28 November 2017

Strategic Planning City of Kingston

Vegetation assessment of 19 Tarella Road, Chelsea Our ref: Matter 25719

In response to Council’s request for a vegetation assessment of 19 Tarella Road Chelsea we inspected the site on 11 and 21 February and 4 September 2017 and can offer the following advice:

Geology

The geology of the site is Recent unconsolidated aeolian (wind-blown) coastal sand, part of a dune stationary barrier complex (GSV 1980). The soil is a fine grained light to dark grey sand. Soil on seven sampling sites have a pH of 4.5 and one site at the south end a pH of 6.5 which makes the soil acidic.

Qrd

Biosis Pty Ltd Melbourne Resource Group

38 Bertie Street Phone: 03 9646 9499 ACN 006 175 097 Port Melbourne VIC 3207 Fax: 03 9646 9242 ABN 65 006 175 097 Email: [email protected] biosis.com.au

Existing vegetation

The site supports 15 indigenous and 15 introduced recorded plant species (Attachment 1). The low number of indigenous species indicates the site is modified from original condition.

Some if not all of the locally indigenous species may have colonised the site from elsewhere, particularly from the coast, and thus may not be strictly site-indigenous (they may be adventive). This is typical of many coastal species including Coast Tea-tree and Coast Banksia in the long absence of Aboriginal burning.

Showy Bossiaea Bossiaea cinerea, heath element, approximately 30 plants

New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides, coastal element, endangered in Kingston

Native vegetation is classified into ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) by the state government (DELWP).

Currently the vegetation is functionally:

• Coastal Dune Scrub dominated by Coast Tea-tree most of the site

• Coast Banksia Woodland dominated by Coast Banksia central area

These are not necessarily the natural or original EVCs of the site.

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Coast Banksia Woodland

Common Correa

Coastal Dune Scrub

New Zealand Spinach

Figure 1. Vegetation, 19 Tarella Road, Chelsea.

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Coastal Dune Scrub

Coast Banksia Woodland

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The site has been disturbed in the past by at least partial clearing as indicated on the 1945 aerial photo (DLS 1946). This would have provided opportunities for plant colonisation.

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Original vegetation

There are several possible original or natural ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) including the following:

Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland, Heathy Woodland or Sand Heathland

The original (1750) EVC of the site is modelled as Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland / Heathy Woodland Complex on the DELWP Biodiversity Interactive Map (DELWP 2017):

The name complex indicates a mixture of two EVCs: Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland and Heathy Woodland. Both are usually or always eucalypt dominated and in this case it would have been Coast Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. pryoriana on deep sand ± River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis on shallow sand. However the vegetation may have also been treeless Sand Heathland.

A search of the Qrd coastal sand belt between Aspendale and Carrum found no remnant eucalypts although several large River Red Gums were found on the inland Qrm Carrum swamp soil. River Red Gum is the more valuable timber and it would be unusual for all of the Coast Manna Gum to be cleared and not all of the River Red Gum. Two large remnant red gums occur in gardens on private land nearby to the northeast of 19 Tarella Road on lower ground on swamp soil. It is unknown whether eucalypts have been completely cleared or were naturally absent from treeless heathland on the sand belt in this area.

Some of the species such as Showy Bossiaea Bossiaea cinerea, Common Correa Correa reflexa and Bundled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fasciculata are inland heath elements. These species indicate the inland woodland EVCs Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland and Heathy Woodland or treeless Sand Heathland. However Showy Bossiaea can occur in Coast Banksia Woodland with low pH, such as on Seaford Foreshore. It is possible that Aboriginal burning was maintaining heathland and keeping coastal species closer to the coast. This would have been unusual as heathland is only known from Pleistocene dunes and not Recent dunes in the local area. However treeless heathland occurs on Recent dunes at Tidal River on Wilsons Promontory.

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Coast Banksia Woodland

Original (1750) Coast Banksia Woodland is mapped 145 metres away towards the coast along Station Street but not on the site itself by DELWP (2017). However a large old Banksia occurs in the centre of the site although it could be less than 182 years old (Melbourne was settled in 1835).

During the search of the Qrd coastal sand deposit between Aspendale and Carrum no remnant eucalypts were found while many large Coast Banksias were found throughout the sand deposit including at its inland edge such as at Regents Park, Aspendale. These large trees are sometimes in stands of woodland.

The low soil pH at Tarella Road (4.5) is usually associated with low fertility heathland and heathy woodland vegetation but clearly Coast Banksia can grow on acidic soil. This suggests that the usual restriction of Coast Banksia to alkaline or neutral soil is due to its fire sensitivity rather than high pH requirement. Aboriginal fire frequency and intensity is likely to have been lower near the coast, sufficient for Coast Banksia Woodland to develop from Coastal Dune Scrub. Once established CBW is somewhat resistant to fire thereafter due to the prevalance of succulent fire resistant plants in its understorey such as Bower Spinach Tetragonia implexicoma (which is curiously absent on the site) and Seaberry Saltbush Rhagodia candolleana.

It would seem unlikely that Coastal Dune Scrub would have occurred this far from the coast given that Coast Banksia Woodland occurs at similar distances inland further south in Seaford and Rawlinson (1866) maps relatively open scrub vegetation rather than closed scrub for the site.

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Thomas Rawlinson’s 1866 map of the Carrum Swamp indicates open scrubby vegetation such as heathland or woodland although the tree symbol as used elsewhere on the map is not utilised here:

The dense vegetation along the coast may have been Coast Banksia Woodland and/or Coastal Dune Scrub. The more open vegetation inland may have been woodland or treeless heathland.

The site currently supports a mixture of coastal and inland species, with coastal elements including Seaberry Saltbush Rhagodia candolleana and New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides and inland elements including Showy Bossiaea Bossiaea cinerea and Bundled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fasciculata. This suggests the original site vegetation may have been an inland EVC into which coastal species have colonised.

The Coastal Dune Scrub appears to be adventive, having colonised inland from the coast, although Coast Tea-tree itself may have occurred as a subdominant to Coast Banksia in Coast Banksia Woodland.

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Conservation significance

This site supports native coastal vegetation on the inland part of the Kingston coastal sand belt, in an area that has been extensively cleared.

Two plant communities are threatened in the City of Kingston (City of Kingston 2008):

• Coastal Dune Scrub vulnerable

• Coast Banksia Woodland endangered

Several plant species are rare or threatened in the City of Kingston (Bainbridge 2017):

• Common Correa Correa reflexa vulnerable

• Sieber Crassula Crassula sieberiana rare • Bundled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fasciculata rare

• New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides endangered

Showy Bossiaea Bossiaea cinerea is common on the site and not known from elsewhere in Chelsea.

The understorey is a mixture of coastal and inland species, with coastal elements including Seaberry Saltbush Rhagodia candolleana and New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides and inland elements including Showy Bossiaea Bossiaea cinerea and Bundled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fasciculata. This suggests the original vegetation may have been an inland EVC into which coastal species have colonised.

The large old Coast Banksia is a remarkable survivor. Its main stem has broken away but its large side stem continues to grow. This unusual structure makes it an interesting specimen tree.

Coast Tea-tree is abundant and has a natural leaning habit which makes the older trees picturesque. The trees are generally in good structural condition for the species.

Interesting leaning specimen tree of Coast Tea-tree Leptospermum laevigatum

The site also supports local fauna with observations or evidence of Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus, Marbled Gecko Christinus marmoratus and Common Brown merope.

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Management

If the site vegetation is to be protected, its management would be a technical matter involving numerous management practices including:

• Weed control

• Facilitation of natural regeneration

• Protection of trees from Common Ringtail Possum

Overbrowsing by ringtail possums is currently a threat to the trees:

Heavy browsing of Coast Tea-tree by Common Ringtail Possum

It is noted that retention of the site core values is generally compatible with development as a public park. Part of the site is already cleared and sections could be protected with fencing.

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References

Bainbridge 2017. Kingston flora database. Prepared for Kingston Conservation and Environment Coalition.

City of Kingston 2008. City of Kingston biodiversity strategy 2007–2012. City of Kingston. http://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/About-Us/Plans-Policies-and-Publications/Stategies-and-Plans

DELWP 2017. Biodiversity Interactive Map. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria. http://mapshare2.dse.vic.gov.au/MapShare2EXT/imf.jsp?site=bim (Now Naturekit).

DLS 1946. Photo-map: Cranbourne A2C & A1D. Aerial survey of Victoria, 1945, Department of Lands and Survey, Victoria.

GSV 1980. Chelsea and Keysborough. Geological Survey of Victoria. http://earthresources.efirst.com.au/product.asp?pID=690&cID=47

Tree Logic 2016. 17 - 19 Tarella Road Chelsea arboricultural assessment. Prepared for Maksymiw Investments P/L, prepared by Nick Kelly, 24 November 2016.

Rawlinson TE 1866. Survey of the Carrum Swamp in the County of Mornington. Thomas E Rawlinson, Contract Surveyor.

Report prepared by Dr Jeff Yugovic, Senior Consultant, Biosis Pty Ltd.

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Attachment 1. Recorded flora

Scientific name Common name Kingston status*

Indigenous species:

Allocasuarina verticillata Drooping Sheoak S Banksia integrifolia Coast Banksia S Bossiaea cinerea Showy Bossiaea S Correa reflexa Common Correa V Cotula australis Common Cotula S Crassula sieberiana Sieber Crassula R Dianella longifolia s.l. (?laevis) Flax-lily K Dianella revoluta s.l. (?admixta) Flax-lily K Dichondra repens Kidney-weed S Dysphania pumilio Clammy Goosefoot K Hibbertia fasciculata1 Bundled Guinea-flower R Leptospermum laevigatum Coast Tea-tree S Rhagodia candolleana Seaberry Saltbush S Solanum laciniatum Large Kangaroo Apple S Tetragonia tetragonioides New Zealand Spinach E

Introduced species:

Acacia longifolia subsp. longifolia Sallow Wattle Acetosella vulgaris Sheep Sorrel Agapanthus praecox Agapanthus Arctotheca calendula Cape Weed Asparagus asparagoides Bridal Creeper Couch Panic Veldt-grass Ehrharta longiflora Annual Veldt-grass Freesia sp. Freesia Hypochaeris glabra Annual Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris radicata Flatweed Oxalis pes-caprae Soursob Romulea rosea Onion Grass Stellaria media Chickweed Stenotaphrum secundatum Buffalo Grass

1 David Bainbridge, pers. comm.

* Kingston Flora Database 2017: E Endangered V Vulnerable R Rare K Insufficiently known S Secure

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