Bushfire Risk Assessment – Brisbane City Council

Bushfires are a fundamental part of the Australian landscape and have helped to shape the evolution of our unique ecosystems across thousands of years. The potential impacts of bushfire in Queensland is of growing concern, particularly given the increasing occurrence of days of extreme heat, which affects the severity of bushfires. Litoria Consulting were engaged by Brisbane City Council to undertake a Bushfire Risk Assessment for the whole of the local government area. The purpose of the project was to ensure that Council’s planning scheme Brisbane City Plan 2014 meets the requirements of the State Planning Policy – state interest guidance material and Bushfire Resilient Communities. The purpose of the project was to ensure that future bushfire risk in Brisbane is avoided or mitigated to an acceptable or tolerable level through:

1. Identification of bushfire hazard – the likelihood of a bushfire and its potential intensity.
2. Consideration of exposure and risks – the number of people, buildings or infrastructure which could be subject to bushfire attack.
3. Measures which reduce vulnerability – the likelihood or extent of damage or injury caused to the exposed assets or people if impacted by a natural hazard of a given intensity.

The overall outcomes of the project ensured that Council’s mapping of bushfire prone areas and its statutory planning response:

• appropriately integrates and achieves the relevant State requirements, including the projected impacts of climate change, and,
• ensures that bushfire risks are avoided or mitigated to protect people and property and enhance the community’s resilience to natural hazards.

Residential subdivision – Rochedale

Litoria Ecologists were engaged to undertake an ecological assessment to determine the presence of ecological features that may exist on site, and to identify bushfire hazards. The assessment identified a threatened species (Tusked Frog) and resulted in the conservation of habitat for the species.

The scope of work included:

• Field investigations:
  • Tree survey;
  • Assessment of bushfire hazards;
  • Koala survey and habitat assessment; and, 
  • Assessment of waterway corridor rehabilitation requirements.
• Technical reporting, including:
  • Vegetation Retention Plan;
  • Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan;
  • Rehabilitation Concept Plan; and,
  • Species Management Plan for the Tusked Frog. 

Protected plant survey – Archerfield Wetlands

The protected plants requirements under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) are intended to regulate the clearing of critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and/or near threatened plants listed under the Nature Conservation (Pants) Regulation 2020 (Qld). In accordance with the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) Flora Survey Guidelines – Protected Plants, Litoria Consulting were engaged by the Brisbane Sustainability Agency to:

• Undertake a protected plants flora survey;
• In the absence of any protected plants, prepare a Flora Survey Report for submission to the State.

Although no protected plants were identified as part of this project, Litoria Consulting are also able to prepare Impact Management Plans and/or Species Management Plans where required to accompany a clearing application, and which outline appropriate management measures for projects to protected our threatened species.

Project Management projects

Litoria Consulting regularly provide project management services to clients on a range of projects, which largely relate to revegetation, rehabilitation and the provision of environmental offsets. Example projects include:

• Nudgee – offset management
• Manly West – waterway rehabilitation
• Gold Coast – revegetation
• Indooroopilly – ecological restoration
• The Gap – landscaping
• Calamvale – rehabilitation
• Fig Tree Pocket – rehabilitation

Our staff hold formal qualifications in project management and have experience in many aspects of management. Specific experience includes tendering and procurement, project and program management, quality assurance, asset management, contract administration, risk management and stakeholder engagement.

EPBC Act Referral – Redbank Plains

The project involved the delivery of Commonwealth environmental approvals for a development at Redbank Plains, including an environmental assessment for the preparation and submission of a referral of controlled action under the Environmental Protections and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The scope of works for this stage of the project consisted principally of:

• Preparation of a Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) Assessment Report; and,
• Preparation and submission of a referral application.