Fire threat drives developer's tree clearing proposal
Protecting retirement communities, homes and a school against bushfires has prompted a clearing proposal upon which a landowner and the council don't agree.
PROTECTING retirement communities, homes, businesses and a school against bushfires has prompted a clearing proposal upon which a landowner and the council don't agree.
Noosa-based property developer Lennium Group wants to clear a boundary buffer at its bushy 32 hectare Meridan Plains block.
The land adjoins Halcyon Parks Caloundra retirement community, IRT Parklands retirement community, Meridan State College, Parklands Shopping Centre and residential homes.
Lennium Group operations manager Andrew Boyd said his company was approached by Halcyon about clearing a buffer in November 2016, shortly after the property was purchased.
Since then he said Lennium Group had spent about $50,000 on surveys, reports and development applications to allow the work.
He said large fires in other parts of the suburb, as well as evidence of trespassers lighting campfires within the property, also motivated the clearing proposal.
"As a matter of good practice it is best to minimise any risks to property around us,” Mr Boyd said.
He said the dispute with the council centred around the width of the buffer.
The council has conditioned that the buffer be 6m wide, whereas Lennium Group said reports it had commissioned said it must be a minimum of 21m to 39m wide to be effective.
"The 6m approval issued by council is difficult to implement and is ineffective as it does not have regard to the findings of the bushfire modelling which indicate a substantial impact in the scenario of a major fire event,” Mr Boyd said.
"We just effectively want to implement what is recommended under two models.”
His company has lodged a Planning and Environment Court appeal against the council's conditions.
Mr Boyd said while his company would develop sections of the block for residential purposes if the opportunity arose, there were currently no short or medium-term plans to do so.
"We are not making this application to assist in any future development of the land,” he said.
"It is purely for essential bushfire maintenance purposes.”
Lennium Group has also challenged a council requirement for vegetation offsets or money in lieu of the offsets.
"We seek only to undertake essential bushfire maintenance works to those boundaries that are adjacent to urban development,” Mr Boyd said.
