Flora Technical Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Report Red Hill Mining Lease Flora Survey Report 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 Prepared for BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd 42627136 Red Hill Mining Lease EIS – Terrestrial Flora Project Manager: URS Australia Pty Ltd Level 17, 240 Queen Street Chris Taylor Brisbane, QLD 4000 Senior Associate GPO Box 302, QLD 4001 Australia Principal-In-Charge: T: 61 7 3243 2111 F: 61 7 3243 2199 Chris Pigott Senior Principal Author: pp. Kirsty Macpherson Senior Environmental Scientist Reviewer: Date: 30 September 2013 Reference: 42627136/01/3 Status: FINAL Dan Simmons Senior Associate Environmental Scientist Document copyright of URS Australia Pty Limited. This report is submitted on the basis that it remains commercial-in-confidence. The contents of this report are and remain the intellectual property of URS and are not to be provided or disclosed to third parties without the prior written consent of URS. No use of the contents, concepts, designs, drawings, specifications, plans etc. included in this report is permitted unless and until they are the subject of a written contract between URS Australia and the addressee of this report. URS Australia accepts no liability of any kind for any unauthorised use of the contents of this report and URS reserves the right to seek compensation for any such unauthorised use. Document delivery URS Australia provides this document in either printed format, electronic format or both. URS considers the printed version to be binding. The electronic format is provided for the client’s convenience and URS requests that the client ensures the integrity of this electronic information is maintained. Storage of this electronic information should at a minimum comply with the requirements of the Commonwealth Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) 2000. Where an electronic only version is provided to the client, a signed hard copy of this document is held on file by URS and a copy will be provided if requested. 42627136 i Red Hill Mining Lease EIS – Terrestrial Flora Table of Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Aims and Objectives .......................................................................................... 1 1.3 Legislative Context ............................................................................................ 1 1.3.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ............................. 1 1.3.2 Nature Conservation Act 1992 ........................................................................................2 1.3.3 Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 ................................ 2 1.3.4 Vegetation Management Act 1999 ..................................................................................2 1.3.5 Biodiversity Offset Policy ...............................................................................................2 2 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 3 2.1 Literature review ................................................................................................ 3 2.1.1 Search Area ...................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2 Data Sources .................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.3 Biodiversity Values ..........................................................................................................3 2.1.4 Regional Ecosystem Mapping ........................................................................................4 2.1.5 High Value Regrowth Mapping .......................................................................................5 2.1.6 Essential Habitat Mapping ..............................................................................................5 2.1.7 HERBRECS ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.8 EHP Wildlife Online ..........................................................................................................5 2.1.9 EPBC MNES ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.10 Previous Ecological Reports .......................................................................................... 6 2.2 Field Survey ........................................................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Transect Surveys .............................................................................................................7 2.2.2 Meander Searches ...........................................................................................................8 2.2.3 Targeted Grassland Survey ............................................................................................9 2.2.4 Specimen Identification .................................................................................................10 2.2.5 Nomenclature .................................................................................................................10 2.2.6 Survey Limitations .........................................................................................................10 3 Results ............................................................................................................. 11 3.1 Literature Review Results ............................................................................... 11 3.1.1 Regional Context ...........................................................................................................11 42627136 ii Red Hill Mining Lease EIS – Terrestrial Flora 3.1.2 Conservation Significant Communities .......................................................................11 3.1.3 Conservation Significant Species ................................................................................12 3.1.4 Essential Habitat Mapping ............................................................................................13 3.1.5 Significant Biodiversity Values ....................................................................................14 3.2 Field Survey results ......................................................................................... 14 3.2.1 Survey Conditions .........................................................................................................15 3.2.2 Regional Connectivity ...................................................................................................16 3.2.3 Species Diversity ...........................................................................................................17 3.2.4 Conservation Significant Vegetation Communities ...................................................17 3.2.5 Conservation Significant Flora Species ......................................................................18 3.2.6 Regional Ecosystems ....................................................................................................18 3.2.7 Targeted Grassland Survey ..........................................................................................22 3.2.8 Riparian communities ...................................................................................................22 3.2.9 Weeds of concern ..........................................................................................................22 4 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 24 5 Figures ............................................................................................................. 25 6 References ....................................................................................................... 37 7 Appendix A - Survey Site Descriptions ......................................................... 41 A.1 Alluvial Plains (Landzone 3) field survey results .......................................... 41 A.1.1 Vegetation Unit 1a: Acacia harpophylla (brigalow) open forest on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.1) ..............................................................................................41 A.1.2 Vegetation Unit 1b: Eucalyptus populnea woodland on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.2) ....................................................................................................................... 43 A.1.3 Vegetation Unit 1c: Eucalyptus coolabah woodland on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.3) ....................................................................................................................... 45 A.1.4 Vegetation Unit 1d: Eucalyptus tereticornis and/or Eucalyptus spp woodland on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.4) .......................................................................47 A.1.5 Vegetation Unit 1di: Corymbia tessellaris woodland on alluvial sand ridges to elevated levees and level terraces (RE 11.3.4a) ........................................49 A.1.6 Vegetation Unit 1e: Acacia cambagei woodland on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.5) .............................................................................................................................. 50 A.1.7 Vegetation Unit 1f: Corymbia spp. Woodland on alluvial plains (RE 11.3.7) .............................................................................................................................