Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report
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BASELINE KOALA ACTIVITY MONITORING REPORT Kings Forest A Report Prepared for Project 28 Pty Ltd NOVEMBER 2020 JWA Pty Ltd Suite C, Building 21 Garden City Office Park, 2404 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113 p 07 3219 9436 ● f 07 3423 2076 ● e [email protected] www.jwaec.com.au Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report – Kings Forest DOCUMENT CONTROL Document Title Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report Job Number N97017 \\SERVER\data\2000 & EARLIER CLIENTS\N97017_Kings Forest\ File Reference 2019_Baseline Koala Monitoring Version and Date RW4 30/11/20 Client Project 28 Pty Ltd Revision History (office use only) Date No. Delivery Issue Version Draft/Final Distributed To Media Sent Copies Method 1 RW1 DRAFT 27/05/20 Project 28 1 .pdf Email 2 RW2 FINAL 28/05/20 Project 28 1 .pdf Email 3 RW3 FINAL 30/07/20 Project 28 1 .pdf Email 4 RW4 FINAL 30/11/20 Project 28 1 .pdf Email Client Issue Author Approved by Version Date Name Initials Name Initials RW1 27/05/20 Nicole Davies / Adam ND / Adam McArthur AM McArthur AM RW2 28/05/20 Nicole Davies / Adam ND / Adam McArthur AM McArthur AM RW3 30/07/20 Nicole Davies / Adam ND / Adam McArthur AM McArthur AM RW4 30/11/20 Nicole Davies / Adam ND / Adam McArthur AM McArthur AM © 2020 JWA Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved. Copyright in the whole and every part of this document belongs to JWA Pty Ltd and may not be used, sold, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or form or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of JWA Pty Ltd. Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report – Kings Forest TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 4 1.1 Background .................................................................................. 4 1.2 Monitoring Requirements .................................................................. 4 2 DIURNAL SEARCHES ...................................................................... 6 2.1 Monitoring Methodology ................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Site Selection ...................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Sampling ............................................................................................ 6 2.1.3 Data Analysis ....................................................................................... 6 2.2 Baseline Survey Results .................................................................... 6 2.3 Koala Density and Population Estimate ................................................. 7 3 KOALA ACTIVITY ......................................................................... 8 3.1 Monitoring Methodology ................................................................... 8 3.1.1 Site Selection ...................................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Sampling ............................................................................................ 8 3.1.3 Data Analysis ....................................................................................... 9 3.2 Baseline Survey Results .................................................................... 9 3.3 Koala Activity ............................................................................... 11 3.4 Habitat Utilisation and Occupancy Rates .............................................. 12 4 HABITAT CONDITION .................................................................... 13 4.1 Monitoring Methodology .................................................................. 13 4.1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 13 4.1.2 Monitoring locations ............................................................................. 13 4.1.3 Plot-based vegetation surveys ................................................................. 13 4.2 Baseline Survey Results ................................................................... 14 5 PHOTO MONITORING .................................................................... 19 5.1 Monitoring Methodology .................................................................. 19 5.1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 19 5.1.2 Monitoring locations ............................................................................. 19 5.1.3 Photo Point Monitoring .......................................................................... 19 5.1 Baseline Survey Results ................................................................... 19 6 DISCUSSION .............................................................................. 20 6.1 Koala Activity ............................................................................... 20 6.1.1 Discussion of Results ............................................................................. 20 6.1.2 Comparison with Historical Data .............................................................. 20 6.2 Habitat Condition .......................................................................... 21 7 ONGOING MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ................................ 23 REFERENCES ..................................................................................... 24 APPENDIX 1 - BASELINE KOALA SURVEY RESULTS APPENDIX 2 – VEGETATION MONITORING DATA SHEETS APPENDIX 3 – PHOTOS POINTS N97017/BKAMR/RW4 JWA PTY LTD 3 Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report – Kings Forest 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background JWA Pty Ltd have been engaged by Project 28 Pty Ltd to undertake baseline monitoring for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population at the Kings Forest project site. The Kings Forest site is 846 hectares in area and is located in the Tweed Shire between Bogangar (in the south) and Kingscliff (in the north). The Kings Forest project is a master planned residential community comprising a total of fourteen (14) separate precincts (FIGURE 1): • Precincts 1 and 2: Employment Precincts; • Precinct 3: Community Facility/Education Precinct; • Precinct 4: Part Residential and Part Town Centre Precinct; and • Precincts 5 – 14: Residential Precincts. Koalas have historically been recorded over much of the Kings Forest site. Koala activity has been found to be widespread throughout the eastern portion of the Kings Forest site and adjacent Cudgen Nature Reserve, with other areas of the site recording low activity (Phillips et al. 2011, TSC 2015a, 2019, JWA 2020). The koala is listed as a vulnerable species within schedules of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016) (BC Act). The koala (combined population in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory) is listed as a vulnerable species within schedules of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The koala, between the Tweed and Brunswick Rivers east of the Pacific Highway, is listed as an endangered population within the schedules of the BC Act. The Kings Forest Koala Plan of Management (KPoM) (JWA 2019) was prepared to guide the protection and management of koalas on the Kings Forest project site. The Kings Forest KPoM contains detailed population and habitat monitoring programs, including baseline and ongoing monitoring and reporting. This report has been prepared in accordance with requirements of Section 8.2.2.1 of the approved KPoM (JWA 2019) and details the methodology and results of the baseline koala activity and habitat condition monitoring completed over the Kings Forest site in May, June and October 2019, and October and November 2020. 1.2 Monitoring Requirements In accordance with the requirements of the Kings Forest KPoM (JWA 2019) the aims of the baseline monitoring are to establish survey sites and protocols and to collect data which will allow future monitoring: 1. To determine any changes in the distribution and level of koala activity within the Kings Forest site; N97017/BKAMR/RW4 JWA PTY LTD 4 N MELALEUCA ROAD 8 1 2 DURANBAH 9 3 LEGEND ROAD * TWEED 11 Precinct Boundary Kings Forest Boundary 4 COAST * 5 7 ROAD PRECINCT PLAN Town Centre / Neighbourhood Centre Residential Community Facilities / Education 10 6 Employment Land Structured Open Space (Active) (Passive open space to council standards, location subject to urban design) Environmental Protection Area 50m Ecological Buffer (Includes APZs & roads where approved) State School Site * Proposed Zone Substation 12 (Subject to Country Energy final approval) Potential Affordable Housing Location Potential Road Connection to Melaleuca Road 14 12 Private Open Space Golf Course Area (Encompassing ecological buffers where indicated) Private Open Space including lake 14 13 IMPORTANT NOTE This plan was prepared as a preliminary concept plan for planning purposes only. As such all particulars, including lot design, areas and densities, are subject to detailed survey, site investigations and to the requirements of council and any other authority which may have requirements under any relevant legislation. This note is an integral part of this plan. SOURCE: RPS Precinct Plan Rev B CLIENT TITLE Project 28 Pty Ltd 0 500m dated 05/12/13 (Ref: 113691-PSP-4b(PRECINCT FIGURE 1 PLAN).dwg) PROJECT PRECINCT Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring Report SCALE: 1 :20 000 @ A 3 PREPARED: BW PLAN 1 : 20 000 Kings Forest JWA PTY L T D Melaleuca Drive, Duranbah, NSW DATE: 24 March 2020 Ecologic al Consultants Shire of Tweed FILE: N97017_Precinct Plan.cdr Baseline Koala Activity Monitoring