Ecological Assessment Report 44 Shaws Road Beerwah Lot 3 RP171397 Prepared by Bill Flenady For Innovative Planning Solutions 1 Ecological Assessment Report and Rehabilitation Plan 44 Shaws Rd Beerwah Lot 3 RP 171397 INTRODUCTION This report was commissioned by IPS to fulfil the requirements of a request from Sunshine Coast Council for a brief ecological assessment of the property, list of flora species present and a rehabilitation plan for the watercourse in the north of the property. Council is proposing a drainage reserve on the area in the north (Area A) and a 10 metre wide covenant on the watercourse in the south (Area B). The flora survey was conducted on Tuesday 13 October 2015. It complies with the requirements of the Sunshine Coast Council Planning Scheme Policy for the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Code and the methodology used also complies with the DEHP Flora Survey Guidelines – Protected Plants. Abbreviations used in this report DEHP Queensland Department of V – Vulnerable Environment & Heritage Protection NCA – Nature Conservation Act 1992 NT – Near Threatened (Queensland) RE – Regional Ecosystem EPBC – Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Federal) E – Endangered SITE DESCRIPTION The property (‘the site’) is located on the corner of Shaws Road and Otto Nothling Place in Beerwah. The majority of the site is cleared and planted with a variety of orchard species, e.g. mangoes, citrus, macadamia, loquat etc. Area A is mapped as Regional Ecosystem 12.3.4, that is open forest/woodland of broad-leaved teatree Melaleuca quinquenervia and swamp mahogany Eucalyptus robusta on Quaternary (‘recent’) alluvial plains. This RE is regarded as ‘of concern’. 2 Figure 1 Proposed Plan of Development 3 Although too narrow to be mapped the remnant vegetation in Area B is shown as the same RE in pre-clearing mapping. However field observations do not support this classification. While generally having some affinity with RE 12.3.4, in this case willow bottlebrush Melaleuca salicina is the co-dominant while M. quinquenervia is uncommon, and E. robusta is barely, or not co-dominant. The small size of the remnant makes dominance difficult to quantify with any certainty. Despite that caveat, both areas appear to be more a variant of 12.9-10.14 (tall open-forest of blackbutt E. pilularis with shrubby understorey on much older sediments). While there are no blackbutt present these may have been selectively logged as the species was, and is, a highly sought after timber tree, furthermore blackbutt tends to prefer well-drained soils so it is not surprising that it is absent from the areas adjacent to the watercourse. The pre-clearing RE map shows the balance of the site as 12.9-10.14 and the majority of the associate species in this RE are present, e.g. turpentine Syncarpia floribunda, pink bloodwood Corymbia intermedia and brush box Lophostemon confertus. The geological map for the area supports this contention, in that the site is on the Nambour Formation of the Woogaroo sub-group. The Nambour Formation comprises quartzose sandstones, siltstones and shale conglomerates (with coal in some areas). No areas of Quaternary sediments are shown. The vegetation along the watercourses should therefore be regarded as a wetter variant of RE 12.9-10.14, a least concern RE. This does not have any particular impact on the proposal as the areas in question are to be protected in covenant and drainage reserve. A full list of native species is contained in Appendix 1. There has been some planting of native species on the edge of the proposed covenant and along the watercourse at the rear of proposed Lots 6 and 7. While some species are not particularly appropriate, the only ones of concern are silver quandong Elaeocarpus grandis and flooded gum Eucalyptus grandis. These species are not appropriate in proximity to residential areas as both are shallow-rooted and susceptible to windthrow and limb loss. It should be noted that the watercourse in the proposed Drainage Reserve has been dammed for many years (see Figure 2). It should be considered whether it is appropriate for the dam to remain or whether it is more desirable to carry out a staged breaching of the wall to allow a more natural flow to resume in the creek. It was noted that the existing vegetation along Shaws Road provides a visual screen of the houses across the road. While some is on road reserve, the rest is within the site. Consideration should be given to retaining this vegetation to enhance the amenity of the proposed development. 4 Fig. 2 Standing water behind dam wall in proposed Drainage Reserve WEED SPECIES The proposed covenant area is relatively weed-free, except for a few minor patches of lantana Lantana camara, and occasional murraya Murraya cv exotica, easter senna Senna pendula var. glabrata, silver-leaf desmodium Desmodium uncinatum, moth vine Araujia hortorum, siratro Macroptilium atropurpureum, ochna Ochna serrulata and umbrella tree Schefflera actinophyllum. See Figure 3 5 Figure 3 Seasonal Watercourse in Proposed Covenant Area 6 The proposed Drainage Reserve is carrying a much heavier weed load, with a large infestation of exotic ginger Alpinia sp., numerous small-leaved privet Ligustrum sinense and some large umbrella trees. See Figure 4. Most of the weeds recorded for Area B are present and there are also several others not found in that area. A full list of weed species is contained in Appendix 2. Figure 4 View into Proposed Drainage Reserve from Road REHABILITATION PLAN A staged breaching of the dam wall should be considered to restore a more natural flow to the watercourse and remove the risk of drowning to unsupervised children. As noted earlier, the proposed Drainage Reserve is carrying a high weed load. This will need to be controlled before any work commences on replanting. In particular the vines and scramblers (Passiflora spp., silver-leaf desmodium, lantana etc.) need to be eradicated as a matter of priority. Most of the species present should be susceptible to Glyphosate BiactiveTM and this is the herbicide of choice due to the proximity of the watercourse. Where this is not effective, reference should be made to the Weed Fact Sheets available on the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website (https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/plants/weeds-pest-animals- ants). 7 Grassed area should be poisoned and covered with a biodegradable weed mat (e.g. Jutemaster Thick™). An access track should be left open along the boundary fence to allow for maintenance of the fence, width to be determined in consultation with neighbours. See Figure 4 Figure 4 Grassed area in NE Corner. Note mown strip along fence Planting should be at 2 metre centres except along creek banks where forbs can be planted at 0.5m centres. Maintenance period will be determined by Council, but should be for a minimum of twelve months and during the maintenance period any plants that die are to be replaced. A list of species recommended for replanting is included at Appendix 3. 8 APPENDIX 1 Native Flora Species p = planted species a, b = area in which species occurs DICOTYLEDONS Apocynaceae Parsonsia brownii (syn P. straminea) common silkpod a, b Casuarinaceae Allocasuarina littoralis black she-oak Convolvulaceae Dichondra repens kidney weed b Cucurbitaceae Diplocyclos palmatus native bryony a Elaeocarpaceae Elaeocarpus grandis (p) silver quandong Elaeocarpus reticulatus blueberry ash b Sloanea australis (p) maidens blush Euphorbiaceae Glochidion xerocarpum cheese tree a, b (syn G. ferdinandi) Homalanthus populifolius bleeding heart b Macaranga tanarius macaranga b Fabaceae Hovea acutifolia purple bush-pea b Lauraceae Cryptocarya glaucescens jackwood a, b Litsea leefeana brown bollygum a, b Neolitsea dealbata white bollywood b Moraceae Ficus coronata creek sandpaper fig a, b Malvaceae Commersonia bartramia rusty kurrajong a 9 Hibiscus heterophyllus native rosella b Menispermaceae Stephania japonica var. discolor tape vine a, b Mimosaceae Acacia maidenii maiden’s wattle a, b A. melanoxylon blackwood a, b Myrtaceae Acmena smithii lillypilly a, b Corymbia intermedia pink bloodwood a, b Eucalyptus grandis (p) flooded gum E. microcorys tallowwood b E. robusta swamp mahogany a, b Lophostemon confertus (p) brush box a, b Melaleuca quinquenervia broad leaved teatree a M. salicina willow bottlebrush a, b M. sp. (p) Syncarpia glomulifera turpentine a, b Waterhousea floribunda (p) weeping lillypilly b Oleaceae Notelaea ovata native olive b Polygonaceae Persicaria sp. 1 a smartweed a, b Persicaria sp. 2 a smartweed a Proteaceae Banksia robur (p) Grevillea robusta silky oak a Rhamnaceae Alphitonia excelsa red ash b Rubiaceae Morinda jasminoides morinda a Rutaceae Melicope hayesii pink euodia a, b Zieria minutiflora sandfly bush a, b 10 Smilacaceae Smilax glyciphylla sweet sarsparilla b S. australis barbed wire vine a, b Vitaceae Cissus hypoglauca five-leaf water vine b Araceae Alocasia brisbanensis cunjevoi a, b MONOCOTYLEDONS Arecaceae Livistona australis cabbage palm b Araucariaceae Araucaria cunninghamii Asparagaceae Cordyline petiolaris long-leaved cordyline b C. rubra red-fruited cordyline b Eustrephus latifolius scrambling lily a, b Cyperaceae Gahnia sieberiana sword sedge b Poaceae Imperata cylindrica blady grass a, b Oplismenus aemulus pademelon grass b O. imbecillis basket grass b Themeda triandra kangaroo grass b Typhaceae Typha domingensis common bulrush a Aspleniaceae Asplenium australasicum crows nest fern 11 PTERIDOPHYTES Adiantaceae Adiantum hispidulum five-fingered