Projects we have been working on recently @ litoria consulting:
Gatton Esk Road – Strategic Cropping Land Assessment
In early October, Environmental Scientists from Litoria were commissioned to complete an assessment of the impacts of a proposed reconfiguration of a lot on Strategic Cropping Land (SCL). This assessment was to be submitted to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines who acted as a concurrency agency for the development application.
This project involved an examination of the property history and consideration in regards to a range of relevant legislation. The development specifically required assessment against the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 and the State Planning Policy 1/12: Protection of Queensland’s Strategic Cropping Land.
Scientists at Litoria used spatial analysis tools to determine that the proposed reconfiguration would result in no net impact on potential SCL which helped to progress the development application to the approval stage.
Fig Tree Pocket – Ecological Assessment Report
Litoria Consulting was recently contracted to complete an Ecological Assessment Report (EAR) to accompany a development application for a residential development at Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland. The purpose of the EAR was to describe the ecological features of the site, provide an assessment of conservation values, describe threatening processes, document development impacts and provide recommendations to mitigate against potential ecological impacts.
Through the use of desktop assessment, botanical survey and spatial analysis, scientists at Litoria were able to clearly describe and assess the ecological features on site. This allowed Litoria Consulting to make recommendations on environmental management measures including the provision of vegetation management, fauna management and rehabilitation procedures that would ensure compliance with local and state planning and development policies and promote the improvement of ecological values on and adjacent to the site.
Arrow Energy – Preliminary Ecological Assessment
Environmental Scientists at Litoria Consulting have been working with Arrow Energy for the past 12 months on several CSG infrastructure projects throughout Queensland. Most recently Litoria Consulting has been assisting Arrow with the completion of Preliminary Ecological Assessment for property located in the Western Downs Regional Council area.
The purpose of the assessment was to identify environmental attributes of the site to determine implications for future development of the site by Arrow Energy for petroleum activities and coal seam gas-related ancillary uses assessable under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld), as well as potential for conventional development assessable under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (Qld).
The scope of the assessment included:
- Desktop review of environmental attributes of the site according to relevant local, regional, State Government and Commonwealth Government environmental mapping and databases; and,
- Review implications in relation to future development of the site by Arrow Energy for petroleum activities and coal seam gas-related ancillary uses.
The Mac Services Group – Environmental Constraints Analysis
For the past 2 months, Litoria Consulting has been working closely with The Mac Services Group on several projects regarding the development of mining camps throughout Queensland. As part of these projects, scientists at Litoria have undertaken desktop assessments and spatial analyses to model development scenarios with respect to local, state and federal environmental legislation constraints and opportunities.
In addition to desktop assessment and analyses, Litoria scientists have conducted botanical field surveys and koala surveys in order to verify desktop assessments and to identify other potential development constraints and opportunities moving forward. The outcome of both stages will be used to draft development opportunity scenarios and subsequent Property Maps of Assessable Vegetation (PMAVs) and Property Vegetation Management Plans (PVMPs) as well as koala referral advice in compliance with interim koala referral advice provided by the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
Various Clients – Bushfire Hazard Assessments
Environmental Scientists at Litoria Consulting have been completing several Bushfire Hazard Assessments and Management Plans as part of information request stages of several development applications across various Queensland local governments. These assessments and management plans have typically involved assessments in accordance with State Planning Policy 1/03 – Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Flood, Bushfire and Landslide and relevant Australian Standards, including AS 3959-2009 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas. These assessments have been used in support of development applications by recommending appropriate design and management actions to minimise or mitigate risks associated with bushfire threats.
