PO1

Development maintains and protects MNES (Matters of National Environmental Significance) and MSES (Matters of State Environmental Significance) by:

1. locating in areas that avoid adverse impacts on MNES and MSES, or
2. where adverse environmental impacts cannot be avoided, impacts are minimised and an environmental offset is provided for any residual adverse impacts, and
3. the underlying ecological processes and biodiversity values of MNES and MSES are maintained or enhanced.

Note—For MNES, consideration must be given to the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Note—To assist in demonstrating achievement of this performance outcome, a detailed environmental and ecological assessment to confirm the extent and nature of values is required to be undertaken by applicants.

AO1

Development locates outside of an area supporting MSES (Matters of State Environmental Significance).

PO2

Development is setback from and provides an adequate vegetated buffer to significant vegetation, habitats and areas containing MSES in order to:

1. protect these areas and their values from threatening processes
2. avoid edge effects such as undesirable microclimate effects and threats from non–native or pest fauna or flora, and
3. maintain and enhance ecological connectivity.

Note—Any setbacks or other areas required for bushfire management, safety, recreation, maintenance or any other purpose are provided in addition to a vegetated buffer provided for ecological and environmental protection purposes.

Note—An alternative buffer width may be proposed where buffers for significant species and ecological communities, including areas of habitat for listed threatened and migratory species, are based on best practice and current scientific knowledge of individual species requirements and supported by an ecological assessment. Other legislation, including the Nature Conservation Act and EPBC Act may establish other requirements with which applicants must comply.

AO2

A buffer extending from the outside edge of an area of MSES is provided and has a minimum width of:

1. 200m where located outside an urban area, or
2. 50m where located within an urban area.

PO3

Development within 500m of turtle nesting beaches is located, designed and operated to:

1. protect the habitat values of the rookery for turtle breeding
2. maintain a vegetated buffer adjacent to the beach
3. ensure access to the beach nesting area is managed in a way that protects a turtle nesting area, and
4. ensure lighting does not impact on the ecological and habitat values of turtle nesting areas and rookery.

AO3.1

Development within 500m of a turtle nesting beach ensures any lighting:

1. does not spill onto beach areas
2. is on a structure no higher than 8.5m
3. is directed away from the beach, and
4. includes characteristic wavelengths that will not affect turtles.

AO3.2

Development is setback from and maintains at least a 200m wide vegetated buffer to turtle nesting beaches. The buffer is maintained in a natural state and is kept free from development.

Wetland and waterway buffers

PO4

An adequate buffer to a wetland in a wetland protection area is provided and maintained to:

1. protect and enhance habitat values, connectivity and other ecological processes and values
2. protect water quality and aquatic conditions
3. maintain natural micro–climatic conditions
4. maintain natural hydrological processes
5. prevent mass movement, gully erosion, rill erosion, sheet erosion, tunnel erosion, stream bank erosion, wind erosion, or scalding, and
6. prevent loss or modification of chemical, physical or biological properties or functions of soil.

Note—Any setbacks or areas required for bushfire management, safety, recreation, maintenance or any other purpose, are provided in addition to a vegetated buffer provided for ecological purposes.

AO4

A development free buffer surrounding a wetland in a wetland protection area is provided and has a minimum width of:

1. 200m where the wetland is located outside an urban area, or
2. 50m where the wetland is located within an urban area.

Note—To avoid conflict, where a development requires multiple buffers to be established by this code to protect waterways, ecological corridors, wetlands or MSES, the greatest distances required by this code will prevail to the extent of any inconsistency.

PO5

Alterations to natural landforms, hydrology and drainage patterns do not adversely impact on areas containing MSES.

PO6

Development retains and enhances riparian vegetation along watercourses and drainage corridors, and vegetation along timbered ridgelines.

PO7

Buffering, rehabilitation or restoration, protects and enhances MSES and their underlying ecological processes, habitat and biodiversity values by:

1. using site appropriate and locally occurring native species
2. replicating as far as practicable, the species composition and structural components of healthy remnant vegetation and associated habitats, including understorey vegetation, and
3. excluding environmental weeds, declared plants and other non–native plants likely to displace native flora or fauna species or degrade habitat.

 Note—To assist in demonstrating achievement of this performance outcome, an ecological assessment and rehabilitation plan is undertaken by the applicant.

No acceptable outcome is nominated.

PO8

Degraded areas supporting MSES or other environmental values important to the maintenance of underlying ecological processes required to maintain biodiversity, are rehabilitated as near as is practical to the naturally occurring state of native plant species and ecological communities.

PO9

Development:

1. avoids the introduction of pest species (plant or animal) that pose a risk to the ecological integrity and biodiversity values of MSES, and
2. includes appropriate pest management practices to control any existing threat of pest species in a way that provides for the long term ecological integrity of MSES.

Significant species, wildlife nesting and breeding areas ​

PO10

Development avoids direct and indirect impacts on significant ecological communities and significant species and their habitats, including disturbance from the presence of vehicles, pedestrian use, increased exposure to domestic animals and noise and lighting impacts.

Note—To assist in demonstrating achievement of this performance outcome, a detailed environmental and ecological assessment to identify any significant species or communities that may be impacted by development, is undertaken by applicants.

PO11

Areas of habitat that support a critical life cycle stage such as feeding, breeding or roosting or ecological function for threatened species, ecological communities or migratory species are protected and not impacted by development.

Ecological corridors ​

PO12

Development protects ecological corridors, enhances ecological connectivity to habitats on and/or adjacent to the site. Ecological corridors and habitat linkages have dimensions and characteristics to support:

1. ecological processes and functions that enable the natural change in distributions of species and provide connectivity between populations of species over long periods of time
2. ecological responses to climate change
3. connectivity between large tracts and patches of remnant vegetation, habitat areas and areas supporting MNES and MSES,
   and
4. effective and unhindered day–to–day and seasonal movement of avian, terrestrial and aquatic fauna.

AO12.1

Development does not occur in an ecological corridor.

AO12.2

No acceptable solution is nominated where in an urban residential zone or centre zone. In all other zones including the Rural Zone, Environmental Management Zone, Conservation Zone, all Industry Zones, Emerging Community Zone and Limited Development Zone: Where an ecological corridor is intended to facilitate fauna movement, access or use of an area supporting MNES or MSES, the ecological corridor is maintained and restored to achieve a minimum width of 350m consisting of:

1. a 250m wide core corridor to support avian species and most arboreal mammals, and
2. a 50m wide vegetated buffer extending from the outside edges on both sides of the core corridor.

PO13

Isolated habitat areas are linked by a continuous corridor to provide effective ecological connectivity and to create additional linkages along waterways, wetlands, drainage lines, ridgelines, coastlines and other areas where possible.

AO13

Development provides a continuous corridor having a minimum width of 100m linking areas of protected vegetation to each other and other vegetation areas off–site.

PO14

Development facilitates the unimpeded use and movement of terrestrial and aquatic fauna accessing the site or likely to use an ecological corridor as part of their normal life cycle by:

1. ensuring that development (e.g. roads, pedestrian access, in–stream structures) during both construction and operation does not create barriers to the movement of fauna along or within ecological corridors
2. providing wildlife movement infrastructure where necessary and directing fauna to locations where wildlife movement infrastructure has been provided to enable fauna to safely negotiate a development area, and
3. separating fauna from potential hazards through the use of appropriate barriers, fencing and buffers.

Monitoring ​

PO15

During construction and operation of development, ongoing management, monitoring and maintenance is undertaken to ensure impacts on areas supporting MNES or MSES and their underlying ecological processes and biodiversity values are avoided or minimised.

Note—Compliance with this requirement can be achieved by preparing a Monitoring and Remediation Plan in accordance with best practice. Where necessary, remedial action is identified and carried out on land managed by the entity carrying out the development.

Environmental offsets ​

PO16

Where it is not possible to avoid adverse impacts on MSES and development has minimised adverse impacts to the greatest extent possible, development provides an offset for any significant residual impact in accordance with the Queensland Environmental Offset Policy 2014.

Wetland protection area ​

PO17

Development is not carried out in a wetland in a wetland protection area, unless there are no feasible alternatives.

AO17.1

Development is not carried out:

1. in a wetland in a wetland protection area, or
2. within an alternative mapped boundary of a wetland in a wetland protection area, as shown in a site assessment prepared in accordance with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Queensland Wetland Definition and Delineation Guidelines (or current version).

OR

AO17.2

Where AO17.1 cannot be achieved, development is to comply with PO17 – PO26.

OR

AO17.3

Where AO17.1 or AO17.2 cannot be complied with, an environmental offset as described in PO27, is provided.

Wetland and waterway buffers ​

PO18

An adequate buffer to a waterway is provided and maintained to:

1. protect and enhance habitat values, connectivity and other ecological processes and values
2. protect water quality and aquatic conditions
3. maintain natural micro–climatic conditions
4. maintain natural hydrological processes
5. prevent mass movement, gully erosion, rill erosion, sheet erosion, tunnel erosion, stream bank erosion, wind erosion or scalding, and
6. prevent loss or modification of chemical, physical or biological properties or functions of soil.

Note—Any setbacks or areas required for bushfire management, safety, recreation, maintenance or any other purpose, are provided in addition to a vegetated buffer provided for ecological purposes.

No acceptable solution is nominated where in an urban residential zone or centre zone.

AO18

In all other zones including the Rural Zone, Environmental Management Zone, Conservation Zone, all Industry Zones, Industry Investigation Zone, Emerging Community Zone and Limited Development Zone: Other than where cropping for forestry for wood production, a vegetated and development free buffer is provided and maintained extending from the high bank of the waterway or plan position of a waterway (whichever is the greater) and with a minimum width of:

1. stream order 1 or 2: 25m, or
2. stream order 3 or 4: 50m, or
3. stream order 5 and above: 100m.

Note—Stream order is mapped on Fish habitat area mapping in OM.

Wetland hydrology and stormwater management

PO19

The existing surface water hydrological regime of the wetland protection area (including the area of the wetland) is enhanced or maintained.

Note—The hydrological regime of surface waters includes:

• peak flows
• volume of flows
• duration of flows
• frequency of flows
• seasonality of flows
• water depth (seasonal average)
• wetting and drying cycle.

AO19.1

Development must:

1. provide a net ecological benefit and improvement to the environmental values and functioning of a wetland in a wetland protection area, or
2. rehabilitate the existing hydrological regime, or restore the natural hydrological regime of a wetland in a wetland protection area.

OR

AO19.2

If the development cannot enhance existing values in accordance with AO19.1, development does not change the existing surface water hydrological regime of a wetland in a wetland protection area, including through channelisation, redirection or interruption of flows.

OR

AO19.3

If AO19.1 or AO19.2 cannot be complied with, the extent of any change to the existing surface water hydrological regime is minimised to ensure the wetland values and functioning are protected. The change is minimised if, at least:

1. there is no change to the reference high–flow duration and low–flow duration frequency curves, low–flow spells frequency curve and mean annual flow to, and from, the wetland
2. any relevant stream flows into the wetland comply with relevant environmental flow objectives (EFOs) of the applicable water resource plan under the Water Act 2000 for the area
3. for development resulting in an increase to the velocity or volume of stormwater flows into the wetland – the collection and reuse of stormwater occurs in accordance with (a) and (b).

PO20

The existing groundwater hydrological regime of the wetland protection area (including the area of the wetland) is enhanced or protected.

AO20.1

The water table and hydrostatic pressure in the wetland protection area are returned to their natural state.

OR

AO20.2

If AO20.1 cannot be complied with:

1. the water table and hydrostatic pressure within the wetland protection area is not lowered or raised outside the bounds of variability under pre–development conditions, and
2. the ingress of saline water into freshwater aquifers is prevented.

Note—Groundwater modelling is recommended where groundwater hydrology for a wetland in a wetland protection area represents a significant environmental constraint for, and interference is proposed by, the proposed development.

PO21

During construction and operation of development in a wetland in a wetland protection area:

1. the wetland is not used for stormwater treatment, and
2. the buffer and water quality values of the wetland are protected from stormwater impacts.

AO21

Development does not result in any measurable change to the quantity or quality of stormwater entering a wetland in a wetland protection area during construction and operation.

Note—Measurable Change is to be determined by comparing the overall development impact with existing baseline (pre–development) conditions, and should not exceed reference environmental values or be inconsistent with water quality objectives provided under the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009, the Urban Stormwater Quality Planning Guidelines 2010, or other relevant supporting technical reference documents as outlined in the guidelines.

Wetland ecological values ​

PO22

Development involving the clearing of vegetation protects the biodiversity, ecological values and processes, and hydrological functioning of a wetland in a wetland protection area, including:

1. water quality values
2. aquatic habitat values
3. terrestrial habitat values
4. usage of the site by native wetland fauna species or communities.

AO22

Vegetation clearing undertaken as a consequence of development does not occur in:

1. a wetland in a wetland protection area, or
2. a buffer area for a wetland as described in PO18.

PO23

Development avoids land degradation in a wetland protection area, including:

1. mass soil movement, gully erosion, rill erosion, sheet erosion, tunnel erosion, stream bank erosion, wind erosion, or scalding
2. loss or modification of chemical, physical or biological properties or functions of soils.

AO23.1

Development is not carried out in:

1. a wetland in a wetland protection area, or
2. a buffer area for a wetland as described in PO18.

OR

AO23.2

Based on the prevailing soil and slope characteristics for the development area, all reasonable and practical measures are implemented to establish development specific engineering designs and solutions for the horizontal and vertical alignment of infrastructure, so as to avoid land degradation in a wetland protection area.

AND

AO23.3

Filling and excavation operations are carried out, and an erosion and sediment control plan is prepared, and implemented, to minimise land degradation in a wetland protection area.

PO24

Development in a wetland protection area ensures that any existing ecological corridors are enhanced or protected and have dimensions and characteristics that will:

1. effectively link habitats on or adjacent to the site
2. facilitate the effective movement of terrestrial and aquatic fauna accessing or using a wetland as habitat.

AO24.1

Development in a wetland protection area does not occur within an existing ecological corridor.

OR

AO24.2

If AO24.1 cannot be complied with and an ecological corridor is required to facilitate fauna movement:

1. an alternative ecological corridor with an appropriate width is provided and maintained in accordance with the Wetland Rehabilitation Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Catchment, Department of Environment and Heritage, 2008, or
2. the design, construction and operation of development does not impede movement of fauna that may use, is likely to use or may move through a wetland in a wetland protection area as part of their normal life cycle.

PO25

Development does not result in the introduction of non–native pest plants or animals that pose an increased risk to the ecological values, integrity and processes of a wetland in a wetland protection area. In particular:

1. pest dispersal prevention measures are provided in appropriate locations to manage the threat of pest species to a wetland in a wetland protection area, and
2. any pest dispersal prevention measures do not result in a barrier or hazard to the movement of wetland fauna in the wetland protection area.

AO25.1

Existing non–native pest plants or animals are removed or their threat is controlled by adopting pest management practices that provide for the long–term function of a wetland in a wetland protection area.

AND

AO25.2

Development does not result in the introduction of any non–native or pest species in a wetland in a wetland area.

PO26

During construction and operation of development in a wetland protection area, wetland fauna are protected from impacts associated with noise, light or visual disturbance.

AO26.1

Development in a wetland protection area does not result in noise, light or visual disturbance impacts on wetland fauna, during construction and operation.

OR

AO26.2

Where AO26.1 cannot be complied with, an assessment of adverse impacts of the development in a wetland protection area on wetland fauna from the impacts of noise, light or visual disturbance is carried out by a qualified ecologist or equivalent, and recommendations for mitigation of these impacts are identified and implemented.

Environmental offsets ​

PO27

For development, where it is not possible to enhance existing values or avoid adverse effects or alternatively minimise adverse effects any remaining environmental impacts are offset in accordance with the Queensland Environmental Offset Policy 2014.

AO27

Where environmental offsets are required in this code, they must be provided in accordance with the Queensland Environmental Offset Policy 2014.

Monitoring ​

PO28

Development is monitored to ensure environmental values of a wetland in a wetland protection area are maintained.

AO28.1

A monitoring plan for development construction is prepared and implemented to monitor the effects of development on the ecological and hydrological functioning of a wetland in a wetland protection area.

AND

AO28.2

Remedial action is carried out on land managed by the entity carrying out the development, where monitoring determines that compliance with the acceptable outcomes is not achieving the relevant policy outcome.