EA App. K Veg Management
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DRAFT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN EXTENSION OF SAND QUARRY CLEARY BROS (BOMBO) GERROA A report prepared by KEVIN MILLS & ASSOCIATES PTY LIMITED SEPTEMBER 2006 06/04/2 DRAFT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN EXTENSION OF SAND QUARRY CLEARY BROS (BOMBO) GERROA a report prepared by KEVIN MILLS & ASSOCIATES ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 114 NORTH CURRAMORE ROAD JAMBEROO NSW 2533 ABN 346 816 238 93 for CLEARY BROS (BOMBO) PTY LIMITED PO BOX 210 PORT KEMBLA NSW 2505 September 2006 06/04/2 Kevin Mills & Associates Pty Limited ACN 003 441 610 as trustee for Kevin Mills & Associates Trust COPYRIGHT © Kevin Mills & Associates 2006 All intellectual property and copyright reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1968, no part of this report may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or updated in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to Kevin Mills & Associates. Kevin Mills & Associates Draft Vegetation Management Plan i Cleary Bros (Bombo) Quarry, Gerroa VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN EXTENSION OF SAND QUARRY CLEARY BROS (BOMBO) GERROA CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 2 THE PROJECT AREA .......................................................................................... 1 3 EXISTING VEGETATION AND HABITATS.......................................................... 2 3.1 Plant Species Present..................................................................................... 2 3.2 Vegetation Communities................................................................................. 2 3.3 Significant Vegetation Communities................................................................ 3 4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES............................................................................. 3 5 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS................................................... 4 6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 8 APPENDICES 1 Native Plant Species List for the Cleary Bros (Bombo) Property at Gerroa..... 9 2 List of Plant Species for Planting Program.................................................... 15 PLAN Vegetation Management Plan Kevin Mills & Associates Draft Vegetation Management Plan ii Cleary Bros (Bombo) Quarry, Gerroa DRAFT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN EXTENSION OF SAND QUARRY CLEARY BROS (BOMBO) GERROA 1 INTRODUCTION This Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) was prepared on behalf of Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Limited, operators of the Gerroa Sand Quarry at Gerroa in the Municipality of Kiama. The purpose of the Plan is to describe a compensatory reforestation scheme and an enhancement program for the forest vegetation surrounding the proposed extension of the sand quarry. A study by Kevin Mills & Associates (2005) described in detail the flora, fauna, vegetation communities and habitats across the whole of the Cleary Bros (Bombo) land at Gerroa. Most recently, a flora and fauna report was prepared by Kevin Mills & Associates (2006) as a part of the Environmental Assessment for the proposed extension of the sand quarry. These reports form companion documents to this Vegetation Management Plan and should be considered together. Much detailed information in those documents is not repeated here. This VMP identifies the objectives and management issues associated with the retention, enhancement and replanting of forest communities in the vicinity of the proposed sand quarry extension. The document also describes the management strategies and actions required to meet the identified objectives. The VMP is largely map-based, so that this document must be read in conjunction with the Vegetation Management Map; this is a large scale plan attached to the VMP. 2 THE PROJECT AREA The existing sand quarry has operated for many years and is located directly north and west of Berry Beach Road and Seven Mile Beach Road, respectively. The current proposal is to expand this quarry northwards for a distance of about 700 metres. This involves clearing about 1.7 hectares of natural forest, 1.6 hectares of modified forest and 0.3 hectares of planted forest. The project area for the purposes of this VMP is the land surrounding the sand quarry and those areas selected for replanting elsewhere on the Company's property. These areas are shown on the accompanying Vegetation Management Map. The project area is located about three kilometres to the southwest of Gerroa. The general area is on coastal sand dunes and flats in the east, extending onto the clayey soils derived from the Berry Siltstone in the west. The property is mostly cleared of its original forest and now supports exotic grassland. Immediately to the north of the existing quarry there is a stand of forest on sand dunes that will be cleared as a part of the extension of the quarry. To the west of the existing and proposed quarry extension, there is a substantial area of forest, composed of several different communities; some of these are listed as endangered ecological communities under the Threatened species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW). This forest will not be affected by the proposed quarry extension. Kevin Mills & Associates Draft Vegetation Management Plan 1 Cleary Bros (Bombo) Quarry, Gerroa The project area is about 700 metres inland from Seven Mile Beach, with drainage being directly into the sand dunes, towards the existing dredge pond and to Blue Angle Creek on the western edge of the proposed quarry. This creek is a tributary of the Crooked River, located about 2.5 kilometres to the north. 3 EXISTING VEGETATION AND HABITATS 3.1 Plant Species Present A native plant list was prepared for the whole of the company's property by Kevin Mills & Associates (2005). This plant list is provided in Appendix 1, where the name of the species, both the botanical and common name, and the family to which each belongs, is stated. The list contains the names of 135 native species. Most of these species can be found in and around the forest on or adjacent to the quarry. This list is used later to identify native species suitable for use in the proposed planting programs. 3.2 Vegetation Communities Four forest communities have been identified in the area; the following descriptions of these communities are extracted from the report by Kevin Mills & Associates (2006). The aim of the reforestation program is to develop forest communities that mirror these natural forests. Littoral Rainforest Alternative Name: Simple Littoral Rainforest Code: SIM-LRF Key Species: Glochidion ferdinandi, Guioa semiglauca, Eucalyptus botryoides Description: This is a simple rainforest community, being dominated by only a handful of species. The dominant tree is Cheese Tree Glochidion ferdinandi, with occasional Guioa Guioa semiglauca. A few shrub specimens of Hairy Clerodendrum Clerodendrum tomentosum, Native Olive Notelaea longifolia and Breynia Breynia oblongifolia occur. There is an overstorey of Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides and Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis above the dense canopy of Cheese Tree. The ground cover is mainly composed of "non-rainforest" species, such as Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia, Wandering Sailor Commelina cyanea and Flax-lily Dianella caerulea. Creepers are relatively common, with 10 species being recorded. These include Snake Vine Stephania japonica, Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea and Wombat Berry Eustrephus latifolius. Blackbutt - Banksia Forest Alternative Name: Blackbutt-Banksia Tall Forest Code: PIL-BAN Key Species: Eucalyptus pilularis, Banksia integrifolia, Eucalyptus botryoides Description: This tall forest is dominated by Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis. The associated trees are Rough- barked Apple Angophora floribunda and Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides, although these species are uncommon in the forest in the investigation area. The understorey is composed of small trees and shrubs, including Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia, Cheese Tree Glochidion ferdinandi, Tree Broom-heath Monotoca elliptica and Maiden’s Wattle Acacia maidenii. The common smaller shrubs and other plants in the forest include Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia, Bracken Pteridium esculentum, Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica and Kangaroo Grass Themeda australis. Creepers such as Climbing Guinea Flower Hibbertia scandens and Native Raspberry Rubus parvifolius. Dense stands of the introduced rambling shrub Lantana Lantana camara occur in many places. Kevin Mills & Associates Draft Vegetation Management Plan 2 Cleary Bros (Bombo) Quarry, Gerroa Bangalay - Banksia Forest Alternative Name: Bangalay Sand Forest Code: BOT-BAN Key Species: Eucalyptus botryoides, Banksia integrifolia, Angophora floribunda, Acacia maidenii Description: The trees present in this forest are mainly Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides and Rough-barked Apple Angophora floribunda, with occasional Maiden's Wattle Acacia maidenii. The open understorey is a grassland of native and some introduced species, mainly the result of grazing and "underscrubbing". The common native species include Kangaroo Grass Themeda australis, Common Bracken Pteridium esculentum, Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia, Couch Grass Cynodon dactylon, Small-leaved Bramble Rubus parvifolius and Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica. Scatttered shrubs include Breynia Breynia