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Project Atlas’, a Coal Seam Gas Field in the Surat Basin

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Project Atlas’, a Coal Seam Gas Field in the Surat Basin 7 — APPENDICES Appendix C – ERM Ecological Assessment Report Public—24 October 2018 © Jemena Limited Atlas Lateral Project Gas Compression Facility Ecological Assessment Report 0461545_FINAL September 2018 The business of sustainability Atlas Lateral Project Approved by: Dr David Dique Gas Compression Facility Ecological Assessment Report Position: Partner Senex Energy Limited Signed: September 2018 0461545 FINAL Date: 21 September 2018 www.erm.com This disclaimer, together with any limitations specified in the report, apply to use of this report. This report was prepared in accordance with the contracted scope of services for the specific purpose stated and subject to the applicable cost, time and other constraints. In preparing this report, ERM relied on: (a) client/third party information which was not verified by ERM except to the extent required by the scope of services, and ERM does not accept responsibility for omissions or inaccuracies in the client/third party information; and (b) information taken at or under the particular times and conditions specified, and ERM does not accept responsibility for any subsequent changes. This report has been prepared solely for use by, and is confidential to, the client and ERM accepts no responsibility for its use by other persons. This report is subject to copyright protection and the copyright owner reserves its rights. This report does not constitute legal advice. CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT 2 1.2 SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT 2 2 RELEVANT LEGISLATION 5 3 ASSESSMENT APPROACH 6 3.1 OVERVIEW 6 3.2 DESKTOP SOURCES 6 3.3 FIELD SURVEY 7 3.3.1 PERSONNEL AND WORK SCHEDULE 8 3.3.2 TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY FIELD SURVEY METHODOLOGY 8 3.3.3 SURVEY LIMITATIONS 10 3.4 LISTED THREATENED SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ASSESSMENT 10 3.4.1 LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE ASSESSMENT 10 4 DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES 12 4.1 REGIONAL CONTEXT 12 4.2 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES 13 4.2.1 THREATENED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES 13 4.2.2 REGIONAL ECOSYSTEMS 13 4.3 WATERCOURSES AND WETLANDS 14 4.3.1 WATERCOURSES 14 4.3.2 WETLANDS 14 4.4 CONNECTIVITY 15 4.5 HABITATS 15 4.5.1 TERRESTRIAL HABITATS 15 4.5.2 AQUATIC HABITATS 16 4.6 THREATENED SPECIES 16 4.6.1 TERRESTRIAL FLORA 16 4.6.2 TERRESTRIAL FAUNA 17 5 SUMMARY OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANT MATTERS 19 5.1 ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS 19 5.2 MATTERS OF STATE ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE 19 5.3 MATTERS OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE 19 6 POTENTIAL IMPACTS 21 7 MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION MEASURES 23 8 CONCLUSION 25 9 REFERENCES 26 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.1 ATLAS LATERAL PROJECT OVERVIEW 3 FIGURE 3.1 GAS COMPRESSION FACILITY AREA AND LOCATION OF FIELD SURVEY SITES 10 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 2-1 BIODIVERSITY VALUES LEGISLATION SUMMARY 5 TABLE 3-1 SPECIES DATABASES QUERIED IN DESKTOP ASSESSMENT 7 TABLE 3-2 GAS COMPRESSION FACILITY WORK SCHEDULE SUMMARY 8 TABLE 3-3 TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY FIELD SURVEY SUMMARY 9 TABLE 4-1 BROAD TERRESTRIAL HABITAT TYPES WITHIN THE GAS COMPRESSION FACILITY AREA 14 TABLE 4-2 RESTRICTED MATTER AND WONS RECORDED WITHIN THE GAS COMPRESSION FACILITY 15 TABLE 4-3 MIGRATORY SPECIES WITH HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE WITHIN THE GAS OMPRESSION FACILITY AREA 17 TABLE 5-1 SUMMARY OF MNES FOR THE GAS COMPRESSION FACILITY 18 TABLE 6-1 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO ECOLOGICAL VALUES 21 TABLE 7-1 KEY MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION 23 LIST OF ANNEXURES ANNEX A DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS ANNEX B SPECIES AND COMMUNITIES ASSESSED FOR LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Senex Energy Limited (Senex) is intending to develop ‘Project Atlas’, a coal seam gas field in the Surat Basin. The Petroleum Lease (PL 1037) is located west of Wandoan in southern-central Queensland. To commercialise production, new gas processing, compression and transportation infrastructure operated by Jemena Ltd (Jemena) is proposed to be constructed adjacent to Senex’s PL 1037, the ‘Atlas Lateral Project’. The Atlas Lateral Project will include a ‘Gas Compression Facility’ and accompanying 60 km of pipeline connecting to Senex’s adjacent PL 1037. The Gas Compression Facility is proposed to be located within an area of approximately 350m x 250m (8.1 ha). This report documents the baseline values that are associated with the Gas Compression Facility and a 300 m buffer area surrounding the Gas Compression Facility Area with a focus on impacts to matters of national environmental significance (MNES) and matters of state environmental significance (MSES). The terrestrial and aquatic ecological values of the proposed Gas Compression Facility Area and buffer area were assessed using desktop sources, with additional field surveys conducted by suitably qualified ecologists to assess ecological values. Desktop sources included available mapping products and species database records. The outcomes of the desktop assessment and field surveys were analysed to inform a likelihood of occurrence assessment relating to listed threatened species and ecological communities. No MNES, MSES or ESAs occur or are considered likely to occur within the Gas Compression Facility Area. However, one small area (0.16 ha) of Brigalow TEC (MNES) and habitat for listed threatened species (based on likelihood of occurrence assessment) for the koala (0.64) (MNES and MSES), glossy black cockatoo (0.16 ha) and golden-tailed gecko (6.56 ha) (MSES), and remnant and regrowth vegetation that are considered ESA’s occur within the buffer area. No direct impacts will occur to MNES, MSES and ESA’s as a result of development of the proposed Gas Compression Facility. Consequently, the proposed activities are unlikely to have a significant impact on any regulated matters and the extent of direct disturbance is considered to be minimal. 1 INTRODUCTION Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd (ERM) has been engaged to document the terrestrial and aquatic ecological values, to support the development of approvals documentation for ‘Project Atlas’, a coal seam gas field in the Surat Basin in southern-central Queensland, which is an established gas-producing region. Project Atlas will involve the development of production wells and supporting infrastructure to produce gas exclusively for the domestic market. At least 25 years of commercial gas production is anticipated. To commercialise production, a new gas processing, compression and transportation infrastructure is required and will be constructed, owned and operated by Jemena Ltd (Jemena), the ‘Atlas Lateral Project’. The Atlas Lateral Project (the ‘Project’) will involve infrastructure to receive low pressure gas ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 0461545/FINAL/21 SEPTEMBER 2018 1 from Senex’s adjacent PL 1037. Gas will be compressed and processed suitable for domestic sales, and transported the gas to the Wallumbilla gas supply hub via new and existing pipelines. The ‘Gas Compression Facility’ will comprise a pipeline of approximately 60 km connecting Senex’s PL 1037 to Jemena’s Darling Downs Pipeline. The Project Area is located near the townships of Wandoan and Wallumbilla. The tenement is immediately south of QGC’s Polaris and Cameron graticular blocks within the Northern Development Area of the QCLNG project, approximately 44 kilometres north of the Warrego highway. Located adjacent to the Project Area is Origin’s Ramyard gas field to the south, the Sandpit field the northeast and the Woleebee gas field to the east (Figure 1.1). 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT The purpose of this report is to document the terrestrial and aquatic ecological values associated within the Gas Compression Facility Area and in turn identify risks to biodiversity values and avoidance, mitigation and management measures. The Gas Compression Facility will be located adjacent to the Production Area at the northern boundary (Figure 1.1). The Gas Compression Facility Area will encompass approximately 8.1 ha and works within the Area will involve vegetation clearing and construction works. Within this report, the Gas Compression Facility Area is defined as the 350 m x 250 m footprint for the Gas Compression Facility. This assessment includes a 300 m buffer around the Gas Compression Facility Area. The description of baseline ecological values is provided to support an application for a site-specific Environmental Authority (EA) for the Gas Compression Facility and assessing whether a significant impact on MNES is likely under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. The structure of this report is aligned with information requirements of relevant approval guidelines and applications. A separate document focusses on the baseline ecological values of the Production Area and Pipeline Area. 1.2 SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT The scope of the report includes assessment of terrestrial and aquatic species and habitats associated with the proposed Gas Compression Facility Area and 300m buffer, with particular focus on: ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 0461545/FINAL/21 SEPTEMBER 2018 2 Biodiversity values as defined by the Department of Environment and Science (DES) Streamlined model conditions for petroleum activities 2016, including Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA), prescribed environmental matters and wetlands; Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES); and Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 0461545/FINAL/21 SEPTEMBER 2018 3 Project Location Legend Production Area Project Atlas Overview 1.1 Pipeline Area Drawing No: 0461545b_CF_EA_G001_R0.mxd Atlas Lateral Project – Gas Compression Facility Date: 21/09/2018 Drawing Size: A4 Ecological Assessment Gas Compression Facility Drawn By: DR Reviewed By: FA Client: Jemena Ltd Coordinate System: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 55 This figure may be based on third party data or data which has not N been verified by ERM and it may not be to scale. Unless expressly Source: Imagery - bing maps hybrid 0 1 2km agreed otherwise, this figure is intended as a guide only and ERM does [ not warrant its accuracy. 2 RELEVANT LEGISLATION This ecological assessment considers the regulatory framework (legislation and policies) at both the State and Commonwealth level.
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