DRAFT NO MORE - PLAN ENDORSED

Logan City Council on 4 December 2012, endorsed the Bahrs Scrub Local Development Area Plan for the purpose of informing the draft Logan Planning Scheme. According to council, submissions from community resulted in some changes. However, any requests for reconsideration for no urban development in the area were accepted. The endorsed plan can be viewed here

 Council has provided us with an analysis of key issues, responses and recommendations.

Available here.

It is worth noting that although land owners do not need to develop their property unless they wish to not all choose to stay and many move on. This is a challenging conflict of personal values as the usual trend is for people to leave to 'go west' to find an area that has those landscape values lost with urban development intrusion.

A major concern for all conservation groups centres around reduction of threats for wildlife and allowing safe movement for wildlife. There is a recommendation that the plan be amended to provide for fauna friendly fencing in environmental areas, and fauna friendly road crossings in accordance with "Fauna Sensitive Road Design Manual - Part 2: Preferred Practice" prepared by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Further, measures may be proposed to regulate the ownership of domestic animals in relevant environmental areas.

There are few concessions to community and actual compliance of standards and design is not always adhered to. Local community will need to be aware of standards and watchful. 

Since koalas have been added to endangered species list, major  landholder and developer Stocklands has submitted their plans to federal government for EPBC referral check. Community comment closes 29 January 2013.

An invitation to comment on the proposal by Stockland Development Pty Ltd/Residential development/approximately 2.5km southwest of Beenleigh/QLD/Bahrs Scrub residential community development 2013/6718 was posted 14 January and closes 29 January 2013. 

Seven documents describing the proposed residential development can be downloaded here.

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A SUBMISSION SO THAT IMPACTS MAY BE REDUCED AND ACTIVITIES  HAVE FEDERAL CONDITIONS IMPOSED. IT IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT SUFFICIENT TO RELY ON DEVELOPER POLICY. 

The inclusion of this area for urban development has been driven by a Growth Management policy at state and local government level. We believe it is nit in the best interests of ecologically sustainable development. Having a legal right to carry out an action does not equate with best long term solutions for 'growth management'. 

Referral1 provides the overall description of proposed action and claims it is NOT A CONTROLLED ACTION - which would impose federal conditions on the development. EPBC will make that determination - or not. Our submissions can supply relevant information not provided by applicant.

The proposed action is the Bahrs Scrub residential community of approximately 1400 lots and a small commercial zone on a total site area of 131ha. The proposed development is contiguous with urban areas to the east and north. A network of protected waterways will be retained within the development, with protected wildlife corridors and conservation areas on the perimeter (see Figure 1).
The action will involve:
 Clearing of vegetation within the developable areas;
 Construction of new roads and upgrading existing roads;
 Infrastructure crossing of waterways for new roads and sewer;
 Design, construction and operation of a stormwater management system; and
 Revegetation and rehabilitation of waterway and wildlife corridors.
.....

The Save Bahrs Scrub Alliance with the support of a Logan City Council EnviroGrant has produced a flora booklet which describes some of the precious, rare plants found in the Bahrs Scrub Precinct, presently threatened by development.

 Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened Flora of Bahrs Scrub 

        a photographic description of the unique and valuable plant species of the Bahrs Scrub Precinct, compiled by  renowned local botanist Glenn Leiper  and produced with the assistance of EnviroGrant. 

Bahrs Scrub dry rainforest is one of the last remnants of a highly specific and limited type of Australian rainforest. Logan City is extremely fortunate to have this unique vegetation within our boundaries.

 An electronic copy of the flora booklet is available for downloading and network sharing: Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened Flora of Bahrs Scrub.