City of Whyalla Mount Laura Conservation Reserve Native Vegetation Management Plan
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City of Whyalla Mount Laura Conservation Reserve Native Vegetation Management Plan As part of the Application to clear native vegetation (Industrial / Residential DPAR) Assessed /Compiled by: December 2007 Larry Bebbington Habitat & Land Management Consultant Port Lincoln 5606 FINAL DRAFT 2 Document Information Job/Project Title: Native Vegetation Management Plan for vegetation clearance offset Title: Mount Laura Conservation Reserve Native Vegetation Management Plan Client Organisation: Corporation of the City of Whyalla Document ID: 282A MEIMP/CoW/07 Date: December 2007 Revision Status: Final DRAFT Assessor: Larry Bebbington Current Document Approval: Stewart Payne – Group Manager Development Services This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process, or any other exclusive right exercised, without the permission of: Larry A. Bebbington P.O. Box 1235 North Shields South Australia 5607 Index © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 3 1.0 – Background………………………………………………………………..4 1.1- Ownership Details………………………………………………………….5 Map 1 – 1:50 000 of Land under application………………………………….5 Map 2 – Aerial Overview ………………………………………………………..6 1.2 – Property Description……………………………………………………….7 1.3 – Native vegetation…………………………………………………………..7 1.3.1 – Pre European…………………………………………………….7,8 1.3.2 – Current Plant Associations……………………………………9,10 Table 1 – Native Vegetation Recorded………………………………………11,12 Table 2 – Weeds Recorded……………………………………………………12 Map 3 – Aerial - Vegetation Communities ……………………………………13 1.3.3 – Rare Plant Species……………………………………………..14 1.3.4 – Remnancy Data………………………………………………..14 1.4 – Fauna and Habitat Values……………………………………………. .14,15 Table 2 – Native Fauna Recorded……………………………………………..16 1.5 – Summary of Conservation Values……………………………………….17 2.0 – Set Aside……………………………………………………………. …….17 2.1 – General Threats & Management Actions……………………………….17 Map 4 -Condition of Vegetation………………………………………………..18 Map 5 - Mt Laura Cons Reserve Threats & Actions………………………… 19 3.0 – Action Plans…………………………………………………………………20 3.1 – Vehicle Access……………………………….………………… 20,21 3.1.2- Recreational Off-Road Vehicle Access Area………………..21,22 3.2 – Pest Plants & Animals…………………………………………..22,23 3.3 – Erosion Control………………………………………………….23,24 3.4 – Revegetation Works………………………………………………..24 2.4 – Action Time Tables…………………………………………………………25 2.5 – Cost Estimates / Schedules……………………………………… …..26-28 - Estimated 5 year budget……………………………………………………29 3.0 – Monitoring, Adaptation and Review……………………………………….30 Appendix 1 – Site Photographs………………………………………………31-35 Background © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 4 The area identified as suitable for a trade off / SEB area for proposed clearance identified in the City of Whyalla DPAR (May 2007) was assessed during the PAR rezoning surveys by Larry Bebbington (Accredited NVC Assessor). Conditional consent was granted by the Native Vegetation Council on 21st August 2007 to adopt the concept of using the 1800ha Mt Laura Conservation Reserve as a credit bank to offset clearance identified in the clearance proposal presented to the Native Vegetation Council (Berri - 2cnd August 2007). Conditional consent involved utilising Regulations 5 1 (ab) and (d) for the Whyalla Industrial Park and areas identified in the City of Whyalla DPAR and the set aside of land subtracted from the Mt Laura “credit bank” at the appropriate approved set aside ratio. The Mt Laura set aside area is classified as (i) Remnant – more or less intact in structure, composition and diversity. Conditional consent was granted by the NVC to allow continuing public use of the Mt Laura set aside reserve by community groups such as Orienteers, Bushwalking Groups and the Whyalla 4WD Club. Community usage will follow guidelines proposed in the form of a MOU which will be approved by all parties. Community groups operating under an MOU will abide by the conditions of consent as set by the NVC and by the requirements of the approved Native Vegetation Management Plan (NVMP). Compliance will be policed by authorised officers of the City of Whyalla’s Environment Unit. The area proposed for trade off is located on Lot 2 DP 56203 Hundred of Cultana and covers an area of approximately 1800 Ha which adjoins the Whyalla Conservation Park in the north, the Lincoln Highway to the east and the Iron Knob Road in the south. See topo map below for GPS points. 1.0 – Ownership Details The proposed conservation reserve falls within a proposed Conservation Zone (PAR May 2007) on Allotment 2 of Deposited Plan 56203, Hundred of Cultana, Certificate of Title Volume 5852 Folio 784 owned by the Corporation of the City of Whyalla. Map 1 – 1:50000 topographical of Set Aside Area © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 5 Map 2 – Overview of Mt Laura Conservation Res. and Industrial © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 6 1.2 – Property Description and Land Use © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 7 The landforms vary from outwash plains to the north and east and incorporate rocky rounded hills in the south west section which range in height from 100 to 180m at Mount Laura. Mt Laura and surrounding hills are dominated by feldspar rich coarse Arkose sandstone.The foothills and outwash plains contain numerous drainage depressions and ephemeral watercourses which predominately flow to the east across the outwash plains. Historically the area was utilised for limited stock grazing followed by the purchase of the land by BHP as a buffer zone and a stormwater harvesting project for re-use in the smelter. BHP installed the Barson Water Catchment system between 1937-38 which consisted of large scale herringbone patterned drainage lines in the southern section of the proposed set aside area. Ownership of Allotment 2 was transferred to the Corporation of the City of Whyalla in 2003 by Onesteel as the company rationalised their assets. During the period of BHP ownership the proposed conservation area was utilised by off road vehicles (ORV’s) which has left a legacy of eroding tracks predominately in the south western area. Unrestricted vehicular access will be addressed as part of the overall management plan for the area. The sandy clays over rubble on slopes and outwash plains are prone to erosion following disturbance and/or during high intensity short duration rainfall events in the summer periods. No fire history is available for the area. 1.3– Native Vegetation 1.3.1– Pre European vegetation Pre-European vegetation associations would not have been dissimilar to existing associations found within the site today. Following settlement clearance and disturbances have been restricted to stormwater drainage systems and the network of ORV tracks which have confined impacts and have not altered the overall plant associations or the biodiversity of the area on a landscape scale. The BHP Barson Water Catchment Scheme (1938) impacted on Low Open Woodland in the lower southern sections of the proposed set aside and today the Chenopod Low Shrubland that has regenerated does not represent the historical plant communities. Pre-European plant associations did not include dense infestations of Wards Weed or weed species such as Carrion Flower. Historical plant communities would have consisted of: © L. Bebbington – Habitat & Land Management Consultant – 86845065- [email protected] FINAL DRAFT 8 Acacia papyrocarpa (Western Myall) Low Open Woodland +/- Myoporum platycarpum with Chenopod shrubs such as Atriplex vesicaria (Bladder Salt Bush), Maireana sedifolia (blue bush), Maireana pyramidata (Blackbush), Scaevola spinescens (Spiny Fanflower),Lycium australe (Native Boxthorn), Senna artemisioides (Desert Senna), Eremophila scoparia (Broom Emu Bush), Sida corrugata (dwarf sida), Austrostipa nitida (Balcarra Speargrass), Austrodanthonia caespitosa (Common Wallaby Grass) and emergent Myoporum montanum (Native Myrtle), Alectryon oleifolium (Bullock Bush). Casuarina pauper (Black Oak) Low Open Woodland +/- Eremophila scoparia (Broom Emu Bush), Senna artemisioides (Desert Senna), Myoporum montanum (Native Myrtle). The understorey may have consisted of Maireana sedifolia (Blue Bush), Atriplex vesicaria (Bladder Salt bush), Scaevola spinescens (Spiny Fan Flower), Lycium australe (Native boxthorn), Austrostipa nitida (Balcarra speargrass), Sida intricata (Twiggy Sida), Zygophyllum aurantiacum (Soapbush). Myoporum platycarpum (False Sandalwood) Low Open Woodland +/- with Chenopod shrubs such as Atriplex vesicaria (Bladder Salt Bush), Maireana sedifolia (blue bush), Maireana pyramidata (Blackbush), Scaevola spinescens (Spiny Fanflower),Lycium australe (Native Boxthorn), Senna artemisioides (Desert Senna), Eremophila scoparia (Broom Emu Bush), Sida corrugata (dwarf sida), Austrostipa nitida (Balcarra Speargrass), Austrodanthonia caespitosa (Common Wallaby Grass) and emergent Myoporum montanum (Native Myrtle), Alectryon oleifolium (Bullock Bush). Maireana sedifolia (Blue bush)/ Atriplex vesicaria (Bladder Salt Bush) Chenopod Low Shrubland(5) +/- Mid Dense to Dense Maireana pyramidata (Black Bluebush), Eremophila scoparia (Silver Leaf Emu Bush), Eremophila longifolia ((Weeping Emu Bush), Dodonaea viscosa (Narrow Leaf Hop Bush), Santalum acuminatum (Quandong). The Sparse