Investigation of Fuel and Bushfire Risk Management in Victoria's High
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FINAL REPORT: Investigation of Fuel and Bushfire Risk Management in Victoria’s High Country Using Strategic Cattle Grazing Fauna and Flora Desktop Assessment Matters of National Environmental Significance ON BEHALF OF: Department of Sustainability and Environment July 2011 Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 420 Victoria Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 MELBOURNE: PO Box 298, Brunswick VIC 3056 GEELONG: PO Box 8048, Newtown VIC 3220 Table of Contents 1 Summary .......................................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction....................................................................................................10 1.1 Background .....................................................................................................10 1.2 Project Summary .............................................................................................10 1.3 Scope of Assessment......................................................................................11 1.4 Study Area.......................................................................................................11 2 Methods..........................................................................................................12 2.1 Nomenclature ..................................................................................................12 2.2 Literature Review and Other Information.........................................................12 2.3 Database Searches.........................................................................................12 2.4 Nationally Threatened Communities ...............................................................13 2.5 Buffers .............................................................................................................13 2.6 Likelihood of occurrence..................................................................................13 2.7 Limitations .......................................................................................................13 2.8 Site A ...............................................................................................................15 2.8.1 Flora Assessment ..................................................................................................................15 2.8.2 Fauna Assessment ................................................................................................................16 2.9 Site B ...............................................................................................................16 2.9.1 Flora Assessment ..................................................................................................................16 2.9.2 Fauna Assessment ................................................................................................................17 2.10 Site C...............................................................................................................18 2.10.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................18 2.10.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................19 2.11 Site D...............................................................................................................20 2.11.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................20 2.11.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................21 2.12 Site E ...............................................................................................................22 2.12.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................22 2.12.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................22 2.13 Site F ...............................................................................................................23 2.13.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................23 2.13.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................24 2.14 Site C1.............................................................................................................25 2.14.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................25 2.14.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................26 Investigation of fuel and bushfire risk management in Victoria’s high country using strategic cattle grazing 2 2.15 Site C2.............................................................................................................26 2.15.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................26 2.15.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................27 2.16 Site C3.............................................................................................................28 2.16.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................28 2.16.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................29 2.17 Site C4.............................................................................................................30 2.17.1 Flora Assessment..............................................................................................................30 2.17.2 Fauna Assessment ............................................................................................................30 3 Implications of the findings..........................................................................32 3.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ...................32 3.1.1 Matters of NES........................................................................................................................32 4 Conclusion .....................................................................................................52 5 References .....................................................................................................53 6 Figures............................................................................................................65 7 Appendices ....................................................................................................66 Tables Table 1. Summary table of species identified during the current assessment within the 10 study areas and/or the 10 kilometre buffer zones. Numbers denote the number of observations and the date of the most recent observation. Ex = Extinct, CE = Critically Endangered, En = Endangered, Vu = Vulnerable. ........................................................... 7 Table 2. List of migratory species previously recorded within 10 kilometres of the study sites. ........................................................................................................................................ 50 Table A1.1. Rare or Threatened categories for listed Victorian taxa...................................... 67 Table A1.2. Defining Ecological Significance. ........................................................................ 68 Table A1.3. Defining Site Significance. .................................................................................. 70 Table A1.4. Defining Vegetation Condition. ........................................................................... 71 Table A1.5. Defining Habitat Quality. ..................................................................................... 72 Table A2.1. Nationally significant flora within 10 kilometres of the study area locations........ 73 Table A3.1. Nationally significant fauna within 10 kilometres of the study area locations..... 77 3 Investigation of fuel and bushfire risk management in Victoria’s high country using strategic cattle grazing Acknowledgements We thank the following people for their contribution in the project: Seran Pty Ltd for project information. Department of Sustainability and Environment for project and site information. Department of Sustainability and Environment and Seran for participation in the workshop and comments on the draft report. The following Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd employees were involved in the project and contributed to the report: Stuart Cooney, Jo Day, James Garden, Bill Fish, Cristina Del Borrello, Amy Webster Amanda Feetham and Aaron Organ. 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