APPENDIX A1: FIELD SURVEY REPORT – WOLLOMBI STATION Please refer to pdf file supplied separately. Byerwen Coal Project: Offset Delivery Plan EPBC 2010/5778 Page 122 of 141 BYERWEN COAL PROJECT STAGE 1 OFFSET ASSESSMENT Byerwen Coal Pty Ltd PO Box 5385 Brendale Q 4500 SEPTEMBER 2016 P 0448 899 649 F 07 3264 7131 E [email protected] Disclaimer The preparation of this report has been in accordance with the brief provided by the Client and relies upon data collected under limitations, as specified within the report. All findings, conclusions or recommendations contained within the report are based on the aforementioned circumstances and represent the professional opinions of Ecological Survey & Management. The report has been prepared for use by the Client and no responsibility for its use by other parties is accepted by Ecological Survey & Management. 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Document History and Status Document version: 15061_Rpt01e Author(s): Meredith Watherston Reviewed by: Chris Hansen Approved by: Chris Hansen Signed : Date issued: 13 September 2016 Byerwen Coal Project Stage 1 Offset Assessment Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 1.1 Scope of works ............................................................................... 2 1.2 Biodiversity offset strategy ............................................................... 2 1.3 Methodology .................................................................................. 4 1.3.1 Field survey .............................................................................. 5 1.3.2 Threatened species habitat searches ............................................ 5 1.3.3 Ecological equivalence scoring and determination of offset liabilities 6 2 Impact area survey results .................................................................... 7 2.1 Remnant regional ecosystems .......................................................... 7 2.2 Threatened fauna habitat ................................................................. 9 2.3 Watercourse vegetation ................................................................. 10 2.4 Connectivity areas ........................................................................ 11 2.5 Assessment of ecological condition of remnant vegetation. ................. 11 3 Offset areas survey results .................................................................. 14 3.1 Commonwealth EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy ...................... 16 3.1.1 Brigalow ................................................................................. 17 3.1.2 Squatter Pigeon (southern)....................................................... 26 3.1.3 Ornamental Snake ................................................................... 37 3.2 Queensland Biodiversity Offsets Policy ............................................. 46 3.2.1 Of concern REs ....................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Watercourses .......................................................................... 48 3.2.3 Connectivity ........................................................................... 48 3.2.4 Black-throated Finch ................................................................ 49 3.2.5 Common Death Adder .............................................................. 49 3.2.6 Australian Painted Snipe ........................................................... 50 3.2.7 King Bluegrass ........................................................................ 50 4 Outcomes ......................................................................................... 51 5 References ........................................................................................ 52 Ecological Survey & Management 15061 Rpt01e i Byerwen Coal Project Stage 1 Offset Assessment List of Tables Table 1: Stage 1 impacts to MNES and SSBV identified in the BOS (Earthtrade, 2015) ...................................................................................... 3 Table 2: Field-validated remnant regional ecosystems impacted in the Stage 1 assessment area ....................................................................... 8 Table 3: Impacted MNES and SSBV in Stage 1 that are proposed to be offset based on September and December 2015 field-validated data ...... 12 Table 4: Field-validated remnant and non-remnant regional ecosystems in the Wollombi Station offset investigation area .................................. 14 Table 5: EOP offset assessment for Brigalow TEC impacted by Stage 1 of the project ................................................................................... 20 Table 6: EOP offset assessment for Squatter Pigeon (southern) known habitat impacted by Stage 1 of the project ............................................ 28 Table 7: EOP offset assessment for Ornamental Snake known habitat impacted by Stage 1 of the project .......................................................... 39 Table 8: Comparison of ecological condition scores for BVG 17a in the Stage 1 impact area and proposed offset area ....................................... 48 List of Figures Figure 1: Location of Stage 1, remnant vegetation to be impacted and offset investigation area .................................................................... 55 Figure 2: Field-validated remnant vegetation mapping in the Stage 1 impact area ...................................................................................... 56 Figure 3: Assessment Units in the Stage 1 impact area .............................. 57 Figure 4: Field-validated vegetation mapping in the Wollombi Station Stage 1 offset investigation area ........................................................... 58 Figure 5: Assessment Units and proposed MNES offsets in the Wollombi Station Stage 1 offset investigation area ............................................... 59 Figure 6: Assessment Units and proposed SSBV offsets in the Wollombi Station Stage 1 offset investigation area ............................................... 60 Figure 7: Proposed offset areas .............................................................. 61 Figure 8: Biodiversity Planning Assessment corridor mapping for the Stage 1 impact and offset areas ............................................................ 62 Appendices Appendix A: EEM plot output summaries for each RE in the impact and offset areas Appendix B: Brigalow TEC – EPBC Act EOP Offset Calculator Assessment Appendix C: Squatter Pigeon – EPBC Act EOP Offset Calculator Assessment Appendix D: Ornamental Snake – EPBC Act EOP Offset Calculator Assessment Ecological Survey & Management 15061 Rpt01e ii Byerwen Coal Project Stage 1 Offset Assessment Symbols and Abbreviations * (Preceding a plant species name) plant species not native to Australia ± With or without, more or less AU Assessment Unit BoM Bureau of Meteorology BOS Biodiversity Offset Strategy BPA Biodiversity Planning Assessment BVG Broad Vegetation Group DotE (Commonwealth) Department of the Environment EDL Ecologically Dominant Layer EEM Ecological Equivalence Methodology EHP (Queensland) Department of Environment and Heritage Protection EIS Environmental Impact Statement Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 EOP Environmental Offset Policy (Commonwealth) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act EPBC Act 1999 ha Hectares km Kilometres ML Mining Lease NC Act (Queensland) Nature Conservation Act 1992 MNES Matters of National Environmental Significance NRM (Queensland) Department of Natural Resources and Mines PMAV Property Map of Assessable Vegetation O_AU Offset Assessment Unit QBOP Queensland Biodiversity Offset Policy QEOP Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy 2014 Regional Ecosystem as defined under the Queensland Vegetation RE Management Regulation 2000 Former (Commonwealth) Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, SEWPaC Populations and Communities SPRAT Species Profile and Threats Database SSBV State Significant Biodiversity Values TEC Threatened Ecological Community VM Act (Queensland) Vegetation Management Act 1999 Ecological Survey & Management 15061 Rpt01e iii Byerwen Coal Project Stage 1 Offset Assessment 1 Introduction The Byerwen Coal Project (the project) is located approximately 20 km north- west of Glenden and 140 km west of Mackay in central Queensland. The project proposes to develop an open-cut mine to extract high quality hard coking coal for export overseas. The project will require water supply via a pipeline from the Burdekin-Moranbah Pipeline, a power supply upgrade, and rail facilities allowing transport of coal to the coal export terminal at the Port of Abbot Point near Bowen. The project covers an area of approximately 20,993 ha over six Mining Leases (MLs): 10355 (application), 10356 (application), 10357 (application), 70434 (application),