Email: feedback@oum.qld.gov.au

Firstly BREC is supportive of urban containment. We support the provision of transport orientated development outside of nature conservation value areas. We support stronger targets for water & energy use reductions. We support initiatives to promote the use of public transport and to reduce our overall dependence on cars and fossil fuel resources.

We are concerned that rural open space will disappear inside the urban footprint and this will lead to losses of much needed openspace in these developing areas. Existing social problems will only be exacerbated by the loss of these openspaces. Local councils and existing state policies have generally failed to provide sufficient openspace in new developments to meet social, psychological and recreational needs. The conversion of these lands from rural to urban will also result in increased pollution runoff and altered hydrology which will negatively affect water quality.

The map of potential greenfield development still appears to be planning for increased sprawl which will work against the sensible and affordable provision of infrastructure.

We draw your attention to the maps at http://brec.ozecol.org/news/current/seqrecn_oum_maps.html which shows unprotected native bushland and floodplain values inside the urban footprint and investigation areas. BREC believes that the State government should commit to the regulatory protection of native vegetation and floodplains inside the urban footprint to complement local government measures. Current clearing patterns show that local governments are failing to control clearing woody landcover, with 13 out of the 18 SEQ local authorities showing and increase in land clearing 2001-30 See Appendix Two

We are very concerned that the development, in western corridor and western investigation areas, will seriously compromise the koala populations of these areas.

We are concerned that urban development is planned for the lower floodplains of the Bremer River due to its inevitable impacts on floodplain values, wildlife and vegetation and that it is in areas likely to be affected by salinity impacts in the future.

We are very concerned about the potential increases of sand and hardrock extraction that underpin the proposed high urban growth rates. This would accelerate extraction in areas of the Koala Coast and the Moreton bay Marine Park.

The OUM regional infrastructure plan should include items of green infrastructure. See Appendix One

All native bushland in the Parkinson, Larapinta, Heathwood, Greenbank corridor area be retained. Open space and native bushlands should be retained in the Six Mile creek area to provide some break between urban areas. The Wacol area should provide for connection between the Greenbank, Flinders Peak corridor and the Brisbane river corridor. All native bushland connected to BFP and linking BFP to Bunyaville State Forest be retained. All bushland in the Fitzgibbon area should be retained including previously degraded or cleared but undeveloped lands adjacent. This will protect the bushland, wetland, and fauna values of the site.

State lands containing native bushland including both remnant and regrowth values should be retained or if disposed of by the state government it should be sold as open space land at the appropriate valuation.

We are opposed to the expansion of the urban footprint on Stradbroke Island particularly the area of urban footprint inside locally designated conservation areas to the south of Point Lookout.

Moreton Island should not be used as a groundwater resource for urban or other development. The freshwater flows from Moreton Island are an important environmental allocation of freshwater to Eastern Moreton Bay.

Regarding climate change we are very concerned that the draft plans fails to link climate change and the need for planning scheme revisions to include climate change adaptation measures. The QCCA has provided us with credible information about the range of impacts including increased flooding risks from sea level rise, rainfall declines and the impact of greater temperatures on infrastructure such as roads. (See Appendix Three) All of these impacts will require greater consideration in both the regional plan and local planning schemes. Recent scientific reports have highlighted that climate change is happening faster and stronger that the IPCC had projected. Current scientific opinion is that we need substantial greenhouse house gas reductions, in the order of 50-70%, to help stabilise atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Recent events in the Indian Ocean have highlighted the need to protect undeveloped coastlines and foreshores to protect against storm surges and other risks. Studies by E. Bryant and J. Nott have shown that there is the strong possibility of Tsunami’s or super storm surges affecting the East Coast of Australia. (See Appendix Four)

That the previous agreements with Traditional Owners under the RFGM2000 be honoured at that the SEQTOCC have its selection criteria altered so as not to exclude bona fide Traditional Owner groups. (See Appendix Five)

The SEQ Regional Plan should adopt a preferred urban pattern that best achieves ecologically sustainable development through reviewing the three development scenarios and effectively involving the public in further development of the Plan, Subregional Plans, and Local Growth Management Strategies incorporating best practice public participation in the choice of alternatives, developing a Plan that will:

1. Contain and contract the urban boundary and investigation areas so that it contains no more than 15 years supply, with fewer greenfield sites, increased concentration and a smaller urban footprint overall.
2. Conserve natural areas of international, national, state and regional significance and provide recreational open space in already cleared or degraded areas both within the urban boundary and in the regional landscape, protecting the values identified in the SEQ Regional Nature Conservation Strategy and Good Quality Agricultural Land, maintaining wetlands and floodplain values and essential ecological services.
3. Constrain population growth – the Plan over-allocates land for housing by 20% - pull back to protect identified values; charge betterment tax for funding public open space infrastructure; change wording in the plan from "population targets" to "population projections".
4. Control infrastructure and major projects and not allow them to override other values including nature conservation and ecological services; invest in regional open space infrastructure projects.
5. Continue low-intensity rural production and recreational uses within the urban footprint - have a future for rural land inside the urban footprint.
6. Convert unallocated state lands containing Indigenous cultural heritage values to the control of the appropriately mandated Traditional Owners, who can conserve, manage, enjoy and profit from their cultural resources and landscapes.

• Reduction of the amount of land in the urban footprint to 15 years supply, with a permanent maximum extent of urban development in the region, and a continued role for rural open space inside the urban footprint. Currently the plan allocates 20% more than land than needed and an additional 25% in investigation areas. There is enough new land in the urban footprint to accommodate all the projected growth as greenfield developments. This will work against sensible infill policies. This land oversupply could take the population close to 4.5 million or almost double what it is now.
• Investigation areas and the footprints of rural villages should similarly be reduced to protect state and regionally significant vegetation and open space.
• Development of subregional plans similar to that proposed by Northern Subregion Organisation of Councils (NORSROC), and including the Common Nature Conservation Classification n System (developed by the Western Subregion Organisation of Councils (WESROC), and issuing clear guidelines for the development of Local Growth Management Strategies in line with the subregional plans to ensure that valuable features are protected both within and outside the urban footprint.
• Adoption of the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) from the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSESD) including reducing per capita impacts in the region.
• Resolving the conflicts between and within Desired Regional Outcomes and associated principles and strategies by prioritising through formal, transparent institutional arrangements and integration of existing environmental and resource management strategies and programs.
• The plan should include broad intents for the urban footprint that protect state and regionally significant vegetation, biodiversity and open space. The aim should be to eliminate the clearing of remnant vegetation in SEQ. There should be clear guidance on the adequate provision of public open space in areas of increased density, i.e., "No Mean Streets". Local growth plans should detail how natural areas and processes are maintained and link into bioregional corridors. There should still be a role for rural open space (niche agriculture, recreation and landscape and biodiversity) inside the urban footprint.
• Subdivision of state and regionally significant vegetation should be prohibited and the right to prohibit development should be reinstated in local government planning schemes.
• The draft Regulatory Provisions should be amended to deliver legal certainty for protection of state and regionally significant nature conservation areas.
• The draft Regulatory Provisions should be amended to remove ambiguities about residential development outside the Urban Footprint.
• Applications for residential material change of use outside the Urban Footprint and away from rural villages should be deemed refusals to stop developers clogging the courts with speculative applications.
• Undeveloped foreshore areas, wetlands, rocky headlands and esplanades should be excluded from the urban footprint and a climate impacts zone should be designated as not suitable for development.
• Climate Adaptation Strategies should be mandatory in local planning schemes and State Government planning. (See Appendix Three)
• A commitment should be made to reduce air, water and land pollution faster than the rate of population growth.
• Support should be given for sustainable urban and rural industry.
• The government should apply stamp duties to the betterment, including acquisition and maintenance, of the region’s natural and recreational assets and to mitigate the pollution impacts of ongoing and prior development.
• Significantly increase infrastructure charges for full cost recovery and more equitable contributions for hard, social and green infrastructure. Infrastructure planning should include environmental impact assessment. Public transport, regional open space for recreation, wetland and floodplain rehabilitation, fauna crossings and other "green" infrastructure that creates a viable network of nature conservation areas should be supported by development infrastructure charging.
• Water charging, both urban and rural, should include the cost of maintaining and regenerating healthier dam catchments.
• We need mandated energy & water efficiency standards for new developments and retrofit subsidy solar hot water, shower roses, dual flushing. water tanks, etc. We need a funding program to generate substantial water savings (negalitres) and energy savings (negawatts) to avoid the need for more dams and power stations.
• Interim environmental flow allocations should be set immediately for SEQ catchments, rivers and wetlands before water supply plans are locked in.
• There should be a commitment to substantially reduce air pollution and greenhouse emissions in the region and plans should take into account climate change impacts, diminishing fossil fuel supplies with reduced affordability as well as future energy supply options.
• There should be a commitment to substantially reduce both per capita and total consumption of natural and extractive resources such as sand and gravel.
• Transport planning should support a more compact form of development and not conflict with ESD principles.
• Congestion charging should be used to minimise demand for road infrastructure, at the same time increasing low cost, high quality public transport and provision of T2 and T3 transit lanes on all roads.
• Transport & energy infrastructure and upgrading should avoid areas of state and regionally significant vegetation.
• There should be proper recognition and protection of Traditional Owners’ cultural resources and intellectual property rights of Traditional Knowledge Holders and appropriate involvement by them in the SEQ Regional Plan.
• State lands on coastal sand masses should be progressively converted to some form of jointly managed conservation reserve and unallocated State land handed back to the Traditional Owners.
• State lands on Stradbroke Island should be progressively converted to some form of jointly managed conservation reserve and unallocated State land handed back to the Traditional Owners Koenpal people.
• The interurban break at the Gold Coast should include some of the Coomera - Yatala vegetation corridor as much of this interurban break has already been developed. The regional conservation corridor between Brisbane and Logan should be enhanced. There should be Interurban breaks between Beenleigh, Beaudesert Shire and Logan City. There should be a State significance regional corridor between Caloundra and Maroochy (Sippy Creek and Mooloolah Range). There should be an interurban break between Brisbane and Ipswich.
• Governments should use measures to slow or moderate interstate migration, limiting the population to that which is sustainable in the long term.

Yours for Nature

Michael Petter

Coordinator BREC

1. SEQ Bushland Acquisition $20 Million

This would match local government investments in bushland acquisitions. The focus would be on HCV State Owned land and key private landholdings.

Treasury, EPA, Land trust

2. Outdoor Recreation Provision $20 Million

Securing land and/or land use agreements, outside reserves in the Brisbane River corridor west and other near Brisbane sites, for more intensive outdoor use. These areas should be outside of protected estates and areas of high conservation value.

DSR

3. Water Supply Catchment Protection $20 Million

Provide financial support for management agreements and riparian and/or hillslope protection in key areas upstream of water supply areas.

DNRM, SEQ Water, Brisbane Water etc

4. Fauna Movement Solutions $20 Million

Provision of fauna crossings on roads adjacent to major natural areas and areas of high fauna mortality

DMR, LGAs

5. Floodplain protection or restoration $20 Million

The removal of floodplain barriers and the strategic acquisition and/or negotiation of management agreements of "at risk" larger properties in flood plains.

DNRM, DPI, LGAs

6. Energy and Water Saving Initiatives $20 Million

Appendix Three Possible Impacts of Climate Change

Some local studies have found in the medium to long term increases in the risk of flooding to coastal properties as a result of climate change. (Source "Climate Change: An Australia Guide to Science and Potential Impacts" Ed B.Pittock AGO 2003 pp 133,134)

Furthermore other studies estimated that sea level rise and storm surges could affect dwellings and infrastructure as far inland from the current shoreline as 120m. (Source "Climate Change: An Australia Guide to Science and Potential Impacts" Ed B.Pittock AGO 2003 pp 140-141)

Recent studies have highlighted the long term decline in overall rainfall in SE Australia and research has highlighted the potential significant reduction of water supplies. This could potentially cause serious water shortages by 2015. (Source "The Impact of Stratospheric Ozone depletion and C02 on the Southern Annual Mode and Regional Climate Changes" J. Stykus & G. McKeon 2004 Qld DNRM)

Even if Co2 is stabilised climate change will continue to happen for hundreds of years. These could mean rises of at least 1-2mm/yr or 200mm-400mm in 200 years. Some projections show sea level could rise by metres in worse case scenarios. (Source "Climate Change: An Australia Guide to Science and Potential Impacts" Ed B.Pittock AGO 2003 pp14, 16, 41)

The Qld Department of transport concluded that railways, roads and other infrastructure will require higher maintenance costs due to higher temperatures. (Source "Climate Change: An Australia Guide to Science and Potential Impacts" Ed B.Pittock AGO 2003 pp 132)

Potential increases in extreme weather events may require modifications to buildings designed to last for over 50 years. (Source "Climate Change: An Australia Guide to Science and Potential Impacts" Ed B.Pittock AGO 2003 pp 132)

Geological Indicators of Large Tsunami in Australia

Abstract

Tsunami waves can produce four general categories of depositional and erosional signatures that differentiate them from storm waves. Combinations of items from these categories uniquely define the impact of palaeo-tsunami on the coastal landscape. The largest palaeo-tsunami waves in Australia swept sediment across the continental shelf and obtained flow depths of 15—20 m at the coastline with velocities in excess of 10 m s^-1. In New South Wales, along the cliffs of Jervis Bay, waves reached elevations of more than 80 m above sea-level with evidence of flow depths in excess of 10 m. These waves swept 10 km inland over the Shoalhaven delta. In northern Queensland, boulders more than 6 m in diameter and weighing 286 tonnes were tossed alongshore above cyclone storm wave limits inside the Great Barrier Reef. In Western Australia waves overrode and breached 60 m high hills up to 5 km inland. Shell debris and cobbles can be found within deposits mapped as dunes, 30 km inland. The array of signatures provide directional information about the origin of the tsunami and, when combined with radiocarbon dating, indicate that at least one and maybe two catastrophic events have occurred during the last 1000 years along these three coasts. Only the West Australian coast has historically been affected by notable tsunami with maximum run-up elevations of 4—6 m. Palaeo-tsunami have been an order of magnitude greater than this. These palaeo-tsunami are produced most likely by large submarine slides on the continental slope or the impact of meteorites with the adjacent ocean.
 
 

Published in Natural Hazards, 24, 231-249

Records of prehistoric tsunamis from boulder deposits - evidence from Australia

Jonathan Nott
 
 

Abstract

Detailed analyses of boulder deposits along 8000 km of coastal tropical Australia shows that prehistoric records of tsunami and tropical cyclone inundation can be differentiated from each other and tsunamis were larger before European settlement. The accuracy of equations used to derive these results was confirmed by the June 17 1998 tsunami event in Papua New Guinea, where flow depths of the tsunami and the size of transported clasts were surveyed. Regions that would appear safe from tsunami because of sheltering by the Great Barrier Reef or in shallow epicontinental seas such as the Gulf of Carpentaria have experienced 11 m and 3.5 m tsunami (wave height at shore) 400 yr B.P. For the Australian continent, and likely many other regions, written histories alone are too short to reasonably determine the physical vulnerability to this hazard.
 

Published in Science of Tsunami Hazards, 18, 3-14 (2000).