EPBC Technical Report Coppabella Wind Farm
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EPBC TECHNICAL REPORT COPPABELLA WIND FARM DECEMBER 2017 suite 1, 216 carp st (po box 470) bega nsw 2550 australia t (02) 6492 8333 www.nghenvironmental.com.au e [email protected] unit 18, level 3, 21 mary st suite 1, 39 fitzmaurice st (po box 5464) surry hills nsw 2010 australia wagga wagga nsw 2650 australia t (02) 8202 8333 t (02) 6971 9696 unit 17, 27 yallourn st (po box 62) room 15, 341 havannah st (po box 434) fyshwick act 2609 australia bathurst nsw 2795 australia t (02) 6280 5053 0488 820 748 EPBC Technical Report Coppabella Wind Farm Document Verification Project Title: Coppabella Wind Farm Project Number: 17‐599 Project File Name: Coppabella EPBC Technical Report_final v1 Revision Date Prepared by (name) Review Approval Draft v1 01/12/17 Bianca Heinze Brooke Marshall Brooke Marshall Deb Frazer Dave Maynard Brooke Marshall Dave Maynard Jane Blomfield Draft v2 11/12/17 Bianca Heinze Brooke Marshall Brooke Marshall Dave Maynard Final v1 21/12/17 Brooke Marshall Brooke Marshall Brooke Marshall Dave Maynard nghenvironmental prints all documents on environmentally sustainable paper including paper made from bagasse (a by‐ product of sugar production) or recycled paper. nghenvironmental is a registered trading name of NGH Environmental Pty Ltd; ACN: 124 444 622. ABN: 31 124 444 622 17‐375 EPBC Technical Report Final v1 EPBC Technical Report Coppabella Wind Farm CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 PURPOSE AND APPROACH ................................................................................................................ 7 1.2 THE PROPONENT AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD ................................................................. 8 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE .................................................................................................. 9 1.4 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 10 1.4.1 Upper limit number of wind turbines ............................................................................................... 14 1.4.2 Wind turbine dimensions ................................................................................................................. 14 1.4.3 Construction impacts – clearing ........................................................................................................ 15 1.4.4 Construction impacts – road upgrades ............................................................................................. 16 1.4.5 Construction impacts – reuse of excavated material ........................................................................ 17 1.4.6 Staging .............................................................................................................................................. 17 1.4.7 Property and subdivision .................................................................................................................. 17 1.4.8 Decommissioning ............................................................................................................................. 17 1.5 CONTEXT FOR THIS REFERRAL ........................................................................................................ 17 1.6 IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ‐ OVERVIEW ................................................................. 18 1.7 BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................................................. 18 1.7.1 Local benefits ................................................................................................................................... 19 1.7.2 Broader benefits of the project ........................................................................................................ 19 2 PREVIOUS WORK AT THE PROJECT SITE RELEVANT TO MNES ..................................................... 24 2.1 BIODIVERSITY FIELD WORK SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 24 2.2 REPORTS AND ASSESSMENT SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 28 3 IDENTIFICATION OF MNES WITH POTENTIAL FOR IMPACT ......................................................... 32 4 ECOLOGICAL BACKGROUND FOR MNES WITH POTENTIAL FOR IMPACT ..................................... 40 4.1 BOX GUM WOODLAND CEEC .......................................................................................................... 40 4.1.1 Definition of EPBC listed ecological community ................................................................................ 40 4.1.2 Survey conducted and an assessment of defining criteria ................................................................ 41 4.1.3 Distribution across the site and within the construction footprint ................................................... 42 4.2 REGENT HONEYEATER .................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.1 Records on site ................................................................................................................................. 43 4.2.2 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.3 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 43 17‐375 EPBC Technical Report Final v1 i EPBC Technical Report Coppabella Wind Farm 4.3 PAINTED HONEYEATER ................................................................................................................... 44 4.3.1 Records on site ................................................................................................................................. 44 4.3.2 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 44 4.3.3 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 45 4.4 SWIFT PARROT ................................................................................................................................ 45 4.4.1 Records on site ................................................................................................................................. 45 4.4.2 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 45 4.4.3 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 46 4.5 SUPERB PARROT ............................................................................................................................. 47 4.5.1 Records on site ................................................................................................................................. 47 4.5.2 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 47 4.5.3 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 49 4.6 KOALA ............................................................................................................................................. 49 4.6.1 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 49 4.6.2 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 50 4.7 WHITE‐THROATED NEEDLETAIL ...................................................................................................... 51 4.7.1 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 51 4.7.2 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 52 4.8 CATTLE EGRET AND GREAT EGRET .................................................................................................. 52 4.8.1 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 52 4.8.2 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 52 4.9 WHITE‐BELLIED SEA‐EAGLE ............................................................................................................. 52 4.9.1 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 53 4.9.2 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 53 4.10 RAINBOW BEE‐EATER ..................................................................................................................... 53 4.10.1 Habitat description ........................................................................................................................... 53 4.10.2 Importance of habitat in Coppabella Wind Farm project area .......................................................... 53 4.11 SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENT