Vic Ecology FF Long Report Template

Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek: EPBC Act (2017/8049) Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan: 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe

Prepared for Department of Justice and Regulation

06 June 2018

Document information Biosis offices

Report to: Department of Justice and Regulation NEW SOUTH WALES Prepared by: Steve Mueck Albury Phone: (02) 6069 9200 Biosis project no.: 25271 Email: [email protected] File name: 25271.ChepstoweGSM.OMP.Dft.06062018 Newcastle Citation: Biosis 2018. Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek: EPBC Act Phone: (02) 4911 4040 (2017/8049) Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan: 346 Carngham Email: [email protected] Streatham Road Chepstowe. Report for Department of Justice and Sydney Regulation. Authors: Mueck, S. Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Project no. 25271. Phone: (02) 9101 8700 Email: [email protected] Document control Wollongong Phone: (02) 4201 1090 Email: [email protected] Version Internal reviewer Date issued

Draft 01 Sera Cutler 24/04/2018 Draft 02 SGM 06/06/2018

VICTORIA Final 01 To be confirmed XX/04/2018

Ballarat Phone: (03) 5304 4250 Email: [email protected] Acknowledgements

Melbourne (Head Office) Phone: (03) 8686 4800 Biosis acknowledges the contribution of the following people and Email: [email protected] organisations in undertaking this study:

Wangaratta • Department of Justice and Regulation: Dijana Dragovic and Garry Phone: (03) 5718 6900 Jackson Email: [email protected]

• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for access to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas

• Land Owner: Neville Oddie

Biosis staff involved in this project were:

• Sally Mitchell, Sonika Kumar and Gareth Davies (mapping)

• Shana Nerenberg (project management)

 Biosis Pty Ltd This document is and shall remain the property of Biosis Pty Ltd. The document may only be used for the purposes for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of the Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever is prohibited. Disclaimer:

Biosis Pty Ltd has completed this assessment in accordance with the relevant federal, state and local legislation and current industry best practice. The company accepts no liability for any damages or loss incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the report content or for any purpose other than that for which it was intended.

Contents

Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek, Victoria (EPBC 2017/8049) ...... v

Summary ...... vi

1. Introduction ...... 1

1.1 Project background ...... 1 1.2 Objectives ...... 6 1.3 Report structure ...... 6

2. Part A: Offset suitability ...... 7

2.1 Clearing Site Details ...... 7 2.2 Vegetation Approved for Removal ...... 7 2.3 Description of offset site – 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe ...... 7 Habitat description ...... 8 Assessment of offset site using EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide ...... 9 GSM Conservation advice and impact guidelines ...... 11 Other Threat Abatement Plans ...... 11

3. Part B: Offset Implementation – Chepstowe GSM...... 12

3.1 EPBC Act approval conditions ...... 12 3.2 Offset site details ...... 14 3.3 Strategy for Offset Site ...... 14 3.4 Offset security, management responsibility and reporting requirements ...... 14 3.5 Environmental outcomes to be achieved...... 16 Future condition classes ...... 16 Performance and completion criteria ...... 17 3.6 Limitations and uncertainty...... 17 3.7 Ongoing management commitments ...... 17 3.8 Risk assessment and adaptive management ...... 18 3.9 Management actions and land use commitments ...... 19 Fencing ...... 20 Woody weeds ...... 20 Herbaceous weeds ...... 20 Pest animals ...... 21 Biomass / Organic Litter control ...... 22 3.10 Monitoring ...... 23 Fence condition ...... 23 Weed monitoring ...... 23 Pest animal monitoring ...... 23 Tree and shrub recruitment ...... 23 Golden Sun Moth Monitoring ...... 24 3.11 Reporting ...... 25

3.12 Auditing ...... 25 3.13 Plan review ...... 26

4. Schedule of management actions, risks, monitoring and reporting ...... 27

5. References ...... 35

Appendices ...... 37

Appendix 1 EPBC Act Offset Calculator ...... 38

Appendix 2 DoEE EMP Guidelines Risk Framework ...... 40

Appendix 3 Glossary ...... 41

Tables

Table 1 Offset assessment guide calculations ...... 10 Table 2 EPBC 2017/8049 approval conditions ...... 12 Table 3 Offset Site Details ...... 14 Table 4 Security and Management Responsibility and Reporting Requirements ...... 16 Table 5 Herbaceous weeds to be controlled – method and timing ...... 21 Table 6 Management Actions...... 27 Table 7 Risk assessment and management ...... 31 Table 8 Monitoring schedule ...... 33 Table 9 Reporting schedule ...... 34

Figures Figure 1 Location of the Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek, Victoria ...... 2 Figure 2 Grassland and Golden Sun Moth habitat within the Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek, Victoria...... 3 Figure 3 Location of the Carngham Streatham Road GSM offset site, Chepstowe, Victoria ...... 4 Figure 4 The distribution of NTGVVP and GSM records at the Carngham Streatham Road offset site, Chepstowe, Victoria ...... 5

Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek, Victoria (EPBC 2017/8049)

Declaration of accuracy

In making this declaration, I am aware that section 491 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) makes it an offence in certain circumstances to knowingly provide false or misleading information or documents to specified persons who are known to be performing a duty or carrying out a function under the EPBC Act or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Cth). The offence is punishable on conviction by imprisonment or a fine, or both. I am authorised to bind the approval holder to this declaration and that I have no knowledge of that authorisation being revoked at the time of making this declaration.

Signed

Stephen Mueck Senior Consultant Botanist Biosis Pty Ltd

06/06/2018

Summary

Biosis Pty Ltd was commissioned by Department of Justice and Regulation (DoJR) to prepare an Offset Management Plan (OMP) for an offset site required for losses associated with the development of a Youth Justice Centre at Cherry Creek, Victoria as outlined under referral 2017/8049.

The Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) determined that the development project will have a significant impact upon Golden Sun Moth Synemon plana (GSM), and therefore the project is a controlled action and compensatory offsets are required.

The EPBC Approval (2017/8049) specifies the following condition in relation to the provision of offsets:

2. The approval holder must submit an Offset Management Plan for the written approval of the Minister. The Offset Management Plan must be prepared by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the Department’s Environmental Management Plan Guidelines and be specific to each defined offset site. The Offset Management Plan must include:

a. a commitment to provide a total direct environmental offset of one hundred and fifty eight point one (158.1) hectares (ha) of offsets to compensate for the permanent loss of: (Note that the impact has been reduced so that the offset requirement is now 154.1 ha)

i. 29.274 ha of Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain ecological community (NTGVVP ecological community); and (Note that this impact has been reduced to 28.23 ha)

ii. 36.6 ha of Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana) habitat; (Note that this impact has been reduced to 35.66 ha)

b. details of how each area of habitat and the relevant Offset Management Plan meet the requirements of the EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy;

c. a baseline description of the current condition (prior to any management activities) of Habitat Zone 1, including existing vegetation, for the NTGVVP ecological community and Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana) habitat;

d. a description and map (including shapefiles) to clearly define the location and boundaries of Habitat Zone 1, accompanied by the offset attributes;

e. information about how Habitat Zone 1 provides connectivity with other relevant habitats and biodiversity corridors;

f. a description of the management measures (including timing, frequency and duration) that will be implemented in Habitat Zone 1;

g. a discussion of how proposed management measures take into account relevant approved conservation advices and are consistent with the measures contained in relevant recovery plans and threat abatement plans;

h. completion criteria and performance targets for evaluating the effectiveness of the Offset Management Plan implementation, and criteria for triggering corrective actions;

i. a program to monitor, report on and review the effectiveness of the Offset Management Plan;

j. a description of the potential risks to the successful implementation of the environmental offset and contingency measures that would be implemented to mitigate against these risks; and

k. details of the mechanism to legally secure the environmental offset.

3. The approval holder must legally secure the environmental offset of one hundred and fifty eight point one (153.8) hectares of habitat for GSM including at least 121.1 ha of NTGVVP prior to the commencement of the action.

• 4. The approval holder must not commence the action until the Minister has approved the Offset Management Plan.

A suitable offset site has been identified at 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe, Victoria. The identified offset site (covering 32.1 hectares) lies between the Snake Valley Chepstowe Road to the north, McDonalds Road to the south and Pittong Chepstowe Road to the east. The property is currently owned by Neville Oddie Pty Ltd (TBD). The offset area is located within a larger pastoral property which includes other biodiversity offset sites, and management prescriptions within this plan are consistent with the plan for the broader property. The broader property has been the subject of a targeted survey for GSM which has been recorded at numerous locations across the property and within the nominated offset site covered by this OMP (ABZECO 2015).

While a significant proportion of this 32.1 ha offset site is not considered to be native vegetation (i.e. the perennial groundcover / understorey doesn’t support a minimum of 25% cover of indigenous species) it still represents moderate to high quality habitat for GSM.

This OMP outlines how the Chepstowe GSM offset site will provide part (32.1 hectares of GSM habitat) of the total required offsets for the Youth Justice Project. Additional offsets will be sourced at other sites to meet the full EPBC Act offset approval conditions. Specifically, the offset requirements for the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre relating to GSM will be met through implementation of the 32.1 hectare offset area subject to this OMP; an additional 22.33 hectares of Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (NTGVVP)/GSM habitat at a separate location within the Chepstowe property to be managed under a discrete Offset management Plan (Biosis 2018b) and 99.67 hectares at an additional offset area (Warrambeen) (Biosis 2018c). This will provide a total offset area of 154.1 ha of occupied GSM habitat, amounting to an offset of about 4.3 times the impact to GSM habitat at the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre.

The Chepstowe GSM offset site will be secured in-perpetuity through an appropriate legal encumbrance registered on the property (a covenant as to part Section 3A Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972). Gains in vegetation and GSM habitat quality through on-ground actions are expected over the duration of the 10 year offset management plan, and through the ongoing land-use commitments to manage the offset site for biodiversity conservation.

This plan specifies a range of management actions for the offset area, including weed management, management of tree and shrub recruitment, and protection of the habitat values of the offset site from degradation by stock and unauthorised access. The plan documents an adaptive management framework, in which management actions are modified based on the results of monitoring and auditing activities in order to keep management focussed on the outcome of protecting and enhancing GSM habitat. The risk assessment also includes triggers for plan review, following environmental events such as significant weed invasion that has the potential to significantly alter the character and condition of the offset site.

1. Introduction

1.1 Project background

Biosis Pty Ltd was commissioned by Department of Justice and Regulation (DoJR) to prepare a Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan (OMP) for an offset site required for losses associated with the development of a Youth Justice Centre at Cherry Creek, just west of Melbourne, Victoria (Figure 1), as outlined under referral 2017/8049.

An ecological assessment of the undeveloped Youth Justice Centre site, including a habitat hectare assessment, is documented by Ecology and Heritage Partners (2017) and Biosis (2017). These reports together identify the condition and extent of native vegetation, including areas of Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (NTGVVP) and Golden Sun Moth Synemon plana (GSM) habitat to be impacted in association with the proposed development (Figure 2). The Biosis (2017) report incorporated native vegetation assessment and mapping from EHP (2017) with additions relating to a revised alignment for the access road and targeted survey results for threatened flora. Consequently, Biosis (2017) was used, in conjunction with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 EPBC Act offsets policy, to identify the extent of NTGVVP and GSM habitat required to offset impacts to these MNES resulting from the development of the Youth Justice Centre.

A planning scheme amendment for the proposed development has been approved by the Minister for Planning (C222 approved April 2018). Clearing associated with the development of the Youth Justice Centre was also assessed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) as part of the development approvals process. The development has also been assessed and approved by the Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) under the EPBC Act through referral 2017/8049.

The approved development would result in clearing of 28.45 hectares of native vegetation of which 28.23 hectares is equivalent to NTGVVP. The area of NTGVVP is also considered to be GSM habitat while an additional 7.45 hectares was also identified as GSM habitat providing a total of 35.66 hectares of GSM habitat to be removed (Figure 2).

Part of the external EPBC Act offsets for GSM habitat is proposed to be sourced from sections of the pastoral property at 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe (Figure 3, the Chepstowe GSM offset). An ecological assessment of the Chepstowe offset was conducted by Biosis (2018a). This report provides the basic ecological information to support this OMP and identified areas of NTGVVP which also support a resident GSM population and other vegetation which supports GSM. This OMP covers an area of 32.1 hectares dominated by vegetation not defined as NTGVVP but which still supports a significant population of GSM (Figure 4). Management of this external EPBC Act offset will involve protection and active ecological management of 32.1 hectares of relatively unimproved pasture which supports various degrees of native and introduced GSM food plants.

The overall development of the Youth Justice Centre will be conducted in a manner such that the existing NTGVVP and GSM habitats will be lost in a single event. The project is expected to begin in mid to late 2019 and be completed within one to two years. All offsets required to compensate for this removal will be sourced prior to commencement of works on the Youth Justice Centre. In accordance with the EPBC Act approval condition 4, Works will not commence until offsets have bene sourced and the relevant Offset management Plans (s) approved by the Minister. This OMP outlines how the Chepstowe GSM offset site will provide part of the total required offsets for the Youth Justice Project (32.1 hectares of GSM habitat).

A glossary of technical terms used throughout this OMP is provided in Appendix 3.

© Biosis 2018 – Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan (EPBC 2017/8049) 1 G d Tan ilba St r R B e a a h v t ll e a a ! Mildura s r n S g R t c d N M d Brophys o r t t h S R ll B lack F re ores s Crossing tt ! Swatn HRill d l ! Co t l y S n w to ! a H at Kerang s W W ! e ! Echuca ! Wodonga c ! ! ! n Mambourin Wangaratta i ! St r ! ! Arnaud Bendigo d P ! ! R ! Stawell n Mansfield ! Ararat ba ! l u ! BBallarat Cann River ! ! Hamilton Melbourne ! ! Lakes ! ! Entrance Geelong ! ! ! Traralgon ! ! Warrnambool

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GREATER GEELONG CITY Legend

Impact area

Acknowledgement: VicMap Data ©State of Victoria

Figure 1 Location of the Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek, Victoria 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000

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Figure 2: Proposed removal of Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain and Golden Sun Moth habitat

Mcintoshs Paddock 1 Trk Murtcaim Rd Mwc West 3 Rd

d 0 100 200 300 400 500 R 3 st Ea c Metres Sparrow Hill West 2 Trk w M Scale: 1:10,000 @ A3 Coordinate System: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 55 Little River Rd

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Mena Park ! Mildura

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eatham Rd - Str m ha g ! Chepstowe rn a C

PYRENEES Mortchup - Mount Emu Rd SHIRE

Mortchup !

Legend

Study area GOLDEN GOLDEN PLAINS Acknowledgement: VicMap Data ©State of Victoria PLAINS SHIRE SHIRE Figure 3 Location of the Carngham Streatham Road offset site, Chepstowe, Victoria 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000

Chepstowe Carngham ! ! Mount Emu ! Poverty Point !

Rileys Rd GF Mortchup GF ! ! GF GFGF Snake Valley 20.01ha Chinaman !Flat

Legend Existing offsets NTGVVP offset area Golden Sun Moth offset area Woody Species (Indicative locations) GF Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn GF Malus spp. - Apple Carngham - Streatham Rd GF Marrubium vulgare - Horehound GF Quercus spp. - Oak GF Rosa rubiginosa - Sweet Briar GF Ulex europaeus - Gorse

PYRENEES SHIRE

GF Snake Valley - Chepstowe Rd

2.16ha 2.18ha Figure 4 Proposed offset areas at the Carngham

Chepstowe - Pittong Rd GF GFGF Streatham Road offset 16.05ha site, Chepstowe, Victoria

0 110 220 330 440 550

7.75ha Metres Scale: 1:11,000 @ A3 Mcdonalds Rd Coordinate System: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 54 0.25ha ± Biosis Pty Ltd Albury, Ballarat, Melbourne, Newcastle, 5.59ha Sydney, Wangaratta & Wollongong 0.44ha Mcintoshs Lane Matter: [Matter], Date: 06 June 2018, Checked by: [Consultant], Drawn by: [GIS], Last edited by: skumar Location: P:\25200s\25271\Mapping\ Acknowledgements: Vicmap ©State of Victoria, Imagery - NearMap 2017 25271_F4_CHEP_GSM_Offset.mxd

North South Rd

1.2 Objectives

The objective of this OMP is to document the Youth justice Centre Cherry Creek clearing site and 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe GSM offset site details to meet EPBC Act approval requirements of offsetting impacts to GSM by securing, maintaining and improving GSM habitat within the designated offset site. The objectives of this plan are to:

• Identify the 32.1 hectare area within the Chepstowe property (346 Carngham Streatham Road, Chepstowe) that is nominated as an offset site for the protection of GSM, and:

– To provide an offset plan to the satisfaction of the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE);

– Develop an OMP to compensate for the permitted loss of habitat as part of the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre. This will include but not be limited to the following:

o Means of calculating the offset; o Location of the offset site; o Type of offset to be provided; o Identify the necessary management actions to protect and improve GSM habitat within the offset site.

o Details of management actions for remnant habitat; o Detail 'security' arrangements; o Provide a map of the offset site; o Develop a timetable of management actions, outcomes and progress reviews; and, o Detail appropriate monitoring and evaluation of management actions

1.3 Report structure

The structure and content of the OMP is consistent with the requirements of the ‘Standard Offset Plan’ template provided by DELWP and is organised in a number of parts:

• Introduction - This section summarises the background information relevant to the Project, including the purpose and scope of the work and the assessment methodology.

• Part A: Offset Suitability - This section assesses the suitability of the proposed offset site, and includes details regarding approved clearing, gain and site improvement calculations. Part A should be read in conjunction with Part B, but due to its technical nature, the information it contains is not intended to be placed on title (e.g. Covenant under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972).

• Part B: Offset Implementation - This section describes how the offset is to be implemented. Part B includes details regarding landowner commitments, management activities, monitoring and reporting. This section is intended for those responsible for implementing the OMP, including future landowners. Information in this section is intended to be placed on title.

The plan also incorporates the requirements of guidelines for the preparation of an offset management plan under the EPBC Act offsets policy (Commonwealth of Australia 2014).

2. Part A: Offset suitability

This section provides details of the clearing site, assesses the suitability of the proposed offset site, and includes details regarding approved clearing, gain and site improvement calculations. This section should be read in conjunction with Part B, but due to its technical nature, the information it contains is not intended to be placed on title (e.g. Covenant under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972). The location of the clearing site and the proposed offset site are provided in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.

2.1 Clearing Site Details

Landowner of clearing site Department of Justice and Regulation

Location and address of clearing site 215 Farm Road Cocoroc 3030

Local Government Area City of Wyndham

Catchment Management Authority Port Phillip and Western Port

Responsible Authority Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Permit applicant Department of Justice and Regulation

Planning Scheme Amendment (ID) Wyndham C222

Date Approved Pending approval from Planning Minister April 2018

2.2 Vegetation Approved for Removal

Vegetation removal associated with the development of the Youth Justice Centre (Figure 1) is consistent with the requirements of the planning scheme amendment C222 pending approval from Victorian Planning Minister in April 2018. Vegetation to be removed is described in the biodiversity assessment prepared by Biosis (2017) and the condition of this vegetation is summarised in Table 1. A total of 28.45 hectares of native vegetation has been approved for clearing of which 28.23 hectares is classified as NTGVVP. A total of 36.6 hectares of the site is also classified as GSM habitat, of which 35.66 hectares is approved for clearing (Figure 2).

2.3 Description of offset site – 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe

The nominated GSM offset site at 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe (32.1 hectares), has been identified as meeting Commonwealth offset policy requirements, as of October 2012. In combination with a 22.33 hectare offset for NTGVVP and GSM elsewhere on this property and another 100 hectare offset site at Mount Mercer (Biosis 2018), DoJR will provide a total offset package of 154.1 hectares of occupied GSM habitat for its approved development. The following summarises the existing conditions at the Chepstowe GSM offset site, including current permitted uses and its suitability as an offset as assessed against Commonwealth requirements.

The site is approximately 32 km west of Ballarat and 130 km west of the Melbourne central business district (Figure 3). The property is currently zoned Farming Zone within the Shire of Pyrenees and is not covered by any overlays relating to biodiversity or inundation. The land is owned and managed by Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

who also hold broader areas of farmland in this location. The site has historically been used for domestic stock grazing but is currently managed for conservation values on a voluntary basis.

2.3.1 Habitat description The offset site is located within the Victoria Volcanic Plains Bioregion (http://maps.biodiversity.vic.gov.au/ viewer/?viewer=NatureKit) and is dominated by undulating hills.

DELWP identifies the native (pre-1750) vegetation of the site as a combination of the ecological vegetation classes (EVC) Plains Grassy Woodland (EVC 55). While scattered remnant tree, including River Red-gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Yellow Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon are present, past clearing has largely resulted in treeless vegetation.

Scattered shrubs include Black Wood Acacia melanoxylon and Hedge Wattle Acacia paradoxa.

A modified ground cover is typically dominated by the perennial Brown-top Bent Agrostis capillaris although annual introduced grasses such as Oats Avena spp., Bromes Bromus spp., Fescue Vulpia spp. and Rye-grass Lolium spp. are also prominent. There are also patchy areas of perennial pasture species (weeds) such as Toowoomba Canary-grass Phalaris aquatica and Cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata.

However, native ground cover species are scattered across the site and occasionally form smaller patches which would be classified as native vegetation. Common species include Wallaby-grasses Rytidosperma spp., Common Wheat-grass Anthosachne scabra, Spear-grasses Austrostipa spp. and Weeping Grass Microlaena stipoides.

The ground cover varies from being relatively open to being quite dense depending on the recent intensity of grazing.

The open nature of the grassy ground cover and the scattered to common presence of suitable food plants (such as Wallaby-grasses and Spear-grasses) provides the suitable habitat requirements for GSM.

2.3.2 Offset Site suitability The proposed offset site supports a significant population of GSM relatively remote from the impact area. The Youth Justice Centre is adjacent to the Melbourne urban growth boundary but just outside the area covered by the Melbourne Strategic Assessment (DSE 2009). As part of the broader development of Melbourne’s expanded urban growth boundary, the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) have developed a broader conservation strategy for GSM in the Melbourne region (DEPI 2013). As such it is considered that conservation efforts for this species are well catered for in the Melbourne region.

The protection of more remote populations of this species across its natural range is therefore considered to provide a positive conservation outcome for this critically endangered species.

2.3.3 Site condition The proposed offset site has been subject to past land clearing for the grazing of domestic stock (sheep and cattle). It has been subject to some level of pasture improvement activities which has established a patchy cover of selected agricultural grasses such as Rye-grass, Toowoomba Canary-grass and Cocksfoot. While the site may have been subject to some level of fertilizer application, the existing vegetation suggests any application has been infrequent.

While most of the ground cover does not support a sufficient component of perennial native species to be defied as native vegetation (i.e. Victoria’s definition of native vegetation requires 25% of the perennial ground cover to be composed of native species for areas to be defined as a patch of native vegetation), the pasture

does support small patches of spear-grasses, wallaby grasses and occasionally Kangaroo Grass which achieve this threshold.

Weed cover is typically dominated by Brown-top Bent and annual introduced grasses. However, noxious weeds such as Gorse Ulex europaeus, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare and Paterson's Curse Echium plantagineum while present at relatively low abundance, retain the potential to degrade the GSM habitat present.

There are also signs of the presence of European Rabbit (warrens, scratchings and latrine sites).

2.3.4 Current permitted land uses The property is zoned Farming Zone (FZ) within the Pyrenees Shire Planning Scheme and is not covered by any overlays relating to biodiversity or inundation. The purpose of the FZ is to provide for the use of land for agriculture including the establishment of plantations for timber production over areas of at least 40 ha.

Within Victoria, removal of native vegetation is controlled under Clause 52.17 of the Victoria Planning Provisions. Some removal of native vegetation is currently permitted (exempt from a planning permit requirement – See Clause 52.17-7) to the minimum extent possible, for activities including: • Removal of dead vegetation. • Removal of vegetation for construction of a boundary fence. • Mowing of understorey grass vegetation to a height of 100 mm above ground level. • Grazing by domestic stock. • Timber harvesting of ‘reasonable amounts’ for personal use, including firewood and construction of fences or buildings. • Pruning of up to 1/3 of the foliage of individual plants. • Treatment of pest animal burrows or weed infestations. • Stone exploration or extraction. • Fire protection, including periodic fuel reduction burning or construction of firebreaks and fire fighting access tracks. There are no existing buildings within the property in which the proposed offset area is located.

Existing offset arrangements The proposed offset area has not been allocated for the provision of any other offsets, either under the EPBC offsetting policy or for provision of offsets under Victorian policy, including the Biodiversity Assessment Guidelines or the Net Gain Framework.

Other sections of the property contain habitat and recorded individuals of GSM. These sections may be subject to separate, future offset arrangements for other projects.

2.3.2 Assessment of offset site using EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide Offset requirements were determined in accordance with the EPBC Act Offsets Policy (October 2012). An offset calculation has been undertaken using the EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide spreadsheet (Appendix 1). The input parameters and results of this calculation are summarised in Table 1.

A conservative set of parameters have been specified. The Chepstowe GSM offset site will provide a 32.1 hectare offset toward the total 154.1 hectare GSM offset required for the Youth Justice Centre development. 154.1

Table 1 Offset assessment guide calculations

Parameter Value Notes

Impact to GSM habitat

Area of impact 35.66 Total area (hectares) of direct foraging habitat loss

Quality 6 Scale of 0 – 10. Estimate of habitat values based on population size and isolation.

Total quantum of impact 21.40 35.66x 0.6

Required offset 154.1 Required offset will provide 4.3 x the area of impact. hectares

Offset calculations – Chepstowe offset site

Offset area 32.1 32.1 hectares of occupied GSM habitat.

Time until ecological benefit 10 Years

Time over which loss is 20 Years averted

Start quality 6 Scale of 0 – 10. Score based on Biosis (2018) GSM habitat assessment and surveys by ABZECO (2017).

Future quality without 3 Potential for decline in quality through weed invasion and offset uncontrolled grazing, which is currently an existing permitted use.

Further quality with offset 6 Improvement in condition of vegetation/habitat based on improvements prescribed.

Risk of loss (%) without 10% Low risk of loss without deliberate or accidental actions. offset

Risk of loss (%) with offset 1% Lower risk of loss with covenant and landowner awareness and vigilance.

Confidence in results 90%

% of impact offset 20.83% of Provides part of the total direct offset requirements for confirmed GSM the required habitat. Remaining required GSM offsets to be provided through occupied additional offset sites (Biosis 2018b, Biosis 2018c). . GSM habitat offset.

2.3.3 GSM Conservation advice and impact guidelines The proposed offset site is consistent with Regional/Local Priority Actions outlined in the conservation advice to support the recovery of GSM (DoE 2013). This includes actions to: • Seek formal conservation arrangements, management agreements and covenants on private land; • Monitor known populations; • Monitor the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary; and • Control weed invasions. Management actions proposed are also consistent with known habitat requirements, methods for managing habitat and the life cycle of GSM as outlined in the Significant Impact Guidelines (DEWHA 2009). This includes maintaining or improving the abundance of known food plants (Wallaby-grasses Rytidosperma spp. and Spear-grasses Austrostipa spp.) and habitat structural preferences (providing inter-tussock space).

Monitoring requirements also include methods and data collection requirements based on the survey detection guidelines for GSM (DEWHA 2009).

2.3.4 Other Threat Abatement Plans Other threat abatement plans considered in the preparation of this plan include plans relating to the control of rabbits (DoEE 2016), the European Red Fox (DEWHA 2008) and feral cats (DoE 2015).

3. Part B: Offset Implementation – Chepstowe GSM

This section presents the actions required to implement the OMP. The OMP details methods for the management and conservation of native vegetation at the offset site for the protected matter (GSM) over the minimum required ten year management period and from thereon in perpetuity.

The aim is to implement the offset either before, or at the same point in time as, the impact arising from the action. This timing is distinct from the time it will take an offset to yield a conservation gain for the protected matter, which may be a point in the future.

All works would be conducted by a suitably qualified and experienced contractor and/or the landholder. Prescribed management actions are, where relevant, in accordance with the Victorian BushBroker standards for management (DSE 2012a, DSE 2012b and DSE2012c).

The OMP aims to achieve vegetation improvement gains through on-ground actions and therefore is required to be achievable, straightforward and practical. All of the management actions specified must be measurable against the commitments made in the calculation of improvement over time to achieve the target conservation gains for the protected matter under the EPBC Act.

3.1 EPBC Act approval conditions

This OMP has been formulated to comply with the conditions specified in the approval for the development of the Youth Justice Centre at Cherry Creek, (EPBC 2017/8049). Relevant conditions, including references to corresponding sections of this plan, are detailed in Table 2.

Table 2 EPBC 2017/8049 approval conditions

Condition Condition details OMP response OMP section

2 The OMP must be prepared by a suitably Prepared by Biosis for Declaration of qualified person in accordance with the submission to the Minister for accuracy and Department’s Environmental Management Plan approval. Summary Guidelines and be submitted for the written approval of the Minister. The Offset Management Plan must include:

2a An offset of 32.1 hectares as defined by Biosis 32.1 hectare area defined as Figure 4, 2018. offset site Section 2.3

2b How the OMP meets the requirements of the OMP set out to correspond Table 2 EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy with guidelines for the preparation of an offset management plan under the EPBC Act offsets policy

2c A baseline description of the current condition Brief description of offset site Section 2.3 (prior to any management activities) of the provided. Requirement for offset site, including existing vegetation, for baseline monitoring to GSM habitat. provide detailed description of vegetation, habitat condition and existing populations of GSM.

Condition Condition details OMP response OMP section

2d A description and map (including shapefiles) to Written descriptions Sections 2.3 clearly define the location and boundaries of provided; general and Figures 3 & 4 the offset site, accompanied by the offset specific location maps attributes. provided. Shape files to be provided to DoEE when offset plan is approved.

2e Information about how the offset site provides General description of the Section 2.3 connectivity with other relevant habitats and offset site in relation to biodiversity corridors. surrounding areas of known NTGVVP.

2f A description of the management measures Section 3.9 outlines the Table 6 (including timing, frequency and duration) that proposed management will be implemented in the offset site. measures to be applied to this offset site

2g A discussion of how proposed management Text included in this plan. Section 2.3 measures take into account relevant approved conservation advices and are consistent with the measures contained in relevant recovery plans and threat abatement plans

2h Completion criteria and performance targets Criteria and targets listed Section 3.5 for evaluating the effectiveness of the Offset Management Plan implementation, and criteria for triggering corrective actions

2i A program to monitor, report on and review Sections dedicated to Sections 3.10 the effectiveness of the Offset Management monitoring and reporting and 3.11 Plan requirements Tables 8 and 9

2j A description of the potential risks to the Adaptive management Section 3.13 successful implementation of the strategy put in place to environmental offset and contingency respond to potential risks measures that would be implemented to mitigate against these risks

2k Details of the mechanism to legally secure the Trust for Nature covenant Section 3.4 environmental offset

3 The approval holder must legally secure the Trust for Nature covenant Section 3.4 environmental offset of twenty (20) hectares of NTGVVP and GSM habitat at the offset site prior to the commencement of the action

4 The approval holder must not commence the OMP ten year period does Table 4 action until the Minister has approved the not begin before the minister Offset Management Plan has approved the plan

3.2 Offset site details

Table 3 provides details of the offset site, including the landowner, parcel details and local government property information.

Table 3 Offset Site Details

Offset Site Details

Landowner of offset site Neville Oddie Pty Ltd (ABN XXXXX XXX XXX)

Landowner Contact Neville Oddie ([email protected])

Location and address of 346 Carngham Streatham Road (20.01 ha) and McDonalds Road offset site Chepstowe (12.09 ha)

Area of offset site 32.1 ha

Parish Chepstowe

Allotment (SPI) all or parts of Lots 7A&B, 8A&B, 9B, 10B, and 11A & B of 13\PP2376 (McDonalds Road) and 4A and 5A of 11\PP2376 (346 Carngham Streatham Road)

Volume / Folio 6475/826 (9B, 10B& 11B), 523/466 (7B & 8B), 5721/110 (4A & 5A), 503/574 (11A) & 501/125 (7A & 8A)

Local Government Area Pyrenees Shire

Bioregion Victorian Volcanic Plain

3.3 Strategy for Offset Site

The offset site is to be secured and managed for the purposes of conservation in perpetuity. This offset area is a smaller component of a larger area of farmland which will be managed in a sympathetic manner on a voluntary basis. The current land owner has secured formal offset agreements to protect other portions of this broader area of GSM habitat but the nominated section of this parcel has not been allocated for the provision of any other offsets, either under the EPBC offsetting policy or for provision of offsets under Victorian policy.

All easements noted on the current title have been excluded from the net offset area. No future easements can be applied to the offset area as these are likely to conflict with the objectives of this OMP.

3.4 Offset security, management responsibility and reporting requirements

DoJR has located a suitable offset site and negotiated an agreement with the owner(s) of the property. The proposed offset area is located within a larger property on the Carngham Streatham Road, Chepstowe. The property is owned by Neville Oddie Pty Ltd (or other future owner), who will be responsible for ongoing management of the offset site throughout the period of this plan.

The offset site will be secured and managed for the purposes of conservation in perpetuity via covenant as to Section 3A Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972, to be registered on title and managed by the Trust for Nature (TfN). The management strategy for the proposed offset site consists of implementing a vegetation OMP incorporating the management of ground cover biomass using the timed grazing of domestic stock, weed and vermin control and regular monitoring. Details of security and management responsibility are shown in

Table 4. The encumbrance registered on title requires the landholder and future owners to manage the land in accordance with this OMP or any future approved revisions of this plan.

The covenant will specifically state the in-perpetuity land-use commitments across the offset site to:

• Retain and manage all native vegetation as directed by this offset management plan;

• Exclude domestic stock except as permitted by this plan;

• Exclude the use of stock feed such as hay or other material which could support weed seeds that is sourced from outside the offset area. Sterile feed such as pellets can be sourced externally;

• Eliminate any woody weeds and control the cover of other high threat weeds ensuring this cover does not increase beyond levels achieved at Year 10 of management;

• Ensure that pest animals are controlled and that level of control attained at the completion of Year 10 of management is maintained in perpetuity.

• Exclude pasture improvement and any type of cultivation and cropping;

• Exclude fertilizer application for the first ten years of the covenant. TfN may then permit low levels of fertilizer application if the land owner can prove this will not adversely impact native vegetation or GSM habitat.

• Control the accumulation of ground cover biomass through either the controlled grazing of sheep or using the controlled application of fire;

• Monitoring for any new and emerging high threat weeds and eliminate to < 1% cover;

• Maintain a progressive annual works plan which caters to current conditions and prescribes ongoing management with the promotion of native perennial grasses as its primary objective; and

• Monitor and report on the abundance of GSM within the offset site during the first flight season after initiating this OMP and then during the flight seasons in years 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 of this OMP and thereafter as requested.

Implementation of this management plan is the overall responsibility of the land owner (Neville Oddie Pty Ltd). However, direct management responsibility may be delegated to a designated site manager and/or managing ecologist. The land owner is responsible for engaging a qualified ecologist to conduct monitoring (Section 3.10) with reports submitted to TfN, DOJR and DoEE. Management actions by the land owner will be overseen by the TfN as part of the legal protection over the site.

The TfN is responsible for:

• Undertaking site inspections at least 4 times over the 10 year management period and provide input into the annual works program.

• Review of ecological monitoring reports including an assessment of targets achieved.

Implementation of the management plan will be monitored by the TfN, who will verify that the actions have been carried out appropriately.

Implementation of the OMP will begin upon registration of the covenant.

Table 4 Security and Management Responsibility and Reporting Requirements

Responsibility

Who is liable/responsible for meeting offset requirements? Department of Justice and Regulation

Type of security Covenant as to part Section 3A Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972

Date of commencement for the covenant To be implemented in 2018 before works commence at the Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek

Date 10-year offset management to commence To be completed

Date 10-year offset management expires To be completed

Date agreement registered on-title To be completed in 2018

Offset site management responsibility Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

Offset Monitoring Responsibility Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

Site management Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

Monitoring Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

Auditing Department of Justice and Regulation

Reporting responsibility (to TfN) Neville Oddie Pty Ltd

Reporting responsibility (to DoEE) Department of Justice and Regulation

Plan review Department of Justice and Regulation

Funding for implementation of this OMP has been agreed between DOJR, the land owner and TfN. Where appropriate, or otherwise agreed, funding will be held by the TfN and paid to the land owner over the 10 year management period as per a land owner agreement. This will include agreed funding for anticipated ongoing management required to maintain the offset site in perpetuity, beyond the initial 10 year management period.

3.5 Environmental outcomes to be achieved

The key environmental outcomes to be achieved through protection and management of the offset area are:

• Legal protection of 32.1 hectares of GSM habitat for the period of the OMP, and in perpetuity;

• Physical protection of the habitat area from manageable threats including uncontrolled stock grazing, weed infestations and degradation by pest animals.

• Improvement in the condition of GSM habitat, as measured by population and habitat monitoring.

3.5.1 Future condition classes The offset calculations used to define the size of the offset area (Appendix 1), specify the maintenance of the average habitat condition throughout the offset site over the period of the OMP at a level assessed as 6/10. Habitat condition will be assessed using the habitat features known to support GSM, including the presence of an open tussock grassland structure (with 20% to 40% open ground or inter-tussock spaces) and the

abundance of known food plants such as spear-grasses Austrostipa spp. and wallaby-grasses Rytidosperma spp.

Monitoring assessments will be undertaken in marked quadrats distributed through the offset site as described in Section 3.10.2. A key target will be a decline in the average abundance of perennial introduced pasture grasses such as Brown-top Bent, Toowoomba Canary-grass and Cocksfoot.

Maintenance of the open tussock structure across the site, the removal of woody weeds and a decline of 50% in the average cover of perennial grassy weeds (including Brown-top Bent, Toowoomba Canary-grass and Cocksfoot) after 10 years of management (in comparison to baseline monitoring data) with a commensurate increase in the abundance of native Spear-grasses and Wallaby-grasses will be taken as a successful attainment of the nominated future condition class.

3.5.2 Performance and completion criteria Key performance and completion criteria are:

• Establishment of legal protection via a covenant.

• Improvement in average site condition as described in Section 3.5.1.

• Successful management of threats, including the control of stock grazing, weeds and pests as specified in Section 3.9.

• Completion of scheduled management actions (Section 3.9 and Table 6 & 7).

• Completion of scheduled monitoring activities (Section 3.10 and Table 8).

• Completion of scheduled reports and audits (Section 3.11, 3.12 and Table 9).

3.6 Limitations and uncertainty

This management plan has been formulated using information from recently conducted site inspections (Biosis 2018). The OMP has been subject to external review and quality assurance by DoEE, the land owner and TfN as part of the process to register the site covenant. Relevant federal and state government policies, procedures and databases have also been consulted where appropriate.

To date, the proposed offset area supports records of GSM from targeted surveys in the 2014/15 and 2017/18 flight seasons (ABZECO 2015, 2018) and from incidental observations by ABZECO (Richard Francis pers. comm.).

The offset calculations have been performed using conservative estimates of site improvement, and the total area to be reserved (the Chepstowe and Warrambeen offsets) provides an offset in excess (100%) of the offset area required to balance the impacts (refer to Section 2.3.1 and Appendix 1 for details of the calculations). The Chepstowe GSM offset site will contribute to part of the required GSM offsets.

3.7 Ongoing management commitments

The offset site will be managed for the purposes of the conservation of GSM. Management of this offset site will be in accordance with the EPBC Act approval conditions and aims to achieve an improvement in the overall condition of vegetation in accordance with the EPBC Act offset Calculator (Appendix 1).

The prescribed management actions outlined below are intended to achieve a conservation outcome which improves and maintains the viability of the offset site. This will be achieved through active ecological management (maintenance and improvement) and permanent protection of the offset site. Table 6 details

these prescribed actions and outlines the relevant timing for implementation. These actions will be applied to the entire offset area identified in Figure 4.

From the commencement of the agreement, the landowner agrees to undertake the following management commitments in perpetuity:

• Eliminating all woody weeds < 1% cover.

• Ensuring that overall weed cover does not increase beyond the current levels (current total herbaceous / grassy weed cover for the property varies from 10% to 80%).

• Control introduced perennial grasses such as Brown-top Bent, Toowoomba Canary-grass and Cocksfoot with the objective of reducing their current extent by 50% at the end of the 10 year management period (as defined by baseline monitoring).

• Monitoring for any new and emerging high threat weeds and eliminate to < 1% cover.

• Controlling rabbits, hares and foxes to an extent above existing legal requirements.

• Exclude stock except as otherwise permitted under this plan.

• Exclude the use of stock feed such as hay or other material which could support weed seeds that is sourced from outside the offset area. Sterile feed such as pellets can be sourced externally;

• Exclude pasture improvement, any type of cultivation and cropping;

• Excludes the planting of shrubs and trees, including both native and introduced woody species (except as otherwise approved by TfN); and

3.8 Risk assessment and adaptive management

This Plan provides actions for a period of 10 years. The timing of actions and whether they occur is based on adaptive management. By monitoring the outcomes of actions, management will be adapted to ensure the stated commitments in the OMP are adhered to. Also over time, new management techniques may become available, or further information on the ecology and status of the vegetation communities onsite may necessitate adjustment to management actions. Seasonal conditions can also vary greatly from year to year and influence offset site management actions in any one year. This seasonality is recognised in this offset plan by allowing for flexibility around timing of actions at the discretion of the land manager in consultation with TfN.

Section 4 includes tables of management actions (Table 6) and a risk assessment (Table 7) with associated monitoring (Table 8) and reporting (Table 9) programs.

Key risks identified in Table 9 include: • Unauthorised entry of domestic stock or vehicles into the offset area; • Woody weed infestations; • Expansion of new or existing weeds at uncontrollable levels; • Rabbit infestations; • Over abundant tree regeneration; and • An unexplainable decline in the abundance of GSM.

Failure of the adaptive management approach to adequately respond to risks, as identified in monitoring reports (Section 3.11) or audits (Section 3.12), will result in a review of this plan, as discussed in Section 3.13 and Table 7.

3.9 Management actions and land use commitments

This section presents the actions required to implement the management strategy for the offset site to satisfy the requirements of the EPBC Act approval condition(s). The offset site is to be secured and managed for conservation purposes in perpetuity. Management actions described below are to be implemented for a period of 10 years in accordance with the EPBC Act approval conditions that pertain to the defined offset site. The landowner will continue to manage the offset site after the completion of year 10 as specified under the covenant agreement.

The broad objective of site management will be to produce a decrease in the abundance of perennial weeds with a commensurate increase in the abundance of perennial native species, particularly grasses which are known food plants for GSM.

Offsets will be achieved by:

• Weed control:

– Ensuring that weed cover does not increase beyond current levels.

– Ensuring that the cover of introduced perennial grasses decreases by 50% of the baseline monitoring cover.

– Eliminating all woody weeds (<< 1% cover).

– Monitoring for any new and emerging high threat weeds and eliminate to < 1% cover. • Managing organic litter and biomass accumulation.

• Monitoring the regeneration of eucalypts and conducting ecological thinning as required to avoid the formation of a dense sward of young regrowth. A target maximum density will be one tree per 5000 square metres (average per definable offset unit).

• Controlling rabbits, hares and foxes.

• Monitoring and controlling new and emerging pest animals.

• Retaining all standing trees, dead or alive.

• Retaining fallen logs and fallen branches.

• Excluding stock except as otherwise prescribed by this plan.

The management actions listed below outline the prescribed actions for achieving the required gains through active management (maintenance and improvement) and permanent protection of the offset site. Table 8 details these prescribed actions and outlines the relevant timing for implementation. These actions will be applied to the entire offset area as identified in Figure 4.

Where appropriate, the offset management plan and specified management actions should form part of a broader strategy for long-term management of ecological values within contiguous land.

3.9.1 Fencing, information and access control Threats, including stock grazing must be able to be managed within the offset area at all times. Unauthorised access must also be prevented, particularly access via vehicle for any unauthorised activity. Preventing access will also minimise soil disturbance, soil compaction and the import of weeds and pathogens. The intention of fencing is to protect the property from threats in perpetuity.

The property boundary is currently fenced which currently controls access and threats effectively. There is no requirement to provide additional fencing for the offset area, as it is located within a fully fenced property.

Monitoring of access and threats will be conducted on an ongoing basis with fencing repaired or upgraded as required to control threats.

Where fencing exists or is required to control threats, ensure all fencing around the perimeter of the property is maintained in good condition according to the standards detailed in BushBroker Information Sheet 12 – Standards for Management – Fencing (DSE 2012c), for the term of the OMP.

3.9.2 Woody weeds Elimination of all woody weeds Woody weeds present and otherwise known from the local area include Gorse Ulex europaeus, Briar Rose Rosa rubiginosa, Horehound Marrubium vulgare and Hawthorne Crataegus monogyna. The woody weeds present throughout the offset site will be controlled within the first year of the OMP commencement date. Any woody weed recruits subsequently observed within the offset site will have their location recorded and plants subject to control works within 6 months of observation. No woody weeds will be permitted to set seed and will be controlled before any viable seed can be produced.

Any other woody weeds recorded on site must be eliminated appropriately. Any impact to Indigenous plants will be minimised during treatment of woody weeds. Woody weeds will be controlled by either cut & paint techniques, spot spraying or be hand pulled). Monitor for any re-sprouting or seedlings and eradicate.

New and emerging woody weeds Monitoring for new and emerging woody weeds will be conducted throughout the year for the term of the agreement, and any new and emerging woody weeds eliminated.

Refer to Information Sheet 8 – Standards for Management – Weeds (DSE 2012b).

3.9.3 Herbaceous weeds Control of all herbaceous weeds

The Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) lists noxious weeds and requires that all landowners take reasonable steps to prevent the spread of, eradicate and / or control noxious weeds on their land.

The control of high threat and listed noxious weed species is a key management action within the offset site and must be adequately addressed if improvement site gains are to be achieved.

All high threat weeds will be treated, with an emphasis on ensuring that weed cover does not increase beyond current levels. Weeds listed in Table 5 were found on site and are considered to be a high threat. These weeds will be monitored each year to ensure their cover is not increasing. Increasing cover of these weeds will be controlled using the methods outlined in Table 5 or as otherwise approved by TfN.

Treat weeds before the plant has flowered and set seed. Impacts to indigenous plants will be minimised during treatment.

Relatively flat areas with a low erosion risk can be treated more intensively than areas on slopes which are more erosion prone.

Refer to BushBroker Information Sheet 8 – Standards for Management – Weeds (DSE 2012b).

New and emerging high threat herbaceous weeds Monitoring for new and emerging high threat herbaceous weeds will be conducted throughout the year for the term of the agreement, and any new and emerging weeds eliminated. In addition to any high threat weeds, this must include any noxious weeds listed under the CaLP Act.

Table 5 Herbaceous weeds to be controlled – method and timing

Scientific name Common name Method Timing

Avena spp. Oats Crash graze, spot spray with an Late winter to early summer appropriate herbicide.

Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle Chip out or spot spray rosettes Late winter to early summer with an appropriate herbicide.

Echium plantagineum Paterson's Curse Disperse biocontrol agents as Late winter to early summer appropriate. Spot spray or boom spray with herbicide as appropriate.

Nassella neesiana Chilean Needle-grass Spot / boom spray infestations Late winter to early summer with an appropriate herbicide.

Phalaris aquatica Toowoomba Canary- Spot spray with an appropriate Late winter to early summer grass herbicide.

Agrostis capillaris Brown-top Bent Crash graze, spot spray with an Late winter to early summer appropriate herbicide.

Bromus spp., Vulpia Weedy annual grasses Crash graze, spot spray with an Late winter to early summer spp., Aira spp., appropriate herbicide. Hordeum spp.,

Lolium spp. Rye-grass species Crash graze, spot spray with an Winter to Spring appropriate herbicide.

Silybum marianum Variegated Thistle Chip out or spot spray rosettes Late winter to early summer with an appropriate herbicide.

3.9.4 Pest animals The Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 lists rabbits, hares and foxes as established pest animals and requires that all landowners take reasonable steps to prevent the spread of, and as far as possible eradicate, established pest animals on their land.

Rabbits and hares will be monitored and controlled throughout the year. If rabbit activity is detected on the site use an integrated approach in accordance with BushBroker Information Sheet 7 – Standards of Management – Rabbits (DSE 2012a). This involves fumigation, hand collapsing of burrows and baiting. Remove any carcasses to prevent poisoning of native predators.

Foxes are a threat to native fauna and will be controlled if found on the property. Fox dens where present are required to be destroyed through fumigation and hand collapse.

Continue to monitor and control rabbits, hares and foxes all year round as well as any new and emerging pest animals.

3.9.5 Biomass / Organic Litter control Biomass management throughout the offset site is essential to maintain the open tussock grassy ground cover structure preferred by GSM. Where there is a sustained build up in ground cover biomass over any one year, resulting in a reduction of inter-tussock space to an average of less than 30%, biomass will need to be actively reduced. Determinations on the cover of inter-tussock space and the build-up of groundcover biomass will be made based on the weed monitoring quadrats and general observations made during other monitoring events (i.e. GSM monitoring as per Section 3.10.5) and by the landowner in consultation with the TfN. The independent ecological monitoring will also assess the effectiveness of the biomass control techniques applied and the need for any adjustments to the management regime to provide the prescribe outcome.

Controlled grazing will be applied to reduce biomass and maintain an open tussock-grass structure for this grassy ground cover. If appropriate, ecological burning could also be utilised.

Use of grazing for ecological management

Currently the offset site is subject to unrestricted grazing by sheep and cattle. Given the diversity of native species found within the uncultivated sections of this site, this method of disturbance (grazing by domestic stock) is seen as a reliable and conservative action to maintain and improve the ecological values associated with the area. While grazing by domestic stock will continue as a method of biomass reduction at this site, it will be undertaken in a controlled manner following a grazing management plan outline in this OMP. Biomass accumulation control at this site will therefore consider the standards for management of ecological grazing provided by DSE (2009).

The offset site supports patches of native grassy understorey but in general does not support enough indigenous ground cover to be uniformly defined as native vegetation (DELWP 2017). Timed grazing in the offset area to maintain an open tussock grassland structure is seen as a precautionary management method to disadvantage introduced annual and perennial grasses and provide an advantage to native perennial grasses. Grazing of domestic stock will utilise both sheep and cattle. The use of cattle is more suited for the initial knockdown in high biomass areas or areas containing extensive areas of dry grass or weeds not palatable to sheep.

Grazing by other domestic stock, including but not restricted to goats and horses, is to be excluded from the offset site by this plan and the conservation covenant.

The timing of grazing will be controlled to allow native species to grow and set seed over the spring to mid- summer period (DSE 2009). Stock will be excluded or only occur at very low levels (i.e. less than 20% of recommended stocking rates) from the beginning of October to the end of December annually, for the life of the OMP. However, this period will be flexible to reflect the prevailing climatic conditions and allow the period of grazing exclusion to be varied on ecological advice. The landowner will keep records of the number of stock and duration of grazing within the offset area. This data will be provided to the TfN on an annual basis as part of the Landholder monitoring and reporting process. This data and the resultant impact on biomass will provide the basis for an on-going grazing strategy to be approved by the TfN or another independent ecologist.

The only exception to requirements specified for the control of grazing is if an ecological burn is planned and occurs during the grazing period. In this instance a fire management plan produced by the landholder in consultation with TfN will inform when grazing will be removed to allow for a build-up in biomass to establish post-fire.

Note that the objective of grazing is to maintain an open tussock ground cover structure and to allow native perennial grasses to set seed and increase their abundance over time.

3.10 Monitoring

3.10.1 Fence condition Surveys of the property boundary fence must be conducted quarterly, and when visiting the site to conduct other monitoring or management actions. Any damage to the fence that may allow vehicles or stock to enter outside of the parameters outlined in this OMP must be repaired immediately.

3.10.2 Weed monitoring Weed monitoring will be conducted annually in spring. There will be three components to the monitoring:

• Inspection of the entire offset area for woody weeds, by walking and / or driving throughout the area such that a visual inspection (including with binoculars) would detect the presence of any woody weeds. Complete coverage of the offset site will likely require at least four hours of survey. All patches of infestations or individual plants will be mapped with a GPS, and the locations will be supplied to the weed management contractor/landholder for treatment. Subsequent monitoring will then revisit previously mapped infestations to evaluate the success of weed control, as well as inspecting the entire offset site for new infestations.

• While conducting the woody weed surveys, notes will be taken regarding the cover of herbaceous weed species, and cover will be estimated to the nearest five percent cover. Species and areas suitable for targeted treatment (such as spot spraying), will be mapped and supplied to the weed management contractor/landholder for treatment.

• Ten five by five metre quadrats will be established in dispersed locations across the GSM offset area. These will be used to assess and record the percentage total vegetation cover, the percentage cover of inter-tussock spaces (open ground), the average height of vegetation and the cover of native and exotic life-forms. This data will be collated and, in conjunction with the observations made on herbaceous weeds collected in association with woody weed monitoring, used to report on progress in the management of weeds over the entire offset site.

Information will be collated as part of the annual reporting requirements outlined in Table 9.

3.10.3 Pest animal monitoring Signs of pest animals (rabbits, hares and foxes) will be recorded during weed monitoring surveys, and at all other times when visiting the offset site. In particular, the locations of any active rabbit warrens must be mapped using GPS, and the locations supplied to the pest animal management contractor/landholder for treatment. Subsequent monitoring will then revisit previously mapped warrens to check for on-going use, as well as searching for new warrens throughout the offset area.

3.10.4 Tree and shrub recruitment Remnant indigenous trees are rare within this property. However, some plantations are present and evidence was observed of past attempts to re-establish native woody plants. A dense cover of tree and / or shrub recruitment would reduce the overall suitability of the GSM habitat present. While grazing would likely limit the establishment of woody species, there is some potential for dense stands of woody native species to develop as a result of changed management activities.

An open cover of tree or shrub regeneration is considered desirable as it is likely that an open woodland was the natural condition of this environment and would allow both the structure and species composition of GSM habitat to be maintained. In that context an initial density for tree regeneration or replanting should be restricted to one tree or shrub for every 5000 square metres. If monitoring indicates that no tree

regeneration is able to cope with the grazing regime applied to the offset site then selected tree regeneration or plantings may be protected with localised fencing to prevent browsing by domestic stock.

3.10.5 Golden Sun Moth Monitoring Monitoring during the flight season for GSM is considered essential for DoEE to determine the efficacy of the actions taken to protect and offset impacts to this species. Monitoring the population of GSM within the offset site will occur in the first flight season after the approval of this OMP by DoEE (expected to be the 2018/19 flight season). Monitoring will record the number of individuals observed from set monitoring transects.

As the species is known to occur at the offset site and active management is expected to improve the condition of this habitat, monitoring the population of GSM every second year is appropriate. While some information on the abundance of GSM within the offset site is provided by Hamilton Environmental Services (2015 & 2017) these surveys are not evenly distributed across the site and do not record information relating to habitat condition. Baseline monitoring data on the distribution and abundance of GSM within the offset site is therefore required to be collected during the 2018/19 flight season. Repeated monitoring of these transects every second year for the duration of this OMP (i.e. years 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) will therefore be required to evaluated the persistence and relative abundance of GSM at this site.

Monitoring events for GSM will be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of DEWHA (2009). A monitoring event includes four GSM surveys (i.e. the site is assessed four times during a flight season) to document the occurrence and abundance of GSM within the offset site. The results of these surveys will be compared to the original baseline surveys (2018 /19 flight season) and those of the previous monitoring event. Surveys are prescribed for every second year (years 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) over the ten year management period outlined by this OMP. Surveys will be undertaken during the GSM flight season, which in this region is typically expected to be between October and December each year. As the timing of the flight season varies annually and geographically, surveys need to be initiated from when warm weather is considered likely to stimulate emergence. In this region this is expected to occur anytime from early October onwards. Any observations of GSM during monitoring for vegetation condition and during inspections by the land owner or TfN will also be recorded.

As GSM are known to occur at this Chepstowe offset site no reference sites are required. However, prior to surveys being conducted, reports of GSM flying in or around Melbourne are likely to provide a useful indicator to identify the start of the flight season at Chepstowe.

Surveys within the flight season are to be spaced at least one week apart to allow for variations in emergence patterns. Survey will take place when conditions are suitable for male flight (generally >20oC, bright, clear days, full sun, absence of rain and wind other than a light breeze) between 10:00 hrs and 15:00 hrs.

Surveys will systematically walk the entire offset site along permanent transects. Transects traversing the site will be walked by two zoologists separated by about 50 metres. Transects will be located to cover all sections of the offset site. The beginning and end of each transect will be recorded as a GPS waypoint. Tracks will be recorded using a GPS and a waypoint taken for each location where GSM are observed. Each transect is expected to take approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

Any obvious changes to the habitat characteristics of the offset area will be recorded during the GSM survey. This will be supported by relevant photos of the habitat or management issues identified.

The results of each survey will be reported to TfN and DOJR. The report will also include an assessment of any changes or trends noted in either the habitat condition or population size by the zoologist.

3.11 Reporting

The landowner must submit a report annually to TfN and DoEE for each year of the ten years of this management plan. Reports are to be submitted at least two months prior to the anniversary date of the execution of the OMP to allow time for compliance to be assessed before the anniversary date.

The Annual Report addresses progress against the commitments set out in this agreement. Annual Reports will provide enough detail in the form of written comments and supporting evidence that an assessor can easily determine the completion of/progress against the commitments for the offset site.

The annual report must include:

• Details of management actions, including on ground works, undertaken within the reporting period.

• Results of monitoring activities, including fence condition, weeds, pest animals and overstorey condition.

• Site photographs including from four defined photo points.

• Details of compliance or non-compliance with the schedule of management actions (Table 6).

• Details of compliance or non-compliance with performance targets (Table 6).

• Details of any incidents or new and emerging management issues, with recommendations for corrective action and plan review.

• Details of any GSM monitoring events.

The reporting schedule is detailed in Table 9.

3.12 Auditing

The approval holder (DOJR) is responsible for auditing the implementation and effectiveness of the OMP. Audits will be conducted by an independent ecologist at the following stages:

• At the end of the first year of site management - this is to ensure that initial management actions are conducted to the satisfaction of the approval holder and DoEE, including implementing the legal security mechanism, ensuring the property is securely fenced, and that other initial management actions have commenced.

• At the end of the fourth year of site management – this will involve a review of four annual monitoring and management reports, as well as an independent assessment of the condition of GSM habitat within the site.

• At the end of the eighth year of site management – as per the four year audit.

• Following the completion of the 10 year management period – to be a final audit of the implementation and effectiveness of the OMP.

The timing of scheduled audits is detailed in Table 9. Additional audits may be triggered as a result of a plan review (Section 3.12) or following an environmental incident resulting in significant change to site conditions, as identified in the risk assessment (Table 7).

3.13 Plan review

This plan includes an adaptive management framework, where management actions may be triggered by events occurring within the offset site, or the results of monitoring activities. A review of the OMP will only be necessary in the event of a major incident that makes a significant change to the character or condition of the offset area. The most likely such event is a major wildfire, as described in Table 7.

If a plan review is triggered, this will be conducted by DOJR in consultation with the offset site owner and DoEE. Any future adaptive management changes will be incorporated into the OMP and an updated version of the OMP will be supplied to DoEE.

The OMP review will involve changes to any part of the OMP, in order to adequately respond to the trigger and re-direct management actions towards achieving the environmental outcomes under potentially altered site conditions.

This could involve changes to:

• Specific details of offset site management methods.

• Monitoring methodology.

• Schedules of monitoring, reporting and auditing.

4. Schedule of management actions, risks, monitoring and reporting

This section provides a schedule of management actions (Table 6) for the offset area. Table 7 provides an assessment of the risk of failing to achieve desired outcomes, and specifies how this relates to the monitoring (Table 8) and reporting (Table 9) program.

Table 6 Management Actions

Year No Objective – Entire offset site Timing of Standard to be achieved Related activity – management month(s) and

monitoring activity

Action # Action (# -see Table 8)

1 and 1. Control of stock, unauthorised activities and vehicle Within 1 month Control of domestic stock access to offset area. Management ongoing access. of Exclusion of unauthorised vehicles from offset area. Sec. 3.9.1 Ensure the offset site is appropriately fenced from commencement Exclusion of unauthorised access or unauthorised Monitoring #1 - neighbouring land and road reserves. of agreement. firewood collection. Sec. 3.10.1 Fences to be monitored and maintained in functional Maintain fencing around the perimeter of the condition. property to the standard detailed in BushBroker Information Sheet 12 – Standards for Management – Fencing (DSE 2012c) (sheep fencing standard). Any new fences, if required to control threats to ecological values, will be constructed to this standard.

1 and 2, Remove all woody weed infestations within the offset Within 1 month No mature woody weeds present within offset area Management ongoing area of (<< 1% cover) after the completion of Year 1. Sec. 3.9.2 Weeds to be managed in accordance with BushBroker commencement Minimise off-target damage (avoid all native plants) Monitoring #2 - Information Sheet 8 – Standards for Management – Weeds of agreement. Record and control any woody weed regeneration / Sec. 3.10.2 (DSE 2012b) re-colonisation

Year No Objective – Entire offset site Timing of Standard to be achieved Related activity – management month(s) and

monitoring activity

Action # Action (# -see Table 8)

Annual 3. Monitor and control herbaceous weeds. Refer to Table 5. Herbaceous weed cover to not exceed current Management Control methods and timing specified in Table 5 and in levels. Sec. 3.9.3 accordance with DSE (2012b). Herbaceous weeds not to interfere with native grass Monitoring #2 - Establish baseline monitoring sites including quadrats (10) and recruitment. Sec. 3.10 photo points (4) and reassess annually in late spring. Minimise off-target damage (avoid all native plants) Introduced perennial grasses to reduce in cover by 50% at the end of 10 years management.

Ongoing 4. Monitor and control new and emerging woody weeds Ongoing New outbreaks of woody weeds to be removed as Management soon as detected. Sec. 3.9.2 No woody weeds present within offset area. Monitoring #2 - Minimise off-target damage (avoid all native plants). Sec. 3.10.2

Ongoing 5. Monitor and control new and emerging high threat Ongoing New outbreaks of high threat herbaceous weeds Management herbaceous weeds eliminated. Sec. 3.9.3 No new high threat herbaceous weeds present Monitoring #2 - within offset area. Sec. 3.10.2 Minimise off-target damage (avoid all native plants).

Ongoing 6. Monitor and control ground cover biomass Ongoing Minimise or exclude grazing from the beginning of Management October to the end of December annually. Note this Sec. 3.9.5 period may be varied based on ecological advice. Monitoring #2 - Allow native grasses to flower and set seed Sec. 3.10.5 Maintain an open tussock grassy ground cover with inter-tussock spaces covering about 30% (+/- 10%) during the GSM flight period.

Year No Objective – Entire offset site Timing of Standard to be achieved Related activity – management month(s) and

monitoring activity

Action # Action (# -see Table 8)

Biennial 7. Monitor and evaluate Golden Sun Moth population and GSM flight Documentation of GSM population from sixteen Management habitat condition. season in transects collected four times in each monitoring Sec. 3.9.5 Establish baseline monitoring transects and reassess beginning of event. Monitoring #5 - biennially during the GSM flight season. year 1 and then Assessment of any trends in GSM population size or Sec. 3.10.5 Report on population and habitat condition. years 2, 4, 6, 8 extent. and 10 Documentation of the condition of GSM habitat condition based on visual assessments.

Ongoing 8. Monitor and control Rabbits, Hares and Foxes. Ongoing No fresh ground disturbance by pest animals Management Rabbits to be managed in accordance with BushBroker (particularly rabbits) observed in the offset area. Sec. 3.9.4 Information Sheet 7 (DSE 2012a). No active rabbit warrens within offset area, minimal Monitoring #3 - surface harbour for rabbits and hares present (but Sec. 3.10.3 excluding natural harbour such as logs and rocks). No active fox dens within offset area, if present they are to be destroyed through fumigation and hand collapse. Continue to monitor and control rabbits and foxes all year round.

Ongoing 9. Monitor and control all new and emerging pest animals. Ongoing Control numbers of any new and emerging pests. Management Sec. 3.9.4 Monitoring #3 - Sec. 3.10.3

Year No Objective – Entire offset site Timing of Standard to be achieved Related activity – management month(s) and

monitoring activity

Action # Action (# -see Table 8)

Annual 10. Monitor tree and shrub regeneration and undertake Autumn Tree and shrub regeneration does not limit habitat Management ecological thinning if required (section 3.6.6). for GSM. Sec. 3.9 Only allow an open / scattered cover of immature Monitoring #4 - canopy trees and understorey trees or large shrubs Sec. 3.10.4 to develop. No more than one tree and 10 shrubs per 5000 square metres will be allowed to establish. If cover levels of the relevant species exceed these limits then they will be thinned so as not to exceed the designated target.

All 11. Prepare and submit an annual report. Submit 2 Annual report is signed, dated and submitted by the Refer to section (annually) months prior to landholder at least 2 months prior to the 3.11 agreement anniversary date of the agreement, as specified in anniversary the BushBroker agreement. date. Annual reporting under this OMP will be aligned with the reporting requirements of the BushBroker Agreement.

Table 7 Risk assessment and management

This risk assessment uses the risk framework from the DoEE EMP guidelines. The likelihood and consequence classification is summarised in Appendix 2.

Objective Event or circumstance Likelihood Consequence Risk level Trigger Contingency/s Related (refer to monitoring activity Table 6) (# See Table 8)

1 Unauthorised entry of domestic Unlikely Minor Low Domestic stock sighted on offset Remove stock. 1 stock to the offset area. site out of authorised periods. Repair fencing. Grazing, browsing and trampling Monitor vegetation. damage to vegetation. Damage to or loss of juvenile trees and shrubs

1 Entry of vehicles to offset area. Unlikely Minor Low Vehicle observed on offset site. Repair fencing. 1 Damage to understorey vegetation, Evidence of recent vehicle access Assess adequacy of soil compaction. e.g. tyre tracks. fencing.

1 Unauthorised access. Unlikely Minor Low Evidence of firewood collection or Assess adequacy of 1 physical disturbance observed. fencing.

2, 3, 4 Woody weeds are present within Possible Minor Low Woody weed cover exceeds 1%. Control weeds. Minimise 2 offset area (> 1% cover). Herbaceous Herbaceous weed cover exceeds off-target damage (avoid weed cover exceeds current levels current levels. all native plants) (30-60%). Weeds appear to be interfering with improvements to GSM habitat.

6, 7 Pest animals observed within offset Possible Moderate Medium Fresh ground disturbance or scats Destroy fox dens and 3 site. of pest animals observed in the rabbit warrens through Damage to understorey vegetation offset area. fumigation and hand or recruiting trees and shrubs. Active rabbit warrens observed collapse. within offset area. Undertake control works Active fox dens observed within for new and emerging offset area. pests as appropriate. New and emerging pest observed within offset area.

Objective Event or circumstance Likelihood Consequence Risk level Trigger Contingency/s Related (refer to monitoring activity Table 6) (# See Table 8)

8 Tree and shrub recruitment is Possible Minor Low Cover of immature trees and Ecological thinning to 4 significantly above or below that shrubs are more than defined. achieve target density of allowed under this OMP. Recruitment of immature trees tree regeneration. and shrubs not observed. Undertake action to encourage regeneration and address threats to regeneration.

4 GSM population drops significantly Possible Critical Severe Population of GSM declines by Review ecological 5 without apparent reason over 80% in comparison to any management previous years without parameters. Review plan. explanation as to how it may recover or habitat condition noted as significantly lower than previous year and recovery is uncertain.

1, 2, 3, 4, Wildfire. Possible Medium Medium Wildfire observed within offset Monitor for increased 1, 4 5, 6, 7, 8 May impact temporarily or area. erosion (immediately permanently on overstorey condition post fire and 12 months and natural regeneration. post fire). May impact upon weed recruitment Undertake weed control patterns. works to take advantage of new growth. May destroy fencing. Inspect fence condition and repair any damage. Significant wildfire throughout the majority of the offset area is a trigger for plan review (Section 3.13).

Table 8 Monitoring schedule

# Monitoring activity Parameter/s Survey / monitoring guidelines Where When Reliability measured

1 Fence condition Condition of boundary Survey the perimeter of the offset site to ensure fences are intact and Offset site Quarterly High fences. assess evidence of domestic stock, vehicle access or firewood perimeter harvesting. Refer to Section 3.9.1 and 3.10.1 for details.

2 Weed monitoring Cover of woody and Vegetation survey to be conducted to identify woody and herbaceous Offset Annual - Spring High herbaceous weed weed species and determine cover. Woody species to be mapped area. species present. using GPS. Herbaceous weed cover (percentage cover) to be estimated for defined sections of the offset site. All weed species present identified to species level. Refer to Section 3.9.2, 3.9.3 and 3.10.2 for details.

3 Pest animal monitoring Presence of pest Signs of pest animals to be recorded during vegetation surveys. Offset Annual – Spring High (Rabbits, Hares and animals or signs e.g. Locations of rabbit warrens to be mapped using GPS. area. During Foxes, and new and scats, diggings, Refer to Section 3.9.4 and 3.10.3 for details. vegetation emerging pest animals) browsing or grazing condition survey

4 Tree and shrub Number of juvenile Tree and shrub species and size classes to be assessed within Offset Annual – Spring High recruitment survey trees and shrubs permanently marked quadrats. area. During Refer to Section 3.9 and 3.10.4 for details. vegetation condition survey

5 Golden Sun Moth Number of GSM Refer to Section 3.10.2 and 3.10.5 for details. Offset Biennial after High population and habitat observed. area. baseline survey. condition monitoring Subjective condition of habitat

Table 9 Reporting schedule

# Type of report Approval condition Responsibility Timing Reporting Trigger (if any) authority

1 Annual management actions To be completed Offset site Report to be completed by DoEE Not Applicable report. owner August 31 so information is TfN Tabulates management available prior to spring actions completed within the monitoring. offset area (Section 3.11).

2 Annual monitoring report. To be completed Offset site Annual monitoring to be DoEE Completion of annual monitoring Presents results of offset site owner completed in spring. TfN monitoring activities Report to be completed by (Section 3.11). November 30 of each year.

3 Review of offset To be completed Offset site As required. DoEE Significant environmental event management plan owner TfN causing widespread impact to habitat (Section 3.13). within the offset site e.g. Wildfire.

3 GSM population and habitat To be completed Offset site Following completion of DoEE Baseline in 2018/19 flight season. condition assessment owner GSM monitoring events. TfN Biennial thereafter. Otherwise as (Section 3.11) requested by DoEE. Reporting included with annual report (see #2 above).

3 Audit report To be completed Approval holder End of years 1, 4, 8 and 10. DoEE Not Applicable (Section 3.12). (DOJR)

5. References

Biosis 2017. Youth Justice Redevelopment Project: Spiny Rice-flower survey and updated vegetation assessment. Report for Department of Justice and Regulation. Authors: McCutcheon, C., Lee, M. & Goddard, M. Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Project no. 25272

Biosis 2018a. Offset Site Report: 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe – Golden Sun Moth. Report prepared for Department of Justice and Regulation. Authors: Mueck, S. Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Project no. 25271.

Biosis 2018b. Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek: EPBC Act (2017/8049) Natural temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain and Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan: 346 Carngham Streatham Road Chepstowe. Report for Department of Justice and Regulation. Author: Steve Mueck, Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Project No. 25271.

Biosis 2018c. Youth Justice Centre, Cherry Creek: EPBC Act (2017/8049) Offset Management Plan: 815 Gumley Road Mount Mercer (Warrambeen). Report for Department of Justice and Regulation. Author: Steve Mueck, Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne. Project No. 25271.

Commonwealth of Australia 2012. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – Environmental Offsets Policy. Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

Commonwealth of Australia 2014. Guidelines for the preparation of an offset management plan under the EPBC Act offsets policy. Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra.

DELWP 2017. Guidelines for the removal, destruction or lopping of native vegetation. Victorian Government Department of Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne (December 2017).

DEPI 2013. Sub-regional species strategy for the Golden Sun Moth. Victorian Government Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

DoEE 1999. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy.

DoE 2013. Approved Conservation Advice for Synemon plana (golden sun moth). Department of the Environment, Canberra.

Department of the Environment (DoE) 2015. Threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, ACT.

Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) 2016. Threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by rabbits. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, ACT.

DEWHA 2008. Threat abatement plan for predation by the European red fox. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra.

DSE 2004. Native Vegetation: Sustaining a living landscape. Vegetation Quality Assessment Manual – Guidelines for applying the Habitat hectares scoring method. Version 1.3. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability & Environment, Melbourne.

DSE 2009. BushBroker: Standards for management – Ecological grazing: Information Sheet No. 13. DSE, East Melbourne.

DSE 2010. Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. August 2010 © The State of Victoria. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability & Environment, Melbourne.

DSE 2012a. BushBroker information sheet number 7. Standards for management – Rabbits. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

DSE 2012b. BushBroker information sheet number 8. Standards for management – Weeds. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

DSE 2012c. BushBroker information sheet number 12. Standards for management – Fencing. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

DSEWPaC 2012. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Environmental Offsets Policy. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population & Communities. Australian Government, Canberra.

Ecology and Heritage Partners 2017. Preliminary Ecological Assessment: Youth Justice Precinct Development, Cherry Creek. Wright T. Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd., Melbourne Project no 9302.

Appendices

Appendix 1 EPBC Act Offset Calculator

The following page provides an excerpt of the EPBA Act Offset Calculator spreadsheet, showing the Threatened Species Habitat section on which the calculations are based.

© Biosis 2018 – Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting Golden Sun Moth Offset Management Plan (EPBC 2017/8049) 38 Offsets Assessment Guide For use in determining offsets under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 2 October 2012 Key to Cell Colours This guide relies on Macros being enabled in your browser. User input required

Matter of National Environmental Significance Drop-down list Name Golden Sun Moth

EPBC Act status Critically Endangered Calculated output Annual probability of extinction 6.8% Based on IUCN category definitions Not applicable to attribute

Impact calculator Offset calculator Minimum Attribute Attribute Total % of (90%) direct Information Start area and Future area and Future area and Confidence in Adjusted Net present value Information Protected matter attributes relevant to Description Quantum of impact Units Protected matter attributes relevant quantum of Units Proposed offset Time horizon (years) Raw gain impact offset Cost ($ total) source quality quality without offset quality with offset result (%) gain (adjusted hectares) source case? to case? impact offset requirement met? Ecological communities Ecological Communities

Risk of loss Risk of loss Area (%) without (%) with Risk-related offset offset Start area time horizon (hectares) Future area Future area (max. 20 years) without offset with offset Quality 0.0 0.0 Area of community No Area of community No (adjusted (adjusted hectares) hectares)

Time until Future quality Future quality Total quantum of Start quality 0.00 ecological without offset with offset impact (scale of 0-10) benefit (scale of 0-10) (scale of 0-10)

Threatened species habitat Threatened species habitat

Risk of loss Risk of loss Area 35.67 Hectares (%) without 10% (%) with 1% Time over offset offset Preliminary Flora and which loss is Start area 20 154.1 13.87 90% 12.48 3.35 No targeted surveys Fauna Assessment averted (max. (hectares) Future area Future area undertaken as yet, Report (EHP 2017). without offset with offset Quality 6 Scale 0-10 Adjusted Area of GSM habitat to 20 years) 138.7 152.6 Area of habitat Yes therefore area of Targeted surveys yet to Area of habitat Yes 21.40 21.40 100.01% Yes hectares be secured off site (adjusted (adjusted habitat is taken to be undertaken, hectares) hectares) be entire footprint. therefore presence is assumed. Time until Future quality Future quality Total quantum of Adjusted Start quality 21.40 ecological 10 6 without offset 3 with offset 6 3.00 90% 2.70 1.40 impact hectares (scale of 0-10) benefit (scale of 0-10) (scale of 0-10)

Minimum

Impactcalculator Attribute Attribute Total % of (90%) direct Information calculator Offset Future value without Future value with Confidence in Adjusted Information Protected matter attributes relevant to Description Quantum of impact Units Protected matter attributes relevant quantum of Units Proposed offset Time horizon (years) Start value Raw gain Net present value impact offset Cost ($ total) source offset offset result (%) gain source case? to case? impact offset requirement met? Number of features Number of features e.g. Nest hollows, habitat trees e.g. Nest hollows, habitat trees No No

Condition of habitat Condition of habitat Change in habitat condition, but no Change in habitat condition, but no change in extent No change in extent No

Threatened species Threatened species Birth rate Birth rate e.g. Change in nest success e.g. Change in nest success No No

Mortality rate Mortality rate e.g Change in number of road kills e.g Change in number of road kills per year No per year No

Number of individuals Number of individuals e.g. Individual plants/animals e.g. Individual plants/animals No No

Summary

Cost ($) Net present Protected matter attributes Quantum of impact % of impact offset Direct offset adequate? Other compensatory value of Direct offset ($) Total ($) offset measures ($)

Birth rate 0 $0.00 $0.00

Mortality rate 0 $0.00 $0.00

Number of individuals 0 $0.00 $0.00 Summary

Number of features 0 $0.00 $0.00

Condition of habitat 0 $0.00 $0.00

Area of habitat 21.402 21.40 100.01% Yes $0.00 N/A $0.00

Area of community 0 $0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Appendix 2 DoEE EMP Guidelines Risk Framework

Risk Framework

Consequence

Minor Moderate High Major Critical Highly Likely Medium High High Severe Severe

Likely Low Medium High High Severe Possible Low Medium Medium High Severe Unlikely Low Low Medium High High Likelihood Rare Low Low Low Medium High

Likelihood

Qualitative measure of likelihood (how likely is it that this event/circumstances will occur after management actions have been put in place/are being implemented

Highly Likely Is expected to occur in most circumstances

Likely Will probably occur during the life of the project

Possible Might occur during the life of the project

Unlikely Could occur but considered unlikely

Rare May occur in exceptional circumstances

Consequence

Qualitative measure of consequences (what will be the consequence / result if the issue does occur)

Minor Minor incident of environmental damage that can be reversed

Moderate Isolated but substantial instances of environmental damage that could be reversed with intensive efforts

High Substantial instances of environmental damage that could be reversed with intensive effort

Major Major loss of environmental amenity and real danger of continuing

Critical Severe widespread loss of environmental amenity and irrecoverable environmental damage

Appendix 3 Glossary

This appendix contains definitions of technical terms used in this OMP. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are cited from DELWP (2007b)

Benchmark* EPBC Act A standard vegetation –quality reference point, Environmental Protection and Biodiversity dependent on vegetation type, which is applied Conservation Act 1999 in Habitat hectare assessments. Represents the Gain average characteristics of a mature and Predicted improvement in the contribution to apparently long undisturbed state of the same Victoria’s biodiversity achieved from an offset, vegetation type. calculated by combining site gain with the Biodiversity* strategic biodiversity score or habitat The variety of all life forms, the different plants, importance score of the site. Gain is measured animals and microorganisms, the genes they with biodiversity equivalence scores or units. contain, and the ecosystems of which they form Habitat hectares* a part. Combined measure of condition and extent of Bioregion* native vegetation. This measure is obtained by Biogeographic areas that capture the patterns multiplying the site’s condition score (measured of ecological characteristics in the landscape or between 0 and 1) with the area of the site (in seascape, providing a natural framework for hectares). recognising and responding to biodiversity Habitat score* values. A landscape based approach to The score assigned to a habitat zone that classifying the land surface using a range of indicates the quality of the vegetation relative to environmental attributes such as climate, the ecological vegetation class benchmark – sum geomorphology, lithology and vegetation. of the site condition score and landscape BushBroker context score, usually expressed as a A program coordinated by DELWP to match percentage or on a scale of 0 to 1. parties that require native vegetation offsets Habitat zone* with third party suppliers of native vegetation A discrete area of native vegetation consisting of offsets. a single vegetation type (EVC) within an assumed Canopy Tree similar quality. This is the base spatial unit for Defined in the Habitat Hectare (DSE 2004) conducting a Habitat hectare assessment. vegetation quality assessment method, as a Separate Vegetation Quality Assessments (or mature tree that is greater than three metres in Habitat hectare assessments) are conducted for height, and is normally found in the upper layer each habitat zone within the designated of the relevant vegetation type. assessment area. DBH (Diameter at Breast Height)* Improvement gain* The diameter of the main trunk of a tree This is gain resulting from management measured 1.3 m above ground level. commitments beyond existing obligations under legislation to improve the current vegetation Ecological vegetation class (EVC)* quality. Achieving improvement gain is A native vegetation type classified on the basis predicated on maintenance commitments being of a combination of its floristic, life form, already in place. For example, control of any environmental and ecological characteristics.

threats such as grazing that could otherwise Site gain damage the native vegetation must already be Predicted improvement in the condition, or the agreed. condition and extent, of native vegetation at a site (measured in Habitat hectares) generated Indigenous vegetation* by the landowner committing to active The type of native vegetation that would have management and increased security. normally been expected to occur on the site prior to European settlement. Recruitment* The production of new generations of plants, Large Old Tree (LOT)* either by allowing natural ecological processes A tree with a DBH equal to or greater than the to occur (regeneration etc.), by facilitating such large tree diameter as specified in the relevant processes such as regeneration to occur, or by EVC benchmark. actively revegetating (replanting, reseeding). See Offset* Revegetation. Protection and management (including Remnant vegetation* revegetation) of native vegetation at a site to Native vegetation that is established or has generate a gain in the contribution that native regenerated on a largely natural landform. The vegetation makes to Victoria’s biodiversity. An offset is used to compensate for the loss to species present are those normally expected in Victoria’s biodiversity from the removal of native that vegetation community. Largely natural vegetation. landforms may have been subject to some past surface disturbance such as some clearing or Offset Management Plan (OMP) cultivation (or even the activities of the nineteenth A document which sets out the requirements for century gold rushes) but do not include man- establishment, protection and management of made structures such as dam walls and quarry an offset site. floors. Medium Shrub Supplementary planting A shrub life-form used in the Habitat Hectare Establishment of overstorey and/or understorey (DSE 2004) vegetation quality assessment plants within a remnant patch. Typically includes method. The life-form includes shrubs between the planting or direct-seeding of understorey life 1 and 5 m high. forms. Revegetation* Understorey* Establishment of native vegetation to a Understorey is all vegetation other than mature minimum standard in formerly cleared areas, canopy trees – includes immature trees, shrubs, outside of a remnant patch. grasses, herbs, mosses, lichens and soil crust. It Scattered tree* does not include dead plant material that is not An indigenous canopy tree that does not form attached to a living plant. More information on part of a remnant patch of native vegetation understorey life forms is set out in the Vegetation (see definition of remnant patch of native Quality Assessment Manual (DSE 2004). vegetation). Victoria Planning Provisions Site A list of planning provisions that provides a An area of land that contains contiguous standard template for individual planning patches of native vegetation or scattered trees, schemes. within the same ownership.