Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020
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Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine - April 2020 Prepared for GSM Mining Company Pty Ltd FINAL V2.0 May 2020 Prepared by: Native Vegetation Solutions PO Box 41 KALGOORLIE Ph: (08) 9021 5818 Mob: 0407 998 953 Email: [email protected] Native Vegetation Solutions Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 GEOLOGY AND VEGETATION ........................................................................................... 3 1.3 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.3.1 Temperature ......................................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Rainfall .................................................................................................................. 4 2. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 5 2.1 PERSONNEL AND REPORTING ......................................................................................... 5 2.2 PRELIMINARY DESKTOP STUDY ....................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 Previous Surveys .................................................................................................. 5 2.2.2 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Protected Matters....... 7 2.2.3 Threatened Flora and Communities ...................................................................... 7 2.2.4 Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Conservation Reserves .................. 7 2.2.5 Vegetation Type, Extent and Status ...................................................................... 7 2.2.6 Wetlands ............................................................................................................... 7 2.2.7 Dieback ................................................................................................................. 7 2.3 SITE INVESTIGATION ....................................................................................................... 7 2.3.1 Licenses ................................................................................................................ 8 2.3.2 Field Methods ....................................................................................................... 8 2.3.3 Post-Field Methods ............................................................................................... 9 2.3.4 Mapping ................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.5 IBSA Data Package .............................................................................................. 9 2.4 LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................ 10 3. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 PRELIMINARY DESKTOP ASSESSMENT ........................................................................... 11 3.1.1 EPBC Act Protected Matters ............................................................................... 11 3.1.2 Threatened Flora and Communities .................................................................... 11 3.1.3 Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Conservation Reserves ............................. 11 3.1.4 Vegetation Type, Extent and Status .................................................................... 11 3.1.5 Wetlands ............................................................................................................. 12 3.1.6 Dieback ............................................................................................................... 12 3.2 FIELD ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................... 13 3.2.1 Threatened Flora ................................................................................................. 13 3.2.2 Vegetation Type, Extent and Status .................................................................... 14 3.2.3 Non-Native Species ............................................................................................ 21 3.2.4 Vegetation Condition ........................................................................................... 21 4. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................... 22 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 23 6. GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................... 25 APPENDIX 1 RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS ....................... 28 APPENDIX 2 THREATENED FLORA DATABASES SEARCH RESULTS ............................ 38 APPENDIX 3 VEGETATION DEFINITIONS ............................................................................ 40 APPENDIX 4 VEGETATION MAPPING.................................................................................. 43 APPENDIX 5 SPECIES LIST .................................................................................................. 49 Native Vegetation Solutions Page i Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020 Figures Figure 1: Regional map of survey location .................................................................................. 2 Figure 2: Mean temperature ranges for Leonora weather station ............................................... 4 Figure 3: Monthly and mean rainfall for Laverton Aero weather station ...................................... 4 Figure 4: Phyllanthus baeckeoides (P3) within the survey area ................................................ 13 Figure 5: Mulga Shrubland within the survey area .................................................................... 15 Figure 6: Mulga over Chenopod Shrubland within the survey area ........................................... 16 Figure 7: Mulga Creekline Vegetation within the survey area ................................................... 17 Figure 8: Mulga over BIF Shrubland within the survey area ...................................................... 18 Figure 9: Acacia and Hakea open shrubland within the survey area ......................................... 19 Figure 10: Existing disturbances within the survey area ........................................................... 20 Tables Table 1: List of potential survey limitations ............................................................................... 10 Table 2: Summary of information regarding Pre-European and current vegetation extent of Vegetation Association 18 within the survey area ..................................................................... 12 Table 3: Vegetation Group Summary ....................................................................................... 14 Native Vegetation Solutions Page ii Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020 1 INTRODUCTION The Granny Smith (GS) mine is located 950km northeast of Perth and 23kms south of Laverton, Western Australia (Figure 1). The GS processing site and Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) was constructed in 1989 and commissioned in 1990 respectively. The TSF was initially designed with two cells (Cells 1 and 2) and a central decant for each cell. Cell 3 was constructed and commissioned in 2002, adding greater flexibility to the management of the TSF. It is anticipated that a fourth cell (TSF4) is required to meet the needs of future mining. Native Vegetation Solutions (NVS) was commissioned by GSM Mining Company Pty Ltd (GSM) to conduct a reconnaissance flora and vegetation survey of the proposed site of the fourth cell (TSF4 - survey area) in April 2020. The survey area (approximately 331.62 hectares) lies predominantly on the northern side of the Wallaby Haul Road, with some additional infrastructure anticipated on the southern side as well. The survey area lies within the Murchison Region (MUR) of Western Australia (Figure 1). Actual disturbance footprints were not defined prior to the survey field work; however, clearing required within the boundary of the survey area was anticipated to be less than the total survey area, and predominantly within the eastern half of the survey area. This report will encompass results of the reconnaissance flora and vegetation survey within the Proposed TSF4 survey area. Native Vegetation Solutions Page 1 of 52 Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020 Figure 1: Regional map of survey location Native Vegetation Solutions Page 2 of 52 Reconnaissance Flora and Vegetation Survey of Proposed TSF4, Granny Smith Mine- April 2020 1.1 Objectives The objective of this report is to document the results of the flora and vegetation component of a reconnaissance assessment conducted in accordance with: • Environmental Factor Guideline- Flora and Vegetation (EPA, 2016); and • Technical Guidance- Flora and Vegetation