28 South Environmental Pty Ltd is pleased to be supporting the Settlement Picnic Area and Purling Brook Causeway project in Springbrook National Park, where our Infrastructure and Environmental Approvals team assisted the client in securing a Not a Controlled Action – Particular Manner determination from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
A key focus of the project is protecting habitat for the critically endangered Hinterland Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus maidae) within the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. This species is highly sensitive to changes in water quality, making effective management of construction-related risks essential.
To minimise potential impacts, the project incorporates robust erosion and sediment control measures within the Environmental Management Plan, supported by a comprehensive water quality monitoring program that will be implemented throughout both the construction and rehabilitation phases of the works.
This week, our team, including Tahlia Piccirillo and Gordon Morris, completed the first round of water quality monitoring to establish a baseline dataset against which future construction-phase results can be assessed. Developing a clear understanding of existing conditions is a critical first step, enabling the contractor to identify changes in water quality early and implement corrective actions where required.
It is rewarding to see environmental approvals translated into practical, on-ground management measures that help balance infrastructure delivery with the protection of nationally significant environmental values, including threatened species and the waterways they depend upon.
