Sunwater Rookwood Weir Project Turtle Species Management Plan
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Sunwater Rookwood Weir Turtle Species Management Program 41-29978-02-AP-RPT-0008 October 2020 Glossary Abbreviation / acronym Definition AEIS Addendum Environmental Impact Statement AHD Australian Height Datum AMTD Adopted Middle Thread Distribution CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan cm Centimetre CoG Queensland Government’s Coordinator General DEHP Department of Environment and Heritage Protection DERM Department of Environment and Resource Management DES Department of Environment and Science DNRME Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy EIS Environmental Impact Statement EP Act Environmental Protection Act 1994 EPBC Act Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 FSL Full Supply Level ha Hectare GED General Environmental Duty kg Kilogram km Kilometre m Metre mm Millimetre ML Mega Litre MNES Matters of National Environmental Significance NC Act Nature Conservation Act 1992 NC Reg Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 Q Quarter RL Reduced Level GHD | Report for Sunwater - Turtle Construction SMP, 41-29978-02-AP-RPT-0008 | i Abbreviation / acronym Definition SM Species Management SMP Species Management Program GHD | Report for Sunwater - Turtle Construction SMP, 41-29978-02-AP-RPT-0008 | ii Table of contents 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Overview .........................................................................................................................1 1.2 Project description ...........................................................................................................3 1.3 Purpose of the report ..................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Legislative requirements ................................................................................................ 12 1.5 Consultation .................................................................................................................. 17 1.6 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 17 2. Existing values ........................................................................................................................ 19 2.1 Survey methodology ...................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Fitzroy River turtle ......................................................................................................... 22 2.3 White throated snapping turtle ....................................................................................... 26 2.4 Summary of existing values ........................................................................................... 28 3. Impact assessment ................................................................................................................. 29 3.1 Overview of impacts ...................................................................................................... 29 3.2 Mortality of eggs ............................................................................................................ 31 3.3 Disturbance of nesting ................................................................................................... 31 3.4 Degradation of confirmed and potentially suitable nesting habitat................................... 32 3.5 Injury/mortality of turtles................................................................................................. 32 3.6 Loss and disturbance of habitat ..................................................................................... 32 3.7 Degradation of habitat ................................................................................................... 33 3.8 Restriction of movement ................................................................................................ 33 4. Management plan ................................................................................................................... 34 4.1 Objectives and performance criteria............................................................................... 34 4.2 Responsible persons ..................................................................................................... 36 4.3 Management strategy .................................................................................................... 38 5. Monitoring ............................................................................................................................... 54 6. Contingency planning .............................................................................................................. 55 8. Reporting requirements ........................................................................................................... 57 9. Residual risk assessment ........................................................................................................ 59 10. References ............................................................................................................................. 63 Table index Table 1-1 Rookwood Weir construction staging ............................................................................... 5 Table 1-2 Riverslea Crossing bridge construction staging ................................................................ 9 Table 1-3 Compliance with legislative requirements ...................................................................... 14 GHD | Report for Sunwater - Turtle Construction SMP, 41-29978-02-AP-RPT-0008 | iii Table 3-1 Summary of potential impacts to the Fitzroy River turtle and white-throated snapping turtle during construction ................................................................................ 30 Table 4-1 Management objectives and performance criteria .......................................................... 34 Table 4-2 Relevant conservation advice, recovery plans and threat abatement plans, and relationships to manage objectives. ............................................................................... 35 Table 4-3 Roles and responsibilities of personnel associated with the Project ................................ 36 Table 4-4 Management strategy for protection of confirmed and potentially suitable breeding places ............................................................................................................. 39 Table 4-5 Management strategy for protection of turtles and aquatic habitat .................................. 46 Table 6-1 Turtle incident contingency actions ................................................................................ 55 Table 9-1 Consequence classification ........................................................................................... 59 Table 9-2 Likelihood classification ................................................................................................. 59 Table 9-3 Risk rating matrix........................................................................................................... 60 Table 9-4 Risk assessment and management ............................................................................... 61 Figure index Figure 1-1 Rookwood Weir construction footprint and turtle habitat areas ......................................... 4 Figure 1-2 Riverslea Crossing bridge construction footprint and turtle habitat areas .......................... 8 Figure 4-1 No access turtle habitat protection areas at Rookwood Weir .......................................... 52 Figure 4-2 No access turtle habitat protection areas at Riverslea Crossing ..................................... 53 Appendices Appendix A - Curriculum vitae GHD | Report for Sunwater - Turtle Construction SMP, 41-29978-02-AP-RPT-0008 | iv 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview The Fitzroy River turtle (Rheodytes leukops) and white-throated snapping turtle (Elseya albagula) are two freshwater turtle species known to occur within the footprint of the Rookwood Weir Project (Stage 1) (Project). The Fitzroy River turtle is listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act). The white-throated snapping turtle is listed as critically endangered under the EPBC Act and endangered under the NC Act. As a component of the Lower Fitzroy River Infrastructure Project (LFRIP; GHD 2009), Rookwood Weir (Stage 1 only) will be constructed by Sunwater Limited, to satisfy short-to- medium-term water supply. No raising of Eden Bann Weir is proposed. The proposed weir infrastructure will span 210 metres (m) across the river and have an approximate fixed crest of reduced level (RL) 45.5 m Australian Height Datum (AHD). Located at 265.3 kilometres (km) adopted middle threat distance (AMTD) on the Fitzroy River, the impoundment at full supply level (FSL) extends up the Fitzroy River and into the Mackenzie River (322 km AMTD) and Dawson River (10 km AMTD). Rookwood Weir Stage 1 also includes construction of a new multi-span bridge to replace the existing low-level causeway at Riverslea Crossing (276 km AMTD). An environmental impact statement (EIS), including an addendum (AEIS) was approved by the Queensland Government’s Coordinator General (CoG) in December 2016 (CoG 2016) and the Federal Minister for Environment in February 2017 (EPBC 2009/5173), subject to conditions.