Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard, Geelong- Bacchus Marsh Road (Little River-Ripley Road to Ballan Road)
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Final Report Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard, Geelong- Bacchus Marsh Road (Little River-Ripley Road to Ballan Road) Prepared for VicRoads - South Western Region June 2017 Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd MELBOURNE: 292 Mt Alexander Road Ascot Vale VIC 3032 GEELONG: PO Box 8048 Newtown VIC 3220 BRISBANE: Level 22, 127 Creek Street Brisbane QLD 4000 ADELAIDE: 22 Greenhill Road Wayville SA 5034 CANBERRA: PO Box 6067, O’Connor ACT 2602 SYDNEY: Level 5, 616 Harris Street, Ultimo, NSW, 2007 www.ehpartners.com.au | (03) 9377 0100 DOCUMENT CONTROL Assessment Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard Address Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road (Little River-Ripley Road to Ballan Road) Project number 8493 Project manager Chad Browning (Senior Zoologist) Report reviewer Aaron Organ (Director/ Principal Ecologist), Andrew Taylor (Consultant Zoologist) Mapping Monique Elsley (GIS Consultant) File name 8493_EHP_Balliang_SLL_070617_CB Client VicRoads - South Western Region Bioregion Victorian Volcanic Plain CMA Port Phillip and Western Port Council City of Greater Geelong, Moorabool Shire Report versions Comments Comments updated by Date submitted Draft 1 - - 22/12/2016 Updated based on comments supplied by Draft 2 CSB 12/04/2017 VicRoads (27/02/17 and 05/04/17) Updated based on amendments to the project Final CSB 07/06/2017 footprint. Acknowledgements We thank the following people for their contribution to the project: Stephen McGarrigle and John Tunn (VicRoads - South Western Region) for project information; Traffic Control Victoria Pty Ltd for the provision of traffic management services; and, The Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) for access to ecological databases. Copyright © Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd This document is subject to copyright and may only be used for the purposes for which it was commissioned. The use or copying of this document in whole or part without the permission of Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd is an infringement of copyright. Disclaimer Although Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that an accurate document has been prepared, the company accepts no liability for any damages or loss incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the report and its contents. Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard - Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road 2 LIST OF ACRONYMS Acronym Description CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan CMA Catchment Management Authority DoEE Federal Department of Environment and Energy EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 EVC Ecological Vegetation Class FFG Act Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 NES National Environmental Significance NTGVVP Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain PMST Protected Matters Search Tool (DoEE) SPFL Scientific Procedures Fieldwork Licence SVL Snout-vent Length VBA Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (DELWP) Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard - Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road 3 SUMMARY Introduction Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd was commissioned by VicRoads - South Western Region to conduct a targeted survey for Striped Legless Lizard Delma impar within the 13 kilometre section of Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road located between Little River-Ripley Road, Balliang East and Ballan Road, Parwan (the ‘study area’). The study area focusses on ‘Section 2’ of the Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road upgrade project. The targeted survey formed part of a broader impact assessment study commissioned by VicRoads to facilitate upgrade works along the subject section of Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road. The survey was required to determine the presence or absence of the nationally significant species and address any implications under Commonwealth and State environmental legislation associated with the proposed works. Methods The targeted survey was undertaken to investigate the quality and extent of habitat for Striped Legless Lizard within the study area, and determine the presence and abundance, or absence of the species. The survey was undertaken in accordance with best-practice guidelines and under the appropriate licences. The targeted survey involved the establishment of tile grids within identified ‘patches’ of habitat likely to be impacted, with each grid consisting of 50 roof tiles. Ten tile grids were laid across the study area on 1st September 2016. The tile grids were checked on six occasions between 15th September and 25th November 2016. Results Striped Legless Lizards were detected within the study area during five of the six tile grid checks undertaken. Eight individuals were recorded from within three of the ten established survey sites - TG5, TG6 and TG7. Survey sites TG6 and TG7 represented the highest quality habitat for Striped Lizard within the study area. Each site supported a high cover of surface rock, cracking soils and tussock-forming native grasses. The high cover of surface rock at these sites also precluded regular slashing, which maintained a high biomass and dense tussock structure throughout the year. Site TG5 was more representative of the remaining survey sites where Striped Legless Lizard was not recorded. The site lacked surface rocks and was periodically slashed. Cracking clay soils were present and the vegetation was dominated by common native grass species. The study area supports 28.3 hectares of Plains Grassland which provides potential habitat for Striped Legless Lizard. Of this total, 18.9 hectares meets the definition of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) listed Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (NTGVVP) ecological community and is considered to constitute high quality habitat. The remaining 9.4 hectares of Plains Grassland provides potential habitat for Striped Legless Lizard, however, these areas are highly modified from disturbance associated with regular slashing, cultivation and weed invasion and constitute lower quality habitat for the species. Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard - Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road 4 Impact Assessment The proposed activity would involve the removal of approximately 4.5 hectares of habitat for the Striped Legless Lizard, which comprises of 2.4 hectares of higher quality habitat (NTGVVP) and 2.1 hectares of lower quality habitat. The proposed works involve road widening, whereby the removal of Striped Legless Lizard habitat would be limited to narrow, linear strips approximately two metres wide that extend for approximately 13 kilometres in length. Approximately 23.8 hectares of Striped Legless Lizard habitat (16.5 hectares of higher quality habitat [NTGVVP] and 7.3 hectares of lower quality habitat) would be retained in the road reserve. Based on the proposed linear nature of clearing, the extent of retained habitat, and assuming appropriate mitigation measures are employed, it is considered that the proposed activity is unlikely to constitute a significant impact on the species. Recommendations The Commonwealth Guideline ‘Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Referral Guidelines for the Vulnerable Striped Legless Lizard, Delma impar’ indicates that a referral should be submitted for activities involving the removal or modification of 0.5 hectares or more of known habitat, or habitat that has a moderate to high potential to support the species. Given that the proposed activity will result in the removal of approximately 4.5 hectares of habitat for the Striped Legless Lizard, project referral regarding this matter is recommended. It is recommended that this report is included in the referral documentation to assist the Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) in determining if a significant impact is likely to occur and if assessment and approval is required under the Act. The referral should include detail regarding the proposed measures to avoid and minimise impacts on the target species, including preparation of a project specific Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). Targeted Survey for Striped Legless Lizard - Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road 5 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Background............................................................................................................................................7 1.2 Objectives ..............................................................................................................................................7 1.3 Study Area .............................................................................................................................................8 2 TARGETSPECIES - STRIPEDLEGLESSLIZARD ............................................................ 9 2.1 Conservation Status...............................................................................................................................9 2.2 Description.............................................................................................................................................9 2.3 Distribution..........................................................................................................................................10 2.4 Habitat .................................................................................................................................................10 2.5 Threats and Recovery Actions.............................................................................................................10