Flora & Fauna Survey & Ecological Assessment (pdf. 5MB)

Flora & Fauna Survey & Ecological Assessments – 35 Water Street Wahroonga
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
UBM Ecological Consultants (‘UBM’) has been retained by the Proponent Mr Peter Borbilas of Bellevue
Projects Pty Ltd undertake ecological investigations in support of a Planning Proposal application to Ku-ringgai
Council to rezone the Subject Property Lot 1 in DP 375262 at 35 Water Street Wahroonga from 5(a)
Special Uses (Hospital) to E4 Environmental Living Zone.
Ku-ring-gai Council is in the process of preparing a new Principal Local Environmental Plan (‘LEP’) to replace
the Ku-ring-gai Planning Scheme Ordinance (‘KPSO’). The draft LEP has not yet been exhibited, however it is
understood that it is proposed to rezone the Subject Property part R2 Low Density Residential and part E4
Environmental Living. When the draft LEP is finalised and gazetted, the proposed E4 Environmental Living
Zone for the Subject Property would be subsumed into the new LEP.
The existing zoning of the land allows for ‘hospitals’ but does not allow for residential subdivision. The E4
Environmental Living Zoning would permit limited residential development, subject to a minimum Lot size of
2,000 m 2 , the conservation of the ecological heritage values of the site and retention of neighbourhood
character and amenity (Ingham Planning 2013).
Two thirds of the Subject Property Lot 1 has been identified by Ku-ring-gai Council (Draft LEP 218) as part of
a larger area considered to have ‘biodiversity significance’. This assessment is based on the presence of the
‘critically endangered’ Blue Gum High Forest (‘BGHF’) on the Subject Property: this community represented
predominantly by stands of remnant Sydney Blue Gum (E. saligna) canopy trees. However, there is sufficient
land on the Subject Property outside the primary ecological conservation areas and the primary heritage
curtilage of Rippon Grange to enable creation of a small number of residential lots.
The presence of remnant BGHF within the Subject Property established by previous workers is confirmed.
The extent of this ecological community on the Property has been determined by the NSW Land &
Environment Court (Proceedings 11193 of 2006) to be 6,350 sq metres (0.635 ha), and this area has been
adopted in this Report (see Figure 1.2).
Given the considerable number of flora and fauna surveys undertaken for the whole of the 2.1318 hectares
of the Subject Property since 2005, it was not considered necessary to replicate these earlier studies,
especially for those areas mapped as Core BGHF. This Report therefore focuses on the conservation
significance of those parts of the Subject Property which may be the subject of a future development
application – i.e. areas outside the mapped Core BGHF, as determined by the Land and Environment Court
(2006).
The current Report- Flora and Fauna Survey and Ecological Assessments for Blue Gum High Forest at 35
Water Street Wahroonga – will, where applicable, update and expand the findings of a number of earlier
surveys and reports prepared for the Subject Property; these earlier reports having been undertaken on
behalf of former Department of Commerce and latterly, the former owners Waterbrook Pty Ltd (see Section
3.1.1 and Section 6 References) for a list of previous reports).
UBM Ecological Consultants Pty Ltd Page 1