Flora and Vegetation Assessment Witchcliffe Ecovillage, Witchcliffe Prepared December 2015 for Hulme and Perron Developments Pty Ltd Flora and Vegetation Assessment Witchcliffe Ecovillage, December 2015 This document has been prepared by Litoria Ecoservices for the express use of the client. Litoria Ecoservices accepts no responsibility to any third party who may rely upon this document. All rights reserved. No section or element of this document may be removed from this document, reproduced, electronically stored or transmitted in any form without the written permission of Litoria Ecoservices. Version Control Version Date Version Purpose Author Draft 1 26/10/ 2015 Draft for client review DMcK Final 7/12/2015 Final incl. changes DMcK FINAL 23/12/15 Final incl. changes and figs D McK Flora and Vegetation Assessment Witchcliffe Ecovillage, December 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Description of the proposal .................................................................................. 2 1.3 Site Description .................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Assessment Objectives and Scope ....................................................................... 3 1.5 Personnel .............................................................................................................. 3 1.6 Landform .............................................................................................................. 3 1.7 Hydrology ............................................................................................................ 3 1.8 Climate ................................................................................................................. 4 1.9 Vegetation ............................................................................................................ 4 2. FLORA AND VEGETATION .............................................................................................. 5 2.1 Previous work ...................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Background Research .......................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 Rare and Priority Flora ......................................................................................... 5 2.2.2 Threatened and Priority Ecological Communities ............................................... 6 2.2.3 Vegetation Representation ................................................................................... 7 2.3 Field Results ......................................................................................................... 7 2.3.1 Surveys ................................................................................................................. 7 2.3.2 Rare and Priority Flora ......................................................................................... 8 2.3.3 Introduced Flora ................................................................................................... 8 2.3.4 Threatened and Priority Ecological Communities ............................................... 8 2.3.5 Vegetation Condition ........................................................................................... 8 2.3.6 Vegetation Units .................................................................................................. 9 3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 11 3.1 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 11 3.2 Recommendations .............................................................................................. 11 4. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX 1: FLORA SPECIES RECORDED ON-SITE .................................................. 13 APPENDIX 2: VEGETATION CONDITION SCALE (ADAPTED FROM KEIGHERY 1994) ........................................................................................................................................ 16 APPENDIX 3: PHOTOS OF THE VARIOUS VEGETATION MAPPING UNITS IDENTIFIED ON SITE ........................................................................................................... 17 FIGURES ................................................................................................................................. 19 FIGURE 1: SITE LOCATION FIGURE 2: VEGETATION COMPLEXES ACROSS THE SITE FIGURE 3: PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL WEED MAPPING FIGURE 4: VEGETATION CONDITION FIGURE 5: VEGETATION MAPPING UNITS Flora and Vegetation Assessment Witchcliffe Ecovillage, December 2015 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Litoria Ecoservices (LE) was commissioned by Perron & Hulme Developments (the proponent) to prepare this report to guide the preparation of the Structure Plan for an eco- village development across Locations 2807 and 2812. 1.2 Description of the proposal The Witchcliffe Ecovillage is a 300 lot ecovillage planned for development in the town of Witchcliffe. The Witchcliffe Ecovillage vision is to create a model of a highly sustainable, self reliant community in a regional village setting, with the best of 21st century technology that enables the community to produce as much energy as it consumes; be self-sufficient in water; care for the local environment; generate ongoing economic and social opportunities for the area, and be self-sufficient in fresh food produce. A place in which people live, work, socialise and provide for their material needs sustainably, where most of what they consume on a daily basis will be produced within the ecovillage, in harmony with the permaculture principles of “earth care, people care, and fair share. The Witchcliffe Ecovillage is designed with an extensive range of onsite infrastructure and services to create an example of sustainable development that achieves: • 100% net renewable power generation on site. • 100% self -sufficiency in water through onsite rainwater harvesting (rooftops and dams). • Self-sufficiency in seasonal fresh foods with surplus produce sold locally. • A local micro energy grid that utilises smart grid technology. • Class A recycled water. • Highly efficient solar passive homes that all front public open space and/or community gardens. • Employment and education opportunities on site and within the revitalised town centre. • Revegetation and protection of remnant vegetation and creek lines to create wildlife corridors. • Practical measures to encourage and prioritise alternative forms of transport— pedestrians, bikes, electric cars, car pooling and public transport. 1.3 Site Description The property consists of Locations 2807 and 2812 which are 62 ha and 57ha in area respectively and is bounded by Bussell Highway to the west, Davis Road to the south, Mill Road to the North and numerous private adjoining rural lots to the east. The site location is shown within Figure 1. The site is located in the western most portion of the Chapman Brook catchment and is dominated by vineyard, ex-vineyard and open pasture areas. A 3 hectare patch of remnant vegetation exists near the middle of the eastern boundary of the block and the site contains five ephemeral, waterways running approximately west to east across the property. There is also approximately 2 ha of dam area in the middle of the property, a number of small artificial soaks or dams, two degraded stands of predominantly Marri (Corymbia calophylla) and an intensively planted area along the western boundary adjoining Shirvington Ave, Witchcliffe. There are a number of isolated or clustered paddock trees. - 2 - Flora and Vegetation Assessment Witchcliffe Ecovillage, December 2015 The site also includes a number of dwellings, associated gardens and farm sheds and associated infrastructure. 1.4 Assessment Objectives and Scope The assessment was undertaken throughout August, September, October 2015, with the following objectives: 1. To assess the condition, nature and conservation significance of native vegetation onsite; and 2. To identify management issues and recommendations to protect and enhance the conservation values of the site the development of the structure plan. This assessment of the site’s flora and vegetation represents a Level 1 Survey as described by the EPA’s Guidance for the Assessment of Environmental Factors, Terrestrial Flora and Vegetation Surveys for Environmental Impact Assessment in Western Australia (Guidance Statement 51) (EPA 2004). As such it includes: • background research or ‘desktop study’; and • a reconnaissance survey. This level of survey is considered appropriate under the requirements of Guidance Statement 51, given the anticipated low impact of the proposal (no remnant vegetation will be removed or cleared and that it is recommended that significant regeneration work be undertaken as a result of the proposal). flora or fauna survey and as such is limited in scope, detail and seasonality. If a detailed survey was undertaken or the site assessed at different seasons throughout the year, the flora and fauna recorded for the property could be significantly expanded. 1.5 Personnel The assessment was undertaken by