Operational Area Troglofauna Survey Report
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TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT TROGLOFAUNA SURVEY REPORT 1025 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 ・ phone: 9322 1944 ・ fax: 9322 1599 ・ ACN 088 821 425 ・ ABN 63 088 821 425 www.ecologia.com.au TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT TROGLOFAUNA SURVEY REPORT Tropicana Joint Venture 29 July 2009 TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT Operational Area Troglofauna Survey Report Document Status Rev Approved for Issue Author Reviewer/s Date No. Name Distributed To Date A N.Thompson M.Davis 10/10/08 K. Condon, B N.Thompson 24/2/09 M. White C N.Thompson M. Davis 2/3/09 M. Davis B. Bastow 3/3/09 Final N.Thompson M. Davis 24/7/09 M. Davis B. Bastow 24/7/09 ecologia Environment (2009). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic, mechanical or chemical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, in any language, is strictly prohibited without the express approval of AngloGold Ashanti Australia Pty Ltd and/or ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for AngloGold Ashanti Australia Pty Ltd. Neither the report nor its contents may be referred to or quoted in any statement, study, report, application, prospectus, loan, or other agreement document, without the express approval of AngloGold Ashanti Australia Pty Ltd and/or ecologia Environment. ecologia Environment 1025 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 Phone: 08 9322 1944 Fax: 08 9322 1599 Email: [email protected] i TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT Operational Area Troglofauna Survey Report Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................................................iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Background ................................................................................................1 1.2 Survey Objectives ...................................................................................................1 2.0 Literature Review ....................................................................................................4 3.0 BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................................5 3.1 Climate......................................................................................................................5 3.2 Biogeography ..........................................................................................................9 3.3 Flora and Vegetation .............................................................................................10 4.0 SURVEY METHODS...............................................................................................11 4.1 Survey timing.........................................................................................................11 4.2 Site selection .........................................................................................................11 4.3 Sampling methods ................................................................................................11 4.4 Species Identification and Curation ....................................................................12 4.5 Subterranean habitat assessment .......................................................................12 4.6 Survey Team ..........................................................................................................13 5.0 RESULTS................................................................................................................14 5.1 Summary of Troglofauna Groups ........................................................................16 5.1.1 Diplurans (Phylum Arthropoda, Subphylum Hexapoda, Class Entognatha)............16 5.1.2 Centipedes (Phylum Arthropoda, Subphylum Myriapoda, Class Chilopoda)...........17 5.1.3 Isopods (Phylum Arthropoda, Subphyllum Crustacea, Class Malacostraca)...........18 5.1.4 Collembola (Springtails) and Acarina (Mites) ..........................................................18 5.1.5 Accidental Fauna .....................................................................................................19 5.2 Habitat assessment...............................................................................................19 6.0 DISCUSSION ..........................................................................................................21 7.0 MANAGEMENT RECOMENDATIONS...................................................................23 8.0 REFERENCES........................................................................................................24 Appendix 1 .........................................................................................................................25 Appendix 2 .........................................................................................................................28 Appendix 3 .........................................................................................................................37 ii TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT Operational Area Troglofauna Survey Report Tables Table 1 Climatic Statistics For Balgair*.........................................................................7 Table 2 Climatic Statistics For Laverton* .......................................................................9 Table 3 List of Taxonomic Experts Used For Identification Purposes ........................12 Table 4 Ecologia Staff Involved With The Survey.......................................................13 Table 5 Summary of Troglofauna Recorded...............................................................14 Table 6 Summary of Troglobitic Specimens Impacted by the Mine and Infrastructure Footprint of TGP .............................................................................................22 Table 7 Sites Sampled During Phase One (Trap Diameter 80 mm). .........................29 Table 8 Sites Sampled During Phase Two (Trap Diameter 80 mm)............................30 Table 9 Sites Sampled During Phase Two (Trap Diameter 50 mm)............................31 Table 10 Sites Sampled During Phase Three (Trap Diameter 50 mm). ........................33 Table 11 Sites Sampled During Phase Four (Trap Diameter 50 mm).. .........................35 Figures Figure 1 The Tropicana Project Within the IBRA Boundary Map. .................................3 Figure 2 Mean Rainfall (mm) For Balgair from 1983 – 2008...........................................6 Figure 3 Mean Annual Maximum And Minimum Temperature For Balgair From 1983 – 2008..................................................................................................................6 Figure 4 Mean Rainfall For Laverton 1899 – 2008..........................................................8 Figure 5 Mean Maximum And Minimum Temperature For Laverton Aero (2.5 Kms From Laverton) 1991 – 2008 ............................................................................8 Figure 6 Location of Troglofauna Sampling Sites ........................................................15 Figure 7 The Troglobitic Dipluran From TGP ................................................................16 Figure 8 The Troglobitic Centipede from TPG ..............................................................17 Figure 9 The Troglobitic Isopods from TGP ..................................................................18 Figure 10 Layer of Gneiss Rock 49 m bgl With Small Void Spaces.. .............................19 Figure 11 Interface of Saprolitic Clay and Root Mats Approx. 6 m bgl. ........................20 iii TROPICANA GOLD PROJECT Operational Area Troglofauna Survey Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Tropicana JV (TJV) is currently undertaking a pre-feasibility study on the viability of establishing the Tropicana Gold Project (TGP). The proposed mining operation is located approximately 330 km east north-east of Kalgoorlie on the western edge of the Great Victoria Desert (GVD). Since the discovery of the deposit in 2002, gold mineralisation has been identified over a strike length of approximately four kilometres with two areas of significant mineralisation, termed the Tropicana and Havana deposits (the Resource Area), which form the basis of the proposed TGP. It is currently proposed that the TGP would operate for approximately 10 - 15 years to realize the potential of the resource. The project is a joint venture between AngloGold Ashanti Australia Limited (70% and Manager) and the Independence Group NL (30% stakeholder). The TGP will undergo formal environmental assessment at the level of a Public Environmental Review (PER) and in preparation for the PER, the TJV commissioned ecologia Environment (ecologia) to conduct a desktop review of the proposed operational area to determine if troglofauna species might be present. The results of the review showed that the operational area is not very prospective for troglofauna presence, mainly because no evidence of cavities or voids was found in the 40 – 50 m layer of weathered material that sits above a fresh rock basement. Nevertheless, ecologia recommended that a troglofauna sampling survey be performed, primarily because recent surveys had shown that troglofauna might be present in a range of geologies not previously sampled or expected to harbour these organisms. Consequently, a troglofauna survey was undertaken within the proposed TGP operational area in accordance with the EPA Guidance Statement No.54. The survey consisted of four phases: phase one during September-November