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Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment Prepared for NSW Department of Planning and Environment October 2016 Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment DOCUMENT TRACKING Item Detail Project Name Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment Project Number SYD15 - 1670 David Bonjer Project Manager 8536 8668 Level 6, 299 Sussex Street, Sydney 2000 Prepared by Lily Gorrell, Ian Dixon, David Bonjer and Rebecca Dwyer Reviewed by Robert Mezzatesta Approved by David Bonjer Status Final Version Number 3 Last saved on 6 October 2016 Clockwise from top left. Ropes creek, hollow bearing tree and threatened species Grevillea Cover photo juniperina subsp. juniperina at Ropes Creek site, 13th May 2015, Matt Dowle This report should be cited as ‘Eco Logical Australia 2015. Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment. Prepared for Department of Planning and Environment.’ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document has been prepared by Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd. Disclaimer This document may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the contract between Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd and Department of Planning and Environment. The scope of services was defined in consultation with Department of Planning and Environment, by time and budgetary constraints imposed by the client, and the availability of reports and other data on the subject area. Changes to available information, legislation and schedules are made on an ongoing basis and readers should obtain up to date information. Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report and its supporting material by any third party. Information provided is not intended to be a substitute for site specific assessment or legal advice in relation to any matter. Unauthorised use of this report in any form is prohibited. Template 08/05/2014 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ii Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ vi 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Brief for the study ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Location and overview of subject site ........................................................................................... 8 2 Planning and Legislation ......................................................................................................... 10 3 Methods ..................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Database review and Likelihood of occurrence assessment ..................................................... 12 3.2 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 12 3.2.1 Flora and Fauna Assessment. Biosis Research, May 2005. ..................................................... 12 3.2.2 Ropes Creek Environmental Constraints Assessment – Riparian Corridor Strategy. GHD. November 2009 ....................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Site Survey ................................................................................................................................. 13 3.3.1 Flora Survey and Habitat Assessment ....................................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Fauna Survey and Habitat Assessment ..................................................................................... 14 3.3.3 Top of Bank Survey method ....................................................................................................... 15 4 Results - Terrestrial Habitats ................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Vegetation Communities ............................................................................................................ 17 4.1.1 Woodland Remnants (Cumberland Plain Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion) ............... 17 4.1.2 Riparian Forest (River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions) ............................................................ 20 4.1.3 Cleared Paddocks with Scattered Remnant Canopy Trees ....................................................... 21 4.2 Flora ............................................................................................................................................ 22 4.2.1 Threatened flora ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.2 Weeds ......................................................................................................................................... 22 4.3 Fauna .......................................................................................................................................... 25 4.4 Conservation Significance .......................................................................................................... 28 5 Results – Aquatic and Riparian Habitats ............................................................................... 30 5.1 Top of bank mapping .................................................................................................................. 30 5.2 Aquatic habitats .......................................................................................................................... 30 5.3 Riparian buffer requirements ...................................................................................................... 37 6 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 40 References ............................................................................................................................................. 43 Appendix A Likelihood of Occurrence : Threatened Species TSC Act 1995 and EPBC Act 1999 44 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD iii Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment Appendix B Flora List ........................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix C - Fauna List ....................................................................................................................... 70 List of figures Figure 1: Ropes Creek Precinct ................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 2: Location of anabats and nocturnal survey effort ....................................................................... 15 Figure 3: Mapped vegetation communities, Hollow bearing trees/stags and threatened species Grevillea juniperina subsp. juniperina ...................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 4: Threatened flora and fauna ....................................................................................................... 23 Figure 5: Noxious weeds and erosion on the subject site ........................................................................ 24 Figure 6: Terrestrial ecological constraints across the subject site .......................................................... 29 Figure 7 Top of Bank and Stream Order .................................................................................................. 31 Figure 8 Recommended riparian buffers .................................................................................................. 39 Figure 9 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 42 List of Plates Plate 1: CPW in the south-west of the subject site (Grevillea juniperina subsp. juniperina) ................... 19 Plate 2: Modified CPW regrowth .............................................................................................................. 19 Plate 3: River-Flat Riparian Forest vegetation ......................................................................................... 20 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD iv Ropes Creek Precinct – Biodiversity and Riparian Assessment Abbreviations Abbreviation Description AoS Assessment of Significance CA Controlled Action CEEC Critically Endangered Ecological Community DotE Department of the Environment DP&I Department of Planning and Infrastructure DCP Development Control Plan EEC Endangered Ecological Community ELA Eco Logical Australia EPBC Act Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 EP&A Act Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 FM Act Fisheries Management Act 1994 LGA Local Government Area MNES Matters of National Environmental Significance NCA Non-controlled Action NCA-SA Non-controlled action – Specified Manner OSL Office of Strategic Lands SEPP State Environmental Planning Policy TSC Act Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD v Ropes Creek Precinct
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