MAY 2012 FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LTD CANNING BASIN BOREFIELD AND PIPELINE SINGLE PHASE FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENT 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment This page has been left blank intentionally 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LTD CANNING BASIN BOREFIELD AND PIPELINE SINGLE PHASE FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENT May 2012 iii 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment Document Status Approved for Issue Rev Author Reviewer/s Date Name Distributed To Date A M Macdonald Carol 30.03.12 Carol Macpherson Shaun Grein, 30.03.12 M Campos Macpherson Todd Edwards, Fortescue Group 1 R Tuckett Carol 19.04.2012 Carol Macpherson Shaun Grein, 19.04.2012 Macpherson Todd Edwards, Fortescue Group 2 R. Tuckett Carol 23.05.2012 Carol Macpherson Shaun Grein, 25.05.2012 Macpherson Todd Edwards, Fortescue Group ecologia Environment (2012). 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 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and/or ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for Fortescue Metals Group 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 Fortescue Metals Group 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] May 2012 iv 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................3 1.2 SURVEY OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................4 2 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.................................................................................................. 5 2.1 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................................5 2.2 GEOLOGY, LANDFORMS AND SOILS..........................................................................................6 2.3 LAND USE HISTORY ...................................................................................................................8 2.4 BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS .......................................................................................................8 2.5 LAND SYSTEM CLASSIFICATION...............................................................................................12 2.6 THREATENED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND PRIORITY ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES .....14 2.7 PREVIOUS VEGETATION SURVEYS...........................................................................................14 2.8 CONSERVATION ESTATE..........................................................................................................16 2.9 PREVIOUS RECORDS OF FLORA RECORDED NEAR THE SURVEY AREA ....................................18 3 SURVEY METHODOLOGY................................................................................................. 25 3.1 GUIDING PRINCIPLES...............................................................................................................25 3.2 DATABASE SEARCHES..............................................................................................................25 3.3 VEGETATION AND FLORA ASSESSMENT .................................................................................25 3.4 SITE SELECTION .......................................................................................................................26 3.5 SAMPLING METHODS..............................................................................................................26 3.6 TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE ........................................................................................30 3.7 SURVEY ADEQUACY AND ANALYSIS ........................................................................................30 3.8 SURVEY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS..............................................................................31 4 RESULTS VEGETATION..................................................................................................... 33 4.1 THREATENED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ............................................................................33 4.2 PRIORITY ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES...................................................................................33 4.3 VEGETATION CONDITION OF THE PROJECT AREA ..................................................................33 4.4 FIRE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT AREA .....................................................................................33 4.5 VEGETATION UNITS OF THE STUDY AREA...............................................................................36 May 2012 v 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment 5 RESULTS FLORA............................................................................................................... 59 5.1 SAMPLING ADEQUACY............................................................................................................59 5.2 FLORA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE..............................................................................60 5.3 INTRODUCED FLORA ...............................................................................................................66 5.4 SURVEY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS..............................................................................72 6 DISCUSSION.................................................................................................................... 75 6.1 VEGETATION UNITS CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT................................................................75 6.2 FLORA CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT.....................................................................................78 7 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 81 8 SURVEY TEAM................................................................................................................. 83 9 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 85 TABLES Table 2.1 – Land systems within the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline ..........................................12 Table 2.2 – Beard Vegetation Associations of the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline......................14 Table 2.3 – Species Protected by the EPBC Act and WC Act Recorded in the Pilbara Region................18 Table 2.4 – Priority flora within 50 km of the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline.............................20 Table 3.1 – Rainfall in six months preceeding survey in surrounding area ............................................26 Table 3.2 – Vegetation condition criteria (Trudgen 1988) ....................................................................27 Table 3.3 – Declared plant categories for Western Australia ................................................................29 Table 4.1 – Vegetation condition assessment........................................................................................33 Table 4.2 – Time since fire......................................................................................................................33 Table 4.3 – Vegetation Units recorded in the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline. ...........................37 Table 5.1 – Taxonomic composition of the flora of the Canning Basin borefiled and pipeline .............59 Table 5.2 – Most frequently recorded taxa............................................................................................59 Table 5.3 – Priority Flora recorded within the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline ...........................62 Table 5.4 – Potential range extensions from the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline flora survey ...65 Table 5.5 – Introduced flora attributes and locations............................................................................67 Table 5.6 – Introduced flora recorded from Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline...............................68 May 2012 vi 660NS-0000-AS-EN-0001 Fortescue Metals Group Ltd Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline Single Phase Flora and Vegetation Assessment Table 5.7 – Survey limitations and constraints.......................................................................................73 Table 6.1 – Land Systems of the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline.................................................76 Table 6.2 – Beard (1975) Vegetation Associations of the Canning Basin Borefield and Pipeline ..........77 Table 6.3 – Representation of Vegetation Communites in the Canning