An independent Terrestrial Ecological Assessment was undertaken to identify areas of ecological significance within the West Burleigh Construction Waste and Resource Recovery Project site. 

The proposed disturbance footprint, which is defined by the existing quarry operation is in a highly modified and disturbed ecological condition. The vegetation community surveys identified that the Project site comprises twelve vegetation community associations around the existing quarry void and comprise a mix of derived grasslands, shrublands, and remnant regional ecosystems.   

The fauna habitat assessment recorded twelve broad habitat types within the Project site with limited potential breeding structures for most threatened fauna. One hollow bearing tree meeting the definition of a habitat tree was recorded.  

A total of 103 species of flora and 25 fauna species were recorded during the survey. 28 exotic species and/or environmental weeds were recorded. No threatened flora species listed by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Nature Conservation Act 1992 and/or Nature Conservation Regulations 2020 were detected.  

One Koala was recorded within the site within Lot 4 which is outside of the proposed area of development. Under the EPBC Act criteria, the proposed development is not deemed to offer a significant impact on the Koala or any other EPBC Act listed flora or fauna species.  

Any habitat value of the Project site is likely to be improved by the associated landscaping and rehabilitation works proposed on the balance of the site.  

In the context of the historic and ongoing quarry activities, the quarry void (which defines the proposed disturbance footprint) does not contribute to the fauna movement corridors of the site's locality.  

Balance areas of the Project site, namely Lot 1 and 4, do contribute to fauna movement linkages between Burleigh Ridge to the north and the Pacific Motorway (M1) fauna underpass to the south. Overall, rehabilitation works would significantly improve the contribution of the site to the mapped Hinterland to Coast critical corridor via weed control and supplementary planting of local native vegetation; including preferred feed trees for the Koala.  

While the assessment found ecological impacts associated with the WBCWRR Project to be negligible, the environmental impact mitigation measures being undertaken allow for significant uplift on the site (and locality) with respect to ecological condition and functionality.