Ecological Assessment Report V2
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ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT V2 LOT 9 ON SP197677 204 NEILL ROAD MOOLOOLAH VALLEY FOR DAVID & CAROLYN SARGEANT SEPTEMBER 2015 Tel/Fax (07) 54505984 / PO Box 803 Coolum Beach QLD 4573 / Email: [email protected] ABN 44 851 168 122 Ecological Assessment Report v2 NCES REF: SAR2015-04 EAR Lot 9 SP197677– 204 Neill Road, Mooloolah Valley DOCUMENT CONTROL Ecological Assessment Report Client: David & Carolyn Sargeant Project SAR 2015-04 EAR Number: Project: 1 Lot into 4 Lot Reconfiguration Site: Lot 9 on SP197677 204 Neill Road, Mooloolah Valley, QLD Version Date Distribution Key changes made Author/s Approver 1 31st July 2015 N/A Nick Willis Joshua Lee Joshua Lee 2 9th September Update Plan of Nick Willis Joshua Lee 2015 Development Joshua Lee © 2015 i Ecological Assessment Report v2 NCES REF: SAR2015-04 EAR Lot 9 SP197677– 204 Neill Road, Mooloolah Valley EXECUTIVE SUMMARY North Coast Environmental Services was commissioned by David and Carolyn Sargeant to prepare an Ecological Assessment Report (EAR) for Lot 9 on SP197677, located at 204 Neill Road, Mooloolah Valley (referenced hereafter as ‘the site’). The EAR was requested to identify the environmental values of the site and to determine the suitability of a proposed Reconfiguration of a Lot (1 Lot into 4 Lots) development application for the site. The site is located in Mooloolah Valley and occupies the southern face and foothills of a steep ridgeline adjacent to Neill Road. The site is dominated by a mosaic of remnant and regrowth open Eucalypt forest on the mid to upper slopes and tall open eucalypt forest over vine forest understorey flanking the central watercourse at the toe of the slope. A largely cleared area is present over gentle grades within the centre of the site in which the proposed development is to be located. One unit of remnant vegetation containing ‘least concern’ Regional Ecosystem (RE) ‘12.9-10.14 Eucalyptus pilularis tall open forest on sedimentary rocks’ is mapped across the upper slopes of the site on the Department of Natural Resources and Mine’s (NRM’s) Regulated Vegetation Management Support Map. No clearing impact is proposed to remnant vegetation within the site. One flora species, Pararistolochia praevenosa (Richmond birdwing vine) which is listed as a ‘near threatened’ species under the QLD Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act) was located within wet sclerophyll/vine forest vegetation flanking the central watercourse. No impacts to this species at this locality are likely as no vegetation clearing is proposed within 100m of the identified individual plant. No other flora species listed under the NC Act or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) were found on site. A habitat assessment of the site determined the on-site vegetation represents both edge and core components of the local east-west aligned bushland corridor. Retention of viable connectivity through the mid to upper slopes of the site is deemed critical to maintain viable corridor connectivity along the southern face of the ridge, to bushland areas to the east and west of the site. The site is likely to host a moderate assemblage of resident terrestrial fauna. The extent of intact remnant open eucalypt forest within and bordering the site infers potential for listed fauna species to be present in the locality. The assessed clearing footprint is expected to impact a total of 0.1 ha of individual Eucalypts over grassy understorey (grazed and routinely slashed) which is mapped as an ecologically important area under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Map. This equates to approximately 98% retention of the total area (5.2 ha approx.) of mapped ecologically important areas on the site. The proposed site layout has been designed to minimise impact to the in-situ vegetation communities. The extent of proposed clearing is aggregated within existing cleared and regrowth areas. The layout retains the important east - west bushland corridor across the slopes of the ridgeline and also proposes registration of a conservation covenant over all remnant vegetation within the site. Overall the application represents a low impact development. The application has been assessed against Local, State and Commonwealth environmental and conservation development assessment frameworks, and determined to be compliant as follows: · Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, Code 8.2.3 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands – Compliant subject fulfilment of recommendations set herein; · SEQ Koala State Regulatory Planning Provisions – Compliant subject fulfilment of recommendations set herein; · Nature Conservation Act 1992 – Compliant; however no fauna survey conducted; · Module 8 QLD Sustainable Development Assessment Provisions & Vegetation Management Act 1999 – Compliant; and · Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – Generally Compliant; however no fauna survey conducted. © 2015 2 Ecological Assessment Report v2 NCES REF: SAR2015-04 EAR Lot 9 SP197677– 204 Neill Road, Mooloolah Valley CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4 2.0 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL ..................................................................................................... 5 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Topography ........................................................................................................................................ 7 3.2 Vegetation .......................................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Soils ................................................................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Access ............................................................................................................................................... 9 4.0 SURVEY METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 10 5.0 SURVEY RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 10 5.1 Flora Species ....................................................................................................................................10 5.2 Vegetation Communities ...................................................................................................................11 5.2.1 Vegetation Unit 1 – Open Eucalypt forest over grassy/shrubby understorey ........ 12 5.2.2 Vegetation Unit 2 – Tall Open Eucalypt Forest with Rainforest Understorey .......... 13 5.3 Weeds ..............................................................................................................................................14 5.4 Fauna Records..................................................................................................................................14 5.5 Habitat ..............................................................................................................................................14 5.6 Surrounding Habitat and Connectivity ................................................................................................15 6.0 DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS ....................................................................................................... 16 6.1 Vegetation .........................................................................................................................................16 6.1.1 On-site.......................................................................................................................... 16 6.1.2 Off-site.......................................................................................................................... 16 6.2 Fauna ...............................................................................................................................................17 7.0 LEGISLATION AND OVERLAYS ............................................................................................... 18 7.1 Local Government – Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 ............................................................18 7.1.1 Code 8.2.3 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands.................................................. 18 7.2 State Government .............................................................................................................................25 7.2.1 QLD NRM Remnant Regional Ecosystems ................................................................ 25 7.2.2 SDAP Module 8 Native Vegetation Clearing – Purpose and Assessment Framework ........................................................................................................................... 25 7.2.3 SEQ Koala State Planning Regulatory Provision May 2010 ...................................... 27 7.2.4 QLD Nature Conservation Act 1992 .......................................................................... 29 7.3 Commonwealth Government .............................................................................................................32 7.3.1 EPBC Act Protected Matters Search Tool ................................................................