Biocertification Report FLORA and FAUNA INVESTIGATIONS of the WAGGA WAGGA CAMPUS of CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY, ESTELLA
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Biocertification Report FLORA AND FAUNA INVESTIGATIONS OF THE WAGGA WAGGA CAMPUS OF CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY, ESTELLA FEBRUARY 2009 CSU Flora and Fauna Investigations Document Verification Job title: Flora and Fauna Investigations of the Wagga Wagga Campus of Charles Sturt University, Estella Document Title Report File Name \\Nghwagga\wagga-active\Projects\2008\CSU\CSU Biocertification\Report Revision Date Prepared by Amy Currey and Checked by Erwin Budde Approved by Erwin Budde Jackie Miles Draft 10.09.08 name name name Final 07.01.09 name name name nghenvironmental prints all documents on sugar cane paper made from 100% bagasse (a by-product of sugar production). 102/63 – 65 Johnston Street (po box 5464) wagga wagga nsw 2650 australia t 61 2 6971 9696 f 61 2 6971 9693 web: www.nghenvironmental.com.au email: [email protected] 206/410 elizabeth st surry hills 1/216 carp street (po box 470) bega suite 4/4, 234 naturaliste terrace nsw 2010 australia nsw 2550 australia (po box 1037) dunsborough t 61 2 8202 8333 f 61 2 9211 1374 t 61 2 6492 8333 f 61 2 6494 7773 wa 6281 australia t 61 8 9759 1985 f 61 2 6494 7773 FINAL February 2009 i nghenvironmental CSU Flora and Fauna Investigations Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. IV 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY ................................................................................................... 1 1.3 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 CONSERVATION VALUE: DEFINITIONS ................................................................................... 4 2 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT .......................................................................................... 6 2.1 WAGGA WAGGA LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN ................................................................. 6 2.2 NSW THREATENED SPECIES CONSERVATION ACT 1995 (TSC ACT) ....................................... 6 2.3 COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 (EPBC ACT) .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.4 BIOCERTIFICATION ................................................................................................................. 6 2.5 STAKEHOLDERS ...................................................................................................................... 7 3 DATA SOURCES .................................................................................................... 8 4 SURVEY METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 9 4.1 BACKGROUND REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 9 4.2 FIELD INVESTIGATIONS ........................................................................................................ 10 4.3 LIMITATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 12 5 CSU – Wagga Wagga Campus Overview ............................................................. 14 5.1 LAND FORMS AND LAND MANAGEMENT ........................................................................... 14 5.2 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ....................................... 15 5.3 THREATENED SPECIES .......................................................................................................... 16 5.4 OTHER EPBC ACT MATTERS ................................................................................................. 26 6 SURVEY RESULTS ................................................................................................ 28 6.1 FLORA FIELD SURVEY RESULTS ............................................................................................ 28 6.2 FAUNA SURVEY RESULTS ..................................................................................................... 37 6.3 RESULTS SUMMARY: CSU – WAGGA WAGGA CAMPUS ...................................................... 40 7 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................ 42 8 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 43 9 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 45 FINAL February 2009 ii nghenvironmental CSU Flora and Fauna Investigations Tables Table 1 – Conservation Value Definitions .................................................................................................................. 5 Table 2 – Weather Conditions during Fieldwork ..................................................................................................... 10 Table 3 – Threatened Flora recorded from Wagga Wagga LGA, or occurring on the South West Slopes in grassy woodland habitat .................................................................................................................................................... 16 Table 4 – Threatened Fauna recorded from the Wagga Wagga Map sheet 8327 .................................................. 17 Table 5 – Summary of Vegetation Communities, Condition and Location .............................................................. 32 Table 6 – Summary of Biodiversity Values with CSU, Wagga Wagga Campus. ....................................................... 40 Figures Figure 1 – CSU Land Boundaries ................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2 – South Western Slopes Bioregion ............................................................................................................ 14 Figure 3 – Vegetation Communities ........................................................................................................................ 31 Figure 4 – Endangered Ecological Communities within the CSU Campus ............................................................... 36 Figure 5 – Fauna Ecological Value Classes identified within the CSU land boundaries ........................................... 39 FINAL February 2009 iii nghenvironmental CSU Flora and Fauna Investigations EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2008, Charles Sturt University were approached by Wagga Wagga City Council and the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) with a preliminary plan for including the CSU Wagga Wagga Estella Campus in a future Biocertification scheme of the Wagga Wagga LEP. Biocertification would allow up-front strategic assessment of conservation values and enable informed community participation in planning outcomes and development projects. Legislation that is relevant to this report includes the Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan, Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The purpose of this study is to inform Charles Sturt University of potential Biocertification options should Wagga Wagga City Council opt to pursue such a scheme for its new LEP. CSU is not able to independently biocertify its own site. Field investigations involved undertaking detailed background searches to obtain information on vegetation structure and connectivity, and flora and fauna characteristics of the site. Flora and fauna surveys were conducted with a particular emphasis on the moderate to high conservation/ecological areas. The field surveys were guided by the Threatened Biodiversity Survey and Assessment Guidelines (DECC 2004) and the Biometric and Threatened Species Tool (DECC, 2008). A number of vegetation communities were evident within the CSU land boundaries, two of which are listed as Endangered Ecological Communities (EEC) by the NSW Scientific Committee, under the TSC Act, and one of which is listed under the EPBC Act. A total of 120 plants species were recorded during the field investigations, none of which are listed as threatened under the NSW TSC Act or Commonwealth EPBC Act. This is unlikely to include all plants present within the study area, given the survey constraints, however it is considered to provide adequate information to assess the types of vegetation communities and habitats present in the study area and determine the likelihood of the presence of threatened biota. Dominant tree species were White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) on the hilly areas and Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora), White Box (Eucalyptus albens), Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) and Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus) on lower slopes. A total of 55 fauna species (48 birds, 5 mammals and 2 reptiles) were recorded within the CSU land boundaries during the field investigations, with a total of three threatened fauna species (Superb Parrot, Speckled Warbler, and Grey Crowned Babbler) observed and recorded utilising the CSU site, all of which are listed as vulnerable under the TSC Act. The Superb Parrot is also listed as threatened under the EPBC Act. Although none of the study area carries remnant Endangered Ecological Community