Eliwana Project Subterranean Fauna Assessment Biologic 2017
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Eliwana Project Subterranean Fauna Assessment Biologic Environmental Survey Fortescue Metals Group Ltd May 2018 Page 0 of 95 Eliwana Subterranean Fauna Assessment - 2017 Eliwana Project Subterranean Fauna Assessment 2017 DOCUMENT STATUS Approved for Issue to Revision Review / Approved for Author No. Issue Name Date D. Main, N. Gunawardene, 1 B. Durrant A. Winzer (FMG) 22/12/2017 S. Callan Final S. Callan, N. Gunawardene B. Durrant A. Winzer 15/05/2018 “IMPORTANT NOTE” Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this report, its attachments or appendices may be reproduced by any process without the written consent of Biologic Environmental Survey Pty Ltd (“Biologic”). All enquiries should be directed to Biologic. We have prepared this report for the sole purposes of Fortescue Metals Group Pty Ltd (“Client”) for the specific purpose only for which it is supplied. 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Page | 1 Eliwana Subterranean Fauna Assessment - 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................... 5 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Background / Project Summary ............................................................................ 8 2.2 Aims ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.3 Subterranean Fauna ............................................................................................. 11 2.3.1 Legislation and Guidance ................................................................................ 12 3 HABITAT CHARACTERISATION OF THE STUDY AREA ............................... 13 3.1 Geology................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 Hydrogeology ....................................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Aquitards ......................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Potential Habitat Summary .................................................................................. 22 4 METHODS ......................................................................................................... 24 4.1 Previous reports and surveys ............................................................................. 24 4.1.1 Sub-regional Fortescue survey reports ............................................................ 24 4.1.2 Local Fortescue survey report .......................................................................... 24 4.2 Survey methods ................................................................................................... 26 4.2.1 Survey timing and weather conditions .............................................................. 26 4.2.2 Site selection and survey effort ........................................................................ 28 4.2.3 Cumulative sample effort of the Study Area ..................................................... 32 4.2.4 Sampling methods ........................................................................................... 32 4.3 Conservation status and SRE classification ...................................................... 34 4.4 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 35 5 RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 37 5.1 Previous survey of the Study Area ..................................................................... 37 5.2 Current survey of the Study Area ....................................................................... 37 5.2.1 Troglofauna ..................................................................................................... 37 5.2.2 Stygofauna ...................................................................................................... 38 5.3 Combined troglofauna occurrence and distributions ....................................... 39 5.4 Combined stygofauna occurrence and distributions ........................................ 44 6 SUBTERRANEAN HABITAT ASSESSMENT ................................................... 47 6.1 Broadway .............................................................................................................. 50 6.1.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 50 6.1.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 50 6.2 West End ............................................................................................................... 55 6.2.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 55 6.2.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 55 6.3 Talisman ............................................................................................................... 58 6.3.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 58 6.3.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 58 6.4 Eagles Nest ........................................................................................................... 62 6.4.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 62 6.4.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 62 Page | 2 Eliwana Subterranean Fauna Assessment - 2017 6.5 East 3 .................................................................................................................... 65 6.5.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 65 6.5.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 65 6.6 East 4 .................................................................................................................... 67 6.6.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 67 6.6.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 67 6.7 Flying Fish West ................................................................................................... 69 6.7.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 69 6.7.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 69 6.8 Flying Fish ............................................................................................................ 73 6.8.1 Troglofauna habitat .......................................................................................... 73 6.8.2 Stygofauna habitat ........................................................................................... 73 6.9 Flying Fish East ...................................................................................................