Appendix 10 Flora and Fauna Assessment South East Open Cut Project & Modification to the Existing ACP Consent Ashton Coal South East Open Cut Flora and Fauna Assessment Ashton Coal Operations Pty Ltd November 2009 0092509 Final 2 www.erm.com Delivering sustainable solutions in a more competitive world Approved by: Naomi Buchhorn Ashton Coal Position: Project Manager South East Open Cut Signed: Flora and Fauna Assessment Date: 5 November 2009 Ashton Coal Operations Pty Ltd Mike Shelly Partner November 2009 0092509 Final 2 Date: 5 November 2009 www.erm.com Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd Quality System This report has been prepared in accordance with the scope of services described in the contract or agreement between Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd ABN 12 002 773 248 (ERM) and the Client. The report relies upon data, surveys, measurements and results taken at or under the particular times and conditions specified herein. Any findings, conclusions or recommendations only apply to the aforementioned circumstances and no greater reliance should be assumed or drawn by the Client. Furthermore, the report has been prepared solely for use by the Client and ERM accepts no responsibility for its use by other parties. CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT 1 1.3 SEOC AREA DESCRIPTION 2 1.4 LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS 3 1.4.1 ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 3 1.4.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT 1979 4 1.4.3 STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING POLICY NO 44 – KOALA HABITAT PROTECTION 4 1.4.4 OTHER LEGISLATION 5 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2.2 DATABASE SEARCH 8 2.3 FLORA SURVEY METHODOLOGY 12 2.4 FAUNA SURVEY METHODOLOGY 13 2.4.1 HABITAT AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 13 2.4.2 SMALL TERRESTRIAL AND ARBOREAL MAMMAL SURVEY 14 2.4.3 AMPHIBIAN SURVEYS 15 2.4.4 TARGETED GREY-CROWNED BABBLER SURVEYS 15 2.4.5 TARGETED SPECKLED WARBLER SURVEYS 15 2.4.6 TARGETED HOODED ROBIN SURVEYS 16 2.4.7 MICROCHIROPTERAN BAT SURVEYS 16 2.4.8 SPOTLIGHTING AND OWL CALL BROADCAST 16 2.4.9 WEATHER CONDITIONS 17 3 RESULTS 3.1 FLORA SURVEYS 18 3.1.1 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES 18 3.1.2 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES 20 3.1.3 AN ENDANGERED POPULATION – RIVER RED GUMS 24 3.1.4 ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES 24 3.2 FAUNA SURVEY RESULTS 26 3.2.1 HABITAT RESOURCES 26 3.2.2 THREATENED FAUNA SPECIES 29 4 IMPACT ASSESSMENT 4.1 FLORA 42 4.1.1 CLEARING 42 4.1.2 CHANGES TO HYDROLOGY AND SURFACE DRAINAGE 43 4.1.3 INDIRECT IMPACTS 44 4.2 FAUNA 44 4.2.1 LOSS OF TERRESTRIAL HABITATS 44 4.2.2 DEGRADATION OF AQUATIC HABITAT 45 CONTENTS 4.3 IMPACT OF TRANSMISSION LINE RELOCATION 45 4.3.1 TRANSMISSION LINE RELOCATION ALTERNATIVES 45 4.3.2 IMPACT OF THE TRANSMISSION LINE RELOCATION 46 4.4 IMPACT ON THREATENED SPECIES 47 4.5 COMMONWEALTH THREATENED AND MIGRATORY SPECIES 67 4.5.1 THREATENED SPECIES 67 4.5.2 MIGRATORY SPECIES 69 5 MITIGATION 5.1 AVOIDING IMPACTS 71 5.2 MITIGATIONS MEASURES 71 5.3 OFFSET STRATEGIES 74 5.3.1 OVERVIEW 74 5.3.2 PROPOSED BIODIVERSITY OFFSET 75 5.3.3 ECOLOGICAL VALUES OF THE PROPOSED WOODLAND OFFSET AREAS 76 5.3.4 MANAGEMENT OF THE OFFSET AREA 79 6 CONCLUSION ANNEXURES ANNEX A SUMMARY OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S REQUIREMENTS ANNEX B FLORA SPECIES RECORDED WITHIN THE PROPOSED SEOC ANNEX C HOLLOW-BEARING TREES ANNEX D FLORA AND FAUNA DATA REPORT FOR POTENTIAL OFFSET AREAS ANNEX E FAUNA SPECIES RECORDED WITHIN THE PROPOSED SEOC AND ADJACENT SOUTHERN WOODLAND LIST OF FIGURES Follows Page No. FIGURE 1.1 PROPOSED LOCATION OF SEOC 2 FIGURE 2.1 FAUNA SURVEY AND THREATENED SPECIES LOCATIONS 12 FIGURE 3.1 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE PROJECT AREA 18 FIGURE 3.2 EXISTING HABITAT CORRIDORS 26 FIGURE 4.1 PROPOSED RELOCATION OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES 45 FIGURE 5.1 PROPOSED OFFSET STRATEGY 75 LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES TABLE 2.1 DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS THREATENED SPECIES 8 TABLE 2.2 DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS FOR ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES 11 TABLE 2.3 WEATHER OBSERVATIONS SINGLETON NSW 17 TABLE 3.1 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES, ENDANGERED POPULATION AND ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRING WITHIN THE SEOC PROJECT AREA 21 TABLE 3.2 THREATENED AND MIGRATORY FAUNA AND THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRING WITHIN THE SEOC PROJECT AREA 31 TABLE 4.1 EXTENT OF VEGETATION CLEARANCE FOR SEOC 42 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Follows Page No. PHOTOGRAPH 3.1 IRONBARK-GREY BOX WOODLAND IN ‘THE COMMON’. 26 PHOTOGRAPH 3.2 OPEN GRASSY AREAS WITHIN ‘THE COMMON’. 26 PHOTOGRAPH 3.3 REGENERATING IRONBARK WOODLAND IN THE SOUTHEAST OF THE SITE. 26 PHOTOGRAPH 3.4 FALLEN LOGS AND LEAF LITTER WITHIN WOODLAND AREAS 27 PHOTOGRAPH 3.5 GLENNIES CREEK RIPARIAN CORRIDOR 27 PHOTOGRAPH 3.6 FARM DAMS PROVIDE HABITAT FOR AQUATIC SPECIES 27 GLOSSARY OF TERMS arboreal Adapted for living in and/or moving around in trees. bioregion Region in which the boundaries are primarily determined by (or reflect) similarities in geology, climate and vegetation. cleared land Where the native over-storey has been cleared, there is no native mid-storey and less than 50% of the groundcover vegetation is native species or greater than 90% of the groundcover (dead or alive) is cleared. clearing Clearing of native vegetation is defined in the Native Vegetation Act 2003 as any one or more of the following: • cutting down, felling, thinning, logging or removal; • killing, destroying, poisoning, ringbarking, uprooting or burning community The recognisable association of species that regularly occur together in similar environments. critical habitat Habitat declared to be critical in relation to that species or ecological community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. ecological community An assemblage of native species that inhabits a particular area. endangered A species, population or ecological community that is likely to become extinct or is in immediate danger of extinction. endangered ecological Ecological community specified as endangered under Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the community Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. endangered Population identified as endangered under Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened population Species Conservation Act 1995. endangered species Species identified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. endemic Restricted to a particular area having originated there. exotic species A non-indigenous species. floristics Species composition of a plant community. grasslands Vegetation community generally dominated by perennial tussock grasses, a lack of woody plants and the presence of broad-leaved herbs. groundcover Structural layer closest to the ground containing grasses, forbs, ferns, sub- shrubs, and sedges. habitat An area or areas occupied or periodically occupied by a species, population or ecological community and includes any biotic or abiotic component necessary to sustain survival and reproduction. hollow-bearing tree Tree where the base, trunk or limbs contain hollows, holes or cavities that have formed as a result of decay, injury or other damage. indigenous Native to, or originating in, a particular region or country. key threatening Threatening process identified as such in Schedule 3 of the Threatened Species process Conservation Act 1995 or under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. life cycle The series or stages of reproduction, growth, development, ageing and death of an organism. local population The population that exists in the study area as well as any individuals occurring in the adjoining areas known or likely to utilise habitats in the study area. myrtaceous Trees and shrubs of the Myrtaceae family. This includes eucalypts, paperbarks and bottlebrushes. native groundcover or Is where at least 50% of the perennial vegetation cover in the groundcover strata understorey or understorey is made up of native species and not less than 10% of the area is covered with vegetation (dead or alive). native or indigenous Species that existed in NSW before European settlement. offset (biodiversity) One or more appropriate actions put in place in an appropriate location to counterbalance or offset an impact on biodiversity values. population A group of animals or plants of the same species, potentially capable of interbreeding and sharing the same habitat in a particular area at a particular time. regeneration Where native vegetation is allowed to return naturally to an area generally by removing existing impacts such as grazing or slashing. regrowth vegetation Defined in the Native Vegetation Act 2003 as any native vegetation that has regrown since 1 January 1990 (or 1 January 1983 Western Division). Excluding regrowth after illegal clearing or natural events such as bushfire, floods and drought. remnant vegetation Any native vegetation that is not regrowth. revegetation Use of methods such as planting of tubestock and direct seeding to return native vegetation to an area. riparian Associated with drainage lines. risk of extinction The likelihood that the local population will become extinct either in the short term or long term as a result of direct or indirect impacts on the viability of that population. stratum (singular) An arbitrary horizontal layer of plants within a vegetation community used to strata (plural) describe the vegetation community structure. threatened species A plant or animal identified under Commonwealth or State legislation as extinct, critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. This term may be extended to encompass threatened species, populations or ecological communities. threatening process A process that threatens, or may threaten the survival, abundance or evolutionary development of species, populations or ecological communities.