Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project

Prepared by Phil Spark North West Ecological Services For WaterNSW Decemeber 2015

The information presented in this report is based on an objective study undertaken in response to a brief provided by the client. While every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of the report, the variability of the natural environment and the paucity of comparative research data may require that professional judgement be applied in reaching conclusions.

Any opinions expressed in the report are the professional opinions of the author Philip Spark of North West Ecological Services. They are not intended to advocate any specific proposal or position.

Philip Spark______24 December 2015__ Author Date

Philip Spark North West Ecological Services 112 Back Nundle Rd Tamworth 2340 Ph. 02‐67642245 Mob. 0427642245 Email: [email protected]

Cover photo shows the Booroolong Frog at hotspot 4 in the offset property Rhuvieg, such wide rocky riffles zones are ideal habitat for the Booroolong Frog.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report was prepared with the assistance of Dr Andrew Stauber and Dr Elizabeth Broese van Groenou, and comments from the review committee of Tim Watts North West Local Land Services, Andrew Cruckshank Public Works, and Jubrahil Khan WaterNSW.

This report should be cited as North West Ecological Services (2015). Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project. Prepared for WaterNSW

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Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 9 1‐0. INTRODUCTION ...... 14 Decline of the Booroolong Frog ...... 15 Planning to Protect the Booroolong Frog ...... 16 Objectives of this Plan ...... 17 The Study Area ‐ Current Proposed Booroolong Frog Offset Plan...... 17 Table 1. Booroolong Frog abundance recorded January – February 2013 at the impact section and proposed offset sections...... 17 Figure 1. Three Nundle sections and the two Bowling Alley sections that were assessed and found not to be an adequate offset, the impact area is in the red circle, the offset areas are the four sections in the yellow circles ...... 19 Figure 2. Shows the final proposed offset; three Nundle sections, two Bowling Alley sections, the middle section between the two large circles, and the impact area in red ...... 20 Booroolong Frog Habitat Requirements ...... 21 Table 2: Summary of Booroolong Frog habitat requirements (Anstis 2002, NWES 2009b, OEH 2012) ...... 21 Table 3: Habitat preferenced an value ...... 22 Background to the different Booroolong Frog Offset Plans proposed until now ...... 23 Comparison of the Booroolong Frog Offset Plans Proposed 2013 ‐ 2015 ...... 24 Comparison of the Previously Approved Offset, the next Proposed Offset and the current Proposed Offset ...... 24 Table 4: Comparison of three offset proposals ...... 25 2‐0. METHODS ...... 26 Booroolong Frog Habitat Assessment...... 26 Table 5: Categories of field data collected ...... 27 Vegetation Survey ...... 28 3‐0. RESULTS ...... 29 Site Description ...... 29 Figure 3. The Proposed Offset Study Area Divided Into Sections of Similar Habitat ...... 29 Description of Each Section ...... 30 Comparison of Impact and Offset Sites ...... 33 Table 6: Number of Booroolong Frogs recorded in the impact and offset sections (2013 survey) ...... 33 Table 7. Summary of the major differences observed between the impact and proposed offset sections...... 34

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Comparison of Habitat Values ...... 34 Table 8: Comparison of the habitat values of each section ...... 35 Table 9: Comparison of the habitat values for each section and the previously approved offset area ...... 37 Table 10: Summary of river bed habitat data collected along the length of the impact section and six offset sections...... 38 Habitat Types ...... 40 Table 11: Areas and the number of occurrences for each habitat type for each of the six sections of proposed offset ...... 40 Substrate Types ...... 42 Riparian Vegetation ...... 43 Table 12. Comparison of the extent of riparian tree cover for each section of river ...... 43 Namoi Vegetation Types in Impact and Offset sections ...... 44 Threats to the Booroolong Frog ...... 48 Table 13: Threats to the Booroolong Frog ...... 48 Results from vegetation assessment of the Impact and Offset areas entered into the BioBanking Calculator ...... 53 Figure 4. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in the impact section ...... 55 Figure 5. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 1 ...... 56 Figure 6. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 5 ...... 57 Figure 7. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 6 ...... 58 Figure 8. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 2 ...... 59 Figure 9. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 3 ...... 60 Figure 10. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 4 ...... 61 Table 14: Vegetation recorded in Bowling Alley Section of Peel River to Be Flooded by Chaffey Dam ...... 62 Table 15: Vegetation recorded in Sections 1 & 5 Bowling Alley Offset, lightly grazed ...... 64 Table 16: Vegetation recorded in Section 6. Taroona Crown Land Offset moderately grazed ... 66 Table 17: Vegetation recorded in Section 2. Swamp Creek Offset, weedy, only small section grazed ...... 68

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Table 18: Vegetation recorded in Section 3 Heavily Grazed and Degraded ...... 70 Table 19: Vegetation recorded in Section 4 Nundle Township Frontage to Peel River ‐ Not Grazed – Weedy ...... 72 4‐0. NSW BIOBANKING OFFSET CALCULATIONS ...... 74 Impact Site Credit Assessment ...... 74 Offset Site Credit Assessment ...... 74 Table 20. BioBanking Credit Calculations ...... 74 Table 21. Values used for the Credit Calculations ...... 74 BioBanking Assumptions ...... 75 5‐0. COMMONWEALTH OFFSET CALCULATIONS ...... 76 Attribute Data Used for EPBC Offset Calculations ...... 76 Table 22: Factors used to compare the habitat value of the Impact Area to the Offset Area .... 76 Table 23. Justification of scores given to future habitat values for offsets with and without proposed offset management ...... 77 Table 24. Justification of values used in the EPBC offset Calculator ...... 79 Tables 25. Enlarged view of the screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide offset calculator ...... 82 Table 26. Screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide Summary ...... 83 Summary Comments ...... 84 6.0 REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED OFFSET AGAINST OTHER RELEVANT OFFSET POLICIES ..... 87 Table 27. Review of proposed offset against relevant offset policies ...... 87 Commonwealth EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy ...... 87 NSW Offset Principles for Major Projects (State Significant Development and Infrastructure) ...... 89 North West Local Land Services (NW LLS) Biodiversity Offsets Policy ...... 90 7.0. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 91 Management conditions of the PVP agreement ...... 91 Offset Site Management ...... 92 Table 28. Template for Management Actions Proposed for the Offset Property Vegetation Plan Agreements ...... 94 Monitoring ...... 96 Translocation ...... 97 Response to Federal Government Review of a draft of this document ...... 97 6‐0. CONCLUSION ...... 101 7‐0. REFERENCES ...... 103

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Appendix 1: Review of Booroolong Frog Habitat preferences from NWES surveys conducted 17th January to 14th February 2013 along the Peel River between Chaffey Dam and the Pearly Gates Bridge at Wombramurra ...... 104 Appendix 2: Booroolong Frog Stream Habitat Assessment Proforma ...... 111 Appendix 3: Field Methodology for Measuring Condition Attributes In Site Value ...... 112 Appendix 4. BioBanking Transect and Plot Data Recording Sheet ...... 115 Appendix 5: Threat Abatement and Recovery Actions for the Booroolong Frog ...... 116 Appendix 6: Dave Hunter Recommendations for Booroolong Frog Monitoring Programs ...... 117 Appendix 7: Plants Recorded in Three Vegetation Types along Peel River between Nundle and Chaffey Dam ...... 119 Appendix 8: BioBanking Condition Assessment Waypoints for Booroolong Frog Offset Plan ...... 125 Appendix 9. Land Title Details entered into the BioBanking Calculator ...... 127 Appendix 10. Benchmarks for the condition of the three dominant vegetation communities...... 131 Appendix 11. BioBanking Credit Reports ...... 133

The drop box link below contains;

 Booroolong Frog Report for Namoi Catchment Management Authority 2009  Excel spreadsheet of results from Booroolong Frog Surveys of the impact and offset sections January – February 2013  Excel spreadsheet of the results from the 45 BioBank condition assessment transects  ArcView shape files of the vegetation mapping and waypoints for 45 transects and photo points.  Google Kmz files of the mapped vegetation in each offset  Garmin Mapsource file of the 45 transect and photopoint waypoints  EPBC Calculator for this Booroolong Frog Offset Plan https://www.dropbox.com/sh/khax9hhse4mn1ji/AACQ1BfCfpPsRTzmQHrbLo8qa?d l=0

 Dropbox link to the photos taken at each transect https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ib7idhvxyg58sdw/AACqVYB44esjC0cQsWBtAQxZa?d l=0

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Links to the list of Tables

Table 1. Booroolong Frog abundance recorded January – February 2013 at the impact section and proposed offset sections...... 17 Table 2: Summary of Booroolong Frog habitat requirements (Anstis 2002, NWES 2009b, OEH 2012) ...... 21 Table 3: Habitat preference and value ...... 22 Table 4: Comparison of three offset proposals ...... 25 Table 5: Categories of field data collected ...... 27 Table 6: Number of Booroolong Frogs recorded in the impact and offset sections (2013 survey) ...... 33 Table 7. Summary of the major differences observed between the impact and proposed offset sections...... 34 Table 8: Comparison of the habitat values of each section ...... 35 Table 9: Comparison of the habitat values for each section and the previously approved offset area ...... 37 Table 10: Summary of river bed habitat data collected along the length of the impact section and six offset sections...... 38 Table 11: Areas and the number of occurrences for each habitat type for each of the six sections of proposed offset ...... 40 Table 12. Comparison of the extent of riparian tree cover for each section of river ...... 43 Table 13: Threats to the Booroolong Frog ...... 48 Table 14: Vegetation recorded in Bowling Alley Section of Peel River to Be Flooded by Chaffey Dam ...... 62 Table 15: Vegetation recorded in Sections 1 & 5 Bowling Alley Offset...... 64 Table 16: Vegetation recorded in Section 6. Taroona Crown Land Offset ...... 66 Table 17: Vegetation recorded in Section 2. Swamp Creek Offset ...... 68 Table 18: Vegetation recorded in Section 3 Heavily Grazed and Degraded ...... 70 Table 19: Vegetation recorded in Section 4 Nundle Township Frontage to Peel River ‐ Not Grazed ‐ Weedy ...... 72 Table 20. BioBanking Credit Calculations ...... 74 Table 21. Values used for the Credit Calculations ...... 74 Table 22: Factors used to compare the habitat value of the Impact Area to the Offset Area .... 76 Table 23. Justification of scores given to future habitat values for offsets with and without proposed offset management ...... 77 Table 24. Justification of values used in the EPBC offset Calculator ...... 79

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Tables 25. Enlarged view of the screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide offset calculator ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 26. Screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide Summary ...... 83 Table 27. Review of proposed offset against relevant offset policies ...... 87 Table 28. Template for Management Actions Proposed for the Offset Property Vegetation Plan Agreements ...... 94

Links to the list of Figures

Figure 1. Three Nundle sections and the two Bowling Alley sections that were assessed and found not to be an adequate offset, the impact area is in the red circle, the offset areas are the four sections in the yellow circles ...... 19 Figure 2. Shows the final proposed offset; three Nundle sections, two Bowling Alley sections, the middle section between the two large circles, and the impact area in red ...... 20 Figure 3. The Proposed Offset Study Area Divided Into Sections of Similar Habitat ...... 29 Figure 4. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in the impact section ...... 55 Figure 5. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 1 ...... 56 Figure 6. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 5 ...... 57 Figure 7. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 6 ...... 58 Figure 8. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 2 ...... 59 Figure 9. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 3 ...... 60 Figure 10. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 4 ...... 61

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report details the results of field assessments of the proposed offsets and evaluation of their adequacy using the NSW BioBanking Credit Calculator tool and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Offset Calculator.

The Chaffey Dam project proposes to increase the capacity of the dam from 62 gigalitres (GL) to 100 GL at full supply level (FSL), that will increase the height of the current FSL by 6.5 m, from 518.6 metres above sea level (ASL) to 525.1 m ASL. That rise will flood approximately 1.8km of the Peel River which is known to contain a significant population of the Booroolong Frog.

The environmental impact assessment for the Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project done by NGH Environmental 2013 identified the project was likely to have a significant impact on the Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis) which is listed as endangered in both the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Offsetting has become the accepted way of compensating species where impacts are unavoidable. The NSW biodiversity offsets policy for major projects applies to state significant infrastructure projects such as this enlarging of Chaffey Dam. The policy is underpinned by the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and is implemented using the Framework for Biodiversity Assessment which sets out the process for determining the biodiversity offset requirements using the BioBanking Credit Calculator.

The Federal EPBC Act has a similar offset policy and calculator which has been applied to determine how adequately the proposed offset will mitigate the impact and result in a “maintain or improve” outcome for the population of the Booroolong Frog.

This is the second Booroolong Frog offset plan for the Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project. The first offset plan was approved but could not be implemented, it was prepared by Eco Logical (2013); it was based on managing 7.4 km of the Peel River south (upstream) of Nundle.

The current proposed offset will manage an area of 82.69 hectares or 8.89 km of stream that contains an average of 42 frogs per habitat hectare, indicating significantly better habitat than the 3.1 ha of impact area flooded by Chaffey Dam.

Frogs surveys were not done for this assessment, as extensive surveys were done of approximately 30km of the Peel River above Chaffey Dam in January & February 2013 by North West Ecological Services. That survey recorded 2,289 frogs over 21 nights, those results provided a good guide as to the abundance of the frog and its habitat use in both the

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation_Rev3 24 December 2015 Page 9 area to be flooded and the six sections of the Peel River proposed as offsets. However without repeat surveys of the same area to compare, some caution should be applied to those results.

Analysis of the results from that survey identified that the frog’s occurrence and abundance is determined by the stream structure. Preferred habitat was found to be shallow riffles with scattered large rocks that form little islands that are used for foraging, breeding and shelter. Frogs were rarely found associated with the large pools of water.

The 82.6ha of offset land to be managed for conservation includes six sections of the Peel River above Chaffey Dam that will be put into in perpetuity agreements on title using the Property Vegetation Plan (PVP) process. The six sections will form a protected riparian zone corridor 8.89km long by approximately 100m wide along that length.

The objective of management is to minimise threats to the frog and enhance the average habitat value to enable the Booroolong Frog population to increase.

Presently the condition of the habitat in each of the offset sections is highly variable due to different clearing and grazing histories. Habitat condition ranges from heavily degraded and eroded riparian zone in intensive grazing land, to crown land Box woodland remnant that has been regenerating without stock for a considerable time.

The management conditions required for the PVP agreement include:

 Weed control: exotic shrubs and trees, noxious and environmental weeds (listed in Appendix) are to be controlled by an independent contractor. Methods required are to minimise damage to non‐target native species and to use chemicals registered for use along waterways.  Grazing will be managed for conservation objectives; it will be limited to crash grazing for a week for weed control and a 60 day rest period between grazing’s. It will be excluded for the period 1st October to end of February, the period when the frogs are active and breeding. Ground cover is to be maintained above 90% cover and above 15cm height.  Fencing must be permanent to enable controlled grazing and exclude feral Goats. Fencing is to be maintained by an independent contractor. To protect wildlife, fencing erected as part of this project will have a top strand and a bottom strand consisting of plain wire. If barbed wire is used in the fence it is not to be high tensile. Electric wires cannot be relied upon to ensure the fence is stock proof. Ad stan ‐off electric wire can be used to protect the fence but not be placed closer than 30cm to the ground.  Feral animal control (Foxes, Cats, Goats and Pigs) is to be co‐ordinated with adjoining properties and conducted by an independent contractor.

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 Native vegetation including standing and fallen dead timber is to be protected, unless monitoring determines that tree cover in the stream bed must be reduced to increase stream exposure, in which case appropriate approvals must be obtained.  Other activities to be prohibited in the offset areas include: lighting fires,e us of fertilisers, gravel or soil extraction causing disturbance to the river bed and banks.  Vehicle use is limited to designated tracks.  No exotic fish are to be released.  Alternative stock water systems are proposed to provide stock water to the paddocks that previously adjoined the river. Off‐stream alternative stock watering schemes must be maintained in an operational condition for the life of the agreement. If stock water points are essential they will be limited to pools away from riffles and rapids.  Water extraction will be limited during drought to ensure that the pools remain to provide drought refuge for the frogs.  Regeneration will be encouraged to control erosion and provide a filter for run off from the surrounding slopes. Tree and shrub planting is to occur in areas unlikely to regenerate naturally.  Signage that clearly shows prohibited activities must be displayed at all entry points to the offset areas. Vehicle access into the offset areas is to be limited to NW LLS and Water NSW staff and adjoining landholders who will hold the key to the gate.  Management must be adaptive in response to lessons learnt during monitoring.

In addition to the management of the offset land the frog population will also be monitored.

For the first five years;

 2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in each of the six offset sections,  2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in the two river areas between the offset sections 5 & 6 and between 6 and 2,  2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly at two locations above Nundle,  and 2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in the impact area until the dam reaches its full supply level.

After five years those same offset transects are to be monitored every second year for six years, after which monitoring of the same transects is to be conducted every five years.

The results of the monitoring are to gauge the effectiveness of the management, if there are indicators that the management is not working then action must be taken to change the management accordingly. Monitoring will cease when it is agreed with DPE and DoE that the management actions which have been implemented are providing effective habitat for the Booroolong Frog to enable the population to sufficiently increase within the offset area to compensate for the impacted area, or when it can be demonstrated to DoE and DPE that there is limited value in ongoing monitoring.

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The management of the offsets will provide conservation benefit to 8.89km of river. Those six sections alone cannot be relied upon to conserve the Booroolong Frog in the Peel River catchment. Equally important to the frog’s conservation is the maintenance of the habitat quality of the 20 km of river upstream of Nundle. It is recommended that funding be provided to NW LLS to conduct door to door extension to those landholders, to encourage them to also implement management that will minimise the threats of pollution, water extraction, weed invasion and over‐grazing.

Some consultation with the landholders within the proposed offsets area has commenced, however the boundaries of the 100m wide area still requires refinement. In‐principle letters of agreement will be obtained prior to determination of the project. The final boundary of the offset sections will be determined by survey, the areas provided in this report are approximations that may be varied.

The NW LLS will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the PVP agreement conditions in relation to the grazing, fencing, and weed and feral animal control. The results from frog monitoring and condition assessment of the BioBank transects will be sent as annual reports to the Office of Environment and Heritage. Any illegal activities or trespassing will be the responsibility of the Police. Water NSW will supply funding to the NW LLS to establish the PVP and to fund the actions to be carried out by the landholders.

The BioBanking Assessment Methodology (BBAM) credit calculations identified that 41 credits are required to compensate for the flooding impact and the six sections of proposed offset will generate 120 credits. The Booroolong Frog is not a red‐flagged species. Therefore based on these calculations the proposal will meet a “Tier 1” outcome as identified under the ‘Interim Offset Policy for Major Projects’ (OEH 2011).

The result of the application of the EPBC Act Offset assessment guide, calculated that the proposed offset sections will account for 119% of the impact resulting from the flooding of 3.1ha of known Booroolong Frog habitat.

The proposed offsets meets the Commonwealth, NSW and NW LLS offset policy requirements and should lead to a long term conservation outcome for the Booroolong Frog.

In addition to the above offset plan, there will be a Booroolong Frog translocation strategy prepared for the relocation of frogs displaced by the rising dam level, with the intention to establish a breeding population at a suitable stream in the Namoi catchment where they were known to occur prior to 1980.

It is crucial that this project delivers an outcome that provides insurance for the Booroolong Frog in the Namoi Catchment. There is still a massive mortality over winter (presumably due to Chytrid fungus) that only a small % of the population survives. The population could be much closer to a tipping point than we recognise, it would only take a natural or man‐made

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation_Rev3 24 December 2015 Page 12 disaster associated with two bad years for breeding, and the population could be in serious decline.

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1-0. INTRODUCTION This is the second Booroolong Frog offset plan for the Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project. The project proposes to increase the capacity of Chaffey Dam from 62 gigalitres (GL) to 100 GL at full supply level (FSL), that will increase the height of the current FSL by 6.5 m, mfro 518.6 metres above sea level (ASL) to 525.1 m ASL.

That rise will flood approximately 1.8km of the Peel River which is known to contain a significant population of the Booroolong Frog. Surveys of that section of the Peel River in 2013 by NWES recorded 48 frogs, however the population is known to be highly variable, as surveys of a single 500m transect just above the Bowling Alley bridge in March 2009 recorded 634 Booroolong frogs.

The environmental impact assessment for the Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project done by NGH Environmental 2013, identified the project was likely to have a significant impact on the Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis), which is listed as endangered in both the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Photo 1: The defining characteristics of the Booroolong Frog include the small raised light coloured bumps on the skin, webbing between the toes, and the faint black line that runs from behind the ear, over the ear to the eye.

A review of the conservation status of the Booroolong Frog within the Namoi Catchment was conducted by NWES between the 21st of October 08 and 25th March 09. During that time fifty six sites were systematically surveyed over twenty eight kilometres of streams using 500m stream transects and six sites were surveyed opportunistically over no set distance.

That survey included the 42 historic record locations of the Booroolong Frog in the Namoi Catchment at 37 of the sites. The majority of those locations had never been resurveyed;

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation_Rev3 24 December 2015 Page 14 most of the frog records are dated between 1967 and 1975, two went as far back as 1954 and 1893.

The lack of records of the Booroolong Frog in recent times indicated that the species could be in serious decline within the Namoi River Catchment, with only a couple of very small populations known in the Limbri and Nundle areas in 2000 and 2003.

The surveys of the Namoi catchment confirmed widespread local extinctions for the majority of the areas where the frog had been known to occur in the 1970’s. Of the 42 locations where the Booroolong Frog had been recorded it was only found in the near vicinity of 7 of those sites.

Of the 62 sites surveyed (12 systematic sites and 5 opportunistic sites), the Booroolong Frog was recorded at 17. A total of 690 Booroolong Frogs were recorded of which 634 were recorded from three surveys of the impact site where the Peel River runs into Chaffey Dam.

The project attempted to quantify the extent of known habitat at that point in time, by measuring the stream length between the highest and lowest known Booroolong Frog locations on each stream. The same estimation of suitable habitat ewas don using the historic record locations to provide a comparison. That assessment found approximately 411km of stream was known to be habitat in the 1970’s, which had declined to 99km of stream known to be habitat in 2009. That 99km of stream was in the Cockburn catchment and the Peel River above Chaffey Dam. Swabs were taken from a variety of frogs from across the catchment to be tested for chytrid disease; the results indicated that the disease was widespread across all streams. Decline of the Booroolong Frog

There are likely to be several reasons for the Booroolong Frog’s decline in the Namoi Catchment; no one reason can explain its local extinction from all those areas where it has disappeared. Added to the frog’s problems is its short life cycle and assumed inability to relocate upstream and limited dispersal ability overland.

Possible reasons for the decline of the Booroolong Frog include: 1. River regulation affecting stream flow, water quality, habitat quality and quantity 2. Prolonged droughts limiting breeding and recruitment 3. Loss of suitable habitat; stock trampling riffle zones, sedimentation resulting from prolonged low flows, sheet and bank erosion (overgrazing, clearing, cultivation, drought) 4. Loss of suitable habitat; resulting from instream growth of native vegetation, exotic trees, shrubs and weeds 5. Exotic fish predation from Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) and Carp (Cyprinus carpio) 6. Feral animal predation ‐ Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Cats ( Felis catus) 7. Disease – chytridiomycosis, and, 8. Possibly increased predation from native predators due to ecosystem imbalance.

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Chytridiomycosis is an infectious fungal disease affecting amphibians worldwide; research conducted elsewhere gives it scientific support as one of the major contributing factors for the Booroolong Frog decline. The Booroolong Frog’s decline from high elevations in the Namoi Catchment fits neatly with the known impact of chytrid fungus, however declines have also occurred at lower elevations in the Barraba and Mt Kaputar area which are less likely to be wholly and solely the result of chytrid infection, and are most likely a result of a combination of factors including feral predation and prolonged drought. River regulation impacts caused by Chaffey Dam and Split Rock Dam are highly likely to be major causes for the local extinctions below both of those dams. The 2009 project found the frog persisting in the mid elevation unregulated streams above Chaffey Dam and the mid to low elevation streams in the Cockburn River catchment. Whether they are continuing to decline remains unknown, however the several sites with breeding populations may indicate that the Booroolong Frog has found niches where it can successfully breed and cope with the above threats. Of the threats identified above, exotic weed invasion and the impacts associated with climate change are considered to be increasing; it is likely that the other threats listed have reached a plateau due to improved land management practices. If correct, the frog may be secure at the sites where it is now most common. However only the passing of time will put truth to this postulation and in the meantime it is advisable to adopt a precautionary approach and assume that it is still in decline, noting that the species was once very common in areas where it no longer occurs. The assessment of the sites where the Booroolong Frog was recorded up until the mid 1970’s found a range of habitat types which appear to be no longer suitable. The most notable differences observed were that the species no longer occurs in streams with sandy substrates in granite derived landscapes and it no longer occurs in high elevation streams. Planning to Protect the Booroolong Frog

The NSW biodiversity offsets policy for major projects applies to state significant infrastructure developments such as the enlargement of Chaffey Dam. The policy is underpinned by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and is implemented using the Framework for Biodiversity Assessment which sets out the process for determining the biodiversity offset requirements using the BioBanking Credit Calculator.

The Commonwealth EPBC Act has a similar offset policy and calculator which must be applied to determine how adequately the proposed offset will mitigate the impact and result in a “maintain or improve” outcome for the population of the Booroolong Frog.

Offsetting has become the accepted way of compensating species where impacts are unavoidable. This report details the results of field assessments of the proposed offsets and

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation_Rev3 24 December 2015 Page 16 evaluation of their adequacy using the NSW BioBanking Credit Calculator tool and the EPBC Act Offset Calculator.

Frogs surveys were not done for this assessment, as extensive surveys were done of approximately 30km of the Peel River above Chaffey Dam in January – February 2013 by North West Ecological Services. That survey recorded 2289 frogs on consecutive nights which provided a good guide for the abundance of the frog and the habitat quality in both the area to be flooded and the six proposed offsets sections. However without repeat surveys of the same area to compare, some caution should be applied to those results.

Further field work was conducted November 2014 on foot along the length of the impact and offset sections to measure the habitat characteristics of the stream and record threats that will need to be managed into perpetuity.

The vegetation was recorded at 45 vegetation plots using the BioBanking rapid assessment methodology. The sites selected for vegetation plots sampled the variability of disturbance within the dominant vegetation communities in and adjoining the riparian zone.

Objectives of this Plan The objectives and biodiversity outcomes to be achieved by the implementation of the plan are as follows: ‐  Enhance Booroolong Frog population and habitat in the offset area.  Rehabilitate sections of riparian zone that have been heavily grazed, achieved by fencing and destocking.  Control exotic weeds and feral animals in the offset area.

The Study Area ‐ Current Proposed Booroolong Frog Offset Plan. The Chaffey Dam project will impact on the Booroolong Frog by flooding 1842 m of the Peel River that is known habitat, as shown in red in Figures 1 and 2. That impact cannot be avoided or mitigated therefore ecological offsets are proposed. Table 1 compares frog abundance at the impactd an offset sites.

Table 1. Booroolong Frog abundance recorded January – February 2013 at the impact section and proposed offset sections. The numbers of individuals were recorded during NWES field surveys in Jan – Feb 2013. Habitat lengths were determined by field measurements Dec 2014.

Site Number of Length of river Density Frogs per habitat individuals section (m) (individuals / km) hectare observed Impact 48 frogs 1842 26 15.48 frogs

Offset 712 frogs 8895 80 42 frogs

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The impact section is unfenced crown land that is occasionally grazed by droving stock, it has the least disturbed riparian vegetation of mature River Oak but the ground cover is very weedy.

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Figure 1. Three Nundle sections and the two Bowling Alley sections that were assessed and found not to be an adequate offset, the impact area is in the red circle, the offset areas are the four sections in the yellow circles

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Figure 2. Shows the final proposed offset; three Nundle sections, two Bowling Alley sections, the middle section between the two large circles, and the impact area in red

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The offset proposal is to manage six sections of the Peel River (as shown in Figure 2) that have similar disturbance history and extent of natural regeneration.

 Section 1 is 1196 metres of stream that is immediately upstream of the flooded area. It is mostly crown land that is presently not fenced and is lightly grazed by straying stock.  Section 5 is 1263m of stream, a Travelling Stock Route adjoining section 1 upstream  Section 6 is 1234m of stream, an area of crown land opposite “Taroona”  Sections 2, 3 and 4 are 5202 metres of stream between Nundle and Swamp Creek. Section 2 is also mostly crown land that appears to be very lightly grazed by straying stock. Section 3 is private land that is severely degraded and heavily grazed. Offset section 4 is mostly unfenced crown land behind Nundle that is very weedy and appears to be rarely grazed.

The proposal is to manage 100m wide area along those sections of stream, including where possible 30m either side of the high bank and the river bed and banks.

The field assessment of section 4 found that the 30m distance either side of the high bank is not always possible due to: the Nundle village backyards, roads, rocky ridges and valuable cropping land. The exact area that could be managed is yet to be determined, as it will require surveying following fence line negotiations with all the landholders bordering the river. Where existing fences are in a suitable location and in suitable condition to be stock proof those will continue to be used as the boundary.

Booroolong Frog Habitat Requirements The habitat requirements of the Booroolong Frog are summarised in Table 2. Further description of the habitat at 10 locations where the highest density of frogs was recorded during the Jan – Feb 2013 NWES survey of the Peel River is attached as Appendix 1.

The species inhabits rocky permanent streamsd an is likely to have high site fidelity (lives in one place all its life), usually moving less than 50m (Hunter 2001). It prefers streams with a mix of bedrock, cobbles or boulders near water for basking, extensive shallow and slow‐ flowing river sections with large emergent rocks, littoral and riparian vegetation for refuge and foraging, and shallow pools and riffles for breeding and tadpole habitat (Anstis 2002, NWES 2009b, OEH 2012).

Table 2: Summary of Booroolong Frog habitat requirements (Anstis 2002, NWES 2009b, OEH 2012)

Habitat use Habitat features General Mid elevation 350 – 700m ASL permanent streams with extensive rock bank structures, the key features being rock crevices in shallow slow to medium flowing stream sections. Adults generally occur near flowing riffles and

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rapids with cobble or bedrock substrates. Exposed rocks near flowing water are used for basking in the sun. Fringing low vegetation adjoining riffles provides foraging and refuge habitat. Generally, the species is absent from large pools and sandy or gravelly bars, and appears to tolerate a range of water quality parameters and some grazing.

Foraging Riffles and rapids, stream banks and fallen timber or vegetation within 100m of stream. Refuge Shelters beneath river rocks in riffles or rapids and adjoining vegetation Breeding Permanent rocky streams with or without ground cover or understorey vegetation provide breeding habitat. Breeding males call from exposed rocks or rock crevices near flowing shallow pools or riffles. Eggs are deposited in shallow slow‐flowing stream sections or isolated rock pools along stream margins. Tadpoles Slow‐flowing sections of stream or isolated adjacent pools, on submerged rocks or detritus

The field survey January – February 2013 recorded the locations of 2289 frogs, analysis of those records found the following habitat preferences in Table 3.

Table 3: Habitat preference and value

Percentage of Habitat Habitat value frogs recorded 33% Riffles with large rocks Very High 26% Rapids with large rocks ‐ including bed rock High 14% Pools with gravel banks Medium 10% Shallows with large rocks Medium 8% Riffles with small rocks Low 5% Shallows with small rocks Low 4% Rapids with small rocks Low 0% Pools with dirt banks Very low

Based on their habitat requirements, Booroolong Frog populations are considered highly susceptible to changes in the frequency, duration and volume of stream flows. Having a short life span of three ‐ four years with males reaching sexual maturity at one year and females at two years (Hunter 2001) makes breeding each year very important. Failed recruitment over one or two years can cause localised extinction (NSW OEH 2011b). During dry periods there is likely increased fish predation and insufficient water for the species to breed and persist. During wet periods critical basking, egg laying and refuge sites are flooded.

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Other habitat modifications such as bank erosion resulting from riparian vegetation removal or heavy grazing, contributes to higher sedimentation which smothers egg laying sites. The species’ requirement for basking habitat means they can tolerate some riparian grazing and tree clearing but still require some littoral vegetation and fallen timber for refuge and foraging locations (NWES 2009b).

Appendix 1 presents the recorded habitat data from 10 locations where the highest density of frogs was recorded during the NWES 2013 survey of the Peel River through Nundle.

Background to the different Booroolong Frog Offset Plans proposed until now The original offset area proposed was 9km of stream extending upstream from the Chaffey Dam full supply level. It was proposed as an offset by Water NSW to be managed by the Namoi Catchment Management Authority (now known as the North West Local Land Services ‐ NW LLS) with funds supplied by eStat Water (NGH, 2013). The current offset proposal of 8.89km of stream includes most of that 9km of stream.

A number of comments on that proposal were received from the Commonwealth Department of Environment (DoE) and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) relating to the fact that sections of that stream are currently managed for Booroolong Frog conservation under 10 year Management Agreements with the NW LLS.

The rationale for proposing those lands was that the Management Agreements are due to expire in four years (2018) and the current Management Agreements provide little security as they can be terminated with one month notice and are not attached in any way to the title of the land. Despite those considerations, that proposed offset did not go ahead as there was a problem securing in perpetuity agreements with the landholders. After that, another alternative was proposed south (upstream) of Nundle which was assessed by Eco Logical and subsequently approved.

That approved Booroolong Frog offset plan prepared by Eco Logical (2013) was based on managing 7.4 km of the Peel River south (upstream) of Nundle. That offset plan received NSW State and Federal approvals; however the implementation of that plan also became problematic as it required the co‐operation of numerous landholders. Aborting that plan, Water NSW came up with another alternative of 6.39 km of the Peel River north (downstream) of Nundle and contracted North West Ecological Services to assess that area, which is the subject of this report.

The finding of the assessment of that study area was that the 6.39km of proposed offset was not adequate, as it was not equal to what had been previously approved. Further areas were investigated and assessed, resulting in two more areas being included that shared crown land boundaries and sections of high quality frog habitat. The current offset proposal of 8.89 km of stream now includes six of the ten locations that had the highest frog abundance of the 30km that was surveyed Jan 2013.

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Comparison of the Booroolong Frog Offset Plans Proposed 2013 ‐ 2015 The Chaffey Dam project will impact on the Booroolong Frog within the 1,842 m section of Peel River that will be flooded. That impact cannot be avoided or mitigated, therefore ecological offsets are proposed.

The first offset proposal assessed was to manage four sections of the Peel River as shown in Figure 1. Those sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 were based on disturbance/grazing history and extent of riparian natural regeneration.

 Section 1 is 1,196 metres of stream that is immediately upstream of the flooded area  Sections 2, 3 and 4 are 5,202 metres of stream downstream of Nundle to Swamp Creek

That proposal was found not to be adequate as it did not match the area and quality of habitat of the Offset Plan that was approved previously by the NSW and Commonwealth departments, which was upstream of Nundle.

The second and final offset proposal is to manage six sections of the Peel River as shown in Figure 2. The additional two areas are crown lands bordering private lands both lightly grazed and both currently managed for Booroolong Frog conservation under agreements with the North West Local Land Services.

The proposal’s intention is to manage 100m wide area along those sections of stream, including where possible 30m either side of the high bank and the river bed and banks. The exact area that could be managed is yet to be determined, as it will require fence line negotiations with all the landholders bordering the river. The field assessment of section 4 found that distance either side of the high bank is not always possible due to: Nundle village backyards, roads, rocky ridges and valuable cropping land.

Comparison of the Previously Approved Offset, the next Proposed Offset and the current Proposed Offset

Table 4 compares the three offset proposals for sections of the Peel River at Nundle:

 the area of the Peel River flooded by the new Chaffey Dam full supply level,  the offset area previously approved for 7.4 km of the Peel River south of Nundle,  the next offset proposal assessed by this study found to be inadequate, shown in Figure 1,and,  the final proposed offset assessed by this study shown in Figure 2, which will manage 82.6 ha of riparian zone for Booroolong Frog conservation.

The Booroolong Frog abundance figures presented are those recorded for that section in the NWES Jan‐Feb 2013 survey.

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Table 4: Comparison of three offset proposals

Site Number of Length of Density Area of Frogs per Approximate area to be individuals river (individuals suitable habitat ha managed – exact area to recorded 2013 section (m) per km) habitat be determined Impacted section 48 frogs 1842 26 frogs 3.1ha 15.48 frogs 10.84 ha to be flooded of river by Chaffey Dam Previous offset 683 frogs 7449 92.3 frogs 13.22 ha 51.66 frogs 74.49 ha (100m wide x approved 2013 7449m) Next Proposed 536 frogs 6398 84 frogs 12.2 ha 43.93 frogs 57.63 ha sections 1, 2, 3 Offset Study Area x 100m wide & section 4 4 sections x 50m wide Final Proposed 712 frogs 8895 80 frogs 16.95 ha 42 frogs 82.6 ha (sections 1, 2, 3, Offset Area 6 5, & 6 x 100m wide, sections section 4 x 50m wide)

The key points illustrated above are:

 the 2013 offset approved would have managed 74.49 hectares or 7.49 km of stream  that previously approved offset has the highest frog density per km of 92.3 frogs, and 51.66 frogs per habitat hectare, which indicates high habitat suitability  the impacted sarea ha the lowest frog density of 26 frogs per km, and 15.48 frogs per habitat hectare, which reflects lower habitat suitability  this final proposed offset will manage a larger area of 82.69 hectares or 8.89 km of stream that contains an average of 42 frogs per habitat hectare, indicating significantly better habitat than the impact area flooded by Chaffey Dam.

An interesting observation is that frog abundance and frog habitat quality appears to be unrelated to the quality of the riparian vegetaton. Both the previously approved offset 2013 and this proposed offset are significantly more disturbed by clearing, weed invasion and grazing than the impact area to be flooded. The assessment of the average quality of the riparian vegetation in the proposed offset found that the eastern bank had 25% cover of which 10% was exotic and the western bank had 20% cover of which 5% was exotic. Whereas the impact area had 35% cover of which 2% was exotic on the eastern bank, and 45% cover of which 1% was exotic on the western bank. The lower frog abundance in the impact section could be linked to increased incidence of chytrid and a slower rate of tadpole development dues to les sunlight exposure and cooler temperatures resulting from the mature River Oak shading. Equally interesting is that section 4 had high frog abuncance of 80.8 frogs per habitat ha, despite being dominated by exotic trees and shrubs, and tall and thick weedy ground cover.

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2-0. METHODS

Booroolong Frog Habitat Assessment The Booroolong Frog habitat survey used the same methodology as that used by Eco Logical Australia PTY LTD (ELA) for the previously approved 2013 offset plan (ELA 2013). Their survey methodology was designed following communications with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DP&I), DoE and OEH in late 2013.

The agencies requested that data be collected along the entire length of the river at the impact and offset sites, including;

 average length and width of each occurrence of each habitat type,  maximum water depth and substrate for pools,  the number of crevices (to a maximum of 10 per habitat type),  riparian vegetation extent, cover and percentage of exotic cover, and  information on observed threats to Booroolong Frog habitat.

The agencies confirmed that the proforma developed by ELA and the information to be collected would be adequate to inform a robust assessment of the proposed Booroolong Frog offset (ELA 2013).

This assessment adopted the same approved methodology. The stream lengths of the impact and proposed offset sites were walked to record the following data.

The data was recorded by field staff with extensive knowledge of the Booroolong Frog’s habitat requirements. Hence knowing the frog’s apparent habitat preferences and habitat utilisation helped target the recording of important habitat features. For example, pools with one dirt bank and one gravel bank were recorded “with gravel bank”, because gravel banks are used by this frog, whereas soil banks are not. Also pools with cobbles that were embedded in silt sediment had ethe substrat recorded as silt, as the silt deposits remove the critical shelter cavities.

Using a range finder (Bushnell Sport 850) the following distances were measured for each habitat type and recorded: wet stream width, and bank to bank distance and habitat width (i.e. wet stream width plus width of adjoining bare areas with ground cover vegetation of less than 10%, to a maximum of the bank to bank distance).

Where a single stretch of habitat exceeded 35m in length, measurements were taken at three locations to determine mean width for each of the long habitat sections. Habitat types were categorised by stream morphology and substrate. Disturbances and their relative intensities were also noted. Habitat, pool depth, substrate and disturbance data were categorised as shown in the Table 5 below.

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Table 5: Categories of field data collected

Habitat type Pool depth Substrate Disturbance Riparian Intensity Canopy cover % Pool, dirt bank Deep Silt Not fenced East bank Nil (>0.5m) Pool, gravel bank Shallow Sand Fenced West bank Slight Riffle, large rocks Gravel Point‐source erosion Exotic Moderate Riffle, small rocks Pebbles Sedimentation Native Severe Rapid, bedrock Cobbles Water extraction point Rapid, large rocks Boulders Point‐source pollution Rapid, small rocks Bedrock Grazing Shallow, large rocks Anything else observed Shallow, small rocks

The percentage canopy cover of the riparian trees was recorded for each bank separately. Estimates were made for total cover and for exotic trees alone.

Crevices were recorded according to Appendix 3 of the National Recovery Plan for the Booroolong Frog (OEH 2012), which defines these as: “…a space under or between rocks where a 2.5 cm wide, 1 cm high and 3 cm long piece of metal could be freely inserted, but which was no higher than 3 cm…Regardless of crevice length, continuous crevices in bedrock or under individual rocks are only counted as one crevice.”

The presence and number of crevices were assessed using an appropriately dimensioned wooden block.

Habitat areas were calculated for each habitat section by multiplying habitat length by habitat width. These areas were summed to produce the total area of each habitat type for both the impact and proposed offset sites.

The survey data usedr fo the abundance of Booroolong Frogs at the impact and proposed offset sites came from the Jan‐Feb 2013 survey conducted by North West Ecological Services (NWES 2013) for the Namoi CMA. That survey of 30km of the Peel River above Chaffey Dam included the impact and offset sites. It was systematically recorded, hence provided a good comparison. However without repeat surveys of the same area to compare, some caution should be applied to those results.

The proforma used for data collection is shown in Appendix 2.

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Vegetation Survey

The length of the impact and offset areas was walked to map the vegetation communities and record the vegetation data required for the BioBanking Credit Calculator.

The field recording was undertaken by Dr Elizabeth Broese van Groenou who is an accredited assessor and ecologist Phil Spark. The vegetation at forty fives transect was recorded using the BioBanking rapid vegetation assessment methodology (Appendices 3 and 4). Sites were located within 30m of the top bank either side of the river to record the vegetation type and condition present. Photos and waypoints of each transect were also recorded.

The surveys included observations of the disturbances present, dominant weed species, erosion and grazing impacts. The results from each transect were compared to the benchmark condition for each vegetation type and entered into the Credit Calculator.

The transects are to be monitored yearly and the results sent as annual reports to the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Vegetation type nomenclature referred to in this plan is as defined within the Biometric Vegetation Types Database and utilised within the BioBanking Assessment Methodology (BBAM).

The transects are to be monitored yearly and the results sent as annual reports to the Office of Environment and Heritage.

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3-0. RESULTS

Site Description The field assessment quantified the extent of suitable habitat for the Booroolong Frog in the proposed six offset sections and the impact area flooded by the new dam full supply level. It also assessed the vegetation in the riparian zone of both areas and identified potential threats to the frog in those areas. The results from the field assessment were entered into the BioBanking and EPBC offset assessment calculators.

Impact Section

Section 1

Section 5

Section 6

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Figure 3. The Proposed Offset Study Area Divided Into Sections of Similar Habitat Figure 3 shows the locations of the six sections of the proposed offsets and impact site shown in red. Also shown are eight red hotspot sites which were the ten locations where the highest frog abundance was recorded in the Jan – Feb 2013 survey of 30km of the Peel River (Section 1: blue; Section 2: green; Section 3: magenta; Section 4: yellow; Section 5: black; Section 6: cyan). Hotspot site 3 is outside Section 6.

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Description of Each Section Impact Area – length 1842m

The 10.84ha of crown land area that will be flooded by the new top water level for Chaffey Dam. It was the least disturbed area assessed, having the largest area of mature River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) gallery open forest which also made it the most shaded riparian zone. It has minimal erosion, extensive River Oak regeneration, and tall and thick ground cover which is predominantly weeds like the other sections. It is rarely grazed as it has no fences.

It has had a severe exotic tree issue which is now largely under control. It has a section of steep rocky slope adjoining a sweeping bend on which there is immature box woodland of Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) and Rough‐barked Apple (Angophora floribunda).

The 2013 frog survey recorded 48 Booroolong Frogs within its length, it has been known to have very high numbers of juvenile frogs, a survey in 2009 recorded 600 in a 500m transect. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat in the impact area recorded 3.1ha.

Section 1 Offset – length 1196m

This 11.9ha of offset is mostly crown land on the eastern bank and private land on the western bank. nIt has bee heavily cleared, mature River Oak trees are very sparse but there is good regeneration of juvenile trees and Willows (Salix babylonica) < 3m tall on the river bed. The riparian zone ground cover is predominantly tall and thick exotic plants. The rocky slopes on the western bank are predominantly Yellow Box Rough‐barked Apple woodland that has native ground cover. It is poorly fenced and rarely grazed by straying stock.

The 2013 frog survey recorded 73 Booroolong Frogs within its length. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 2.12ha in section 1.

Section 2 Offset – length 1815m

This 18.1 ha of offset is nearly all crown land on the eastern bank Swamp Creek area and private land on the western bank. It also has been heavily cleared; mature River Oaks and Rough‐barked Apple trees are very sparse. Like all the other sections the river bed has good regeneration of River Oak < 3m tall. The ground cover is very tall and thick weeds and there are numerous young fruit trees (Prunus spp.) and Willows. The majority of it has not been grazed for a long time, like the other sections the big river bends adjoin rocky steep slopes are box woodland. Swamp Creek runs into the Peel River in this section, Booroolong Frogs have been recorded in it as well.

The 2013 frog survey recorded 145 Booroolong Frogs within its length. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 3.31ha in section 2.

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Section 3 Offset – length 1909m

This 19.1ha of offset is all private land both sides of the river, it has been severely degraded by clearing and grazing and there are extensive areas of active bank erosion. Mature trees in the riparian zone are very sparse, fortunately it also has good regeneration of River Oaks but they are being chewed down by grazing to 30cm tall. Like the other sections the big river bends adjoin rocky steep slopes of box woodland of Yellow Box and Rough barked Apple that also include Apple Box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana) and Silver‐top Stringybark (Eucalyptus laevopinea). The riparian ground cover is short and dominantly native but lacks diversity; most of it is Couch (Cynodon dactylon) grass.

This section can achieve a major benefit from conservation management, destocking will enable regeneration to happen that will also become erosion control.

The 2013 frog survey recorded 155 Booroolong Frogs within its length. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 4.68ha in section 3.

Section 4 Offset – length 1478m

This 8.53ha of offset is a mix of private and crown land on both sides of the river. It appears to be rarely grazed and there are sno fence on the Nundle end. It has a lot of advanced regeneration in the river bed of Willow and River Oak up to 3m tall, mature trees of River Oak, Rough‐barked Apple and Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) are scattered throughout providing shading to small sections of the river. eTh dominant characteristic of this section is the abundance of exotic trees and tall shrubs which are becoming a very serious problem. Privets (Ligustrum lucidum), Elms (Ulmus sp), Willows, Hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) and Cotoneasters (Cotoneaster glaucophyllus) are forming thickets along the high bank. Fortunately the Nundle Landcare group are working on controlling the invasion and planting trees in the open areas near the sports ground.

The 2013 frog survey recorded 160 Booroolong Frogs within its length, which was the highest density recorded. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 1.98ha in section 4.

Section 5 Offset – length 1263m

This 10ha of offset is mostly crown land TSR on the eastern bank and private land on the western bank; it adjoins section 1 offset upstream. It has been heavily cleared, mature River Oak trees are very sparse but there is good regeneration of juvenile River Oak trees < 1m tall on the river bed. The riparian zone ground cover is dominantly tall and thick exotic plants. The adjoining slopes on both banks are dominantly Yellow box ‐ Rough‐barked Apple woodland which have native ground cover. It is poorly fenced and is lightly grazed by the adjoining neighbour.

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The 2013 frog survey recorded 73 Booroolong Frogs within its length. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 2.03ha in section 5.

Section 6 Offset – length 1234m

This 13.5ha of offset is mostly crown land TSR on the eastern bank and private land on the western bank; it is isolated between the other larger sections of offsets. It also has been heavily cleared, mature River Oak trees are very sparse but there is good regeneration of juvenile River Oak trees < 0.5m tall on the river bed. The riparian ground cover is short and dominantly native but it lacks plant diversity, most of it is Couch grass. The box woodland area included in the offset is the best example of the Endangered Ecological Community along the river; it has mixed age mature structure and a high diversity of plants and shrubs.

Like the other sections the big river bends adjoin rocky steep slopes of box woodland of Yellow Box and Rough‐barked Apple that also include Silver‐top Stringybark.

The private land has been very heavily grazed and the crown land has been moderately grazed.

The 2013 frog survey recorded 106 Booroolong Frogs within its length. The assessment of suitable Booroolong Frog habitat recorded 2.72ha in section 6.

The photo below is offset section 6 looking downstream, note the dearth of riparian vegetation and woodland slopes.

Photo 2: Offset section 6

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Comparison of Impact and Offset Sites A total of 13.2km of river was habitat surveyed on foot between 26/11/2014 and 1/12/2014. Flow levels were low, with a very small number of short sections having completely dried up. No significant amount of rain fell within the sampling period; the habitat data was collected on consecutive days by the same observer therefore it is comparable.

Likewise the frog survey Jan – Feb 2013 was conducted during a period of consistent weather conditions by the same two observers, hence numbers recorded are considered good indicators of habitat suitability. Table 6 shows the number of Booroolong Frogs recorded in the impact and offset sections during surveys of the Peel River from Chaffey dam to Wombramurra Jan & Feb 2013. Habitat lengths were determined by field measurements.

Table 6: Number of Booroolong Frogs recorded in the impact and offset sections (2013 survey)

Site Number of individuals observed Length of river section (m) Density (individuals / km) Impact 48 1842 26

Offset 712 8895 80

Both the impact and proposed offset sections are similar in that they are located on the Peel River above Chaffey Dam where flows are unregulated. Both areas were characterised by pool‐riffle sequences, with occasional rapids through bedrock outcropping. Water was pumped from several pools at the time of sampling. The impact section is down‐stream of the proposed offset sections in relatively flatter terrain surrounded by large woodland remnants. The proposed offset sections begins at Nundle in flat cleared grazing land, then downstream the river winds its way through a narrow valley between steep hills most of which have been cleared for grazing. Other site differences are presented in Table 7.

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Table 7. Summary of the major differences observed between the impact and proposed offset sections.

Impact Section Proposed Offset Sections

Rarely grazed, tall thick ground cover, mostly Roughly half is heavily grazed, and half is weeds rarely grazed with tall and thick ground cover of weeds No cattle crossings or water points Numerous cattle crossings – water points Pools with dirt banks are wider and more Pools with dirt banks are narrower and less common common Larger area of shallow pools More pools with gravel banks More rapids with large rocks (not bedrock) More rapids with bedrock and riffles with large rocks Patchy riparian corridor of mature River Oak Sparse riparian trees Fewer weed trees in riparian vegetation More weed trees in riparian vegetation Fossicking activity lower (digging into banks) Fossicking activity higher 1 water extraction point (pump) 5 water extraction points (pumps) Low sedimentation levels Moderate to high sedimentation levels Contains no sites of high Booroolong Frog Contains 5 sites with high Booroolong Frog abundance ( hotspot) abundance (hotspots)

Crevices were abundant (counts > 10) in every individual habitat segment apart from a small number of short bedrock rapids. Crevice counts are therefore not presented separately.

The impact site generally was less disturbed by stock and fossickers.

The proposed offset site includes some overgrazed and eroding river sections, which was evident in the relatively higher amounts of silt recorded. There were also small sections of river where fossickers had dug holes into the river bank or the river bed, in one place large chunks of bedrock had been broken apart.

Based on field measurements, the area of preferred Booroolong Frogs habitat wa calculated as being 3.1ha at the impact section and 16.8ha at the offset sections. Mean habitat width at the impact section was 16 ± 6m (SD), and 19 ± 9m at the offset sections.

Stream width (i.e. the wetted portion of the channel) was similar at the two sites (mean 6 ± 5m at the impact section; mean 7 ± 4m at the offset sections) the low flow conditions were stable during the time of sampling.

Comparison of Habitat Values Table 8 below relates to the sections of the study area as shown in Figure 3. The study area is divided for description into 7 sections of similar habitat. The red section is the Chaffey Dam impacted area. The proposed offsets are Dark Blue, Black, Light blue, Green, Purple

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and Yellow. Section lengths are based on field measurements. Animal densities per habitat hectare are also stated. Mean density of Booroolong Frogs over the combined length of the 6 proposed offset sections is 80 animals per km of stream. The number of Booroolong Frogs presented are those recorded in the proposed impact and offset areas during the survey of 30km of the Peel River Jan – Feb 2013. The area of suitable habitat was determined this survey January 2015.

Mean density over the combined lengths of the 6 proposed offset sections is 80 frogs per km of stream or 42 frogs per habitat hectare, 82.6 hectares will be managed for frog conservation.

Frog abundance per habitat hectare and density per km are considered the best indicators of preferred habitat to be used to compare habitat value between the impact section and offset sections.

Table 8: Comparison of the habitat values of each section

Section 1 Section 2 Section 5 Section 6 Impact Section 3 Section 4 Rarely TSR TSR area Rarely Heavily Ungrazed Lightly grazed Lightly Lightly grazed grazed Nundle grazed Swamp Ck Grazed Grazed Section length (m) 1842 1196 1815 1909 1478 1263 1234 Area of suitable 3.1 2.12 3.31 4.68 1.98 2.03 2.72 habitat (ha) Number of frogs 48 73 145 155 160 73 106 recorded Density (frogs / 26 61 80 81 108 58 86 km) Frogs per ha of 15.48 34.43 43.8 33.1 80.8 35.96 38.97 habitat

Table 8 shows that the highest density of Booroolong Frogs of 80.8 frogs per hectare occurring at section 4. Such a high density indicates that section may be optimal habitat and may also be an indication of two other points: 1. that it may be possible to increase the population at the other sections when grazing is removed and ground cover matures, and 2. high populations can occur where there is high percentage cover of exotic trees and shrubs, and tall and thick weedy ground cover with no grazing.

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Photo 3: Example of optimal habitat for the Booroolong Frog in section 3, note the abundance of large rocks in the shallow riffle.

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Table 9: Comparison of the habitat values for each section and the previously approved offset area

Combined Previous Impact area Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 total /or offset Rarely grazed Lightly Rarely grazed Heavily Ungrazed TSR Lightly TSR Lightly average of approved 10.84ha grazed Swamp Ck grazed Nundle Grazed Grazed sections 1, 2, 2013 3, 4, 5, & 6 Section length (m) 1842 1196 1815 1909 1478 1263 1234 8895 7449 Area of suitable 3.1 2.12 3.31 4.68 1.98 2.03 2.72 16.95 13.2 habitat (ha) Number of frogs 48 73 145 155 160 73 106 712 683 Density (frogs / 26 61 80 81 108 58 86 80 92.3 km) Frogs per ha 15.48 34.43 43.8 33.1 80.8 35.96 38.97 42 51.74 habitat % Length with riparian tree 45.30% 20.9% 23.14% 6.54% 57.6% 12.35% 17.42% - - canopy Riparian Good Good Good Med Good Good Good - - overstorey regeneration Ground cover Dominantly Dominantly Dominantly Very short Dominantly Mix of Mix of exotic - Dominantly riparian vegetation tall and thick tall and thick tall and thick dominantly tall and thick exotic and and native tall and thick weeds weeds weeds Couch grass weeds native plants weeds plants Erosion Minor Minor Minor Severe Minor Minor Moderate - Area managed for Nil to be 11.9 ha 18.1 ha 19.1 ha 8.53 ha ( 50- 10ha (100m 13.5ha (100m 74.4 ha (100m 82.6 ha frog conservation flooded (100m wide) (100m wide) (100m wide) 60m wide) wide) wide) wide)

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Table 10: Summary of river bed habitat data collected along the length of the impact section and six offset sections. The total length of each habitat type is presented as a % of the total length of the impact and offset sections of the river. Note differences in the High Habitat value columns

Habitat Pool, Pool, Riffle, Riffle, Rapid, Rapid, Rapid, Shallow, Shallow, Type dirt bank gravel large rocks small rocks bedrock large rocks small rocks large rocks small rocks bank Frog Habitat value Low Low High Med Med High Med Med Low Occurrence [n] Impact Section 11% [2] 34% [6] 8% [4] 7% [6] 1% [1] 9% [6] 0% 22% [7] 8% [2] Offset Sections 4% [5] 45% [62] 22% [35] 5% [14] 5% [28] 2% [8] 1% [4] 12% [23] 4% [10] Mean length [range] (m) Impact Section 102 [57] 106 [104] 37 [58] 22 [22] 22 26 [35] ‐ 57 [107] 78 [110] Offset Sections 73 [108] 63 [210] 55 [196] 41 [101] 15 [52] 20 [33] 19 [24] 47 [160] 35 [65] Mean habitat width (m) Impact Section 27 19 13 15 25 11 ‐ 13 19 Offset Sections 18 20 17 18 20 22 20 19 15 Mean stream width (m) Impact Section 16 13 7 2 3 5 ‐ 6 4 Offset Sections 13 9 6 6 3 5 3 8 8 Siltation, intensity Impact Section low low low low low low ‐ low low wide‐spread, wide‐spread, wide‐spread, wide‐spread, wide‐spread, patchy, low wide‐spread, wide‐spread, wide‐spread, Offset Sections low to mod low to mod low to mod low to mod low to mod low to high low to mod low to mod Mean Riparian canopy (%): [Weed % in brackets] Impact section eastern bank 50 [0] 20 [5] 45 [0] 30 [0] 0 [0] 40 [5] ‐ 30 [0] 60 [0] Impact section western bank 85 [5] 30 [5] 65 [0] 25 [5] 20 [10] 40 [0] ‐ 40 [0] 20 [0] Offset sections eastern bank 5 [5] 30 [15] 40 [20] 20 [15] 20 [10] 15 [0] 30 [15] 30 [5] 20 [5] Offset sections western bank 30 [20] 25 [10] 30 [15] 25 [10] 30 [0] 25 [5] 10 [0] 30 [5] 15 [10]

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Photo 4: A riffle/shallow of high frog abundance in the offsets, typical of the landscape, river width and vegetation cover. Note the abundance of large rock niches and juvenile River Oaks <1m tall that are widespread from a germination event two years ago; they will transform the river when they mature.

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Habitat Types Habitat types were measured for each section and given a value (low to high) (Table 11). Areas and the number of occurrences for each habitat type for each of the six sections of proposed offset are shown. Habitat areas are given in m2 except for the total area. Number of occurrences is in (brackets). Areas were determined by field measurements (stream length x average habitat width). The proportion of each habitat type is represented in two pie charts below, showing the impact site and the mean of the six offset sections respectively.

Table 11: Areas and the number of occurrences for each habitat type for each of the six sections of proposed offset

Frog Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Habitat value

Pool, dirt Low 0 1522 (2) 0 4787 (3) 0 0 bank

Pool, gravel low 12157 (9) 10652 (7) 28918 11026 3956 (2) 14047 (7) bank (18) (18)

Riffle, large High 702 (3) 7819 (5) 9095 (7) 2849 (11) 5997 (3) 6781 (6) rocks

Riffle, small 4416 (4) 879 (3) 2345 (3) 72 (1) 900 (1) 180 (1) rocks

Rapid, 813 (3) 168 (2) 3936 (9) 668 (7) 734 (3) 1668 (4) bedrock

Rapid, large High 665 (1) 2652 (7) 0 0 0 0 rocks

Rapid, small Med 784 (1) 351 (2) 0 0 255 (1) 0 rocks

Shallow, Med 1577 (3) 6283 (8) 1979 (3) 340 (2) 7260 (3) 3774 (4) large rocks

Shallow, Low 104 (1) 2800 (4) 525 (1) 96 (1) 1198 (2) 751 (1) small rocks

Total area 2.12 3.31 4.68 1.98 2.03 2.72 (ha)

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Proportion habitat type (%): Impact site Shallow, small rocks 2%

Rapid, small rocks 0% Rapid, Rapid, large rocks Shallow, large bedrock 6% rocks Pool, dirt bank 1% 13% 20% Riffle, small rocks 1% Riffle, large rocks 6%

Pool, gravel bank 51%

Proportion habitat type (%): Proposed offset (mean value for all offset sites) Shallow, small rocks Pool, dirt bank Rapid, small rocks 4% 6% 0%

Rapid, large rocks 1% Shallow, large Rapid, bedrock rocks 2% 14% Riffle, small rocks 5%

Riffle, large rocks Pool, gravel bank 17% 51%

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Substrate Types Substrate types were categorised and measured for each section. The pie charts below show the proportion of each substrate type occurring in the impact section and proposed offset sections (the mean for all six sections is displayed). The values are based on stream area. Silt was widely distributed, but was not deep enough to fill the cavities (shelter sites) under stones in dry habitat. Proportion substrate type (%): Impact site Boulders Bedrock 1% 1%

Silt Sand 14% 0%

Gravel 17%

Cobbles Pebbles 65% 2%

Proportion substrate type (%): Proposed offset (mean value for all offset sites)

Boulders Bedrock 5% 2%

Silt 47%

Cobbles 39%

Sand Pebbles Gravel 0% 6% 1%

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Riparian Vegetation Table 12 shows a comparison of the extent of riparian tree cover for each section of river – based on measurements taken from aerial photos not from field data. The two River Oak columns that provide stream shading are the most informative guide as to how cleared the riparian zone is and how sparse riparian trees are. Existing regeneration will likely double that cover every ten years.

Table 12. Comparison of the extent of riparian tree cover for each section of river

Section Stream Mature River Mix of River Oak Woodland River Oak & Total length Oak riparian & Exotic riparian steep slope Willow regen 3 ‐ metres canopy – canopy ‐ good minimal 4 m tall limited shading good shading shading shading shading West East West East West East West East bank bank bank bank bank bank bank bank Impact area 1842 m 669 m 570 m ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 100 m 300 m 1669 m % stream 100% 37.94% 30.94% ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 5.42% 16.28% 45.30% length

section 1 1196 m ‐ 240 m ‐ ‐ 60 m ‐ 100 m 100 m 500 m % stream 100% ‐ 20% ‐ ‐ 5.01% ‐ 8.36% 8.36% 20.90% length section 2 1815 m ‐ 220 m ‐ ‐ ‐ 80 m 170 m 370 m 840 m % stream 100% ‐ 12.12% ‐ ‐ ‐ 4.40% 9.36% 20.38% 23.14% length section 3 1909 m 50 m ‐ ‐ ‐ 120 80 m ‐ ‐ 250 m m % stream 100% 2.61% ‐ ‐ ‐ 6.28% 4.19% ‐ ‐ 6.54% length section 4 1478 m ‐ 50 m 398 m 470 m ‐ ‐ 485 m 300 m 1703m % stream 100% ‐ 3.38% 26.92% 31.79% ‐ ‐ 32.81% 20.29% 57.61% length

Section 5 1263m 52m 260m ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 312m % stream 100% 4.11% 20.58% 12.35% length

Section 6 1234m 20m 280m ‐ ‐ 50m 80m ‐ ‐ 430m % stream 100% 1.62% 22.6% 4.05% 6.48% 17.42% length

There are a couple of other interesting results in Tables 10 and 12:

 The Booroolong Frogs preferred habitat is large rock in riffles, 8% of the impact area is that preferred habitat as compared to 22% of the offset area.

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 The other factor that may be limiting potential frog abundance in the impact area is the high percent of riparian tree shading at those preferred habitat locations with average shading of 65% on the western bank and 45% for the eastern bank. The same preferred habitat in the offset sections recorded average shading of 30% for the western bank and 40% for the eastern bank.

It is not proven but there seems to be a trend that Booroolong Frogs prefer sites without riparian shading, one theory is that the higher sunlight exposure warms the water and the environment in general leading to reduced chytrid infection and faster growth rates of tadpoles.

Booroolong Frogs are rarely found associated with still pools of water; deep pools are avoided the most. Shallows at the end of pools adjoining riffles and rapids are usually where the tadpoles grow to metamorph stage, when they get legs they are usually seen on the emergent rocks on the edge of the riffles or rapids, when young frogs they take up residence with the adult frogs in the island rocks amidst riffles and rapids.

Namoi Vegetation Types in Impact and Offset sections

The vegetation assessment found that there are three dominant vegetation communities in and adjoining the riparian zone of the offset and impact sections. Appendix 7 lists the common plants recorded at each community. The tables for each section that identify the vegetation types and the different disturbance conditions of each vegetation type are presented below.

a) River Oak open forest riparian corridor ‐ Vegetation type NA191

Predominantly River Oak with a few Rough‐barked Apple and fewer Blakely’s Red Gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi). The community occurs on the bank down to the water’s edge and within the bed of the river. Mature trees are sparse, except for the impact area which has a continuous corridor of mature trees in a couple of sections. Shrubs are sparse throughout, an occasional Native Olive (Notelaea microcarpa).

River Oak regrowth is abundant along the entire length of the river varying according to grazing pressure from 30cm to 3m tall. Also within this community are Willows and a variety of exotic trees and shrubs including fruit trees that have escaped from gardens. The Nundle section 4 is by far the worst invaded by exotic trees and shrubs, fortunately the Landcare group are tackling the problem.

Ground cover is mostly tall and thick and dominantly weed species, except for the heavily grazed section 3 which is dominantly Couch grass.

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b) Rough‐barked Apple river flat community – Vegetation type NA197 Rough‐barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of Nandewar Bioregion

This community occurs on the deeper soil flats on the top bank of the river, it is dominated by Rough‐barked Apple but also present are Blakely’s Red Gum and a few Yellow Box and Manna Gum. It is mostly present as derived grassland with an occasional tree.

Shrubs are sparse and the ground cover is predominantly tall and thick exotic pasture species. There is little regeneration in this community, the open spaces would benefit from tree planting to begin regeneration.

c) Box woodland slopes community – Vegetation type NA237

This community occurs on the slopes; usually the river bends where the slopes come close to the river. It is a variable community with tree dominance changing according to aspect. Northern aspects are predominantly Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum and Rough‐barked Apple, and southern aspects have the additional species of Silver‐top Stringybark and Apple box. It is a diverse community dominated by native shrubs, grasses and herbs, that diversity is greatest in the crown land sections, which also have the least disturbed structure including numerous mature hollow trees. See the list in Appendix 7. Much of this community is where the Chinese dug the ground looking for gold leaving big mounds of rocks.

Photo 5: Example of transect 21 the Yellow‐box ‐ Rough‐barked Apple woodland on the slopes adjoining the riparian zone in section 3.

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Photo 6: Example of the Yellow‐box ‐ Rough‐barked Apple woodland on the slopes adjoining the riparian zone in section 3, also note the juvenile trees and active bank erosion.

Photo 7: Offset section 2 Derived grassland Rough‐barked Apple flat transect 17.

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Photo 8: Transect 22 a derived grassland River Oak community degraded by heavy grazing in section 3, very low plant diversity dominantly Couch grass, fencing and destocking will result in significant improvement to ground cover and regeneration.

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Threats to the Booroolong Frog This section identifies the different threats that were observed to be active within the offset sections and the impact section. Some threats are common to all sections of the river; others are only present at certain locations or sections (Table 13). Those threats that can be managed and minimised have been addressed in the management conditions that will be enforceable according to the PVP agreement. Signage at the offsets will highlight the prohibited activities. This is addressed in Management Recommendations; see Table 25 for management conditions.

Table 13: Threats to the Booroolong Frog Threat observed Impact Area Offset sections Predation by exotic Carp, Mosquito Fish and Trout are a potential a threat to frog eggs, fishes tadpoles and adult frogs. The threat would be exacerbated by drought when river dries to isolated pools. Carp also cause turbidity and sedimentation from the way that they feed along dirt banks. Control is not possible due to recolonization from above and below sections of river but preventing the introduction of exotic fish has been included in the management conditions. Landholders should also be encouraged to remove carp from water holes during droughts. Disease Probably the greatest threat, a problem common to the length of the Chytridiomycosis river, likely to be worse where there is more shading of the stream, known to be throughout the entire catchment, no risk of introduction but care should be taken not to disperse the fungus to other clean catchments. Fox and Cat predation Also a problem common to the length of the stream, some control is currently being conducted for foxes but not on a scale that will make a difference. Fox control has been included in the management conditions; need to involve more landholders to make a difference. Weed invasion Exotic trees and shrubs are invading sections of both the impact and offset. This is potentially a huge problem as is obvious in section 4 at Nundle. Both environmental and noxious weeds must be controlled according to the management conditions, ground cover is weedy throughout. Grazing No grazing other than Section 1 also has straying stock, Section 5 straying stock graze in the has regulated grazing, impact area Section 6 also has regulated grazing Section 2 has no grazing Section 3 is heavily grazed Section 4 is not grazed Grazing management is controlled in the management condition. Good fences will stop Goats (Capra hircus) roaming. Erosion Negligible Section 3 is extreme, the other sections are negligible, erosion will be controlled by the regeneration that will take place following the implementation of the grazing conditions. Fossicking Minimal Variable, section 2 and 4 are the worst, fossicking will be controlled by the

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management conditions to prevent dirt and gravel extraction and protection of the river bed Water extraction 1 small pump 5 larger pumps, the conditions state that water extraction will be limited during drought to ensure that pools remain to provide drought refuge for frogs. Off stream stock watering points are to be installed, monitoring will need to also consider users further upstream Tree regeneration Abundant in river bed Abundant in river bed, likely to be a problem when the trees get tall and shade the stream. If monitoring detects frog decline is likely to be associated with shading, thinning will be conducted to increase sunlight exposure Fire No fire history No obvious fire history but considered a threat that has been addressed in the management conditions to prevent lighting of fires. Habitat modification Will be destroyed by Removal of logs, timber, rocks and gravel Removal of logs, litter, flooding has been addressed in the management rocks etc. conditions as prohibited activities. Chemical use Weed control Weed control, chemical use has been addressed in the management conditions that limit chemicals to only those that are registered for use along waterways

Photo 9: Stock exclusion will benefit the frogs sheltering beneath the rocks in the riffle zones.

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Photo 10: Example of sediment being washed off bare slopes into the river at section 3, the 30 m buffer from the high bank will trap most of those sediments before they enter the river

Photo 11: Examples of the severely degraded riparian zone in section 3

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Photo 12: Examples of the severely degraded riparian zone in section 3

Photo 13: Example of the bank erosion caused by stock in section 3 which is heavily degraded

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Photo 14: The above photo is an example of the regrowth of Willows and River Oaks in the section 4 adjoining the town of Nundle

Photo 15: The above photo is an example of the impact that fossicking can have on the river bank

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Results from vegetation assessment of the Impact and Offset areas entered into the BioBanking Calculator

Bowling Alley Impact Circle Flooded by Chaffey Dam Total Area 10.84ha

Vegetation zone Namoi Vegetation Type code Condition Area Section Transect Plots 1 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - High 0.48 Impact 5 2 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Medium 2.08 Impact 6 & 7 8 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - Poor 0.5 Impact 8 11 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple flat Mod/Good - Derived 5.14 Impact 3, 4, & 32 12 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Derived 2.64 Impact 1 & 2 Total Area hectare 10.84 ha

Bowling Alley Offset Circle Sections 1 & 5 Total Area 21.9 ha

Vegetation zone Namoi Vegetation Type code Condition Area Section Transect Plots 1 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Medium 1.2 1 11 & 34 2 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple flat Mod/Good - Poor 1.36 1 9 3 NA 191 River Oak riparian Low 9.18 1 12 & 33 4 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple flat Mod/Good - Derived 8.9 1 14 & 13 & 35 6 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - Medium 1.26 1 10 Total Area hectare 21.9ha

Taroona offset Circle Section 6 Total Area 13.5ha Vegetation zone Namoi Vegetation Type code Condition Area Section Transect Plots 1 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Medium 0.29ha 5 39 2 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - High 5.13ha 5 38, 40, 45 3 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple flat Mod/Good - Derived 3.94ha 5 37, 44 4 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Derived 4.14ha 5 41,42,43 Total 13.5ha

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Nundle Offset Circle Sections 2, 3 and 4 Total area 46.06ha

Vegetation Namoi Vegetation Type Condition Section 2. Section 3. Section 4. Total zone code ha & plot No. ha & plot No. ha & plot No. Area 1 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Medium 0.42ha (28) 0.42ha 2 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple Low 0.9ha (18) 0.90ha 3 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple Mod/Good - Poor 0.63ha (15) 0.8ha (25) 1.43ha 4 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Poor 2.46ha (27 & 36) 2.46ha 5 NA 191 River Oak riparian Mod/Good - Derived 3.34ha (16) 7.57ha (23) 2.0ha (26) 12.91ha 6 NA 197 Rough-bark Apple Mod/Good - Derived 10.54ha (17) 8.46ha (22 & 30) 0.41ha (24) 19.4ha 7 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - Poor 1.22ha (21) 1.22ha 8 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - Medium 0.63ha (19) 0.63ha 9 NA 237 Box woodland Mod/Good - High 1.22ha (20) 1.22ha 10 NA 191 River Oak riparian Low 2.27ha (29) 3.19ha (31) 5.46ha Total ha 18.1ha 19.1ha 8.86ha 46.06ha

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Figure 4. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in the impact section

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Figure 5. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 1

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Figure 6. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 5

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Figure 7. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 6

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Figure 8. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 2

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Figure 9. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 3

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Figure 10. Map showing the Vegetation Communities and Transect Locations in offset section 4

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Table 14: Vegetation recorded in Bowling Alley Section of Peel River to Be Flooded by Chaffey Dam

The area and condition of the vegetation that will be flooded by the raised water level (1842m of stream and 10.84 ha surveyed impact area)

Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native ground Derived grassland (exotic or native ground cover) cover) ground cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Zone 12 = 2 plots (1 & 2 ) residual area Zone 11 = 3 plots (3, 4, 32) 0.26ha, Nil from 10.84 = 2.64 ha 0.25 ha, 2.85 ha, 1.78 ha = 5.14ha Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple of lower benchmark for Box‐gum community and veg community and woodland veg community and ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native Low Nil Nil Nil Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of lower benchmark but less than of lower benchmark but less than the 25% of lower benchmark but less than the lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple the lower benchmark for Box–gum community or overstorey greater veg community or overstorey greater woodland veg community or overstorey than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not greater than150% of upper benchmark within benchmark range) and within benchmark range) and (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Nil Nil Zone 8= 1 plot (8) 0.5 ha area

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community community Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and benchmark range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Zone 2 = 2 plots (6 & 7) areas 0.99, Nil Nil 0.11, 0.11, 0.19, 0.21, 0.47 dieback affected = 2.08 ha total Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and benchmark range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark Mod/Good_High Zone 1 = 1 plot (5) 0.48 ha Nil Nil Total 10.84ha 5.2 ha 5.14 ha 0.5 ha

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Table 15: Vegetation recorded in Sections 1 & 5 Bowling Alley Offset, lightly grazed

The area and condition of the vegetation in the proposed northern offset area adjoining the impact area (30m each side of the top bank, average 100m width x 2196 m = 21.9 ha)

Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box woodland slope community community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native ground Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native cover) ground cover) ground cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Nil Zone 4 = 2 plots (13 & 14 & 35) 1.32ha, Nil 2.54 ha, 5.04ha = 8.9ha Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple of lower benchmark for Box‐gum community and veg community and woodland veg community and ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native Low Zone 3 = 1 plot (12 & 33) 9.18 ha residual Nil Nil area of total 21.9 ha Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than 25% ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than of lower benchmark but less than the 25% of lower benchmark but less than the 25% of lower benchmark but less than lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple the lower benchmark for Box–gum community or overstorey greater veg community or overstorey greater woodland veg community or overstorey than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not greater than150% of upper benchmark within benchmark range) and within benchmark range) and (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Nil Zone 2 = 1 plot (9) 1.36ha Nil

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box woodland slope community community

Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and benchmark range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Zone 1 = 2 plots (11 & 34) 0.30, 0.15, Nil Zone 6 = 1 plot (10) 0.35 ha, 0.91ha = 0.75ha = 1.2ha 1.26ha Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey Apple overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and benchmark range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark Mod/Good_High Nil Nil Nil Total 21.9ha 10.38ha 10.26ha 1.26 ha

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Table 16: Vegetation recorded in Section 6. Taroona Crown Land Offset moderately grazed

The area and condition of the vegetation in the proposed middle offset area opposite Taroona (30m each side of the top bank, average 100m width x 1234m = 13.5ha)

Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native ground Derived grassland (exotic or native ground cover) cover) ground cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Zone 4 ‐ 3 plots 41, 42, 43, = 4.14ha Zone 3 ‐ 2 plots 37 & 44 = 3.94ha Nil Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg of lower benchmark for Box‐gum community and community and woodland veg community and ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less < 50% groundcover is native Low Nil Nil Nil Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of lower benchmark but less than lower benchmark but less than the lower 25% of lower benchmark but less than the lower benchmark for River Oak veg benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg the lower benchmark for Box–gum community or overstorey greater community or overstorey greater than150% of woodland veg community or overstorey than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not upper benchmark (i.e. not within benchmark greater than150% of upper benchmark within benchmark range) and range) and (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Nil Nil Nil Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Zone 1 ‐ 1 plot 39 = 0.29ha Nil Nil Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark Mod/Good_High Nil Nil Zone 2 ‐ 3 plots 38, 40, 45 = 5.13ha Total 13.5ha 4.43 ha 3.94 ha 5.13ha

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Table 17: Vegetation recorded in Section 2. Swamp Creek Offset, weedy, only small section grazed

The area and condition of the vegetation in the proposed southern offset area Swamp Creek (30m each side of the top bank, average 100m width x 1815m = 18.1ha)

Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native ground Derived grassland (exotic or native ground cover) cover) ground cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Part Zone 5 = 1 plot (16) 3.34ha Part Zone 6 = 1 plot (17) 5.04 plus residual Nil 5.5ha = 10.54 ha Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of lower benchmark for River Oak veg lower benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg of lower benchmark for Box‐gum community and community and woodland veg community and ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less < 50% groundcover is native Low Part Zone 10 = 1 plot (29) 1.48ha + Part Zone 2 = 1 plot (18) 0.90ha Exotic Nil 0.79ha = 2.27ha overstorey and ground cover Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of lower benchmark but less than lower benchmark but less than the lower 25% of lower benchmark but less than the lower benchmark for River Oak veg benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg the lower benchmark for Box–gum community or overstorey greater community or overstorey greater than150% of woodland veg community or overstorey than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. not upper benchmark (i.e. not within benchmark greater than150% of upper benchmark within benchmark range) and range) and (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Nil Part Zone 3 = 1 plot (15) 0.63 ha Nil

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Part Zone 1 = 1 plot (28) 0.42ha Nil Nil Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark Mod/Good_High Nil Nil Nil Total 18.1ha 6.03 ha 12.07 ha Nil

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Table 18: Vegetation recorded in Section 3 Heavily Grazed and Degraded

The area and condition of the vegetation in the heavily grazed southern offset area near Nundle (30m each side of the top bank, average 100m width x 1909m = 19.1ha) Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native ground Derived grassland (exotic or native ground cover) cover) ground cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Part Zone 5 = 1 plot (23) 1.68, 5.89 = Part Zone 6 = 2 plots (22 & 30) 8.46 ha residual Nil 7.57 ha area Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of lower ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% 25% of lower benchmark for River Oak benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg of lower benchmark for Box‐gum veg community and community and woodland veg community and ‐ Less <50% groundcover is native s‐ Les than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less <50% groundcover is native Low Nil Nil Nil Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of lower benchmark but less than lower benchmark but less than the lower 25% of lower benchmark but less than the lower benchmark for River Oak benchmark for Rough‐barked Apple veg the lower benchmark for Box–gum veg community or overstorey greater community or overstorey greater than150% of woodland veg community or overstorey than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. upper benchmark (i.e. not within benchmark greater than150% of upper benchmark not within benchmark range) and range) and (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Nil Nil Part Zone 7 =1 plot (21) 0.78, 0.44 = 1.22ha

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat community 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Nil Nil Part Zone 8 = 1 plot (19) 0.63ha Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐barked Apple Regeneration or mature Box‐gum overstorey overstorey Woodland overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark range and range and benchmark range and ‐ Native groundcover within ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_High Nil Nil Part Zone 9 = 1 plot (20) 1.22 ha Total 19.1 ha 7.57 ha 8.46 ha 3.07 ha

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Table 19: Vegetation recorded in Section 4 Nundle Township Frontage to Peel River ‐ Not Grazed – Weedy

The area and condition of the vegetation in the proposed southern offset area at Nundle not grazed (50‐60m wide riparian zone x 1.47km = 8.86 ha)

Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community community Derived Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native Derived grassland (exotic or native ground ground cover) ground cover) cover) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) ‐No native overstorey (or very sparse) Derived Part Zone 5 = 1 plot (26) 2.00 ha Part Zone 6 = 1 Plot (24) 0.41ha Nil Low Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐ Regeneration or mature Box‐gum Woodland overstorey barked Apple overstorey overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover less than ‐ Native overstorey cover less than ‐ Native overstorey cover less than 25% of lower 25% of lower benchmark for River Oak 25% of lower benchmark for Rough‐ benchmark for Box‐gum woodland veg veg community and barked Apple veg community and community and ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less < 50% groundcover is native ‐ Less than 50% groundcover is native Low Part Zone 10 = 1 plot (31) 3.19ha Nil Nil Mod/Good_Poor Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐ Regeneration or mature Box‐gum Woodland overstorey barked Apple overstorey overstorey ‐Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than ‐ Native overstorey cover greater than 25% of 25% of lower benchmark but less than 25% of lower benchmark but less than lower benchmark but less than the lower the lower benchmark for River Oak the lower benchmark for Rough‐ benchmark for Box–gum woodland veg veg community or overstorey greater barked Apple veg community or community or overstorey greater than150% of than150% of upper benchmark (i.e. overstorey greater than150% of upper upper benchmark (i.e. not within benchmark not within benchmark range) and benchmark (i.e. not within benchmark range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower range) and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Poor Part of Zone 4 = 2 plots (27 & 36) Part Zone 3 = 1 plot (25) 0.8 ha Nil 2.46ha

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Condition class 191 River Oak riparian community 197 Rough‐bark Apple river flat 237 Box‐gum woodland slope community community Mod/Good_Medium Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐ Regeneration or mature Box‐gum Woodland overstorey barked Apple overstorey overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark benchmark range and benchmark range and range and ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower ‐ Native groundcover less than lower benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_Medium Nil Nil Nil Mod/Good_High Regeneration or mature Casuarina Regeneration or mature Rough‐ Regeneration or mature Box‐gum Woodland overstorey barked Apple overstorey overstorey ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within ‐ Native overstorey cover within benchmark benchmark range and benchmark range and range and ‐ Native groundcover within ‐ Native groundcover within ‐ Native groundcover within benchmark benchmark benchmark Mod/Good_High Nil Nil Nil Total 8.86 ha 7.65 ha 1.21 ha Nil

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4-0. NSW BIOBANKING OFFSET CALCULATIONS

Impact Site Credit Assessment The BioBanking credit calculations for the impact site are based on equation 6 from the BBAM (2014), which determines the number of credits required for the impact site.

In this case, the area of Booroolong Frog habitat affected by flooding is 3.1 ha divided by the Tg spp1 which is 0.75 ( an attribute relating to the ability of the species to respond to improvement in site value with management actions at the offset site in Namoi catchment) x 10 = 41 Credits

Offset Site Credit Assessment The BioBanking credit calculations for the offset area are based on the equation 11 from the BBAM (2014) which determines the number of credits gained by the conservation management of the offset area.

In this case, the area of Booroolong Frog habitat managed for conservation in the six sections of offsets is 16.95ha is multiplied by 0.71 (the default value for species which cross multiple management zones) x 10 = 120 Credits

Table 20. BioBanking Credit Calculations Site Equation Data Credits

Impact section 3.1/0.75 x 10 41 credits

Offset sections 16.95 x 0.71 x 10 120 credits

Table 21. Values used for the Credit Calculations Value Attribute Discussion Used

The area of suitable habitat for the Booroolong frog was measure along the H 3.10 ha loss 1842m length of the Peel River to be flooded by Chaffey Dam Tables 9 & 10

Search of the Bionet website for Tg value for the Namoi catchment

TG spp1 http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/biobanking/ThsppcharaCMA.xls 0.75

The area of suitable habitat to be managed as offset for the Booroolong 16.95 H frog was calculated from measurements taken of the length and width of current ha suitable habitat along the six sections of the Peel River. See Tables 9 & 10

The BBAM methodology identifies that where a threatened species crosses %S 0.71 gain multiple management zones the default value of 0.71 (71%) should be applied

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As this document deals solely with offsets for the Booroolong Frog the other threatened species and ecosystem credits have not been included in the calculations as they are not required.

The BBAM credit calculations identified that 41 species credits are required to compensate for the flooding impact, and the six sections of proposed offset will generates 120 credits. The Booroolong Frog can withstand further loss (not a red flag) and therefore provided that the credits are retired according to the BBAM, the proposal will meet a “Tier 1” outcome as identified under the ‘Interim Offset Policy for Major Projects’ (OEH 2011). BioBanking Assumptions

 It assumes that the key factors that limit the abundance of the Booroolong Frog are: regeneration of trees, ground cover, logs, litter, weed and feral animal control, erosion control and limiting water extraction. When in fact none of those may be important, as indicated by the relatively high frog abundance of 33 frogs per habitat hectare in the heavily degraded, eroded, cleared and grazed section 3, as compared to the least disturbed impact area that recorded 15.4 frogs per habitat hectare. The frog’s decline may be totally due to the chytrid fungus and temperature variability that either favours or limits the disease. Prior to 1976 this frog was the most abundant species recorded in headwater streams, it survived the extremes of the gold rush and wool boom when the landscape was likely to have been considerably more degraded and over‐grazed.  The regeneration of the River Oak riparian corridor may be detrimental to the frog by increasing shading and reducing temperatures, leading to conditions that favour chytrid and slow tadpole growth rates.  The frog is strongly associated with the critical instream habitat of riffles and rapids that will not change due to management as its extent is determined by the structure of the river bed and flooding regime that creates the riffles, rapids and shelter niches. Of the 82.6ha of offset to be managed for conservation, it is the 16.9ha of suitable habitat that will be of direct benefit to the frog.  It is unknown what benefit there will be from the conservation management proposed, which is why it is critical to implement comprehensive monitoring of the population.

For those reasons it is essential to have robust monitoring of the population and those factors considered to be limiting the population. Little is known about this frog, which is why a precautionary approach must be taken. It may be that the population is totally driven by the stream structure which cannot be created, in which case it may not be possible to compensate for the loss of habitat flooded by the dam.

What is highly likely is that the conservation management proposed will have a significant benefit to the river aquatic ecosystem and the riparian regeneration will be of benefit to many other threatened and common species. The key factor will be adaptive management, built on robust monitoring of the factors we believe may be the key contributors. See the management recommendations section below.

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5-0. COMMONWEALTH OFFSET CALCULATIONS

Attribute Data Used for EPBC Offset Calculations The Offsets Assessment Guide does not provide specific directions on how to determine the habitat quality score of 0 – 10, apart from stating that habitat quality should be assessed consistently for both the impact and offset areas. Both the impact and offset areas are along the same river in the same landscape so the context for both is the same.

Frog numbers are considered the best indication of habitat value from the frog’s perspecitve. The frog numbers used in the below comparison are the results from the frog survey conducted by NWES January & February 2013, which was a systematic survey of the Peel River from Chaffey Dam to Wombramurra, a total length of approximately 30km of stream. Frog numbers for the impact and offset areas were compared: per metre of stream, per hectare of suitable habitat and per total hectare area. The other factor used to compare habitat values were the results from the assessment of suitable habitat conducted in Dec 2014, that measured the length and width of each area of suitable habitat along the sections of river.

Table 22: Factors used to compare the habitat value of the Impact Area to the Offset Area Factor considered in Impact Area Offset Area Difference calculation Frogs per m 48 frogs /1842m = 0.026 712 frogs / 8895m = 0.08 frogs + 0.054 frogs per m per m Frogs per ha of 48 frogs / 3.1ha = 15.48 712 frogs /16.95ha = 42 frogs + 26.52 suitable habitat frogs per habitat ha per habitat ha

Frogs per ha of total 48 frogs / 10.84 ha = 712 frogs / 82.6 ha = 8.61 +4.18 area 4.43 frogs per ha frogs per ha Total 19.93 / 3 = 6.45 Total 50.69 / 3 = 16.90

% of suitable habitat 3.1ha / 10.84 ha x 100 = 16.95 / 82.6 ha x 100 = 20.52% ‐ 8.08% ha in total area ha 28.6% Vegetation habitat Mixed mature trees with Sparse trees, variable ground More value tall and thick exotic cover from heavily grazed to tall degraded ground cover, minimal and thick exotic cover, severe erosion erosion section Score out of 10 or % 5 7

Table 22 above shows the frog abundance results for the offset area are on average double that recorded in the impact area, suggesting that from the frog’s perspective its habitat value is significantly better than the impact area.

The assessment of suitable habitat hectares recorded in the impact and offset areas show the impact area recording a higher percentage of suitable habitat.

The frog abundance figures indicate the habitat value of offset area is roughly double that of the impact area, that large difference is reduced slightly by the higher % area of suitable habitat in the impact area. To reflect those differences the starting habitat value given to

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the impact area is 5 and the offset area 7. Had the comparison been based on a human perspective of the habitat value, the impact area would have been higher than the offset due to its mix of tree age classes and ground cover.

The Booroolong Frog’s preferrence for degraded and exposed riparian areas has been observed by NWES to be consistent across its current distribution in the Peel and Cockburn Catchments, with least disturbed areas recording fewer frogs. Why that is remains a mystery but it is likely linked to sunlight exposure and the incidence of chytrid. Also a mystery is whether the offset habitat can be improved from the frogs perspective. Monitoring and adaptive management will be the key to success and resolving those mysteries.

Table 23. Justification of scores given to future habitat values for offsets with and without proposed offset management Factor considered Future habitat value of offset area without Future habitat value of offset with management management Grazing Grazing is presently controlled under agreement at Fences will be sturdy and Goat proof sections 5 & 6. Despite the agreement, the fences and grazing will be carried out in of sections 5 & 6 are allowing straying stock and accordance with the agreement Goats to come and go. Grazing could also occur at conditions. Where existing fences the other sections presently not grazed. are in a suitable location and in The heavy grazing of section 3 will continue to suitable condition to be stock proof degrade that riparian zone those will continue to be used as the boundary.

Weed control The majority of the serious weeds that are All environmental weeds and invading the riparian zone are not legally required noxious weeds will be controlled to be controlled, hence control is unlikely. The two according to the conditions of the areas that are under agreements for weed control agreement. will end in four years. After which all areas will have no control, causing increased shading of the riparian zone and loss of native vegetation cover. Feral animals Fox control is presently conducted at the two Feral animals will be controlled in agreement sections which will end in four years, accordance with the conditions of after which there will be no Fox control of any the agreement. sections. Riparian Canopy All sections have an abundance of River Oak Monitoring of the frog population cover juveniles from a once‐off germination event three will alert the need to begin thinning years ago. When those trees reach 10 – 15m tall the regrowth if the population they are going to shade the majority of the riparian declines. Resources will be set aside zone in the offsets which is likely to decrease frog to conduct that work. abundance % of suitable The river structure of rapids and riffles that Monitoring the frog population will habitat ha in total comprise suitable habitat is unlikely to change, identify the need to manage area ha however if the regrowth shades those areas frog regrowth at the rapids and riffles abundance is likely to decline that provide the crucial habitat for the Booroolong Frog Score out of 10 Habitat quality decline from 7 to 6 Average habitat quality improvement from 7 to 8

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The River Oak and Willow regrowth issue in section 4

This image cannot currently be display ed.

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Table 24. Justification of values used in the EPBC offset Calculator

Area Section of calculator Justification Value used Impacted Area of habitat impacted The extent/ area of suitable habitat in the impact area was measured in the field Dec 2014 see Tables 9 & 10 3.1 ha section of Peel river Quality of that habitat Table 22 shows the indicators of habitat quality that were used to determine a score were: 5 score Frog abundance per hectare, per metre, and per suitable habitat hectare were compared between the impact and offset areas. Also compared were the areas of suitable habitat measured in the dfiel at the impact and offset areas. Other factors considered were disturbance, erosion, grazing, weed invasion, and sedimentation. Table 9 & 10 shows data recorded in Dec 2014 habitat survey Offset Area of habitat to be The extent/ area of suitable habitat in the offset area was measured in the field Dec 2014, see Tables 10 & 11 16.95ha section of managed for conservation Peel River Time over which loss is There will be long‐ term loss of habitat, hence maximum value is applied 20 years averted Risk of loss % without Without the proposed management of the offset land there is likely to be continued loss from: 15% offset  the existing threat of heavy grazing in section 3 will continue to degrade that section of river,  grazing could also occur in sections 1, 2 and 4 presently only grazed by staying stock, those areas are not under conservation agreements with NW LLS  current fencing is allowing Goats and straying stock to roam into the offset areas and impact the tree and shrub regeneration.  Foxes will continue to prey on frogs in the riparian zone.  the emerging threat of exotic trees and shrubs will continue to invade sections 1,2,3 & 4 which are not under agreement with the NW LLS for weed management and there is no legal requirement to control those species  the emerging threat of excessive River Oak regeneration could result in excessive shading of the stream, cooler temperatures and increased chytrid infection, increased riparian cover is likely to reduce the Booroolong Frog population.

The section adjoining Nundle is very weedy; it is being tackled by the Nundle Landcare group. NW LLS have contracted weed management for the crown land areas 5 & 6 which are under contract for four more years to reduce threats to the Booroolong Frog. The risk of increased loss will come from continued weed invasion of the riparian zone, existing and emerging feral predators, Goats, existing and emerging diseases, and continued erosion and sedimentation from fossicking and heavy grazing. Some of those risks are being managed in sections 5 and 6 with funds provided by NW LLS for Booroolong Frog protection, those actions will end in four years.

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Area Section of calculator Justification Value used Risk of loss % with offset The proposed covenant on title and management plan requirements are to prevent change of land use and ensure 10% threats are controlled in perpetuity. Securing the financial resources to carry out that work into the future must be a condition of consent, as ongoing fencing, weed and feral animal control will be a very expensive exercise over time. Protection from the impact of surrounding land use will be limited to a 30m stream buffer; there will be no protection from upstream water extraction and land use. The risk of loss will be minimised by:  funding will be guaranteed in a conservation bond,  the covenant written so no other regulations can override the protection plan,  the management plan is adaptive to include control of new and increasing threats,  and the covenant is audited in perpetuity by a state Environmental Dept., Despite that level of protection, if the critical factor presently limiting the Booroolong Frog population (likely to be chytrid) is not controlled through management, the population may not respond favourably and may be affected more by chytrid due to increased shading and the resulting cooler temperatures. Management of the offset must be resourced to be adaptive to respond to the results from monitoring of the population. The proposed relocation to re‐ establish populations at locations of ideal habitat where the frog once occurred has a 50/50 probability of success. Establishing a new breeding population would be the ultimate offset. Confidence in result % The confidence that the offset will maintain or improve the Booroolong Frog population is limited by the lack of 60% evidence that the proposed regeneration of the riparian zone, destocking, and controlling feral predators, weeds and erosion, will be a direct benefit to the species sufficient to maintain eor improv the population and compensate the loss of 3.1 ha of known habitat. The riverine ecosystem will definitely benefit, however the increased shading of the stream may result in cooler water temperatures and increased incidence of the chytrid disease. If monitoring proves that is the case, the River Oak trees will require thinning. The present population may be limited by factors that management cannot manipulate or control, hence 60% gives a cautious level of confidence that the maintain or improve target can be achieved. The measures proposed apply to a small part of the catchment, hence the outside influence of sedimentation, water extraction may override the benefits achieved in the small area. The proposed relocation of frogs displaced by a rapid rise of the dam level may result in the successful recolonisation of streams where the frog historically occurred; if that can be achieved there will be a much higher level of confidence. Over time, evolution must be improving the frog’s resistance and immunity to chytrid which will improve the frog’s outlook. Time until ecological Destocking the 2km of section 3 that is heavily grazed and eroded will result in a benefit to the Booroolong Frog 10 years benefit through improved ground cover, reduced trampling from stock, and reduced erosion and sedimentation of the stream. How that benefit increases over time remains to be seen, as there is no evidence at present to suggest that increased shading of the stream will be of benefit to the species. Feral animal control will be of immediate and direct benefit, and the increased vegetation cover will provide more shelter from predators.

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Area Section of calculator Justification Value used Offset start habitat quality The proposed offset consists of 1.9 km of severely degraded riparian zone and 6.9 km of regenerating riparian zone. 7 score Tables 22 compare the habitat qualities of the offset area to the impact area, from which an average has been taken for the entire offset area. The frog abundance per hectare indicates that from the frog’s perspective the offset area is better than the impact area. Future habitat quality Table 23 shows that over time average habitat quality is not expected to change. There will be continued regeneration 6 without the offset of the 6.9km of riparian zone that is destocked or lightly grazed, from which there may be benefits to habitat quality. However without weed control the riparian zone will become increasingly invaded and over time may shade the areas of suitable habitat to the point that the frog will decline further. That said, weed control is a responsibility that should be conducted regardless of the Booroolong Frog. The degraded 1.9 km mid‐section of the Nundle offset area is likely to improve overtime with change of ownership which would enable regeneration. Future habitat quality with Table 23 shows there will be direct and immediate benefits to riparian habitat quality in the severely degraded section, 8 the offset how the Booroolong Frog population responds to those improvements remains to be seen. The current population may not be limited by the threats that management can control. Ongoing monitoring of the population and stream will determine the population response. The future habitat quality score of 8 is based on elevating the average habitat value across the entire offset area to equal the better habitat quality that presently exists. Most of the gains will be achieved throughout they heavil grazed property. Confidence in result % The regeneration and management proposed will be of direct benefit to the riparian zone and aquatic ecosystem. 60% However a precautionary approach is required as there is no evidence to indicate that managing those threats and improving the habitat will result in the maintain or improve result required rfo the Booroolong Frog Offset Plan. The 60% level of confidence relies entirely on resources being available into perpetuity to respond quickly with management actions to minimise threats identified by the monitoring of the frog population. The level of confidence will be much higher if the re‐establishment of a breeding population can be achieved in a stream where they once occurred.

Result 119% Yes

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Tables 25. Enlarged view of the screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide offset calculator

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Table 26. Screenshot of the completed EPBC Act Offset Assessment Guide Summary

Summary

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

Birth rate 0 $0.00 $0.00

Mortality rate 0 $0.00 $0.00

Number of indi vi duals 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 1.55 1.85 119.67% Yes $1,000,000.00 N/A $1,000,000.00

Area of community 0 $0.00 $0.00

$1,000,000.00 $0.00 $1,000,000.00

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Summary Comments  The habitat value scores given to the impact and offset areas are based on the frog abundance recorded during the survey of January and February 2013 and the habitat assessment December 2014. Frog abundance is considered the best indicator of habitat value.

 The impact area has the lowest density of Booroolong Frogs per suitable habitat hectare of 15.48 frogs, that area had the least disturbed riparian tree cover and erosion.

 The highest frog density of 80.8 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the Nundle Crown land offset section 4 that was the weediest section tand no grazed.

 The second highest frog density of 43.8 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the Swamp Creek crown land area (section 2) which has sparse trees, tall and thick weed ground cover and is mostly not grazed.

 The third highest frog density of 38.97 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the crown land section 6, which has sparse riparian trees that are suffering from dieback and is lightly grazed.

 The fourth highest frog density of 35.96 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the TSR section 5, which is grazed crown land adjoining the impact section of river.

 The fifth highest frog density of 34.43 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the lightly grazed and heavily cleared crown land offset section 1, which adjoins the impact section of river.

 The sixth highest frog density of 33.1 frogs per hectare of suitable habitat was recorded at the degraded and heavily grazed offset area (section 3).

Those results indicate that destocking, fencing, weeding, controlling feral animals etc. may be of little benefit to the species. The most degraded section 3 recorded double the number of frogs recorded in the least disturbed impact area, and section 4 which is very weedy recorded the highest abundance.

Nine of the ten hot spot sites (the ten sites of highest abundance recorded in the 30km survey 2013) have low to non‐existent riparian tree canopy cover, the othert ho spot site in section 4 had the highest cover of immature exotic trees and tall shrubs.

Regeneration of the riparian zone that increases shading and lowers the temperature of the water and the environment in general could be detrimental to the frog. Observations from surveying the Booroolong Frog in the Cockburn and Peel Catchments found that high canopy

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 84 cover reduces frog abundance and sparse canopy cover increases frog abundance. It is not known why, but high canopy cover is likely to lead to cooler temperatures that increase the incidence of chytrid.

Improving ground cover appears a consistent benefit to the frog, although the heavily degraded section 3 still has higher frog abundance per habitat hectare than the impact section.

Monitoring of the population at strategic sites yearly will be essential to guide adaptive management. The results from that monitoring are to be sent to OEH.

Those crown land sections currently managed for regeneration will not provide the additional benefit that destocking of the heavily grazed section 3 will, as ground cover is already at its maximum.

Weed management over time will provide additional benefit in all offset sections because most of the weeds that are a problem are not noxious, hence do not get controlled. Noxious weeds must be controlled regardless of the Booroolong Frog.

The areas given are approximate; in some places the proposed 30m buffer will not be achievable such as section 4 where there are homes within the 30 buffer. The exact area will not be known until it is surveyed.

The proposed 30m buffer will minimise the impact of surrounding land use on the stream but will not eliminate it. The land use and water extraction of the upstream catchment may override the local benefits achieved in the offset management area.

Establishing a breeding population of the Booroolong Frog in a stream that was known habitat pre 1980 is considered the most beneficial action that will compensate for the loss of habitat caused by increasing the height of Chaffey Dam.

The control of Carp was discussed with DPI Fisheries, there seems to be no effective way of controlling their abundance to reduce their impact on the river. Likewise there is little can be done about the release of trout, as fishing clubs and private individuals are known to be illegally stocking the river in other places. Trout have been in the river for a long time, their abundance now is likely to be much lower than it has been.

Control of Foxes will be of benefit to all native fauna and to the landholders that have ewes lambing. It is unknown how significant a threat they are to the Booroolong Frog, but NWES has on numerous occasions seen them foraging on the river bed. The control of Goats will be of benefit to the regeneration of trees and shrubs, in particular the River Oaks in the riparian zone where they have been observed chewing the tops off the trees.

Erecting signs that prohibit fossicking in the offset areas will be a deterrent that will be of benefit to the stability of river banks. Undermined banks were observed in many locations

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 85 where fossickers had dug back into the bank on top of bed rock. It is acknowledged that legally it is not possible to enforce. However a clause in the Local Land Services Regulation 2014 states that any activity can be prohibited if included on a sign at the entrance http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fragview/inforce/subordleg+1+2014+pt.5‐0div.3++

There is a huge over‐winter decline of the frog that happens each year, there needs to be more research into where the frogs over‐winter and what is causing the high mortality.

River regulation (large dams) appears to destroy suitable habitat, the Booroolong Frog no longer occurs below theg bi dams of Chaffey and Split Rock.

This frog was once the most common riparian frog in the region, it survived extremes of drought drying up the rivers and years of extreme sheep grazing and gold mining that would have created high sedimentation in the river.

We assume that chytrid is the major factor limiting the Booroolong Frog; it is likely that the frog still occurs in low elevation exposed streams because of the warmer conditions that inhibit the growth of chytrid.

It has disappeared from all high elevation streams, presumably because of the cooler climate. Many of the high elevation streams also had sandy beds that did not have gravel and rock rapids and riffles.

We have no proof that any of these actions will boost the population in the offset area. Monitoring is essential, as is a guaranteed commitment to take whatever action is required in response to what is learnt from the monitoring.

The 60% level of confidence relies entirely on resources being available into perpetuity to respond quickly with management actions to minimise threats identified by the monitoring of the frog population. The level of confidence will be much higher if the re‐establishment of a breeding population can be achieved in a stream where they once occurred.

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6.0 REVIEW OF THE PROPOSED OFFSET AGAINST OTHER RELEVANT OFFSET POLICIES

The proposed offset is reviewed against relevant Commonwealth, NSW and North West Local Land Services offset policies in Table 19 below. Based on this review, the proposed offset is considered to be compliant with all of these policies.

Table 27. Review of proposed offset against relevant offset policies

Commonwealth EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy No. Policy Response

1 Deliver an overall conservation outcome The EPBC offset Assessment Guide that improves or maintains the viability of calculations determined the impact site the aspect of the environment that is required a net present value of 1.55 and protected by national environment law the proposed offset will generate a net and affected by the proposed action present value of 2.03 which is 119% of the EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy Requirement, as described in Table 15 & 16

2 Be built around direct offsets but may A direct offset is proposed to be include other compensatory measures managed for the conservation of the Booroolong Frog. In addition to that there is another indirect compensatory measures proposed of the relocation of displaced frogs to re-establish a breeding population in a stream where they once occurred.

3 Be of a size and scale proportionate to The level of statutory protection required the residual impacts on the protected has been included in the offset matter assessment guide calculations

4 Be in proportion to the level of statutory The size and scale of impacts on the protection that applies to the protected Booroolong Frog has been assessed via matter survey of suitable habitat along the length of the impact site, the calculator found the proposed offset is proportional to those impacts

5 Effectively account for and manage the Property Vegetation Plan agreement is an risks of the offset not succeeding in perpetuity covenant that will provide the ability to enforce the conditions of the agreement with the landholders. The

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No. Policy Response

monitoring of the frog population will provide feedback to determine if the management is succeeding to increase the frog population, if found to be declining the management will be modified

6 Be additional to what is already required, Two of the six sections proposed for determined by law or planning offsets are under agreements with NW regulations or agreed to under other LLS to be managed for the Booroolong schemes or programs (this does not Frog, those agreements end in four years. preclude the recognition of state or The other four sections of offsets are territory offsets that may be suitable as additional to what is already required. offsets under the EPBC Act for the same action, see section 7.6)

7 Be efficient, effective, timely, transparent, The proposed offset comprises scientifically robust and reasonable management of 82.6ha of riparian zone along 8.8km of the Peel River which is considered to be an efficient and effective offset. The data entered into the offset calculations were obtained using scientifically robust survey methods applied in the same manner to both the impact and offset sites

8 Have transparent governance The governance arrangements are arrangements including being able to be transparent and will be monitored and readily measured, monitored, audited and enforced by the North West Local Land enforced. Services

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NSW Offset Principles for Major Projects (State Significant Development and Infrastructure)

No. Policy Response

1 Before offsets are considered, impacts must The impact of flooding 1.8km first be avoided and unavoidable impacts section of Booroolong Frog minimised through mitigation measures. Only habitat along the Peel River was then should offsets be considered for the unavoidable. remaining impacts.

2 Offset requirements should be based on a The BBAM methodology has reliable and transparent assessment of losses been used to assess the losses and and gains. gains

3 Offsets must be targeted to the biodiversity This proposal targets offsets for values being lost or to higher conservation the Booroolong Frog which lost priorities 1.8km of suitable habitat.

4 Offsets must be additional to other legal The offset is additional to legal requirements. requirements

5 Offsets must be enduring, enforceable and The offset is an in perpetuity PVP auditable. agreement which will be enforceable and auditable by the North West Local Land Services

6 Supplementary measures can be used in lieu of In addition to the proposed offsets. offsets a supplementary measure is proposed for the relocation of displaced Booroolong frogs

7 Offsets can be discounted where significant No discounting has been applied social and economic benefits accrue to NSW as to the proposed offset. a consequence of the proposal.

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North West Local Land Services (NW LLS) Biodiversity Offsets Policy

No. Policy Response

1 Offsets will be used as a last resort, after The impact of flooding 1.8km consideration of alternatives to avoid and/or section of Booroolong Frog mitigate impacts habitat along the Peel River was unavoidable.

2 Offset areas be kept within the Namoi The offset is within the Namoi Catchment boundaries (either wholly or in part Catchment as a contiguous area of native vegetation)

3 Offsets must be of the same vegetation type The offset is a larger area that and be at least the size, equivalent biodiversity adjoins the impact area along the value & configuration of the vegetation lost same river, which has the same through development and additional to existing vegetation type which is to be native vegetation areas regenerated to provide additional native vegetation. The application of the calculators found that the offset habitat is equivalent to that lost

4 Offsetting must achieve biodiversity benefits in The offset will be an in perpetuity perpetuity and be registered on title PVP on the title of the land.

5 Offset conditions must be monitored, The offset conditions will be enforceable, clearly mapped, recorded and monitored and enforced by the publicly available North West Local Land Services, the area will be clearly mapped and shown “on title” as a PVP

6 An offset area, once designated, cannot be used The offset will not be used for the for further offsetting of subsequent offset of future developments as developments in future it will be designated “on title” as a PVP

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7.0. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

This offset proposal has identified 82.6 ha of land in six sections of the Peel River above Chaffey Dam that will be put into in perpetuity agreements on title using the Property Vegetation Plan process. The six sections will form a protected riparian zone corridor 8.89km long by approximately 100m wide along that length.

Within that area of land there has been identified 16.95ha of known habitat for the Booroolong Frog that is to be managed in perpetuity according to the conditions of the conservation agreement. The intention of management is to minimise threats to the frog and enhance the average habitat value to enable the Booroolong Frog population to increase.

Presently the condition of the habitat in each of the offset sections is highly variable due to different clearing and grazing histories. Habitat condition ranges from heavily degraded and eroded riparian zone in intensive grazing land, to crown land Box woodland remnant that has been regenerating without stock for a considerable time.

Management conditions of the PVP agreement

The threats need to be managed include:

 Weed control: exotic shrubs and trees, noxious and environmental weeds (listed in Appendix) are to be controlled by an independent contractor. Methods required are to minimise damage to non‐target native species and to use chemicals registered for use along waterways.  Grazingl wil be managed for conservation objectives; it will be limited to crash grazing for a week for weed control and a 60 day rest period between grazing’s. It will be excluded for the period 1st October to end of February, the period when the frogs are active and breeding. Ground cover is to be maintained above 90% cover and above 15cm height.  Fencing must be permanent to enable controlled grazing and exclude feral Goats. Fencing is to be maintained by an independent contractor. To protect wildlife, fencing erected as part of this project will have a top strand and a bottom strand consisting of plain wire. If barbed wire is used in the fence it is not to be high tensile. Electric wires cannot be relied upon to ensure the fence is stock proof. A stand‐off electric wire can be used to protect the fence but not be placed closer than 30cm to the ground.  Feral animal control (Foxes, Cats, Goats and Pigs) is to be co‐ordinated with adjoining properties and conducted by an independent contractor.

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 Native vegetation including standing and fallen dead timber is to be protected, unless monitoring determines that tree cover in the stream bed must be reduced to increase stream exposure, in which case appropriate approvals must be obtained.  Other activities to be prohibited in the protection zone include: lighting fires,e us of fertilisers, and gravel or soil extraction causing disturbance to the river bed and banks.  Vehicle use is limited to designated tracks.  No exotic fish are to be released.  Alternative stock water systems are proposed to provide stock water to the paddocks that previously adjoined the river. Off‐stream alternative stock watering schemes must be maintained in an operational condition for the life of the agreement. If stock water points are essential they will be limited to pools away from riffles and rapids.  Water extraction will be limited during drought to ensure that the pools remain to provide drought refuge for the frogs.  Regeneration will be encouraged to control erosion and provide a filter for run off from the surrounding slopes. Tree and shrub planting is to occur in areas unlikely to regenerate naturally.  Signage that clearly shows the prohibited activities must be displayed at all entry points to the offset area. Vehicle access into the offset areas is to be limited to NW LLS and Water NSW staff and the adjoining landholders who will hold the key to the gate.  Management must be adaptive in response to lessons learnt during monitoring.

The management of the offsets will provide conservation benefit to 8.89km of river. Those six sections alone cannot be relied upon to conserve the Booroolong Frog in the Peel Catchment. Equally important to the frog’s conservation is the maintenance of the habitat quality of the 20 km of river upstream of Nundle. Whilst the management of that section of river cannot be enforceable, in recognition of its potential to influence the benefit of the offset sections, it is recommended the funding be provided to NW LLS to conduct door to door extension to those landholders, to encourage them to also implement management that l wil minimise the threats of pollution, water extraction, weed invasion and over‐ grazing.

Offset Site Management

Each landholder will be responsible for the implementation of the PVP management actions over the land in their ownership (Table 25). It is expected that Crown lands will enter into contracts with appropriate parties to undertake PVP management actions over the land within its ownership.

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Six sections of the Peel River are proposed to be managed as offsets. The width of the fenced areas will be approximately 100m wide and include the bed and banks of the Peel River, and where practicable it will include 30m either side of the “top‐of‐bank” for the length of the offset section. Where existing fences are in a suitable location and in suitable condition to be stock proof, those will continue to be used as the boundary.

The offset area adjoining Nundle is problematic, in that the buffer occurs over multiple landholdings. The assessment found that the 30m efrom th top bank will not be practicable for many areas due to close proximity of homes, roads, steep rocky slopes and the caravan park. In those cases negotiations are required with the landholder on the adjoining bank to examine the possibility of extending the area on that side.

Coordination of management activities across multiple landholdings will be the responsibility of North West LLS, under arrangement with WaterNSW.

Some consultation with the landholders within the proposed offset areas has commenced, however the boundaries of the 100m wide area still requires refinement. In‐principle letters of agreement will be obtained prior to determination of the project. The final boundary of the offset sections will be determined by survey, the areas provided in this report are approximations that may be varied.

The NW LLS will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the PVP agreement conditions in relation to the grazing, fencing, and weed and feral animal control. The results from frog monitoring and condition assessment of the BioBank transects will be sent as annual reports to the Office of Environment and Heritage. Any illegal activities or trespassing will be the responsibility of the Police. Water NSW will supply funding to the NW LLS to establish the PVP and to fund the actions to be carried out by the landholders.

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Table 28. Template for Management Actions Proposed for the Offset Property Vegetation Plan Agreements 1. The management actions and management action details are to be continued for, or completed within, the duration specified in the column “Duration of Management Action” 2. The management actions & management action details set out below must be undertaken in the specified map unit as identified in Schedule 4

Map Number (as Map Unit Management Duration of Management Action Conditions per schedule) (Area ha) Action Management Action ? ? Fencing In perpetuity 1. All fencing undertaken as part of this project is to be maintained in a stock proof condition by an independent contractor. 2. Fencing must be permanent to enable controlled grazing and exclude feral Goats. To protect wildlife, fencing erected as part of this project will have a top strand and a bottom strand consisting of plain wire. If barbed wire is used in the fence it is not to be high tensile. 3. Electric wires cannot be relied upon to ensure the fence is stock. proof A stand‐off electric wire can be used to protect the fence but not be placed closer than 30cm to the ground. 4. Off‐stream alternative stock watering schemes must be maintained in an operational condition for the term of this agreement. ? ? Grazing In perpetuity 1. Ground cover will be maintained at greater than 90% at all times. 2. Livestock will graze the project area for no more than 7 days at a time, with a minimum stock exclusion period of 60 days between grazing events. Livestock will be excluded from the project area for the period 1st October to 31st March inclusive. Grazing must not reduce the grass sward height to less than 15cm at any time. ? ? Pest and Weed In perpetuity 1. An independent contractor is to control all infestations of noxious and Control environmental weeds within the project area. 2. An independent contractor is to control all feral animals within the project area. 3. Weed control is to be conducted in a way to minimise disturbance of native vegetation. 4. Only chemicals registered under the Pesticides Act 1999 for use around waterways, are to be used in the project area.

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? ? General In perpetuity 1. Cultural sites must be protected from damage at all times. If a site, or suspected site is found, any on‐ground work must stop and the NW LLS contacted immediately. 2. Clearing of native vegetation must be undertaken in accordance with the Native Vegetation Act 2003 or other Act that replaces it. 3. Standing and fallen dead timber must not be removed from the project area except to allow for construction or maintenance of tracks and fences where clearing is to be kept to the minimum extent necessary and any necessary approvals have been granted. 4. Fertiliser will not be applied within the project area. 5. Gravel or soil extraction will not occur within the project area. 6. Machinery access will be restricted to designated tracks. 7. No active burning will occur within the project area. 8. No exotic fish releases are permitted within the project area. 9. Rocks will not be moved or removed from the project area. 10. All signage (if provided by the NW LLS) will be maintained and any damage to signage will be reported to the NW LLS. 11. All media releases regarding the project must carry the NW LLS logo and be approved by the NW LLS prior to release. 12. Surface water extraction will be limited during periods of drought and low flows to maintain water pools in the project area. 13. Surface water extraction or stock watering laneways will be located at pools as far as practicable away from Booroolong Frog habitat of riffles and small rapids. 14. Landholders will avoid handling frogs in a manner which may spread chytrid fungus. NW LLS can provide a copy of the NPWS “Hygiene Protocol for the control of Disease in Frogs” upon request. http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/1e8d9000‐4bf3‐4cdb‐ 9b21‐abe243a0473b/files/frogs‐hygiene‐protocols.doc

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Monitoring

The NW LLS will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the PVP agreement conditions in relation to the grazing, fencing, and weed and feral animal control. They will also be responsible for annual monitoring of the vegetation transects. The results from both the frog monitoring and the vegetation transects are to be sent as annual reports to OEH.

The frog population will be monitored. For the first five years;

2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in each of the six offset sections,

2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in the two river areas between the offset sections 5 & 6 and between 6 and 2,

2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly at two locations in the river above Nundle, and 2 x 500m transects are to be monitored yearly in the impact area until the dam reaches its full supply level.

After five years those same offset transects are to be monitored every second year for six years, after which monitoring of the same transects is to be conducted every five years.

The results of the monitoring are to gauge the effectiveness of the management, if there are indicators that the management is not working then action must be taken to change the management accordingly.

If the management actions are not working and the frog population is not increasing, there will be a review of the actions to be undertaken in consultation with DOE, OEH and NW LLS and submitted to the Secretary for approval.

If monitoring determines the population is no longer at risk or the frog is delisted, the monitoring can be stopped. The frog population must maintain or increase to above that of the current population in the offsets and impact area. The population must remain stable at that level and be proven to be stable by the five yearly monitoring that are to occur after the initial 11 years of more regular monitoring.

Due to the limited information available regarding Booroolong Frog management, specific benchmarks for the ceasing of monitoring have not been defined.

Monitoring will cease when it is agreed with DPE and DoE that the management actions which have been implemented are providing effective habitat for the Booroolong Frog to enable the population to sufficiently increase within the offset area to compensate for the impacted area, or when it can be demonstrated to DoE and DPE that there is limited value in ongoing monitoring.

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Management actions and monitoring requirements will be reviewed in consultation with DPE and DoE in the event that factors outside the control of WaterNSW area adversely impacting on the frog population, for example Chytrid fungus.

Translocation

In addition to the above offset plan, there will be a Booroolong Frog translocation strategy prepared for the relocation of frogs displaced by the rising dam level, with the intention to establish a breeding population at a suitable stream in the Namoi catchment where they were known to occur prior to 1980.

Within the first year, a survey of the headwater streams of the Namoi Catchment is to be conducted over five days to identify two suitable locations to release the frogs displaced by the rising Chaffey Dam water level. Releases will require a minimum of 100 frogs per location, if less than 200 are to be released then they are all to go to one location.

The stream selection criteria will be streams with: gravel bed, riffles and rapids, permanent water holes, between 400 – 600m elevation, crown lands and high sunlight exposure. The release site or sites are to be monitored yearly to determine success.

Response to Federal Government Review of a draft of this document

Explained below are answers to questions from a Department of the Environment officer who reviewed the draft EPBC Offset Calculator and Justification. Many of these questions are addressed in the conditions applied to the Conservation PVP (Table 25).

1. What is the total figure of the cost of the offset plan?  Valuation for covenant = $ 549,000  Value for water and fencing = $ 357,000  Ongoing yearly budget for costs = $ 50,000

Estimate of Annual Budget requirements

Management Action Budget Allocated per year Weed control contractor for 3 weeks per year $ 15,000 Feral animal control – foxes and rabbits $ 10,000 Fence maintenance contractor, 2 hours weekly $ 10,000

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Monitoring frog population 2 x 500m transects at six $ 6,600 sections Monitoring population at 2 x 500m transects four control sites Monitoring frog population 2 x 500m transects at impact site Access to security $ 5,000 Variable costs – post flood fencing, tree thinning ‐ Administration fee ‐ Total per year $ 50,000

2. How will the ongoing funding to implement the plan be locked in?  Long term commitment will be a conditional requirement from Water NSW to allow sign off.

3. How did the offset plan deal with the threat of chytrid?  Chytrid is known to be widespread through the Namoi catchment. NWES surveyed all the headwater streams of the Namoi catchment in 2009 and took swabs from frogs across the region, many of which were tested to be positive. The issue is to prevent dispersal of Chytrid out of the catchment. All handling of frogs will be done in accordance with the Best Management Practice outlined in the Threat Abatement Plan Infection of Amphibians with chytrid Fungus Resulting in Chytridiomycosis, and the Handling frogs Hygiene Protocol. Threat Abatement Plan Infection Of Amphibians With Chytrid Fungus Resulting In Chytridiomycosis ‐ Department of Environment and Heritage 2006 http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8d01e983‐3619‐4d83‐ 9b5a‐6f9fb4d34e3b/files/chytrid‐report.pdf Handling frogs Hygiene Protocol can be viewed at http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/1e8d9000‐4bf3‐4cdb‐9b21‐ abe243a0473b/files/frogs‐hygiene‐protocols.doc

4. Are the chemicals to be used for weed control likely to impact on the frog?  The chemicals used for weed control in riparian areas will need to be registered for use along waterways. The current contractor who has been doing that work is familiar with those requirements.

5. How and who is going to be responsible for limiting grazing?  The grazing regime to be applied is stated as a condition of the PVP agreement that NW LLS will monitor for compliance.

6. Does the plan need guidelines for fire management?  There is to be no deliberate burning within the offset areas, it is a condition of the PVP agreement.

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7. What covenant arrangement is planned to go on title?  NW LLS Conservation Property Vegetation Plan

8. Is Water NSW going to be wholly responsible for the management of the offset land?  Yes, though Water NSW may delegate out that responsibility to a third party such as the S.NW LL

9. What will stop new landholders from reneging on the land management arrangements deals done with the existing owners?  The covenant arrangements and condition of compensation will be legally binding on future landholders who will be advised at the point of purchase what they are buying into.

10. Will any of the freehold land be purchased for the offset?  No

11. How is the figure of 15% entered into the calculator for future loss without offset justified?

Without the proposed management of the offset land there is likely to be continued loss from:  the existing threat of heavy grazing in section 3 will continue to degrade that section of river,  Grazing could also occur in sections 1, 2 and 4 presently only grazed by staying stock, those areas are not under conservation agreements with NW LLS  Current dilapidated fencing is allowing Goats and straying stock to roam into the offset areas and impact the tree and shrub regeneration.  Foxes will continue to prey on frogs in the riparian zone.  the emerging threat of exotic trees and shrubs will continue to invade sections 1,2,3 & 4 which are not under agreement with the NW LLS for weed management and there is no legal requirement for landholders to control those species  the emerging threat of excessive River Oak regeneration could result in excessive shading of the stream, cooler temperatures, and increased chytrid infection, increased riparian cover has been found to reduce the Booroolong Frog population.  The section adjoining Nundle is very weedy; it is being tackled by the Nundle Landcare group. NW LLS have contracted weed management for the crown land areas 5 & 6 which are under contract for four more years to reduce threats to the Booroolong Frog.  The Risk of increased loss will come from continued weed invasion of the riparian zone, existing and emerging feral predators, Goats, existing and emerging diseases, and continued erosion and sedimentation from fossicking and heavy grazing. Those risks are only being managed in sections 5 and 6 with funds provided by the NW LLS for Booroolong Frog protection.

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6-0. CONCLUSION

The Chaffey Dam enlargement project will impact on 3.1 ha of known habitat for the Booroolong Frog. The frog is listed as endangered in both NSW State and Commonwealth legislation. Surveys of the Namoi catchment in 2009 found that its distribution in the region had dropped from 411km of stream to 99km of stream, the bulk of which is in the Peel River above Chaffey Dam.

The management of the 82.6ha of offsets will provide conservation benefit to 8.89km of river. That area will be managed for conservation according to conditions outlined in the in perpetuity Property Vegetation Plan agreement that will be monitored by North West Local Land Services. The frog population and the regeneration of the offset area will also be monitored for BioBanking.

The results of the monitoring are to gauge the effectiveness of the management, if there are indicators that the management is not working then action must be taken to change the management accordingly. If monitoring determines the population is no longer at risk or the frog is delisted, the monitoring can be stopped.

Those six sections alone cannot be relied upon to conserve the Booroolong Frog in the Peel Catchment. Equally important to the frog’s conservation is the maintenance of the habitat quality of the 20 km of river upstream of Nundle. Whilst the management of that section of river cannot be enforceable, in recognition of its potential to influence the benefit of the offset sections, it is recommended the funding also be provided to NW LLS to conduct door to door extension to those landholders to encourage them to also implement management that will minimise the threats of pollution, water extraction, weed invasion and over‐ grazing.

The result of the application of the EPBC Act Offset assessment guide calculated that the proposed offset sections will account for 119% of the impact resulting from the flooding of 3.1ha of known Booroolong Frog habitat.

Application of the BioBanking Credit Calculator identified that 41 credits are required to compensate for the flooding impact, and the six sections of proposed offset will generate 120 credits. The Booroolong Frog is not ad re ‐flagged species. Therefore based on these calculations the proposal will meet a “Tier 1” outcome as identified under the ‘Interim Offset Policy for Major Projects’ (OEH 2011).

The proposed offset area meets the Commonwealth, NSW and North West Local Land Services offset policy requirements and should lead to a long term conservation outcome for the Booroolong Frog.

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 101

In addition to the above offset plan, there will be a Booroolong Frog translocation strategy prepared for the relocation of frogs displaced by the rising dam level, with the intention to establish a breeding population at a suitable stream in the Namoi catchment where they were known to occur prior to 1980.

It is crucial that this project delivers an outcome that provides insurance for the Booroolong Frog in the Namoi Catchment. There is still a massive mortality over winter (presumably due to Chytrid fungus) that only a small % of the population survives. The frog population could be much closer to a tipping point than we recognise, it would only take a natural or man‐ made disaster associated with two bad years for breeding, and the population could be in serious decline.

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7-0. REFERENCES Anstis, M. (2002). Tadpoles of south-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (DECC) (2008). BioBanking Assessment Methodology. Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW, Goulburn St Sydney.

Eco Logical Australia (2013). Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade Project; Booroolong Frog Offset Plan. Prepared for State Water.

Hunter, D. (2001). Surveys and monitoring of threatened frog species in South-eastern New South Wales between October, 2000 and March, 2001. Unpublished report to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

NGH environmental (2012). Terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna impact assessment, Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade. Report prepared for State Water.

NGH environmental (2013). Addendum Report. Terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna impact assessment, Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade. Report prepared for State Water.

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) (2012). National Recovery Plan for Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis). Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW), Hurstville.

NWES (2009a). Flora and Fauna Impact Assessment for the proposed Chaffey Dam Safety Upgrade Options 1 & 2 – Addendum report to the GHD Ecological Assessment Report

NWES (2009b). Review of the conservation status of the Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis) within the Namoi River Catchment. Report prepared for the Namoi Catchment Management Authority.

NWES (2013). Complete Booroolong Frog Survey Records 5th Mar 2013. Unpublished survey data supplied by the Namoi Catchment Management Authority.

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) (2011). NSW OEH interim policy on assessing and offsetting biodiversity impacts of Part 3A, State significant development (SSD) and State significant infrastructure (SSI) projects. Approved by the Chief Executive Officer 25 June 2011.

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) (2013). Credit Converter. [online] Available at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biobanking/vegbenchmarkdatabase.htm Accessed 14 November 2013.

State Water (2013). Map showing land adjoining Peel River from Nundle to approx. 10km upstream of Nundle. Dated July 2013.

Worley Parsons (2013). Chaffey Dam Augmentation and Safety Upgrade. Vegetation Offset Plan. Prepared for State Water Corporation, 1 November 2013.

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Appendix 1: Review of Booroolong Frog Habitat preferences from NWES surveys conducted 17th January to 14th February 2013 along the Peel River between Chaffey Dam and the Pearly Gates Bridge at Wombramurra

Introduction

Ten sites were chosen based on locations where the highest numbers of adult frogs were recorded along the Peel River between Chaffey Dam and the Pearly Gates Bridge during nightly surveys between January and February 2013.

Using GIS, 50m squares were placed so that they contained each of the ten locations with the highest densities of frogs. The 50m squares were used for habitat analyses. The centre point of each square was mapped and transferred to GPS to locate the centre point for habitat data collection in the field. The centre points are referred to as hotspots. Animal numbers and locations for each hotspot are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Number of Booroolong Frogs and locality data for each hotspot chosen for habitat data collection

Hotspot Number of Frogs GDA 94 hs1 between 1 & 2 18 adults 56 J 322822 6523161 hs2 between 1 & 2 16 adults 56 J 322750 6523116 hs3 section 6 15 adults 56 J 322884 6522152 hs4 section 2 Swamp Ck 12 adults 56 J 323180 6520785 hs5 section 3 degraded 14 adults 56 J 323120 6519998 hs6 section 3 degraded 12 adults 56 J 322940 6519760 hs7 section 3 degraded 18 adults 56 J 322663 6519432 hs8 section 4 Nundle 22 adults 56 J 322266 6518364 hs9 approved offset 12 adults 56 J 321775 6517563 hs10 approved offset 11 adults 56 J 321178 6516615

In context of the present study (Dec 2014), no hotspot fell within the Chaffey Dam impact site.

Six hotspots were within the proposed offset site, Hotspot 3 was in section 6, Hotspot 4 was in section 2 near Swamp Creek, and Hotspots 4, 5 and 6 were in the heavily degraded and grazed section 3.

Two hotspot sites, 1 and 2, were outside the proposed offset area between section 1 and section 2. Two hotspot sites, 9 and 10, were upstream of Nundle, outside the present study area in the area that was previously approved for offset.

All these sites are included to get the most comprehensive picture of the habitat that supports the highest densities of the Booroolong Frog in the Peel River.

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Method

A bucket was placed at the centre of each hotspot, filled with rocks and a tape measure attached. Substrate and vegetation cover data were collected above and below each 2.5m section of the tape along each 25m transect running; upstream, downstream and to left and right banks.

Beneath each 2.5m section of tape the dominant substrate (bed rock, rock >20cm, cobble 5‐20cm, gravel <5cm, sand <0.5cm, silt) submerged or not, and above the tape % vegetation cover for the ground and canopy layers were recorded.

For each transect the number of crevices beneath rocks (2.5cm wide x 1‐3cm high x 3cm long) was determined to a maximum of 10.

Presence/absence data for the site in general were collected for rocks, crevices (2.5cm w x 1‐3cm h x 3cm l) bed rock, cobble, gravel, sand, silt, leaf litter and woody debris. Pool location, number and depth were noted along with minimum distances to Willows (Salix babylonica) and Blackberry (Rubus anglocandicans) plants.

A general description of each Hotspot was noted and photos were taken from upstream and downstream toward the hotspot. Hot spots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are shown on the map below.

Impact Section

Section 1

Section 5

Section 6

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

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Results

Substrate

Table 2 Shows the presence / absence data for each of the substrate types from within the Booroolong Frog hotspots. The numbers shown are the mean number of occurrences expressed as % of each substrate across the ten sites. Emergent rocks and cobble are surrounded by water but not submerged, dry signifies not surrounded by water. Sizes classes are bed rock, rock >20cm, cobble 5‐ 20cm, gravel <5cm, sand <0.5cm and silt soil.

These ten sites (hotspots) had the highest density of Booroolong Frogs recorded along the Peel River in early 2013. Each quadrat at each site was broken down into 4 sections; each section was made up of ten 2.5m segments.

The data suggests that sites supporting relatively higher Booroolong Frog densities along the Peel River are dominated by emergent rocks and / or cobbles (both emergent and dry).

Bed Rock Rock Cobble Gravel Sand Silt Quadra Bedr Bedro Rock Rock Cobb Cobbl Grav Grave Sand Sand Silt Silt t ock ck dry emer le dry e el dry l wet dry wet dry wet segme dry emer gent emer nt gent gent Downs 2% 3% 7% 39% 15% 25% 5% 1% 0% 0% 3% 0% tream Left 2% 3% 9% 39% 15% 24% 5% 1% 0% 0% 2% 0% bank Upstre 3% 3% 10% 38% 18% 22% 5% 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% am Right 4% 3% 11% 36% 20% 19% 6% 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% bank

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Upstream

Bedrock dry

Bedrock wet Rock dry

Left Bank Right Bank Rock wet C obble dry

C obble wet

Gravel dry

Gravel wet

Downstream

Figure 2 A graphical representation of the most commonly occurring substrate types at Booroolong Frog habitat hotspots. The larger the distance from the centre point, the larger the value of the variable. Emergent rock (rock wet) and emergent and dry cobble dominate. Wet means the substrate is surrounded byt water, bu stones and bedrock are exposed to the air. Dry means not surrounded by water.

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Canopy cover

Canopy cover at hotspot sites is presented in two ways. Firstly the results of the hotspot survey in early 2013 revealed that canopy cover was absent or sparse and patchily distributed (Table 3).

Table 3 The presence of upper storey canopy cover and mean percentage cover at Booroolong Frog habitat hotspots. The data show number of occurrences (presence of canopy) and mean percent cover for each 2.5m quadrat segment out of ten sites (upstream and downstream sections were omitted because there were no trees within the river itself).

Only 4 sites had some canopy cover present on the right bank only, one site had a canopy tree on the left bank only and 2 sites had some tree cover on both banks. Three sites had no canopy cover at all. Where present, cover extent ranged from 25% to 100% in a 2.5m segment. The table illustrates the patchy distributiond an sparseness of canopy cover. A segment is defined by distances from the centre of the river.

Segment Left bank Right bank (m) Presence % cover Presence % cover 0-2.5 0 0 0 0

2.5-5 0 0 0 0

5-7.5 0 0 0 0

7.5-10 3 13 1 10

10-12.5 3 18 2 18

12.5-15 3 19 3 20.5

15-17.5 3 18 4 22.5

17.5-20 3 22 2 9

20-22.5 2 18 1 2

22.5-25 1 10 2 9

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Vegetation cover was further investigated during later field visits. As the original sampling method for hotspot sites considered vegetation cover at the intercept of a line only on each bank (see Methods), it was decided to extend the assessment of riparian tree cover over approximately 50m sections along each river bank.

Percentage cover of riparian trees was estimated at 8 hotspot sites North of Nundle (i.e. within and closest to the proposed offset sites). Riparian vegetation cover at the hotspot sites is sparse or absent. Weed trees are present at two sites (Table 4). The results of both types of assessment are in agreement.

Table 4 Habitat characteristics including riparian vegetation cover of 8 hotspot sites. Weed tree cover is listed separately.

Hotspot site Habitat type Disturbance / Habitat Habitat Riparian Riparian intensity width (m) length vegetation vegetation (m) cover (%) cover (%) Left bank Right bank

1 - 18frogs Riffle, large Sedimentation 22 187 0 10 rocks /slight

2 16 frogs Riffle, large Sedimentation 22 187 0 10 rocks /slight

3 15 frogs Riffle and Sedimentation 22 161 5 20 shallow, large /slight rocks

4 12 frogs Rapid and Sedimentation 13 53 3 15 + 25 shallow, small /moderate weeds rocks

5 14 frogs Riffle, large Sedimentation 44 66 25 0 rocks and pool, /slight gravel bank

6 12 frogs Rapid, bedrock Sedimentation 18 71 15 0 and pool, gravel /moderate bank

7 18 frogs Riffle, large Sedimentation 14 65 0 0 rocks /slight

8 22 frogs Riffle, large Sedimentation 5 32 15 weeds 25 weeds rocks, rapid, /severe** bedrock

** These values were obtained 2 years ago, at the time there was a high inflow of brown, sediment rich water from the head of the Peel. Hence this value. Recent habitat analyses also scored sedimentation as moderate to severe for this region.

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Stream morphology

Out of the ten hotspot sites, 8 were riffles (6 of which were broad) and 2 were rapids. Only one site, a broad riffle zone, was not located adjacent to a pool or otherwise deep, slow‐flowing river section. Further details of hotspot sites within the present study area are presented in Table 4 above).

In summary, Booroolong Frog densities in within‐river habitat are highest where:

 There is a riffle zone or rapid near a pool, or otherwise deep, slow flowing section of river

 The within stream habitat is dominated by emergent rocks, and / or cobbles (both emergent or on dry land)

 There is no or only sparse canopy cover

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Appendix 2: Booroolong Frog Stream Habitat Assessment Proforma

STATE WATER CHAFFEY DAM OFFSET – BOOROOLONG FROG STREAM HABITAT ASSESSMENT NWES 11/14

Recorder: Phil Spark Andrew Stauber Date: Section Details:

Section Number: Photos:

Page: Time:

Section start and finish: Water Level at the Time of Sampling:

Zone: Start Waypoint: Finish Waypoint: 1 – completely dry; 2 – isolated pools; 3 – low flow/low level;

E: N: E: N: 4 – moderate flow; 5 – high flow; 6 – bankfull

Distance (m) WPT Habitat Code(1) Pool Depth(2) Pool Substrate(3) Habitat Width (m) Stream Width (m) Bankfull Width (m) Crevice Count(4) Disturbance(5) Intensity (6)

1 1–pool still-dirt bank; 2–pool still-gravel bank; 3–riffle large rock; 4–riffle small rocks; 5-rapid large rocks; 6–rapid small rocks; 7–shallow slow large rocks; 8–shallow slow small rocks; 9–cobble

2 1 – slow-deep (>0.5 m); 2 – slow-shallow; 3 – fast-deep (>0.5 m); 4 – fast-shallow 10-bedrock

3 1 - Silt, 2 - Sand, 3 - Gravel, 4 - Pebbles, 5 - Cobbles, 6 - Boulders, 7 - Bedrock

4 Note whether one bank only, and which bank; count up to ten; using crevice wedge

5 1 – not fenced; 2 – point source erosion; 3 – sedimentation; 4 – water extraction point; 5 – point source pollution; 6 – anything else

6 Intensity rating : 0 -nil, 1 - slight, 2 - moderate, 3 - severe

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Appendix 3: Field Methodology for Measuring Condition Attributes In Site Value Suggested transect plot layout

Plot marker and GPS point where relevant

20 × 20 m plot

20 m 50-m line transect

20 m

Layout of nested 20 × 50 m and 20 × 20 m plots used for the assessment of vegetation condition attributes (taken from BioMetric Manual, p. 40) Field methodology

Table A2 Field methods for measuring vegetation condition variables in the Site Value

Variable Plot or Method transect type Indigenous 20 × 20 m plot ‘Indigenous plant species’ refers to vascular species that are local plant to the area and, if planted, come from a local seed source. species Systematically walk the plot, counting the number of indigenous richness plant species for all vascular plants (i.e. the species do not have to be identified). Native over- At 10 points Native over-storey is the tallest woody stratum present (including storey cover along a 50-m emergents) above 1 m and includes all species native to New South transect Wales (i.e. native species not local to the area can contribute to over-storey structure). In a woodland community the over-storey stratum is the tree layer, and in a shrubland community the over- storey stratum is the tallest shrub layer. Some vegetation types (e.g. grasslands) may not have an over-storey stratum. Over-storey cover is estimated as percent foliage cover, which is equivalent to the amount of shadow that would be cast on the ground if there were a light source directly overhead; it is estimated as follows: At 10 points along the 50-m transect (i.e. every 5 m) estimate percent foliage cover directly overhead by using the images provided in Appendix 8. Divide the total by the number of points (i.e. 10) measured along the transect (e.g. 50%, 0%, 0%, 40%, 0%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 0%, 0% = 240/10 =24% foliage cover).

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Variable Plot or Method transect type Native mid- At 10 points Native mid-storey contains all vegetation between the over-storey storey cover along a 50-m stratum and a height of 1 m (typically tall shrubs, under-storey trees transect and tree regeneration) and includes all species native to New South Wales (i.e. native species not local to the area can contribute to mid-storey structure). Percent foliage cover of the mid-storey is estimated as follows: At 10 points along the 50-m transect (i.e. every 5 m) estimate percent foliage cover in the mid-storey. Divide the total by the number of points (i.e. 10) measured along the transect (e.g. 50%, 0%, 0%, 40%, 0%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 0%, 0% = 240/10 = 24% foliage cover). Native At 50 points Native ground cover contains all native vegetation below 1 m in ground along a 50-m height and includes all species native to New South Wales (i.e. it is cover transect not confined to species indigenous to the area). Native ground (grasses) cover (grasses) refers to native grasses (i.e. plants belonging to the family Poaceae). Percent foliage cover of the ground stratum (grasses) is estimated as follows: At 50 points along the 50-m transect (i.e. every 1 m) record whether native grass intersects that point. Divide the total of ‘hits’ by the number of points measured along the transect (i.e. 50). Native At 50 points Native ground cover contains all native vegetation below 1 m in ground along a 50-m height and includes all species native to New South Wales (i.e. it is cover transect not confined to species indigenous to the area). Native ground (shrubs) cover (shrubs) refers to native woody vegetation <1 m. It is measured in the same way as for native ground cover (grasses) (see above). Native At 50 points Native ground cover contains all native vegetation below 1 m in ground along a 50-m height and includes all species native to New South Wales (i.e. it is cover transect not confined to species indigenous to the area). Native ground (other) cover (other) refers to non-woody native vegetation (vascular plants only) <1 m that is not grass (e.g. herbs, ferns). It is measured in the same way as for native ground cover (grasses) (see above). Exotic plant At 50 points Exotic plants are vascular plants not native to Australia. Exotic plant cover along a 50-m cover is measured as total percent foliage cover of all exotics in all transect strata. If the exotics are in the over-storey, then measure by using the same method as for native over-storey cover (see above). If exotics are in the mid-storey, then measure by using the same method as for native mid-storey cover (see above). If exotics are in the ground stratum, then measure by using the same method as for native ground cover (grasses) (see above). Number of 50 × 20 m plot This is a count of the number of living and dead trees within a 50 × trees with 20 m plot that have at least one hollow (note that the hollow does hollows not have to be within the plot). A hollow is recorded only if: (a) the entrance can be seen; (b) the minimum entrance width is at least 5

cm across; (c) the hollow appears to have depth (i.e. you cannot i.e. not the see solid wood beyond the entrance); (d) the hollow is at least 1 m number of above the ground (this omits hollows in cut stumps or at the bases hollows of trees); and (e) the centre of the tree is within the plot. Trees should be examined from all angles.

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Variable Plot or Method transect type Regeneration Entire zone Regeneration is measured as the proportion of over-storey species present in the zone that are regenerating (i.e. with diameter at breast height < 5 cm). For example if there are three tree species present in the zone but only one of these species is regenerating, then the value is 0.33. The maximum value for this measure is 1. Total length of 50 × 20 m This is the total length of logs at least 10 cm in diameter and at fallen logs plot least 0.5 m long. The diameter is estimated with a measuring tape (or callipers if available) held horizontally immediately above the log, and the length is estimated to the nearest metre by measuring with a tape, or pacing, along the part of the log that is at least 10 cm in diameter. If estimating length by pacing, then the actual lengths of a sample of logs should be measured regularly with a tape so that the assessor can calibrate the estimate derived from pacing. Only those parts of logs lying within the plot are measured.

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Appendix 4. BioBanking Transect and Plot Data Recording Sheet

Waypoint Recorder Date Number S: S: 20x20 Plot end Easting Northing E: E: S: S: 50m Transect end Easting Northing E: E: Photo no. Plot Slope/Aspect (Camera) orientation

Vegetation Zone Identification

Biometric Vegetation Type Habitat Condition Features

20 x 20m Number of native Species list over page (full Id is not required) Quadrat plant species (NPS) 50m Native over- Sum / %

Transect storey cover (%) 10 (NOS) – 10 Native mid-storey % Sum / Points cover (%) 10 (NMS) Native ground Double score out % cover (hits/50 of 50 to get % (NGCG) points) – Grasses 50m Native ground Transect Double score out % cover (hits/50 – 50 of 50 to get % (NGCS) points) – Shrubs Points Native ground Double score out % cover (hits/50 of 50 to get % (NGCO) points) – other

50m Overstorey Sum (10 points) (a) exotic Transect Sum/10 cover (%) – 10 Midstorey from (b) points + (10 points) (a)+(b)+(c) 50 points Sum/10 Ground (c) (50 points) % Double score 20m x Number of trees Total length fallen logs 50m with hollows >10cm width (m) Quadrat Regen (Y/N) All canopy spp. in Veg Zone Proportion (indiv. <5cm?) Whole Over-storey Veg. regeneration Zone

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Appendix 5: Threat Abatement and Recovery Actions for the Booroolong Frog

Priority actions this project is assisting in addressing are highlighted.

The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change has identified 19 priority actions to help the recovery of the Booroolong Frog (DECC 2005b). These are:

• Develop expertise in captive husbandry of the species. • Develop a contingency strategy for establishing a captive population in the event that further precipitous declines occur. • Increase awareness about the species. • Provide education and training about conservation measures for the species, including safe use of harmful herbicides and pesticides in the vicinity of populations. • Implement hygiene protocol to reduce the transmission of harmful pathogens within and between populations. • Investigate and implement options for reducing the potential impact of introduced fish, including the control of carp in streams with known populations. • Investigate less known potential locations of Booroolong Frog and subsequently develop, negotiate and implement conservation management agreements at confirmed high priority sites. • Use management agreements and incentives for riparian fencing and re-snagging to reduce further habitat degradation and enhance the extent of suitable habitat. • Prepare and implement an annual monitoring program to determine population status and the influence of management actions. • Determine the impact of predation by introduced fish. • Determine the influence of habitat disturbance on persistence, abundance and demography. • Determine the role of disease in the decline. • Identify age specific mortality schedules and factors regulating population size. • Determine the impact of pesticides and herbicides on populations and habitat. • Undertake population genetic studies to: identify important management units; investigate genetic diversity, dispersal and fitness; resolve taxonomic ambiguities. • Determine current distribution and abundance in relation to landscape and habitat quality attributes. • Negotiate, develop and implement conservation management agreements for known high priority sites. • Develop protocols for a reintroduction program. • Undertake experimental reintroductions at sites formerly occupied by the species.

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Appendix 6: Dave Hunter Recommendations for Booroolong Frog Monitoring Programs The following information outlines the objectives and approach currently used to monitor the Booroolong Frog in the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Catchments.

Monitoring Objectives: 1. Determine whether the Booroolong Frog is continuing to decline across its range. The most efficient means of achieving this objective is through presence/absence monitoring across sites that represent this species’ current distribution. 2. Determine the ability for Booroolong Frog populations to recover from stream drying. Achieving this objective will involve monitoring the breeding habitat occupancy (presence/absence) of the Booroolong Frog along sections of stream where it has contracted in range since the onset of severe droughts in 2003. This monitoring program is currently being undertaken along several streams for which pre-drought distribution data exists, and sections of stream where no range contraction occurred as controls. 3. Determine the Booroolong Frog population and habitat response to riparian protection and restoration. The current monitoring program assessing riparian restoration works involves determining temporal changes in breeding habitat occupancy, and changes in the distribution and structure of rocky habitats. This is being undertaken along sections of stream that have been the focus of restoration works, plus sections where no works have been undertaken in the agricultural landscape and more protected streams in National Parks.

Methods: Frog Monitoring Presence/absence surveys are to determine the occupancy of the Booroolong Frog at the scale of 500 metre sections of stream (Objective 1), and breeding habitat (Objectives 2 and 3). Night surveys are undertaken during the breeding season (mid October to late December) by spotlighting within the riparian zone for eye-shine. Occupied breeding habitat is defined as an area of rocky habitat occupied by one or more mature male Booroolong Frogs during the breeding season. The location, sex, and total number of frogs observed during each census are recorded. A small proportion of the sites for each objective are surveyed on three occasions within each season to ensure detectability remains high. Breeding Habitat monitoring The habitat monitoring involves determining the distribution, type and length of rock habitats along the stream banks. The rock type is divided into two broad categories: Cobble banks - a section of stream bank greater than one metre in length with a continuous cover of loose rock. Bedrock banks - defined as a section of stream bank greater than one metre in length with a continuous cover of solid rock that is embedded in the ground. The number of crevices within each rock habitat is also recorded. A crevice is defined as a space under or between rocks where a 2.5 cm wide, 1 cm high and 3 cm long piece of metal could be freely inserted, but which was no higher than 3 cm. This area was considered a representation of the area that could be used by the Booroolong Frog for egg deposition. Regardless of crevice length, continuous crevices in bedrock or under individual rocks are only counted as one crevice.

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Survey Frequency A proportion of the sites are surveyed each year, with each site being surveyed once every three to five years. Interpreting Results Due to the high detectability of the Booroolong Frog during the breeding season (Hunter 2007), relatively small shifts in this species occupancy can be confidently identified. For Objective one, examining the raw data is sufficient to determine trends in this species occupancy across its range. For Objectives 2 and 3, a repeated-measures design should be used to analyse the frog and habitat data.

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Appendix 7: Plants Recorded in Three Vegetation Types along Peel River between Nundle and Chaffey Dam (sorted alphabetically by growth forms) * denotes an introduced/exotic species

Namoi Veg Namoi Namoi Veg Weed Scientific Name Common Name type Veg type type

197 191 River Rough- 237 Box Oak barked woodland Riparian Apple slopes river flat

Trees

Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle x

Acacia implexa Hickory Wattle x

Angophora floribunda Rough-barked Apple x x x

Brachychiton populneus Kurrajong x

Casuarina cunninghamiana River Oak x

* Cotoneaster glaucophyllus Cotoneaster x x

Eucalyptus albens White Box x

Eucalyptus blakelyi Blakelys Red Gum x x

Eucalyptus bridgesiana Apple Box x

Eucalyptus laevopinea Silver-top Stringybark x

Eucalyptus melliodora Yellow Box x

Eucalyptus viminalis Manna Gum x x

Exocarpus cuppressiformis Native Cherry x

* Gleditsia triacanthos Honey Locust x x

* Ligustrum lucidum Broad Leaf Privet x

Melia azedarach White Cedar x

* Prunus spp. Fruit trees x

* Pyracantha sp Firethorn x x

* Robinia pseudoacacia Black Locust x x

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* Salix babylonica Weeping Willow x

* Ulmus sp. Elm x x

Shrubs

Acacia decora Western Silver Wattle x

Acacia paradoxa Kangaroo Thorn x

Bursaria spinosa subsp. Blackthorn x spinosa Cassinia quinquefaria Cough Bush x

Dodonaea viscosa subsp. Sticky Hop-bush x angustifolia Common Guinea Hibbertia obtusifolia x Flower Melichrus urceolatus Urn Heath x

Notelaea microcarpa Native Olive x

Olearia elliptica Sticky Daisy-bush x

Pimelea linifolia Common Rice Flower

* Rosa rubiginosa Sweet Briar x x x

* Rubus anglocandicans Blackberry x x x

Rubus parvifolius Native Raspberry x

Swainsona galegifolia Smooth Darling Pea x

Mistletoes

Amyema miquelii Mistletoe x x x

Amyema pendulum Mistletoe x x x

Amyema cambagei River Oak Mistletoe x

Vines & climbers

Boerhavia diffusa Tar Vine

Eustrephus latifolius Wombat Berry x

Glycine tabacina Variable Glycine x

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Hardenbergia violacea False Sarsaparilla x

Jasminum suavissimum Jasmin x

Ferns

Adiantum aethiopicum Common Maidenhair Fern x

Cheilanthes sieberi Rock Fern x

Grasses

Aristida personata Purple Wiregrass x x x

Austrodanthonia sp. Wallaby Grass x

Austrostipa scabra Speargrass x

Austrostipa verticillata Slender Bamboo Grass x x x

* Avena fatua Wild Oats x x

Bothriochloa macra Red-leg Grass x x x

* Bromus spp. Bromus x x

Cymbopogon refractus Barbwire Grass x

Cynodon dactylon Couch x x

* Dactylis glomerata Cocksfoot x x

Dichanthium sericeum Queensland Bluegrass x

Dichelachne micrantha Shorthair plume-grass x

Echinopogon ovatus Hedgehog Grass x

* Eleusine tristachya Goose Grass x x

Elymus scaber Common Wheatgrass x x

Enneapogon nigricans Nineawns x

Eragrostis alveiformis Lovegrass x

* Eragrostis cilianensis Stinkgrass x x

Enteropogon ramosus Curly Windmill Grass x x

* Festuca arundinacea Tall Fescue x x

* Hordeum spp. Barley Grass x x

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 121

* Lolium perenne Perennial Ryegrass x x

Weeping Meadow Microlaena stipoides x x Grass * Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum x x

Paspalum distichum Water Couch x

* Phalaris aquatica Phalaris x x

Poa labillardieri Tussock Grass x

Poa sieberiana Snow Grass x x x

* Pennisetum clandestinum Kikuyu x x

* Sorghum halepense Johnsons Grass x

Slender Rat's-tail Sporobolus creber x x x Grass Themeda australis Kangaroo Grass x x

* Vulpia bromoides Squirrel Tail Fescue x x

Other herbs

* Acaena spp. Sheep Burr x

Ajuga australis Austral Bugle x

* Amaranthus retroflexus Red-root Amaranth x x

* Ammi majus Bishop's Weed x x

* Anagallis arvensis Scarlet Pimpernell x x x

* Argemone ochroleuca Mexican Poppy x x

Asperula conferta Common Woodruff x

Arthropodium milleflorum Pale Vanilla Lily x

* Bidens pilosa Cobblers Pegs x x x

Calotis lappulacea Tangled Burrdaisy x

* Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd's Purse x x x

* Cyperus rotundus Nutgrass x x

Carex appressa Tall Sedge x

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 122

Carex inversa Knob Sedge x

* Carthamus lanatus Saffron Thistle x x x

* Centaurea calcitrapa Star Thistle x x

* Centaurea solstitialis St Barnabys Thistle x x x

Cheilanthes sieberi Poison Mulga Fern x

Chrysocephalum apiculatum Clustered Everlasting x

* Cichorium intybus Chickory x x

* Cirsium vulgare Black Thistle x x x

* Conium maculatum Hemlock x x

* Conyza bonariensis Flax-leaf Fleabane x x x

Cyperus gracilis Slender Sedge x x

Cyperus spp. Flat sedge x

* Datura stramonium Thornapple x

Desmodium brachypodum Large Tick-trefoil x

Desmodium varians Slender Tick-trefoil x

Dianella revoluta Blue Flax Lily x

Dichondra repens Kidney Weed x x x

* Echium plantagineum Pattersons Curse x x x

Eleocharis spp. Spike rush x

* Galium aparine Cleavers x

Geranium solanderi Native Geranium x x x

* Hypericum perforatum St Johns Wort x x x

* Hypochaeris glabra Smooth Catsear x x x

* Hypochaeris radicata Catsear x x x

* Juncus spp. Juncus x

* Lactuca serriola Prickly Lettuce x x x

Lomandra longifolia Spiny Mat-rush x

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 123

Many-flowered Mat- Lomandra multiflora x rush * Marrubium vulgare Horehound x x

* Medicago polymorpha Medic x x x

* Opuntia stricta Prickly Pear x x

Persicaria decipiens Slender Knotweed x

* Petrorhagia nanteuilii Proliferous Pink x x x

* Phytolacca octandra Inkweed x

* Plantago lanceolata Lamb's Tongue x x x

Ranunculus lappaceus Common Buttercup x x

Rumex brownii Swamp Dock x x

* Salvia verbenaca Wild Sage x x x

* Sida sp. x x

* Silybum marianum Variegated Thistle x x

* Sisymbrium officinale Hedge Mustard x x x

* Sochus oleraceus Milk Thistle x x

* Trifolium arvense Haresfoot Clover x x x

Urtica incisa Native Stinging Nettle x x

* Verbena bonariensis Purpletop x x x

* Verbascum thapsus Great Mullein x x x

* Vicia sativa Common Vetch x

Vittadinia cuneata Fuzzweed x

Wahlenbergia communis Bluebell x x x

* Xanthium spinosum Bathurst Burr x x

* Xanthium occidentale Noogoora Burr x

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 124

Appendix 8: BioBanking Condition Assessment Waypoints for Booroolong Frog Offset Plan

Zone Easting Plot Number – Vegetation Community – Transect End Northing Altitude Plot 1 Impact area River Oak derived grassland western end 56 J 323250 6524875 537 m Plot 2 Impact area River Oak derived grassland southern end 56 J 322927 6525865 507 m Plot 3 Impact area Rough-bark Apple flat very weedy western end 56 J 323048 6524979 528 m Plot 4 Impact area Rough-bark Apple flat dominantly Robinia northern end 56 J 322888 6525760 535 m Plot 5 Impact area River Oak open forest very weedy western end 56 J 323148 6524898 533 m Plot 6 Impact area River Oak regeneration western end 56 J 323367 6524910 536 m Plot 7 Impact area River Oak open forest very weedy southern end 56 J 322911 6525129 531 m Plot 8 Impact area Yellow box woodland rocky slope western end 56 J 323172 6524864 534 m Plot 9 Rough-bark Apple, Yellow box, Stringybark rocky slope/riparian zone eastern end 56 J 322984 6524434 544 m Plot 10 Yellow box woodland slope southern end 56 J 323327 6524472 543 m Plot 11 River Oak open forest very weedy western end 56 J 323296 6524399 548 m Plot 12 River Oak & Willow Regeneration northern end 56 J 323450 6524511 531 m Plot 13 Rough-bark Apple flat derived grassland southern end 56 J 323529 6524662 533 m Plot 14 Rough-bark Apple flat derived grassland west end 56 J 323119 6524408 553 m Plot 15 Rough-bark Apple rocky slope southern end 56 J 323142 6520595 579 m Plot 16 River Oak derived grassland northern end 56 J 323188 6520674 578 m Plot 17 Rough-bark Apple flat derived grassland exotic northern end 56 J 323764 6520405 573 m Plot 18 Rough-bark Apple flat dom Exotics western end 56 J 323501 6520502 582 m Plot 19 Heavily grazed Yellow Box woodland northern end 56 J 323205 6520051 597 m Plot 20 Rough-bark Apple, Yellow box, Apple box, Stringybark rocky slope eastern end 56 J 322978 6519779 591 m Plot 21 Yellow box, Rough-bark Apple rocky slope southern end 56 J 322516 6519165 593 m Plot 22 Heavily grazed River oak derived grassland southern end 56 J 323098 6519969 579 m Plot 23 Heavily grazed River Oak derived grassland southern end 56 J 322630 6519357 591 m Plot 24 Rough-bark Apple flat derived grassland western end 56 J 322196 6518414 591 m Plot 25 Rough-bark Apple & Manna Gum flat southern end 56 J 322402 6518571 590 m Plot 26 River Oak & Willow regeneration western end 56 J 321873 6518030 593 m Plot 27 River Oak & Exotic open forest southern end 56 J 322044 6518236 599 m Plot 28 River Oak very weedy eastern end 56 J 323369 6520540 577 m Plot 29 River Oak and Willow regeneration south end 56 J 323438 6520126 582 m Plot 30 Derived grassland river bank was River Oak southern 56 J 322567 6519021 588 m

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Zone Easting Plot Number – Vegetation Community – Transect End Northing Altitude end Plot 31 Riparian River Oak & Willow regeneration <4m tall southern end 56 J 322477 6518666 587 m Plot 32 Derived very weedy was Rough-bark Apple southern end 56 J 322977 6525074 538 m Plot 33 River Oak & Willow regeneration southern end 56 J 323608 6524791 538 m Plot 34 River Oak riparian exotic ground cover northern end 56 J 323018 6524221 550 m Plot 35 Derived grassland exotic riparian zone southern end 56 J 323070 6524063 548 m Plot 36 Exotic tree & River Oak mix north end 56 J 322048 6518340 595 m Plot 37 Derived Rough-barked Apple and River Oak western end 56 J 322680 6522120 561 m Plot 38 Box woodland northern end 56 J 322504 6522002 572 m Plot 39 Mature River Oak weedy northern end 56 J 322816 6521825 571 m Plot 40 Box woodland west plot end 56 J 322708 6522052 555 m Plot 41 derived River Oak west plot end 56 J 322593 6522079 554 m Plot 42 derived River Oak north plot end 56 J 322443 6521975 558 m Plot 43 derived River Oak north plot end 56 J 322768 6521760 564 m Plot 44 derived Rough-bark Apple west plot end 56 J 322522 6521845 565 m Plot 45 Box woodland west plot end 56 J 322546 6521902 571 m

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 126

Appendix 9. Land Title Details entered into the BioBanking Calculator Bowling Alley Flooded impact area

ID Lot DP West of river Bukit Padang P/L 3 10 1125418 East of river Teresia May Mason 9 257 755324 State of NSW 10 7002 96452 State of NSW 11 7023 1066124 State of NSW 12 70 755342 State of NSW 13 155 755342 George and Robyn Knightly 14 56 755342

Bowling Alley 1st offset area adjoining impact area West of river Bukit Padang P/L 3 10 1125418 Alan James & Yvonne Marie Fullbrook 5 1 744739 East of river State of NSW 36 7001 96451 State of NSW 37 7011 96454 Raymond Barton 30 295 755324

Offset area opposite Taroona West of river Alan James & Yvonne Marie Fullbrook 5 1 744739 Finkpine Pty Ltd 64 1 1041942 East of river State of NSW TSR 50 7008 1060952 State of NSW 51 7007 1060952

Nundle to Swamp Creek offset area West of river Finkpine Pty Ltd 6 1 104194 4 2 Michael and Margaret Chamberlain 1 & 595586 2 Michael and Margaret Chamberlain 33 - 742996 35 East of river State of NSW 5 700 96453 4 6 State of NSW 5 298 40575

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6 Graham Geoffrey Holford 5 178 755324 7 State of NSW 5 730 113573 8 6 5 State of NSW 5 730 113573 9 7 5 State of NSW 6 730 113573 0 8 5 State of NSW 6 731 114021 1 7 5

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Marcia Janice Ryan 6 147 1548.17 2 64

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Appendix 10. Benchmarks for the condition of the three dominant vegetation communities

NA197 Rough-bark Apple benchmark Native Native Native Native Native Native Exotic Number Over- Total Remove plant over- mid- ground ground ground plant of trees storey length Multipliers species storey storey cover cover cover cover with regen of cover cover (grass) (shrubs) (other) hollows fallen logs >=25 6.0 to 0.0 to 30.0 to 3.0 to 3.0 to See >=1 1.00 >=15

25.0 5.0 40.0 10.0 5.0 Manual

NA161 River Oak community benchmark Native Native Native Native Native Native Exotic Number of Over- Total Remove plant over- mid- ground ground ground plant trees with storey length Multipliers species storey storey cover cover cover cover hollows regen of cover cover (grass) (shrubs) (other) fallen logs >=21 10.0 to 1.0 to 1.0 to 35.0 1.0 to 10.0 3.0 to 20.0 See >=1 1.00 >=15

40.0 60.0 Manual

NA237 Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion Native Native Native Native Native Native Exotic Number Over- Total Remove plant over- mid- ground ground ground plant of trees storey length Multipliers species storey storey cover cover cover cover with regen of cover cover (grass) (shrubs) (other) hollows fallen logs >=23 6.0 to 0.0 to 30.0 to 0.0 to 3.0 to See >=1 1.00 >=30 25.0 5.0 40.0 0.0 5.0 Manual

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Na tive pla nt spe cie s Native over- Native mid- Native ground Native ground Native ground Namoi CMA vegetation benchmarks richness storey cover storey cover cover (grasses) cover (shrubs) cover (other) Cover Number of Total Hollows & Veg Type Name Veg Type ID Richness Source Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower Upper estimates trees with length of logs - - Source hollows fallen logs Source River Oak riparian woodland of the Brigalow Belt South and Nandewar Bioregions NA191 21 10 40 1 60 1 35 1 10 3 20 1 15 (Benson 84) Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass NA197 25 E 6250 5 30403 103 5 E 115E open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy NA237 23 E 625053040003 5 E 130P woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 132

Appendix 11. BioBanking Credit Reports

This report identifies the number and type of biodiversity credits required for a major project. Date of report: 22/07/2015 Time: 1:15:46PM Calculator version: v4.0

Major Project details Proposal ID: 0135/2014/1496D Proposal name: Booroolong Frog offset plan Chaffey Dam Impact Area Proposal address: Back Nundle Road Nundle NSW 2340

Proponent name: State Water Corporation Proponent address: Level 10 55 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Proponent phone: 0282452049

Assessor name: Elizabeth Broese Assessor address: PO Box 295 Armidale NSW 2350 Assessor phone: 02 67711259 Assessor accreditation: 0135

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 133

Summary of ecosystem credits required

Plant Community type Area (ha) Credits created

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall 5.20 89.00 woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the 5.14 77.83 Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the 0.50 17.31 Nandewar Bioregion

Total 10.84 184

Credit profiles

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 134

1. Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) Number of ecosystem credits created 78 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

Offset options - Plant Community types Offset options - IBRA sub-regions

Broad-leaved Stringybark - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodlands of the New Peel - Namoi England Tableland Bioregion, (NA118) and any IBRA subregion that adjoins the IBRA subregion in which the development Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) occurs

Long-leaved Box +/- Nortons Box - red gum grassy woodland on hills in the southern Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, (NA295)

Bendemeer White Gum - Silvertop Stringybark - Rough-barked Apple +/- Moonbi Apple Box grassy open forest of the southern New England Tableland Bioregion, (NA244)

Blakely's Red Gum - Yellow Box grassy woodland of the New England Tableland Bioregion, (NA258)

Ribbon Gum - Rough-barked Apple - Yellow Box grassy woodland of the New England Tableland Bioregion and NSW North Coast Bioregion, (NA332)

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 135

2. Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA237) Number of ecosystem credits created 17 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

Offset options - Plant Community types Offset options - IBRA sub-regions

Fuzzy Box woodland on colluvium and alluvial flats in the Brigalow Belt South Peel - Namoi Bioregion (including Pilliga) and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA141) and any IBRA subregion that adjoins the IBRA subregion in which the development Grey Box - Blakely's Red Gum - Yellow Box grassy open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion and New England Tableland Bioregion, (NA144) occurs

White Box grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion and Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, (NA226)

White Cypress Pine - Silver-leaved Ironbark grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA230)

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA237)

White Box grassy woodland to open woodland on basalt flats and rises in the Liverpool Plains sub-region, BBS Bioregion, (NA400)

Silver-leaved Ironbark grassy tall woodland on clay-loam soils on plains in the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, (NA350)

Grey Box grassy woodland or open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion and New England Tableland Bioregion, (NA293)

White Box - White Cypress Pine - Silver-leaved Ironbark grassy woodland on mainly clay loam soils on hills mainly in the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA395)

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 136

3. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 89 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

Offset options - Plant Community types Offset options - IBRA sub-regions

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland Peel - Namoi (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, and any IBRA subregion that adjoins the (NA191) IBRA subregion in which the development occurs

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 137

Summary of species credits required

Common name Scientific name Extent of impact Number of Ha or individuals species credits created Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis 3.10 40

Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata 10.84 141

Brown Treecreeper (eastern Climacteris picumnus subsp. victoriae 10.84 217 subspecies)

Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis 10.84 238

Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata 10.84 282

Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla 10.84 195

Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern Melithreptus gularis subsp. gularis 10.84 141 subspecies)

Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides 10.84 152

Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera 10.84 141

Hooded Robin (south-eastern form) Melanodryas cucullata subsp. 10.84 184 cucullata

Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat Saccolaimus flaviventris 10.84 238

Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea 10.84 141

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Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 139

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 140

BioBanking credit report

This report identifies the number and type of credits required at a BIOBANK SITE Date of report: 22/07/2015 Time: 12:55:23PM Calculator version: v4.0

Biobank details Proposal ID: 0135/2014/1494B Proposal name: Booroolong Frog Bowling Alley offset plan Proposal address: Back Nundle Road Nundle NSW 2340

Proponent name: State Water Corporation Proponent address: Level 10 55 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Proponent phone: 0282452049

Assessor name: Elizabeth Broese Assessor address: PO Box 295 Armidale NSW 2350 Assessor phone: 02 67711259 Assessor accreditation: 0135

Additional information required for approval:

Use of local benchmark

Expert report... Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis

Request for additional gain in site value

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 141

Ecosystem credits summary

Plant Community type Area (ha) Credits created

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall 10.38 83.00 woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the 10.26 83.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the 1.26 12.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Total 21.90 178

Credit profiles

1. Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) Number of ecosystem credits created 83 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

2. Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA237) Number of ecosystem credits created 12 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

3. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 74 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

4. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 9 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 142

Species credits summary

Common name Scientific name Extent of impact Number of Ha or individuals species credits created Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis 11.90 84

Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata 11.90 84

Brown Treecreeper (eastern Climacteris picumnus subsp. victoriae 11.90 84 subspecies)

Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern Melithreptus gularis subsp. gularis 11.90 84 subspecies)

Additional management actions

Additional management actions are required for:

Vegetation type or threatened species Management action details

Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern subspecies) Exclude commercial apiaries

Black-chinned Honeyeater (eastern subspecies) Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

Booroolong Frog Control exotic pest fish species (within dams)

Booroolong Frog Maintain or re-introduce natural flow regimes

Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies) Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude commercial apiaries woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude miscellaneous feral species woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Fox control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Slashing woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Exclude miscellaneous feral species Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Fox control Nandewar BioregionBooroolong Frog Offset Plan fo r Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 143

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Slashing Nandewar Bioregion

Speckled Warbler Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

Speckled Warbler Fox control

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude miscellaneous feral species Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Fox control Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Slashing Nandewar Bioregion

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Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 145

BioBanking credit report

This report identifies the number and type of credits required at a BIOBANK SITE Date of report: 22/07/2015 Time: 2:05:46PM Calculator version: v4.0

Biobank details Proposal ID: 0135/2014/1497B Proposal name: Booroolong Frog Nundle offset plan Proposal address: Back Nundle Road Nundle NSW 2340

Proponent name: State Water Corporation Proponent address: Level 10 55 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Proponent phone: 0282452049

Assessor name: Elizabeth Broese Assessor address: PO Box 295 Armidale NSW 2350 Assessor phone: 02 67711259 Assessor accreditation: 0135

Additional information required for approval:

Use of local benchmark

Expert report... Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis

Request for additional gain in site value

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 146

Ecosystem credits summary

Plant Community type Area (ha) Credits created

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall 21.25 198.00 woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the 21.73 204.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the 3.07 29.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Total 46.05 431

Credit profiles

1. Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) Number of ecosystem credits created 9 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

2. Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) Number of ecosystem credits created 195 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

3. Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA237) Number of ecosystem credits created 29 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

4. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 53 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

5. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 145 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

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Species credits summary

Common name Scientific name Extent of impact Number of Ha or individuals species credits created Speckled Warbler Chthonicola sagittata 45.73 325

Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata 45.73 325

Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis 0.00 325

Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis 45.73 325

Brown Treecreeper (eastern Climacteris picumnus subsp. victoriae 45.73 325 subspecies)

Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla 45.73 325

Additional management actions

Additional management actions are required for:

Vegetation type or threatened species Management action details

Booroolong Frog Control exotic pest fish species (within dams)

Booroolong Frog Maintain or re-introduce natural flow regimes

Brown Treecreeper (eastern subspecies) Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

Diamond Firetail Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

Little Lorikeet Exclude commercial apiaries

Little Lorikeet Exclude miscellaneous feral species

Little Lorikeet Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude commercial apiaries woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude miscellaneous feral species woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Fox control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Slashing woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barkedBooroolong Frog Offset Plan fo Apple riparian forb/grass open r Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27forest of the Exclude miscellaneousth July 2015 feral species Page 148 Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Fox control Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Slashing Nandewar Bioregion

Speckled Warbler Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control

Speckled Warbler Fox control

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude miscellaneous feral species Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Fox control Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Slashing Nandewar Bioregion

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 149

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 150

BioBanking credit report

This report identifies the number and type of credits required at a BIOBANK SITE Date of report: 26/07/2015 Time: 3:03:38PM Calculator version: v4.0

Biobank details Proposal ID: 0135/2015/2055B Proposal name: Booroolong Frog Taroona offset circle Proposal address: Back Nundle Road Nundle NSW 2340

Proponent name: State Water Corporation Proponent address: Level 10 55 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Proponent phone: 0282452049

Assessor name: Elizabeth Broese Assessor address: PO Box 295 Armidale NSW 2350 Assessor phone: 02 67711259 Assessor accreditation: 0135

Additional information required for approval:

Use of local benchmark

Expert report... Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis

Request for additional gain in site value

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 151

Ecosystem credits summary

Plant Community type Area (ha) Credits created

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall 4.43 42.00 woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the 3.94 30.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the 5.13 44.00 Nandewar Bioregion

Total 13.50 116

Credit profiles

1. Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA197) Number of ecosystem credits created 30 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

2. Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Nandewar Bioregion, (NA237) Number of ecosystem credits created 44 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

3. River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion, (NA191)

Number of ecosystem credits created 42 IBRA sub-region Peel - Namoi

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 152

Species credits summary

Common name Scientific name Extent of impact Number of Ha or individuals species credits created Booroolong Frog Litoria booroolongensis 13.50 96

Additional management actions

Additional management actions are required for:

Vegetation type or threatened species Management action details

Booroolong Frog Control exotic pest fish species (within dams)

Booroolong Frog Maintain or re-introduce natural flow regimes

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude commercial apiaries woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Exclude miscellaneous feral species woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Fox control woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

River Oak - Rough-barked Apple - red gum - box riparian tall Slashing woodland (wetland) of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion and Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Exclude miscellaneous feral species Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Fox control Nandewar Bioregion

Rough-barked Apple riparian forb/grass open forest of the Slashing Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude commercial apiaries Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Exclude miscellaneous feral species Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box - Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland of the Feral and/or over-abundant native herbivore control Nandewar Bioregion

Yellow Box Booroolong Frog Offset Plan fo- Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodlandr Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27 of the Fox control th July 2015 Page 153 Nandewar Bioregion

Booroolong Frog Offset Plan for Chaffey Dam Augmentation 27th July 2015 Page 154