands .......................................................................................................... 49 3.7 Protected Reserves .................................................................................................................... 52 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD iii Noosa Biodiversity Plan – Biodiversity Assessment Report 4 Biodiversity Threats ................................................................................................................. 54 4.1 Climate change ........................................................................................................................... 54 4.2 Invasive species ......................................................................................................................... 58 4.3 Land clearing .............................................................................................................................. 60 4.3.1 Urban areas ................................................................................................................................ 64 4.3.1 Rural areas ................................................................................................................................. 65 4.4 Altered fire regimes .................................................................................................................... 65 4.5 Recreational Use ........................................................................................................................ 66 4.6 Degradation ................................................................................................................................ 66 4.7 Habitat fragmentation ................................................................................................................. 69 4.8 Human-wildlife conflict ................................................................................................................ 71 5 Biodiversity Significance and Risk Analysis ......................................................................... 72 5.1 Biodiversity significance assessment and mapping ................................................................... 72 5.1.1 Methodology for biodiversity significance assessment .............................................................. 73 5.1.2 Results ........................................................................................................................................ 74 5.2 Biodiversity risk assessment ...................................................................................................... 77 5.2.1 Development risk assessment.................................................................................................... 77 5.2.2 Climate vulnerability assessment ............................................................................................... 79 5.3 Conservation significance assessment ...................................................................................... 84 6 Noosa Shire Conservation