north-south corridor northern connector Project Impact Report An environmental, social and economic assessment Technical Reports Fauna north-south corridor northern connector Fauna Project Impact Report Technical Report No. 4 Northern Connector Technical Report Fauna May 2011 Prepared by: Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd (KBR) 186 Greenhill Road PARKSIDE SA 5063 Prepared for: Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure 77 Grenfell Street Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 1533 Adelaide SA 5001 Telephone: 1300 793 458 Facsimile: + 61 8 8343 2005 Email: [email protected] Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna Table of contents 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Northern Connector .......................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Project area .......................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 Main elements of the project ................................................................ 5 1.2 Legislation and policy............................................................................... 6 1.2.1 Commonwealth legislation.................................................................... 6 1.2.2 South Australian legislation .................................................................. 7 1.2.3 South Australian policy ......................................................................... 8 2 Assessment methodology ............................................................................. 11 2.1 Terrestrial............................................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Avifauna ............................................................................................. 14 2.1.2 Mammals............................................................................................ 15 2.1.3 Reptiles and amphibians .................................................................... 15 2.1.4 Other fauna ........................................................................................ 15 2.2 Marine .................................................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Avifauna ............................................................................................. 15 2.2.2 Other fauna ........................................................................................ 16 2.3 Nomenclature and significance criteria .................................................. 16 2.3.1 Significance criteria ............................................................................ 16 2.4 Limitations.............................................................................................. 17 3 Existing conditions ........................................................................................ 19 3.1 Existing conditions within the project area and region............................ 19 3.1.1 Current land use................................................................................. 19 3.1.2 Current natural environments ............................................................. 20 3.1.3 Pre-European settlement habitats ...................................................... 22 3.1.4 Background and regional fauna information ....................................... 23 3.2 Survey results for the project area ......................................................... 29 3.2.1 Habitats .............................................................................................. 29 3.2.2 Fauna groups and species ................................................................. 42 i Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna 3.2.3 Fauna species of national conservation significance.......................... 54 3.2.4 Other Matters of National Environmental Significance ....................... 68 3.2.5 Fauna species of State conservation significance.............................. 70 3.2.6 Areas of significance for fauna ........................................................... 75 4 Effects of the project upon existing conditions .............................................. 77 4.1 Threatening processes........................................................................... 77 4.1.1 Terrestrial ........................................................................................... 79 4.1.2 Marine ................................................................................................ 82 4.1.3 Fauna species of national conservation significance.......................... 82 4.1.4 Fauna species of State conservation significance.............................. 84 4.1.5 Summary ............................................................................................ 85 5 Safeguards and mitigation measures............................................................ 87 5.1 Environmental management .................................................................. 87 5.1.1 Principles adopted to minimise effects ............................................... 87 5.1.2 Measures to minimise effects during planning, design, construction and post-construction........................................................................................... 87 6 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 93 6.1 EPBC Act ............................................................................................... 94 6.2 NPW Act ................................................................................................ 95 List of Abbreviations Glossary References Appendices A Site and habitat photographs B EBS (2009) avifauna data C EPBC Act Protected Matters Search ii Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna List of figures Page number Figure1.1 Location plan .........................................................................................3 Figure 1.2 The Northern Connector proposed road and rail route.........................4 Figure 2.1 Wetland Habitats in project’s Southern Section ..................................13 Figure 3.1 Fauna habitat within corridor – Southern Section................................32 Figure 3.2 Fauna habitat Barker Inlet wetlands and North Arm Creek .................33 Figure 3.3 Fauna Habitats within the corridor – Central section...........................34 Figure 3.4 Fauna Habitats within the corridor – Northern section ........................35 Figure 5.1 Potential Habitat offset areas to be investigated .................................91 List of tables Page number Table 2.1 Avifauna field survey sites, 2010/11 ...................................................15 Table 3.1 Threatened (nationally and State listed) bird species present or potentially present in the terrestrial and marine habitats of the project area and region ...................................................................................44 Table 3.2 Mammal species previously recorded in or adjacent to the project area and region............................................................................................48 Table 3.3 Reptile species previously recorded in or adjacent to the project area and region............................................................................................49 Table 3.4 Amphibian species recorded in the project area and region ...............51 Table 3.5 Fish species recorded in the Port River–Barker Inlet region ...............52 Table 3.6 Fish species of national and State conservation significance recorded in the Port River–Barker Inlet region ...................................................67 Table 3.7 Species of conservation significance in the Regional Recovery Plan recorded or potentially present in the project area and region ............69 Table 4.1 Areas of habitat to be affected............................................................86 iii Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna iv Northern Connector Project Impact Report TechnicalTechnical ReportReport 4-4-Fauna Fauna Executive Summary This report details information about the faunal groups and their associated habitats in and adjacent to the project area. In particular, the report considers the avifauna associated with the project area and the region, both through a review of past reports relevant to the project, including Environmental and Biodiversity Services Pty Ltd (EBS) (2009), and additional surveys. Relevant background information was summarised. Species of national and State conservation significance were assessed and the likely impacts of the project were discussed. Adverse effects are mostly likely to be confined to bird species and their habitat. Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the region and about 128 bird species in the project area during past and current surveys since the 1980s. Of these, 65 species of national (44) or State (11) significance were identified as potentially occurring or having been recorded in the region. Other potentially occurring species listed in the Protected Matters search using EPBC Act databases have a low risk of occurrence in the project area. Some do not occur here. Major effects of the Northern Connector project on