Northern Minerals Browns Range Project Level 2 Vegetation and Flora Survey and Impact Assessment June 2014 Final Report Outback Ecology (MWH Australia Pty Ltd) 41 Bishop Street Jolimont WA 6014 Ph: +61 (08) 9388 8799 Fax: +61 (08) 9388 8633 [email protected] Level 2 Vegetation and Flora Survey and Impact Assessment Distribution: Company Copies Contact Name Northern Minerals 1 electronic copy Robin Jones, Lisa Chandler Document Control for Job Number: BROW-VS-13001 Document Status Author Reviewer Signature Date of Issue Draft Report Jeni Alford Tristan Derham; David Jasper TD, DJ 20/09/2013 Draft Report Jeni Alford Tristan Derham, David Jasper TD, DJ 01/10/2013 Draft Report Jeni Alford Scott Walker 28/03/2014 Draft Report Alex Sleep Nick Stevens 12/06/2014 Final Report Nick Stevens Greg Barrett NS 13/06/2014 P:\Browns Range\VS\BROW-VB-14001\3. Reporting\BROW-VB-14001-Final Flora Report - V2 20140613.docx DISCLAIMER, CONFIDENTIALITY AND COPYRIGHT STATEMENT © Outback Ecology. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any material form or communicated by any means without the permission of the copyright owner. This document is confidential. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be disclosed to any third party without the prior written approval of Outback Ecology and Northern Minerals. Outback Ecology undertook the work, and prepared this document, in accordance with specific instructions from Northern Minerals to whom this document is addressed, within the time and budgetary requirements of Northern Minerals. The conclusions and recommendations stated in this document are based on those instructions and requirements, and they could change if such instructions and requirements change or are in fact inaccurate or incomplete. Outback Ecology has prepared this document using data and information supplied to Outback Ecology by Northern Minerals and other individuals and organisations, most of whom are referred to in this document. Where possible, throughout the document the source of data used has been identified. Unless stated otherwise, Outback Ecology has not verified such data and information. Outback Ecology does not represent such data and information as true or accurate, and disclaims all liability with respect to the use of such data and information. All parties relying on this document, do so entirely at their own risk in the knowledge that the document was prepared using information that Outback Ecology has not verified. This document is intended to be read in its entirety, and sections or parts of the document should therefore not be read and relied on out of context. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this document reflect the professional opinion of Outback Ecology, using the data and information supplied. Outback Ecology has used reasonable care and professional judgment in its interpretation and analysis of the data. The conclusions and recommendations must be considered within the agreed scope of work, and the methodology used to carry out the work, both of which are stated in this document. This document was intended for the sole use of Northern Minerals and only for the use for which it was prepared, which is stated in this document. Any representation in the document is made only to Northern Minerals. Outback Ecology disclaims all liability with respect to the use of this document by any third party, and with respect to the use of and reliance upon this document by any party, including Northern Minerals for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was prepared. Outback Ecology has conducted environmental field monitoring and/or testing for the purposes of preparing this document. The type and extent of monitoring and/or testing is described in the document. On all sites, there exists varying degrees of non-uniformity of the vertical and horizontal soil and water conditions. Because of this non-uniformity, no monitoring, testing or sampling technique can completely eliminate the possibility that the results/samples obtained through monitoring or testing are not entirely representative of the soil and/or groundwater conditions on the site. Any conclusions based on the monitoring and/or testing only serve as an indication of the environmental condition of the site (including the presence or otherwise of contaminants or emissions) at the time of preparing this document. It should be noted that site conditions, including the exact location, extent and concentration of contaminants, can change with time. Subject to the limitations imposed by the instructions and requirements of Northern Minerals, the monitoring and testing have been undertaken in a professional manner, according to generally-accepted practices and with a degree of skill and care which is ordinarily exercised by reputable environmental consultants in similar circumstances. Outback Ecology makes no other warranty, express or implied. Maps produced by Outback Ecology may be compiled from multiple external sources and therefore Outback Ecology does not warrant that the maps provided are error free. Outback Ecology does not purport to represent precise locations of cadastral corners or the surveyed dimensions of cadastral boundaries. Outback Ecology gives no warranty in relation to mapping data (including accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability) and accepts no liability for any loss, damage or costs relating to any use of the data. Executive Summary Northern Minerals commissioned Outback Ecology to undertake a Level 2 flora and vegetation baseline and impact assessment of the proposed Browns Range (the Project), which is located approximately 150 km southeast of Halls Creek in the Tanami bioregion of Western Australia. The Study Area considered by this Assessment consisted of 16,294 ha containing a Development Envelope of 2590 ha. Northern Minerals have committed to locating the Project within the Development Envelope and clearing no more than 711 ha. Calculations of impacts to flora and vegetation have been made using this footprint to provide scale and context to the impact assessment. The specific objectives of this flora and vegetation assessment were to: produce a list of vascular flora occurring within the Study Area; identify any conservation significant flora (including Threatened Flora, Priority Flora) known or potentially occurring within the Study Area and surrounds; identify any conservation significant ecological communities (Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) and Priority Ecological Communities (PECs) known or potentially occurring within the Study Area and surrounds; delineate, characterise and map vegetation associations across the Study Area; assess and map vegetation condition across the Study Area; identify and specify locations of any introduced species including any exotic or declared weeds; and discuss the potential impacts of the Project on flora and vegetation within the Study Area. The first phase of the Level 2 survey was conducted during excellent seasonal conditions in May 2012 and the second survey was conducted in May 2013, during very good seasonal conditions. A total of 59 quadrats, 82 relevés and numerous mapping notes were recorded throughout the Study Area. A total of 392 vascular flora species were recorded in the Study Area including 56% of the species previously recorded in the Tanami bioregion. In addition a further 170 species were identified that were not previously listed for the Tanami bioregion on FloraBase, however 143 of these are mapped as occurring there in the Atlas of Living Australia. No Threatened Flora (TF) (Declared Rare Flora) listed under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (WA), or Threatened Flora species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwth) were recorded in the Study Area and none are currently listed for the Tanami subregion. ES1 Four Western Australian Priority Flora species were recorded within the Study Area during the 2012 and 2013 surveys: Eleocharis ochrostachys (Priority 3); Goodenia crenata (Priority 3); Heliotropium uniflorum (Priority 1); and Trachymene villosa (Priority 1) Of these Priority Flora species, three populations of Goodenia crenata comprising a total of 270 individuals and one population of one individual Trachymene villosa are located within the Development Footprint. Clearing for the Disturbance Footprint will impact 4.2% of the Goodenia crenata and 2% of the Trachymene villosa individuals recorded within the Study Area and thus is highly unlikely to change the conservation status of these species either in the local area, region or in Western Australia. Seventeen flora species were considered to be of ‘Other Conservation Significance’ based on criteria including whether they were being considered by DPaW for Priority Flora status and how significant a range extension they represented. Of these, only one species Brachychiton multicaulis was located within the Development Footprint. Nine populations comprising 70 individuals of this species are likely to be impacted by the Project and represent an estimated 26% of the total number of individuals within the Study Area. This is relatively high, however given that there are likely to be many additional populations in the Study Area and adjacent vegetation, this is unlikely to have a significant impact on the status of this species. This species occurs in usually very small numbers scattered across the plains. An additional 44 populations representing 196 individuals are known