Western Pipeline Desktop Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FI Joint-Venture Pty Ltd Yogi - Magnetite Project Yogi Western Pipeline Desktop Assessment April 2020 Executive summary FI Joint Venture (FIJV) proposes to construct and operate a magnetite iron ore project located approximately 250 kilometres (km) east-northeast of Geraldton and 15 km northeast of Yalgoo in the Mid-West, Western Australia (WA). The Yogi Magnetite Mine project (the Proposal) will also require the construction of a magnetite slurry pipeline, a water pipeline from the mine site to Geraldton Port, a return water pipeline, and a gas supply pipeline from the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas (DBNG) Pipeline network. GHD Pty Ltd (GHD) was commissioned by FIJV to undertake a desktop assessment of the western portion of the pipeline development envelope. This desktop assessment will be used to inform the environmental assessment and approvals process. The Pipeline Development Envelope (PDE) encompasses the western portion of the total proposed pipeline area and broadly follows the Mt Magnet Road extending from the Geraldton port eastwards to Pindar. The study area was defined for the desktop assessment based searches and includes a 40 km buffer of the PDE. Database searches identified two federally listed TECs potentially occurring within the study area: Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh, and Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western Australian Wheatbelt (DAWE 2020). The DBCA TEC and PEC database search identified an additional two PECs and/or their buffers occurring within the study area: Plant assemblages of the Moresby Range system and Coastal sands dominated by Acacia rosterllifera, Eucalyptus oraria and Eucalyptus obtusiflora (Geraldton area). No TECs/PECs intersect the PDE. The NatureMap database identified 1964 flora species, representing 152 families as occurring within the study area. This total comprises 1781 native flora species, and 183 naturalised (non- native) flora species. Desktop searches of the EPBC Act PMST, NatureMap, DBCA TPFL and WAHERB databases identified the presence/potential presence of 193 conservation significant flora species within the study area. Likelihood assessments identified 85 flora taxa considered ‘Likely’ to occur within the PDE. The NatureMap database identified 643 fauna species recorded within the study area. This total included 264 birds, 237 invertebrates, 34 mammals, 96 reptiles, and 12 amphibian species. Searches of the EPBC Act PMST (DAWE 2018), DBCA Threatened and Priority Fauna database and NatureMap database (DBCA 2007–) identified the presence/potential presence of 47 conservation significant fauna species. Likelihood assessments indicated that there are 12 fauna taxa ‘Known’ (previously recorded) to occur within the PDE. No wetlands (RAMSAR or of National importance), DBCA managed lands or Environmentally Sensitive Areas intersect the PDE. GHD | Report for FI Joint Venture Pty Ltd - Yogi - Magnetite Project, 6137117 | i Table of contents 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project background .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose of this report........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Project location .................................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Scope of works .................................................................................................................... 1 1.5 Relevant legislation, conservation code and background information ................................ 1 1.6 Limitations ............................................................................................................................ 2 2. Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Limitations ............................................................................................................................ 5 3. Desktop assessment ...................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Climate ................................................................................................................................. 6 3.2 Regional biogeography ........................................................................................................ 6 3.3 Landforms and soils ............................................................................................................. 7 3.4 Land systems ....................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Land use .............................................................................................................................. 9 3.2 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 9 3.3 Vegetation and flora ........................................................................................................... 10 3.4 Fauna ................................................................................................................................. 16 4. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Key Findings ...................................................................................................................... 18 5. References ................................................................................................................................... 19 Table index Table 1 Key legislation relevant to the project .................................................................................. 2 Table 2 Information sources ............................................................................................................. 4 Table 3 Soil landscape systems ............................................................................................................... 8 Table 4 Areas proclaimed under RIWI Act in project area ............................................................... 9 Table 5 Broad scale vegetation associations intersecting the study area (Beard 1976) ....................... 10 Table 6 Extents of vegetation associations mapped with the extent of the study area (Beard 1976, GoWA 2019) ............................................................................................................ 11 Table 7 Conservation significant ecological communities identified in the desktop searches occurring within the study area .......................................................................................... 15 GHD | Report for FI Joint Venture Pty Ltd - Yogi - Magnetite Project, 6137117 | ii Figure index Figure 1 Project locality .......................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 2 Land use constraints ................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 3 Hydrology constraints ............................................................................................................... 22 Figure 4 Biological constraints ............................................................................................................... 22 Appendices Appendix A - Figures Appendix B – Relevant legislation, conservation codes and background information Appendix C – Database searches Appendix D – Flora likelihood assessment Appendix E – Fauna likelihood assessment GHD | Report for FI Joint Venture Pty Ltd - Yogi - Magnetite Project, 6137117 | iii 1. Introduction 1.1 Project background FI Joint Venture (FIJV) proposes to construct and operate a magnetite iron ore project located approximately 250 kilometres (km) east-northeast of Geraldton and 15 km northeast of Yalgoo in the Mid-West, Western Australia (WA). The Yogi Magnetite Mine project (the Proposal) will also require the construction of a magnetite slurry pipeline, a water pipeline from the mine site to Geraldton Port, a return water pipeline, and a gas supply pipeline from the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas (DBNG) Pipeline network. 1.2 Purpose of this report GHD Pty Ltd (GHD) was commissioned by FIJV to undertake the environmental approvals for the Proposal. Previously, GHD conducted a reconnaissance flora and vegetation study and a Level 1 fauna study of the western portion of the Pipeline Development Envelope (PDE). To support environmental approvals for the Project, GHD has also completed flora, vegetation and fauna assessments of the Mine Development Envelope (MDE) (GHD 2019a & GHD 2019b). Following preliminary comments from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), GHD has undertaken an additional ecological desktop assessment for the western portion of the PDE. The purpose of this assessment is to identify key flora, vegetation and fauna values in the western portion of the PDE. The outcome of the desktop assessment will be used to inform the environmental assessment and approvals process. 1.3 Project location 1.3.1 Pipeline Development Envelope The PDE encompasses the western portion of the total proposed pipeline area and broadly follows the Mt Magnet Road extending