5.6.1.4 income visitors by interstate overseas origin

Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor StudyFinal Impact Assessment and Land Use Transport Strategy

G:\ENVIRON\PROJECTS\9727\STAGE3\FINALIAS\FEB2000\CHAPTER05 Part A 5-16February 2001

5.6.1.4 Income

Caloundra City has marginally lower incomes than theState average, within nearly all the income ranges, witha higher proportion of households with a gross incomeof less than $20,000 as a whole.

In comparison with the State rates, Maroochy Shire hasa high proportion of households with low and mediumincome levels. This lower than State average incomeprofile is evenly distributed across Maroochy Shire.The Median weekly personal income level in MaroochyShire is $252.50, which is lower than the state averageof $286. Median weekly person income for Caloundracity is $229, which again is significantly lower than theState Median.

5.6.1.5 Vehicle Ownership

In 1995, approximately 92,000 vehicles were owned byhouseholds on the Sunshine Coast. The breakdown ofvehicle ownership is as follows:

q 9% of households do not own a vehicle;q 48% of households own one vehicle;q 31% of households own two vehicles;q 6% of households own three vehicles; andq 2% of households own four or more vehicles.

These figures are comparable with the State averages.

Maroochydore and Caloundra South have a noticeablyhigher proportion of households with no vehicles, whichmay be attributable to the relatively older age profiles inthese areas.

5.6.1.6 Tourism

The Sunshine Coast is a popular tourist destination, forvisitors from Queensland, interstate and overseas, andcan be broken down into the following:

q Visitors from Queensland = 36%q Visitors from interstate = 52%q Visitors from overseas = 12%

Source: 1996 ABS Census Data

In the 1996/97 QTTC snapshots, the intrastate touristvolume represented 62%, and the interstate visitorvolume accounted for 38%. The differences betweenthe 1995 ABS Census figures and the 1996/97 QTTCvisitor volume figures can be attributed to a number offactors:

q The ABS Census Data is collected for one dayonly, whilst the QTTC data is an aggregate of afinancial year;

q The ABS data was collected on the 6th August1996, which is considered a “low” season fortourism, but could include a preference of interstate

visitors escaping the colder areas to areas with aperceived warmer climate- Queensland tourists aremore likely to travel to the area to take advantageof the warmer climate in the warmer seasons.

Visitors byOrigin

QLD(000s)

Interstate(000s)

Overseas(000s)

Caloundra 108 44 13Maroochy 423 192 40

Source: QTTC Queensland

According to the QTTC, the Sunshine Coast region iscurrently ranked fourth in total domestic visitor volumein the 1996/97 period behind the Gold Coast, Brisbaneand Tropical North Queensland.

The QTTC also summarises the methods of travel usedby tourists when travelling to and within the SunshineCoast. ‘Private and rented vehicles are the main type oftransport utilised by visitors to the Sunshine Coastregion. In the 1996/97 period 77% of intrastate visitorstravelled to the region by private vehicle and 2% bycoach. 55% of interstate visitors arrived by privatevehicle, 15% by rented vehicle and 9% by air. 44% ofinternational visitors arrived by rented vehicle, 28% bycoach and 6% by air.”

5.6.2 Community Resources

5.6.2.1 Introduction

Community Resources have been defined in the 1996Maroochy Shire Plan as “facilities for the provision ofhealth, education, personal, community and familysupport measures provided by various governmentalprivate and voluntary agencies”. (MSC 1996:45)

For the purpose of this assessment, the term“community resource” will be used to describe:

q Indoors and outdoors Recreational Areasq Public and State Owned Open Spaceq Churchesq Schoolsq Hospitalsq Parksq Meeting Placesq Cultural Facilitiesq Aged Care Facilities- Retirement Villages & Nursing

Homesq Aerodrome, Airports

The Community Centres for People – MaroochyCommunity Centres and Facilities Studies states that“Queensland’s population particularly in the South East,continues to grow very rapidly. New suburbs areforming without the necessary infrastructure being putin place. Patterns of cultural and social developmentsin rapid urban growth areas are creating problems on alocal level, which are starting to show through in keysites in cities like Maroochydore.”



Some of the recognised problems in the local areasinclude residential areas being distant form serviceprovision areas and the clustering of infrastructurealong the coastal strip. (NORSROC 1995).

Community facilities are described in more detail insections 5.6.3 to 5.6.8.

5.6.2.2 Education

In the 1996 ABS Census data, 1% of the populationwere recorded as attending preschools, 11% primaryschools, 6% secondary schools, 2% TAFE and othertertiary institutions, 1% attending university, less than1% have indicating attendance at other educationalinstitutions, leaving 1% of overseas visitors, 4% whohave not stated and 74% of the population on theSunshine Coast not attending an educational institution.

The total number of persons undertaking Tertiaryeducation on the Sunshine Coast in 1996 was 3%, lessthan the state figure of 5.2%.

Educational facilities are described in more detail insections 5.6.3 to 5.6.8.

5.6.2.3 Recreation and Leisure Opportunities

There are a wide range of recreational and leisureopportunities on the Sunshine Coast, both active andpassive. Both Caloundra City and Maroochy Shireresidents have access to beaches, for activities such assurfing, swimming, fishing and other water basedrecreation. The following is an indication of the rangeof facilities available on the coast:

q Bowls Clubs;q Golf Clubs;q Croquet Clubs;q Indoor Sports Centres;q Boating Clubs;q Race Course;q Gocarts;q Skating;q Squash;q Tennis;q Netball;q Football, Soccer;q Swimming Pools;q Ten Pin Bowling;q Water skiing.

Other recreational opportunities on the coast includesurfing, swimming, water sports, bushwalking. Thereare a number of bike paths throughout the area. (seetransport and access sections).

Recreational opportunities, both active and passive, areoften named as contributing factors drawing people tothe region.

Recreational facilities are examined in greater detail infollowing sections.

5.6.3 Beerwah to Caloundra Road- SocialCharacteristics and Conditions

Social conditions and community resources are begrouped into two discrete localities within the Beerwahto Caloundra Road Assessment Area: Beerwah Town,and Pelican Waters / Golden Beach. Figures 5.6.3a &b shows the location of these focal areas.

Between these areas lies the Beerwah State Forest tothe west of the Bruce Highway, and privately ownedplantation forest to the east. These areas do notcontain any community facilities.

5.6.3.1 Beerwah

Beerwah is a railway town on the North Coast RailwayLine. Beerwah has a relatively young population profile.It is gaining a reputation as a ‘commuter town’.

The railway line traverses the centre of the town, withonly 1 major east-west vehicle crossing in the centre ofthe town, a pedestrian bridge over the railway line, anda small vehicle underpass at the end of ThompsonRoad connecting to Glasshouse Mountains Road.Residential areas are located on both sides of therailway, schools are located to the west of the railway,the industrial node is on the eastern side, and thecommercial facilities are mainly on the western side ofthe railway line. Existing severance is something thatthe town has grown up with, as the town located thereare a result of the development of the railway

The catchment for Beerwah High School extends toBeerburrum, Glasshouse Mountains, Beerwah,Peachester, Landsborough, Mooloolah and Glenview,and to a lesser extent, students living in Nambour,Buderim, Caloundra and Caboolture. It is assumed thatthe catchment for Beerwah Primary School would besimilar, but more centralised.

Access to the Schools from the eastern side of therailway would be via the at grade Mawhinney Streetrailway crossing, or for pedestrians via the rail bridge.

Figure 5.6.3a locates and provides details of thosecommunity facilities that are located within 1km of theexisting North Coast Rail Line or the proposed routealignment.

5.6.3.2 Pelican Waters/Golden Beach

The Pelican Waters / Golden Beach area falls into theCaloundra South SLA, which has a noticeably olderage distribution, potentially indicating that the lifestyle inthis area is desirable to retirees. There is also asignificantly lower proportion of people under the age of



25 in this area. The Golden Beach Primary Schoolcatchment covers Golden Beach, Pelican Waters, LittleMountain, Currimundi and Caloundra.

Golden Beach and Pelican Waters are located at thesouthern end of the Sunshine Coast, and areconnected to the rest of the coast only via two northsouth access routes.

Pelican Waters is a developing residential area,whereas Golden Beach is an older part of the SunshineCoast.

Located on the eastern side of this section is land usedprimarily for residential, with interspersed parks andrecreational facilities. Figure 5.6.3b locates andprovides details of those community facilities that arelocated within 1km of the proposed route alignment.

5.6.4 Caloundra Road to Currimundi Creek

The following section focuses on the area betweenCaloundra Road in the South, to the Mooloolah River inthe north. This section has been split up into twoareas, according to the location of communityresources and development along the corridor route.See Figure 5.6.4 for an illustration of these areas, andthe community facilities described in the followingsection.

5.6.4.1 Caloundra West/Aroona

The Caloundra West to Aroona area is comprised of acombination of industrial estate, in the south, a largetract of undeveloped bushland, south of SugarbagRoad, and some large lot residential development, withmore recent smaller lot residential development to thenorth of this area.

There are a number of Schools in the area, catering forthe school aged population.

Caloundra High School has a catchment area includingCaloundra, Little Mountain and the Kawana Strip.Talara Primary College has an ‘enrolment managementzone’ limiting the numbers of students so that theschool growth rate is not detrimental to the school. TheEnrolment Management Zone is bounded in the southby Caloundra Road, Sugarbag Road and SeagullAvenue, and the North by Currimundi Creek. TheNicklin Way forms the eastern boundary. CaloundraChristian College forms the western boundary.

There are severance and access issues within theexisting Caloundra West Industrial Estate andResidential areas. The industrial estate can only beaccessed at three points from Caloundra Road, and theCaloundra West residential areas are only accessiblefrom Sugarbag Road, Latcham Drive and StradbrokeDrive. There is no direct access north from residentialareas of Caloundra West, which can only be reached

either by travelling through residential areas of Aroona,or going back to Caloundra Road and then travellingalong the Nicklin Way.

There do not seem to be any defined major north andsouth access routes through Aroona, with east westaccess via Sugarbag Road/ Seagull Avenue, or KalanaRoad and Beerburrum Street. The unconstructed linkbetween Sunset Drive and Kalana Road forcesouthbound traffic to either travel through theresidential streets, or back to the Nicklin way via KalanaRoad.

Figure 5.6.4 locates and provides details of thecommunity facilities described above that are locatedwithin 1km of the proposed route alignment.

5.6.5 Currimundi Creek to Mooloolah River

The area between Currimundi Creek and the MooloolahRiver includes the existing Kawana developments andland upon which further development is planned.

The Nicklin Way forms a major spine through theCurrimundi to Mooloolah River area, and all existingaccess is located east of the corridor area, apart fromthe industrial/commercial area in the vicinity of MainDrive.

Between Currimundi Creek and through to theMooloolah River, there are few community facilities. Allexisting development occurs to the east of the area,with a high proportion of residential development, andwith some community facilities that are located anddescribed on Figure 5.6.5.

5.6.6 Mooloolah River to Maroochydore Centre

The following section focuses on a small area betweenthe Mooloolah River and the Maroochydore Centre.The Mountain Creek / Mooloolaba area is bounded bythe Mooloolah River and the Buderim MooloolabaRoad. The Maroochydore area is located betweenMooloolaba Buderim Road and the MaroochydoreCentre. Through this section, there are three routeoptions, the west (red) option, the centre (blue) optionand the east (green) option.

5.6.6.1 Mooloolaba/Mountain Creek

This area comprises three discrete residential areas,the suburb of Mountain Creek, the Mooloolaba and theMarra Court areas. The Sunshine Motorway separatesthese three communities.

On the eastern side of the Motorway, the residentialpopulation is relatively stable, and likely to decline asthe demand for tourist facilities increases. On thewestern side of the Motorway, Mountain Creek, is arelatively quickly growing residential area. A largeportion of parkland (Emerald Woods Environmental



Park) is located adjacent to the motorway, betweenGoonawarra Drive, Parkland Drive, Ocean Drive andBrentwood Avenue.

Access is limited between the Mooloolaba andMountain Creek areas, as the Sunshine Motorwaysevers this area completely. Access between theseareas is forced to the north and south interchanges ofthe Sunshine Motorway and Mooloolaba – BuderimRoad, and the interchange at Brisbane Road.

The Sunshine Motorway obstructs access between thewestern residential areas and the eastern residential,commercial and recreational areas of Maroochydore.There is however a pedestrian / cyclist underpassunder the Motorway between Goonawarra Drive andLady Musgrave Park / the rubbish tip. This is nothowever a highly visible crossing.

There are a number of community facilities in this areathat are located and described on Figure 5.6.6.

Maroochydore has been identified in planning schemesas a key regional centre, and as such is an area ofconcentration of commercial and community activity.Residential areas are located around the fringe of thecommercial hub, along the foreshore and the banks ofthe Maroochy River.

There are a number of schools located within this areaincluding: Immanuel Luthern College, MaroochydoreHigh School, Maroochydore Primary School and StellaMaris School.

Existing access into the centre of Maroochydore hasbeen subject to much study, the proposed SouthernAccess Road is one of the potential solutions beinginvestigated by Council. Maroochydore Road iscurrently undergoing major upgrading.

Between Mooloolaba Buderim Road and Plaza Parade,there are a number of community facilities that arelocated and described on Figure 5.6.6.

5.6.7 Maroochydore Centre to Maroochy River

This area includes a large expanse of undevelopedfarmland, which is currently under investigation formajor development. There are also a number ofretirement units, and residential properties adjoining themotorway.

Once again, the Sunshine Motorway acts as a barrier toeast west access, however there are three majoraccess points across the Motorway, including theMaroochydore Road interchange, the CommercialRoad/Main Road Overpass and the Bradman Avenueunderpass.

The Kuluin residential and industrial areas are located

west of the Sunshine Motorway, west of theMaroochydore Centre to Maroochy River area.

Figure 5.6.7 locates and describes community facilitieswithin this section.

5.6.8 Maroochy River to Sunshine Coast Airport

The Maroochy River is accessed for recreational usessuch as water skiing, fishing and boating.

Between the Maroochy River and the Sunshine CoastAirport lie a number of agricultural (sugarcane)properties, and the residential community of PacificParadise / Mudjimba.

The Sunshine Motorway has severed access to theeast and west, north of the Maroochy River. There areaccess roads in place to alleviate this severance. Theaccess severed is mainly access between agriculturalblocks.

No other severance / access issues have beenidentified for this section, although the entire suburbs ofMudjimba, Marcoola and Pacific Paradise are spatiallyisolated from urban centres, and need to travelpredominantly south to access a variety of communityfacilities.

Community facilities located within 1km of this sectionof the alignment are located and described on Figure5.6.7.

5.7 Geology and Soils

5.7.1 Beerwah to Caloundra Road

The area between Beerwah and the Bruce Highway islocated within the foothills of the Blackall range. Theaverage ground level throughout this area is aboutRL25m to RL30m with occasional small rises to about40m. Within this area, the proposed corridor isintersected by Mellum Creek (see Figure 5.7.1).

Colluvium deposits have accumulated around MellumCreek and its tributary streams. The colluvium isunderlain by the Landsborough Sandstone group,which also outcrops at ground surface towards theupstream end of the catchment. The colluvium maycomprise sand, silt and clay. Some of this material mayhave been laid down as alluvial deposits. TheLandsborough Sandstone group may comprisesandstone, siltstone, minor shale, conglomerate andcoal.

This area is mostly covered by parcels of pineplantation and is traversed by small uncharted naturaldrainage gullies which connect to Mellum Creek. Thesmall gullies are lined with pockets of melaleucaswamp. The access tracks through the plantation pineare unsealed and have a dense sandy surface. The



sand material in the tracks is believed to berepresentative of the near surface materials in thisarea. The tracks occasionally become boggy in thelower swampy areas.

There are also large areas between the parcels of pineplantation which comprise natural vegetation, such asmelaleuca. These areas generally surround MellumCreek and its larger tributaries. It is likely that at leastsome of this land would be quite swampy.

The area between the Bruce Highway and CaloundraRoad may be described as coastal lowlands. Theground level reduces towards the coast from amaximum of about RL15m at the highway to aboutRL1m just south of the Caloundra Aerodrome.

The near surface soils comprise alluvial deposits of thePleistocene to Holocene era. The alluvial deposits maycomprise clay, mud and minor sand in old estuarineand lagoonal deposits. There are occasional outcropsof the Landsborough Sandstone group which alsoforms the underlying bedrock. Melaleuca typevegetation covers most of the area and below aboutRL5m, the land is generally very swampy.

The Duck Holes Creek Refuse Site is located to theeast of the Caloundra Aerodrome and south of theroundabout at the end of Nicklin Way. The site is saidto have been operated from 1975 until 1989.

It is expected that this area was probably clearedinitially to form the dump. This is evident as thesouthern end of the site is now overgrown with tallgrasses which are dissimilar to the type of naturalvegetation which would be expected in this area. Thetreeline surrounding the site probably defines the limitof the cleared area and also the extent of the dumping.

Trench fill operations were used as the method ofrefuse disposal. As such, it is difficult to estimate theoverall depth of waste. The dumping appears to havetaken place progressively towards the northern end ofthe site. The site may have been filled in layers with aseries of fill mounds stepping up towards the north. Themounds are said to have a clay soil capping ofminimum 600mm depth. The mounds have becomeovergrown in places with tall grasses and weedspecies.

The main categories of waste types said to have beendumped on the site include all domestic waste, greenwaste, construction and demolition waste. No data isavailable as to the proportion of each waste typecontained on the site. The site was the main refuse sitefor the Caloundra area so other materials may havebeen disposed of by Council. Several types of wasteare visible at the surface of the fill mounds includingfuel drums, vehicle parts, car bodies, general domesticwaste, tyres, scrap metal, mounds of soil and rock andconstruction waste including concrete, clay pipes,

bricks and bitumen road surface.

Council has carried out testing of surface water atupstream and downstream water sources. Testing forgas emissions has not yet been carried out.

5.7.2 Caloundra Road to the Mooloolah River

To the north of Caloundra Road, the corridor intersectsLittle Mountain, which is a large outcrop of theLandsborough Sandstone Group. Little Mountain risesfrom the surrounding coastal lowlands (approximatelyRL15m) to a maximum height of about RL65m. Thechange in elevation in many areas occurs over arelatively short distance creating steep side slopes. Ameandering ridge line which is aligned roughly in theeast / west direction traces out the top of the mountain.Steep sided gullies have been carved into the sideslopes on either side of this ridge. Sugarbag Roadcurrently runs along most of the ridge’s length.

The subsurface geology and weathering profile can beobserved in numerous road cuttings and outcrops alongSugarbag Road. There is generally a surface coveringof sandy clay residual soil and extremely weatheredrock over intact but jointed, distinctly to slightlyweathered sandstone. Towards the lower part of thegullies, the soil profile would most likely comprisedeposits of sandy slopewash and scree. Largesandstone boulders, measuring over 1m in size, laystrewn over some areas of the gully side slopes. It isunknown as to whether these boulders have beenplaced here of if they have been transported by gravityor water runoff. The surface soils appear to becomesaturated following prolonged rainfall and theslopewash materials, in particular, become soft underfoot. The soil profile appears to be highly erodible asmay be observed by rilling in cuttings and roadsidedrains, and deep erosion ruts carved out in clearedareas within the gully side slopes. Apart from thiserosion, however, the slopes generally appear to bestable in their natural condition. The sandstoneexposed in the cuttings also becomes soaked followingprolonged rainfall and water may be seen seeping fromrock mass joints.

There is notable variation in the composition,weathering and strength of the sandstone rock. Bothfine grained sandstone and coarse grained cementedsand and conglomerate may be observed in the variouscuttings. The near surface rock has been softened byweathering to the extent that small blocks may bedislodged from the rock mass by hand and crumbled toa soil material. However it is expected that with depth,the rock would be mostly slightly weathered and veryhigh strength. This may be observed in the near verticalcuttings in a disused quarry on the south side ofSugarbag Road and in the road deep cutting at thepoint where the Sugarbag Road bridge crosses overNicklin Way.



The disused quarry is located along Sugarbag Roadbetween Lawman Street and Alexander Street. Minordumping of construction waste has been carried out atthe site. Waste materials include masonry rubble, metalscrap and several large diametre circular metal pipesections.

To the north of Little Mountain, the corridor once againpasses through the coastal lowland areas betweenCurrimundi to Parrearra. The average ground surfacelevel within this area is about RL2.5m. Two depositionalenvironments have been mapped within this area. TidalDelta deposits of the Pleistocene age extend inland fora distance of about 1.5km. The deposits comprisemostly sand with minor clay and mud. This may beobserved in the numerous excavations currently beingmade in the developmental sites throughout theBokarina and Birtinya areas. Further inland, the nearsurface soils are derived from old estuarine andlagoonal deposits of the Pleistocene to Holocene age.These deposits may comprise clay, mud and minorsand. The interface between the two deposits is ameandering line which runs approximately north southand it is likely that the corridor will intersect bothdeposits.

The corridor crosses the Mooloolah River to the southof the existing Sunshine Motorway Interchange atMountain Creek. The river banks in this area havewide, tidal mud flats which are heavy vegetated withmangroves. The banks appear to be stable in theirnatural state. Road embankments have beensuccessfully constructed over the mud flats requiringonly standard scour protection measures including rockrevetments and geofabric channel liners.

5.7.3 Mooloolah River to Sunshine Coast Airport

Immediately north of the Mooloolah River, the surfacesoils comprise sand as tidal delta deposits. The groundlevel varies between RL2.5m and RL5m. The BuderimLandfill site is currently operated to the west of TheSunshine Motorway in this area. Several large fillmounds are currently visible on the site. It is likely thatthe landfill has been constructed on the edge of anoutcrop of Landsborough Sandstone which forms theflanks of the Buderim Plateaux. Also associated withthe Buderim Plateaux are outcrops of Tertiary basaltand tuff as well as shale, siltstone, conglomerate andsediments, which occur around the intersection of TheSunshine Motorway and Mooloolaba Road. The naturalground surface level along the corridor alignment risesto a level of RL25m at this intersection before slopingback down to RL2.5m to the north of Mooloolaba Road.Between Mooloolaba Road, Maroochydore Centre andthe Maroochy River, the corridor passes over tidal deltadeposits, apart from an outcrop of LandsboroughSandstone where the corridor crosses MaroochydoreRoad. The banks of the Maroochy River have wide tidalmud flats which are heavily vegetated with mangroves.

5.7.4 Acid Sulphate Soils

During the earliest stages of CAMCOS, constraintsmapping was carried out to assist in determining themost appropriate corridor. It was noted that acid sulfatesoils occurred intermittently along large portions of thevarious corridor options. Acid sulphate soils wereconsidered to be an important issue with the potentialto have large impacts on all stages of the project, fromplanning through to design and construction. However,the fact that acid sulphate soils have been effectivelymanaged on similar projects, in the same general area,meant that they were not considered as a factor whichwould determine the choice of corridor, or the actualcorridor alignment. The ability to treat acid sulphatesoils effectively ruled out the option of avoidingpotential problem areas. In fact, for a project such as atransportation corridor, which is effectively a continuousstructure over a large area, is not consideredappropriate to attempt to avoid problem areas. Instead,it was decided at the early stages of CAMCOS that themost suitable approach would be to plan for detailedinvestigation over the project area and the design ofsuitable management principles.

At this Stage of the CAMCOS project, it is difficult tocategorise the potential for impact associated with ASSand discuss possible management strategies, withoutthe necessary sampling and testing being carried out. Itis possible to estimate the areas likely to be influencedby ASS. However, according to the QueenslandDepartment of Natural Resources, it is not possible tomake decisions about ASS management simply on thebasis of its presence (Smith et al. 1999). It isconsidered more appropriate, at this stage, to indicatethe importance of undertaking a detailed investigationof acid sulfate soils.

The proportion of the route potentially affected by acidsulphate soils may be estimated from the 1:100 000map of Acid Sulphate Soils, Redcliffe to Teewah, Map 2(The State of Queensland, Department of NaturalResources, 1999) which is reproduced in Figure 5.7.4.The affected proportions comprise areas designated asS, DLUs and DLUc on the map. The use of the maps inthis context should be as a mechanism to signal theneed for further assessment. It should also be notedthat within areas mapped as low or no risk, lenses ofpyritic material may still occur due to local variability. Ingeneral, however, it would not be consideredappropriate to prohibit an activity based solely on1:100,000 mapping. Instead, for a development such asCAMCOS potentially involving substantial disturbanceof ASS, additional sampling and mapping at about1:5,000 scale may be required (Smith et al. 1999).

It is recommended that for all future investigation,testing and assessment of risk should be carried out inaccordance with the Guidelines for Sampling andAnalysis of Lowland Acid Sulfate Soils in Queensland(QASSIT).



5.8 Groundwater Regime

5.8.1 Definition of Study Area and Topography

The groundwater regime has been considered for theproposed transportation corridor between Beerwah andCaloundra, but is concerned with the section adjacentto Portion 480.

The study area for this assessment generally lies inrelatively flat terrain at elevations between one andthree metres above sea level. Slight topographicvariations can been seen on air photographs whichreveal palaeo channels and meanders of LameroughCreek and subtle beach sand ridges to the east (seeFigure 5.8.1).

The transportation corridor in the study area is inrelatively undisturbed wetlands with dense vegetationof melaleuca and eucalypt species. Immediately to theeast and south-east, the area has been grosslydisturbed through clearing, earthworks and excavationof canals and lakes for the urbanisation of GoldenBeach and Pelican Waters.

To the west of the study area the catchments ofLamerough and Bells Creek have been altered byplantations of pine forests and installation of extensivedrainage of low-lying areas.

5.8.2 Geology

The conceptual model of the groundwater regime isbased on the geology obtained from the NambourSpecial 1:100,000 Geological Sheet 9444 and Part9544 (Queensland Department of Mines and Energy1999), (Figure 5.7.1), geotechnical borehole logs fromthe proposed arterial road (Geotechnics 1994)1, PelicanWaters Estate (Cardno & Davies Pty Ltd, 1997)2 and asite inspection.

The geology of this section of the route has beendescribed in detail in section 5.7.1.

5.8.3 Aquifers

The Landsborough Sandstone comprises lithofelspathiclabile and quartzose sandstone, siltstone, shale andminor coal seams. Both the weathered and fracturedsections of the sandstone form a minor aquifer whichprovide small water supplies of good quality to boresgenerally yielding less than 1L/s. Water quality isusually fresh and suitable for domestic consumption,stock and very limited irrigation.

The flood plain alluvium associated with creeks in thepine forest areas is composed of clay, silt and gravel. Itis likely to be relatively thin, of the order of severalmeters and containing water of a similar quality to thecreeks. It is considered a minor groundwater resource

in terms of potential yield to bores, but is important forthe local environment.

Around Portion 480 there are Holocene coastal swampdeposits of quartz and peaty quartz sand and estuarineswamps of sandy mud, muddy sand and minor gravel.These are flanked on the east by sandy beach ridgedeposits. There are minor estuarine deposits of sandymud and muddy sand around the tidal portions of BellsCreek and Lamerough Creek. From the geotechnicaldata, it is apparent that the aquifer is mainly a silty sandabove sea level with an average saturated thickness ofone to two metres.

All of the Quaternary sediments and the weatheredportion of the Landsborough Sandstone are consideredin this study as a contiguous aquifer system. Theaquifer system is considered minor in terms of anexploitable resource, but is locally important for theecosystem of the wetlands.

5.8.4 Water Levels

Groundwater levels are generally quite shallow, and attimes reach the surface, therefore interacting withsurface water. Geotechnical test holes drilled on theproposed Bells Creek Arterial Route (Geotechnics,1994)1 identified shallow groundwater levels between0.8 and 1.8m depth. It is likely that the groundwaterlevel throughout the area will be between 2m and thesurface depending on the season and climaticconditions. Locally the groundwater may be consideredperched where indurated layers exist in podsolic soils.However, perching is likely to be an ephemeralphenomenon.

5.8.5 Recharge

Recharge to the aquifer is mostly direct from rainfallwhich is offset by evapotranspiration and to a lesserextent, runoff. Recharge is most likely to occur duringthe wetter months from December through to May. Themean monthly rainfall for the Caloundra signal station(26.80S 153.15E) and estimated (Bureau ofMeteorology) mean monthly pan evaporation data areprovided in the following Table 5.8.5.



Table 5.8.5: Mean Monthly Rainfall and Pan Evaporation DataJAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC YEAR

Rain 176.6 202.4 208.0 172.9 170.3 102.4 89.9 60.8 54.0 81.1 113.3 143.6 1575.3Evap. 205 170 165 125 105 85 90 120 150 185 200 215 1815

Note: all values in mm

5.8.6 Discharge

Groundwater discharge is currently into Bells Creek,Lamerough Creek and their associated drains, as wellas the Golden Beach and Pelican Waters canals.Groundwater discharge into the creeks is likely to beonly a small component of the total stream flow.

5.8.7 Quality

Groundwater quality is considered to be very goodoverall. The total dissolved salts are very low; however,pH is generally acidic, which is typical of coastalwetlands. Table 5.8.7 provides limited analyses fromthree groundwater bores, south of Bells Creek.

Table 5.8.7: Water Quality Data

Borehole Number ANZECC Recommendations

Parameter 79637 79538 79537 HumanConsumption

LivestockWatering

Irrigationof Crops

PH 5.8 5.4 5.4 6.5-8.5 - 4.5-9

Total Hardness 13.5 30 5.4 500 - -

TDS (Salinity) 15 120 62 1000 3000 *

Sodium 15 23 15.5 300 - *

Chloride 24 28 21.5 400 30-700

Sulphate 2.2 <2 <2 400 - -

Aluminium <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 0.2 -5 5

Iron 0.07 <0.02 <0.02 0.3 - 1

Manganese 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.1 - 2Notes: All values in mg/L except pH

5.8.8 Surface Water Interaction

Groundwater interacts with the creek, drains and canalsthrough a small volume of discharge. During intenserainfall, the groundwater is likely to reach the surfaceand contribute to water logging and overland flow insloping situations.

5.8.9 Groundwater Utilisation

There is no known use of groundwater in the studyarea. To the south, between Bells Creek and the BellsCreek Road, a number of houses and vegetable farmsuse small volumes of groundwater. Extensive use ismade of groundwater in the Golden Beach and PelicanWaters area using spear points for garden watering.However, groundwater there is hydraulically isolatedfrom the study area by the canals.

5.8.10 Existing and Proposed DevelopmentImpacts

The concept plan for Pelican Waters shows the ultimatedevelopment occupying the area bounded by the North

Arm of Bells Creek and the Portion 480. Most of theland will be cleared and an extensive system ofinterconnecting fresh water lakes will be excavated.This will have a major impact on the groundwatersystem, but the lake system proposed along thewestern side of the development will hydraulicallyisolate groundwater in the Pelican Waters developmentfrom groundwater within Portion 480.

5.9 Ecology Overview

5.9.1 Terrestrial Ecology Overview

The coastal lowlands and ranges of the Caloundra toMaroochy region lie within the northern part ofSoutheast Queensland, one of the most species richbioregions in Australia (Young, in prep.).

The eucalypt and paperbark forest, wet and dryheathland, sedgeland and littoral communities presentin this area provide habitat for a highly diverse flora andfauna assemblage. Some 707 flora species have beenrecorded in the study area, with nine of those beinglisted under the Nature Conservation (Wildlife)Regulations as being rare, vulnerable or endangered.386 species of terrestrial vertebrate fauna (51 mammal,



40 reptile, 19 amphibian and 276 bird species) havebeen recorded within the region (see Appendices).These include 37 rare, threatened or otherwisesignificant species. This assemblage includes a rangeof species more typically associated with tropical ortemperate areas. For many of these, the region formspart of the northern/southern limit of the species’distribution. A number of significant fauna species arenow presumed to be locally extinct (eg. Death Adder(Acanthopsis antarticticus)).

A number of areas are considered to be essential to themaintenance and protection of biodiversity within thestudy area and have been identified as very highpriority for nature conservation (Watt, 1995). Theseinclude the Mooloolah River National Park, wallumhabitat adjacent to the Sunshine Coast Airport andmelaleuca wetland and heathland associated with Bellsand Lamerough Creeks to the immediate west ofGolden Beach. Extensive parts of the latter two areasare currently the subject of proposals to create NationalParks (E. King, EPA, pers. comm.).

A range of threatening processes have impacted, andcontinue to impact upon the abundance and speciescomposition of the region’s flora and faunaassemblage. These include habitat clearing andfragmentation of remnants, urban encroachment,invasion of exotic flora and fauna, changes to fireregimes and hydrology. In their study of remnanthabitat in Southeast Queensland, Catterall et al. (1996)identified significant losses of native vegetation coverfrom the region, with part of the area sustaining thehighest rate of habitat clearing of any of the localgovernment areas studied in Southeast Queensland.

The study area itself (ie. that land occurring withinand/or in the vicinity of the proposed railway corridor) isprimarily a disturbed landscape containing a mosaic ofremnant vegetation fragments, some of which formlarger, more intact habitat systems (such as thosementioned above). Figures 5.9.1a-f contain thevegetation maps for each section of the study area overa cadastral base, indicating the mixture of clearedareas and vegetation remnants present in the vicinity ofeach section of the proposed route. Descriptions ofeach mapped type are shown in the Appendices.

Significant Features

A broad range of features of ecological significancehave been identified within the study area, including:

q National Parks;q Rare and Threatened Species;q Marine Plants;q Critical Nature Conservation Areas;q State Forest Scientific Areas;q Endangered and Of Concern Regional Ecosystem

Types;q Significant Wetland Areas;

q Riparian Vegetation;q Significant Vegetation Types;q Areas of Regional and/or Local Fauna Habitat

Value;q Bushland/Wildlife Corridors;q Broad Nature Conservation Areas; andq Local Council Protected Areas.

Each of these features are discussed below. Therelative values of each, in terms of their rankings withinthis study, are discussed below, and their occurrenceswithin each section of the study area are discussed insections 5.9.1.3 to 5.9.1.6 and mapped in Figures5.9.1 g-l.

National Parks

National Parks aim to conserve representativeecosystems large enough to be self-perpetuating.Ultimately, National Parks are intended for conservingand preserving biodiversity. For the purposes of thisassessment, areas proposed to become National Parksare considered to have the conservation value level ofexisting National Parks (NP), namely National/Statelevel significance.

One existing National Park, Mooloolah River NP occursin the study area to the west of the Mooloolah Riverand south of the Sunshine Motorway. Two additionalareas are proposed as National Parks (E. King, EPApers. comm), namely:

q Parts of Lot 878, near the Sunshine Coast Airport;and

q Lot 480, in the Bells Creek-Lamerough Creek area.

Rare and Threatened Species

A number of flora and fauna species have beenidentified as being rare or threatened (vulnerable orendangered) within the region, and those species areprotected by legislation at both state and nationallevels1. The rare and threatened flora species known tooccur within the study area are listed in Table 5.9.1a,along with the broad vegetation types in which they areknown to occur (mostly Rainforest, Heathland andEucalypt Forest).

Turnbull and Olsen (1992) also identify some eighty-four (84) plant species considered to be noteworthywithin the Maroochy Shire (listing statements of thesignificant values identified for each species), drawnfrom a range of sources. These species are mostlyfound within rainforests, ecotonal forests andheathlands, with a few from eucalypt open forests andwoodlands and Melaleuca forests and woodlands withinthe area (see Turnbull & Olsen (1992) for details).

1Legislation: State - Nature Conservation Act (1992);National - Endangered Species Protection Act (1992)



Species of particular note occurring within the studyarea include:

q Pararistolochia praevenosa - rainforest vine, rare inSoutheast Queensland , and habitat for RichmondBirdwing Butterfly;

q Lepidosperma quadrangulata - heathland sedge,uncommon;

q Livistona australis - palm of ecotonal and rainforestcommunities, particularly associated withMelaleuca - rainforest associations in the studyarea; and

q Podocarpus spinulosus - heathland shrub or smalltree, known from Scientific Area 24 near Beerwah.

Both the survey findings of this study and existinginformation resources provide records for twenty-threerare, threatened or otherwise significant fauna speciesknown or likely to occur within habitats affected by thissection of the corridor. Species which are listed underthe Nature Conservation Act 1992 as rare or threatened(endangered or vulnerable) are the False Water-rat(Xeromys myoides), Elf Skink (Erotoscincusgraciloides), Death Adder (Acanthophis antarticticus),Green-thighed Frog (Litoria brevipalmata), WallumRocketfrog (Limnodynastes freycineti), WallumSedgefrog (Litoria olongburensis), Wallum Froglet

(Crinia tinnula), Cotton Pygmy Goose (Nettapuscoromandelianus), Black-necked Stork(Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), Grey Goshawk (Accipiternovaehollandiae), Lewin’s Rail (Rallus pectoralis),Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), GlossyBlack Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), GroundParrot (Pezoporus wallicus), Powerful Owl (Ninoxstrenua) and Richmond Birdwing (Ornithopterarichmondia).

Fauna species, known or likely to occur within habitatsaffected by the corridor, which are considered to havehigh conservation significance within the sunshinecoast region, though not listed as rare or threatenedunder state legislation include, the Eastern ChestnutMouse (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus), Tree Skink(Egernia striolata), the skink (Lampropholis guichenoti),Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus), SwampCrayfish (Tenuibranchiurus glypticus), Sword-grassBrown (Tisiphone abeona rawnsleyi) and the PaintedSkipper (Hesperilla picta).

A summary account for each of these species isprovided in the Appendices and includes information onconservation status, habitat requirements, localoccurrence and threats.

Table 5.9.1a: Rare and Threatened Plant SpeciesSpecies Name Conservation

Code2DataSource3

Habitat

Acacia attenuata 3VC B, D, L,M, T

Heathlands and ecotones with eucalypt openforests and woodlands

Acacia baueri V D, M, T HeathlandsAllocasuarina emuina 2E D, L HeathlandsAlyxia ilicifolia ssp. Magnifolia R L, M RainforestBlandfordia grandiflora R B, M, O Wet HeathlandsEucalyptus conglomerata 2VC B, D, M,

THeathlands and ecotonal communities withwoodlands

Phaius spp. 3VC O, L, M MelaleucaSchoenus scabripes 3RC D, O, T Coastal heathlands

2 Conservation Codes : (after Thomas & McDonald, 1989)

2 Species with a very restricted distribution in Australia (range less than 100 km)3 Species with a range greater than 100km in AustraliaE Endangered V Vulnerable R RareC Species known to occur within a National Park or other proclaimed reserve+ Species with a distribution extending beyond the Australian continent.

3 (Data Sources: B = Birbeck, pers. comm; D = Drake 199_; H = HERBRECS 1997; L = Low, pers. comm; M =Moran, pers. comm; O = Olsen, pers. comm; T = Thomas, pers. comm)

Marine Plants



The littoral communities identified within the estuarineportions of the study area include mangrovecommunities, saltmarsh, herbfield and Casuarinaglauca communities, and contain some of the mostspecies-rich mangrove communities in SoutheastQueensland (Olsen & Drane, 1993). These plants areprotected under the Queensland Fisheries Act (1994),and are of considerable ecological value to theproductivity of the associated estuaries and the longterm stability of the coastal systems in which they arefound.

Mangroves and saltmarshes provide important habitatfor a wide variety of fauna, particularly fish, crustaceansand birds. The richness of the aquatic faunalcommunities which move into the mangroves onflooding tides reflects the high productivity of suchareas.

A substantial area of mangroves (approx. 346ha)occurs along the Maroochy River while the MooloolahRiver contains relatively few. Bells Creek also containsa few patches of mangroves at the mouth of the creek.The mangrove and adjoining wetland communities inthe study area have recently been mapped in somedetail (Chenoweth EPLA, 1999), and their locations andextents are shown in Figures 5.9.1a-f.

Critical Nature Conservation Areas

Areas which have been identified as being of a veryhigh priority for nature conservation, that is, thosewhich are essential to the maintenance and protectionof biodiversity within the NORSROC Subregion (Watt,1995), have been mapped as Critical NatureConservation Areas. Critical Nature ConservationAreas in the vicinity of the study area include (in orderof occurrence, north to south):

q Marcoola Wallum - a wallum/coastal heath areanear the Sunshine Coast Airport;

q Moreton Mill Land & Mooloolah River NP - thecombined areas of the large, unfragmented area ofheathland, lowland eucalypt forest and melaleucaforest just north of the Mooloolah River NP, and theNational Park itself; and

q Bells Creek - a once extensive area of melaleucaforest and heathland associated with Bells andLamerough Creeks, to the immediate west ofGolden Beach. However, the eastern andsouthern portions of this area have been clearedas part of the development of Pelican WatersEstate, leaving considerably less than half.

State Forest Scientific Areas

State Forest Scientific Areas (SAs) are areas of StateForest land with a range of conservation-relatedpurposes. Two SAs have been declared in the studyarea:

q SA24 (Bluegum Scientific Area) - “established forthe preservation of unique (sic) vegetation typesand associations which have obtained exceptionaldevelopment due to the long-term exclusion of fire.Some areas have possibly been unburnt since1927 allowing closed heath to develop”; and

q SA59 (Soils Reference Scientific Area) - “purposeis to provide a soils vegetation datum takingadvantage of already described soils”.

Both these SAs are known to contain populations ofE.conglomerata (a vulnerable species), and SA24 isalso known to contain Podocarpus spinulosus andLeptospermum speciosum, considered to be ofparticular interest in the area (DPI Management Plans,undated a and b).

SAs are generally managed for the conservation of thefeatures they contain, in terms of significant species aswell as representative vegetation types.

Endangered and Of Concern Regional EcosystemTypes

Regional Ecosystem (RE) types have been identifiedand mapped (at a scale of 1:100 000) for the entireSoutheast Queensland bioregion (Young, in prep), andclassified as “Endangered4”, “Of Concern5” or “NoConcern At Present6”, according to the proportion ofeach type remaining at the time of assessment and thedegree of threat posed to each. As discussed insection 4.6.9 above, the scale of this mapping hasmeant that it is not directly applicable at the scale of thepresent study. Instead, the vegetation typescorresponding most nearly to Endangered and OfConcern RE’s were identified, and the conservationstatus of each was considered to be equivalent to thatof the corresponding RE. The relevant RE’s are listedin Table 5.9.1b below, together with their nearestcorresponding vegetation type and current conservationstatus.

4 Endangered: <5% pre-European extent remains in anintact condition in the region, and is poorly representedwithin protected areas5 Of Concern: 5-30% pre-European extent remains inan intact condition in the region, or is a naturallyrestricted type subject to an active threatening process6 No Concern At Present: >30% pre-European extentremains in an intact condition in the region.



Table 5.9.1b: Relevant Regional EcosystemsRegional Ecosystem (RE) Equivalent Vegetation Type(s) Status12.1.3 – Mangrove shrubland to low closed forest onmarine clay plains and estuaries

Littoral Communities, 1A(i), 1B(i), 1B(ii)a,1B(ii)b, 1B(iii), 1C(i), 1C(ii), 1D(i), 1D(ii), 1E(i),1F(i), 1F(ii), 1F(iii)

No concern at present

12.2.7 – Melaleuca quinquenervia or M. viridiflora openforest to woodland on sand plains

Melaleuca Forest & Woodland (in part),7A(ii)a, 7A(ii)b, 7C(ii), 7C(iii)

No concern at present

12.2.12 – Closed heath on seasonally waterloggedplains

Heathland, Heath No concern at present

12.3.1 – Gallery rainforest (notophyll rainforest) onalluvial plains

Rainforest (riparian), Remnant RiverineCommunities

Of Concern

12.3.2 – Eucalyptus grandis tall open forest on alluvialplains and associated with lower slopes

Eucalypt Open Forest & Woodland (riparian) No concern at present

12.3.5 – Melaleuca quinquenervia tall open forest nearcoastal alluvial plains

Melaleuca Forest & Woodland (in part), 7A(I),7B(i), Ecotonal Forest (in part)

Of Concern

12.3.14 - Banksia aemula woodland on alluvial plainsnear coast

Eucalypt Open Forest & Woodland (in part) No concern at present

12.5.3 – Eucalyptus tindaliae + E. racemosa woodlandon remnant Tertiary surfaces

Eucalypt Open Forest & Woodland (in part) Of Concern

12.9/10.14 - Eucalyptus pilularis tall open forest onsedimentary rocks


12.9/10.17 - Mixed forest of Corymbia citriodora,Eucalyptus siderophloia, E. major, E. acmenoides onsedimentary rocks


12.9/10.22 - Closed sedgeland/shrubland onsedimentary rocks. Coastal parts.

Heathland No concern at present

Following advice from EPA officers, Endangered andOf Concern REs are considered here to be of State,level significance.

Significant Wetland Areas

The recent (draft) Conservation Assessment of CoastalWetlands (Chenoweth EPLA, 1999) identified a numberof wetland areas as being Regionally Significant and ofMajor Habitat importance, based on a range of factors,including “Diagnostic” criteria such as:

q representativeness;q size;q diversity;q boundaries;q connectivity to water;q connectivity (measure of wetland fragmentation);

andq adjoining habitat.

and “Modifying” criteria such as:

q significant species;q wader habitat;q connectivity with seagrass, mudbanks /sandbanks;q ACMS database; andq expert knowledge.

Full details of methodology used in this process shouldbe sought from the original report (Chenoweth EPLA,1999).

Both of these wetland significance categories arerecommended in that report for inclusion in controldistricts, and are considered here to be at a regional(rather than National or State), non-statutory level ofsignificance.

Riparian Vegetation

Riparian vegetation along waterways can containimportant flora species and form important refuge areasfor fauna. When these riparian strips are surroundedby clear and/or disturbed land, they are often classedas biological sinks. That is, riparian vegetation oftencontains remnant species usually associated with moredense vegetation types such as rainforest and ecotonalhabitats. In association with the vegetation, the faunadiversity is often higher than in surrounding habitats.

The riparian vegetation along waterways also providesvalue to wildlife as a movement corridor, thus allowingmobile species such as birds and bats to movebetween different habitat patches.

Riparian vegetation acts also as a buffer to retard thepassage of litter and pollutants from urban developmentwhich may enter the waterway where riparianvegetation is absent.

Significant Vegetation Types

A range of vegetation types have been identified inlocal/regional studies (Olsen & Drane 1993, Watt 1995)as being of particular ecological significance (Priority 1)within the region, namely:



q Rainforest;q Melaleuca Forest and Woodland;q Heathland and associated communities;q Ecotonal/Wet Sclerophyll Forest;q Littoral Vegetation/Buffer communities; andq Some of the Eucalypt Open Forest and Woodland

types (mostly those dominated by E. racemosa).

Broad Nature Conservation Areas

Areas which have been identified as being of a high tomoderate priority for nature conservation, that is, thosewhich are important to the maintenance and protectionof biodiversity in the NORSROC Subregion (Watt,1995), have been mapped as Broad NatureConservation Areas. These are multiple use areas, inwhich it is essential that conservation be adopted intoland management practices, and attempts are made tomaintain biodiversity and the functioning of naturalsystems. Their intended purposes include:

q providing buffers around Critical NatureConservation Areas;

q providing linkages between natural landscapefeatures and thus opportunities for faunamovement and flora dispersal;

q protecting water catchment values; andq maintaining landscape values and biodiversity.

Bushland/Wildlife Corridors

Corridors through which fauna species can move andflora species can disperse are of considerableecological significance. They allow the mixing andspread of genetic material, and the natural re-introduction of species following localised extinctionswithin individual remnants. Such corridors typicallyoccur between existing areas of remnant vegetation,and along the waterways (rivers, creeks, etc) of theregion, including:

q Bellbird Creek;q Mountain Creek;q Sippy Creek;q Blue Gum Creek;q Lamerough Creekq Bells Creek;q Mellum Creek;q Currimundi Creek;q Sippy Creek;q Coochin Creek;q Mooloolah River; andq Maroochy River.

The value to wildlife of these corridors is diminished bydisturbance, fragmentation and invasion by exoticspecies.

Local Council Protected Areas

A range of areas are protected under various localcouncil provisions, including:

q Conservation zonings on Strategic Plans;q Vegetation Protection Areas (protected by Local

Laws);q 10 metre “Prohibited Zones” along creeks in Rural

Zoned lands;q Areas of ecological interest to Council (eg. around

Ewen Maddock Dam) to which stringentenvironmental controls would be applied in theevent of any impact being proposed; and

q Areas to which non-clearance conditions havebeen applied through the town planning process(eg. near Sugarbag Rd).

5.9.1.1 Assignment of Significance to EcologicalFeatures

Each of the ecological features described above wereassigned a significance ranking using the following fourcategories:

Very High National / State level featuresHigh Regional level featuresModerate Local level featuresLow No features of a local or higher level of

significance

The features and their relevant ranking are given inTable 5.9.1c below.

Table 5.9.1c: Ecological Features and theirSignificance RankingFeature Significance

National Parks VERY HIGH

Rare and/or Threatened Species VERY HIGH

Marine Plants VERY HIGH

Critical Nature Conservation Areas VERY HIGH

Endangered and/or Of Concern RETypes VERY HIGH

State Forest Scientific Areas HIGH

Significant Wetland Areas HIGH

Areas of regional and/or local faunahabitat value HIGH

Bushland/Wildlife Corridors MODERATE

Riparian vegetation MODERATE

Significant Vegetation Types MODERATE

Broad Nature Conservation Areas MODERATE

Local Council Protected Areas MODERATE

(native vegetation not included above) LOW



5.9.1.2 Beerwah to Caloundra Road

The ecological features present within this sectioninclude:

q Proposed National Park (Lot 480);q Rare and Threatened Species;q Marine Plants;q Critical Nature Conservation Area (a small

remaining portion of the Bells Creek Area);q Bushland/Wildlife Corridors (Coochin, Mellum,

Bluegum, Bells & Lamerough Creeks);q State Forest Scientific Areas;q Endangered and Of Concern RE Types;q Significant Wetlands Areas;q Riparian vegetation;q Significant Vegetation Types;q Broad Nature Conservation Area (west of the

Highway and surrounding portions of the BellsCreek Critical Nature Conservation Area); and

q Local Council Protected Areas (including a 10mProhibited Zone along Bellbird Creek and overparts of the remaining Bells/Lamerough Creekwetland area).

Figure 5.9.1g indicates the locations of each of thesesignificant features. The nature of each is discussedbelow, and the overall values identified in this section ofthe study area are summarised in Table 5.9.1d.

Terrestrial Flora

To the west of the Bruce Highway, this area coversmostly pine plantation and cleared areas, but alsoincludes three creeklines and a number of areas ofremnant vegetation (see Figure 5.9.1a & b).

The creeklines in this section, in order of crossing fromwest to east, are Bluegum Creek (a tributary of MellumCreek), Bellbird Creek (a tributary of Bluegum Creek),an unnamed tributary of Bluegum Creek, Mellum Creekand an unnamed tributary of Mellum Creek.

The native vegetation along these creeklines has beenmuch reduced by past land clearing practices insurrounding areas (for both plantation forestry andagriculture). The remaining vegetation is somewhatdisturbed in places, having been invaded by weeds andcrossed by occasional roads and access tracks.Nevertheless, there are melaleuca forest, rainforest,heathland, eucalypt forest and ecotonal forest remnantsalong the creeklines which provide some fauna habitatand forms wildlife movement corridors linking largerremnant areas. The ecotonal forest along MellumCreek in particular, is likely to contain Pararistolochiapraevenosa, a noteworthy vine species. Therainforest/melaleuca (Ecotonal) patches on BellbirdCreek contain Livistona australis palms, and one of thetypes which equates to RE 12.3.5 (an of concern RE).

To the south of Bellbird Creek, and extending to

Bluegum Creek in the south, lies Bluegum ScientificArea (SA24). This SA is known to contain E.conglomerata, as is the nearby Bluegum NP (to thewest of the existing railway line).

Further east towards the highway, the section includespredominantly pine plantation areas, except for arelatively large dam, a forested area at Mt Alpha/Alf’sHill (names for the site seem to vary from source tosource) and the adjacent Scientific Area (SA59) whichis linked to the forested areas associated with the Hillby a narrow band of heathland. The dam is lined withmelaleuca woodland backed by a fringe of remnanteucalypt forest, while the Hill and SA contain a mosaicof eucalypt forest types grading into heathland in thelower-lying areas closest to the highway. SA59 isknown to contain a small population of E. conglomerata(DPI undated, b).

To the immediate east of the Highway, this sectionpasses through privately-owned land containingpredominantly pine plantations. These pine forests areinterlaced (particularly towards the east) with themelaleuca-lined branches and tributaries of BellsCreek, which in some areas are backed by remnantpatches of eucalypt forest. A sparse littoral fringe linesthe lower portions of this creek system, containing amixture of mangrove species and occasional claypanpatches. A drain has been cut along the easternmargin of the pine planted area, connecting with thenorth branch of Bells Creek, and this drain has becomelined with mangroves also.

To the east of the pine plantations lie the remnants ofthe Bells Creek wetland area, dominated by melaleucaforest types with occasional heath patches. A range ofrare, threatened and otherwise significant plant speciesare likely to occur in this area, including christmas bells(Blandfordia grandiflora), ground orchids (Phaias spp.)and Lepidosperma quadrangulata each of which tend tooccur in wetland areas such as this, away fromdeveloped areas.

Some of the north-eastern tributaries of Bells Creekappear to have a common source with the upperreaches of Lamerough creek in the wetland area on Lot480, which contains the bulk of the original Bells CreekCritical Conservation Area, and which is proposed to bedeclared as a National Park (E. King, EPA pers.comm.).

On the south-eastern margin of this section, betweenBells and Lamerough Creeks, extensive clearing ofnative vegetation has been undertaken on the PelicanWaters development site, with the result that largeareas (extending almost to the banks of Bells Creekand into the once extensive wetland areas of the BellsCreek Critical Conservation Area) are now effectivelyunvegetated.

To the north of the Pelican Waters site lies the portion



of the wetland system directly associated withLamerough Creek. This area contains melaleuca forestwhich borders onto eucalypt forest towards the tip siteto the north. Acacia attenuata is known to occuraround the margins of the eucalypt forest in this area.

To the west of the old tip site lies the CaloundraAerodrome, the vegetation around which includesextensive heathland, melaleuca and eucalypt forestareas. These areas are known to contain at least five

rare and/or threatened plant species, including Acaciaattenuata, Acacia baueri, Alyxia ilicifolia ssp.magnifolia, Blandfordia grandiflora and Schoenusscabripes.

The remnant vegetation patch between the RotaryPark, Aerodrome and old tip sites contains botheucalypt and melaleuca forest elements in a relativelynarrow, track-laced strip.

Table 5.9.1d: Beerwah - Caloundra Road Area - Summary of Flora Feature ValuesArea Features4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11SA 24 E. conglomerata Yes Heathland yesBellbird Ck 12.3.5 yes Melaleuca,

Rainforestyes

Bluegum Ck trib. Melaleuca,Heathland

yes

Mellum Ck yes Ecotonal yesMellum Ck trib. 12.5.3 yes Eucalypt (E.

racemosadominant)

yes

Dam Melaleuca YesMt Alpha/Alf’s hill Eucalypt (E.

racemosadominant)

SA59 Yes Heathland,Eucalypt (E.racemosadominant)

Yes

Bells Ck Sth.Branch

140 yes Melaleuca yes

Bells Ck N Branchtrib.

yes 139 yes Melaleuca Yes yes

Bells Ck wetlands yes B. grandiflora(likely)

yes yes 138 yes Melaleuca,Heathland

yes

Lamerough Ckwetlands

yes A. attenuata yes 138 yes Melaleuca,Heathland

yes

CaloundraAerodrome

yes A. attenuata,A. baueriA. ilicifolia ssp.Magnifolia,B. grandiflora, S.scabripes

yes Melaleuca,Heathland

Yes yes

Rotary Park – tip Melaleuca yes

4Features:1: National Parks2: Rare and/or Threatened Species3: Marine Plants4: Critical Nature Conservation Areas5: State Forest Scientific Areas6: Endangered and/or Of Concern RE Types7: Significant Wetland Areas8: Riparian vegetation9: Significant Vegetation Types10: Broad Nature Conservation Areas11: Local Council Protected Areas

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