Acacia Park, Browns Plains Development Approval and Waterway Barrier Works
Project details
Client: Byrne Consultants
Location: Acacia Park, Browns Plains
Industry: Construction
Business Services Provided: Assistance in a Development Application for clearing native vegetation and waterway barrier works to facilitate civil works and culvert upgrades.
Summary
The Cowie Environmental Services (Cowie) team provided guidance and expertise to Byrne Consultants facilitating the approvals required for the proposed works at Acacia Park. Environmental services provided to Byrne consultants included:
- Field survey, data compilation and subsequent preparation of a Protected Plants report detailing the findings of the survey and assessment, compliant with the requirements of Department of Environment and Science (DES) Flora Survey Guidelines - Protected Plants under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
- Desktop planning and environmental searches and review of the Accepted development requirements for operational work that is constructing or raising waterway barrier works (ADR) requirements to identify the requirement of a DA for waterway barrier works (WWBW)
- DA Report for Operational Works involving Clearing Native Vegetation required under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and Planning Regulation 2017.
- DA Report for Operational Works involving WWBW required under the Fisheries Act 1994 and Planning Regulation 2017.
- Consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
- Submission of the DA report to the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Principal Environmental Scientist
This role was responsible for identifying any non-compliant aspects of the culvert upgrade design provided by Byrne Consultants. Recommendations were made by Cowie to improve design outcomes and fish passage requirements by DAF. Brendan also consulted with DAF to understand requirements for flow modelling for the proposed culvert upgrades to be included in the DA report for WWBW.
Environmental Scientists
Cowie had two key personnel providing environmental support. These roles included undertaking the initial desktop planning and environmental searches for the project including Local Government codes of assessment and Matters of State Significance. Results of the environmental searches undertaken identified that the clearing of Category B ‘of concern’ native vegetation and core koala habitat was prohibited under the Planning Regulation 2017, requiring offsets and prompting the requirement of the DA. Additionally, Cowie completed the initial investigation to identify the requirement for a permit for WWBW and inclusion in the DA report.
This role also completed supplementary environmental searches for the project identifying the requirement for a field survey to be undertaken onsite in accordance with DES Flora Survey Guidelines - Protected Plants under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Results of this survey were utilised in the Protected Plants report submitted to DES. Cowie were also responsible for writing the DA for WWBW and clearing native vegetation including providing a number of State Code responses and performing geospatial analysis and GIS mapping for the DA report.
Key Outcomes
- Utilised previous DA experience within the Cowie team in responding to restrictions on development involving clearing native vegetation and WWBW for a successful outcome for the client
- Utilising key personnel with GIS skills to undertake geospatial analysis and provide GIS mapping to support the DA reports
- The Cowie team gained valuable skills in negotiating with a number of State Government departments to satisfy regulatory and planning requirements under State legislature.