Report Acclaim Exploration NL Wingellina Baseline Biological Survey EP016583 Halpern Glick Maunsell Pty Ltd Consulting Engineers & Environmental Scientists 629 Newcastle St Leederville PO Box 81 Leederville 6902 Western Australia Telephone: (08) 9281 6100 Facsimile: (08) 9281 6295 email: [email protected] December 2002 Acclaim Exploration NL Consulting Engineers & Wingellina Baseline Biological Environmental Scientists Survey 629 Newcastle St Leederville WA 6007 Australia Telephone: (08) 9281 6100 Facsimile: EP016583 (08) 9281 6295 email: [email protected] ©Halpern Glick Maunsell Pty Ltd ABN 71 009 396 516 The information contained in this document is solely for the use of clients identified on the cover sheet for the purpose for which it has been prepared and no representation is made or to be implied as being made for any third party. Report by: Rebecca Ryan, Steve Reynolds and Jane Wilshaw Signed: Reviewed and Approved: Signed: Date: 2 December 2002 Distribution: Acclaim Exploration Rebecca Ryan, Steve Reynolds and Jane Wilshaw HGM Library HGM File December 2002 Contents 1 Executive Summary 4 2 Introduction 6 2.1 Project Background ....................................................................6 2.2 Project Area ................................................................................6 2.3 Physical Environment.................................................................7 2.4 Bioregions...................................................................................8 2.5 Biological Environment..............................................................9 2.6 Historical land use ....................................................................16 3 Methodology 17 3.1 Flora and Vegetation Assessment.............................................17 3.2 Fauna and Habitat Assessment .................................................18 4 Flora and Vegetation 20 4.1 Flora..........................................................................................20 4.2 Vegetation Communities ..........................................................22 4.3 Vegetation of Conservation Significance .................................24 5 Fauna 26 5.1 Vertebrate Fauna and Habitat Assessment ...............................26 5.2 Fauna of Conservation Significance.........................................29 6 Lease Audit 32 7 Conclusions and Recommendations 33 8 Acknowledgments 35 9 References 36 Appendices A Vascular Plants Recorded within each Vegetation Community B Inventory of Vascular Plants Recorded in the Vicinity of the Project Area C Declared Rare Flora and Priority Flora D Photographic Record of Vascular Plant Communities E Western Australian Museum Fauna Database Search Results F Avifauna from the Wingellina Project Area e:\ep016583\doc\rep\biological_report.doc 02/12/02 Page 3 1 Executive Summary Acclaim Exploration NL commissioned Halpern Glick Maunsell Pty Ltd to undertake a biological assessment of lease area E69/535 of the Wingellina Nickel Project. This report presents the findings of a field survey of vegetation, flora and fauna conducted in early April 2002. The survey area of approximately 100km2 includes the settlement and surrounds of the Wingellina Aboriginal Community. The report includes an inventory of all flora and fauna species recorded during the survey of the project area and an assessment of habitat utilisation patterns. It identifies species, vegetation communities and fauna habitats of conservation significance as well as reporting on disturbance resulting from previous exploration. This objective also meets the requirements to conduct baseline biological surveys as set out in the deed. Additional information detailed in this report has been derived from literature relating to the biological aspects of the survey area, including published and unpublished reports, scientific papers and available datasets. Background information has been provided to place the biological information within the context of the physical environment, including geological, landform, soil and climatic features of the study area. The flora and vegetation survey identified seven vegetation communities occurring within the project area. None of the vegetation communities are restricted to the project areas or are nationally listed as threatened ecological communities under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Three communities are considered to be of regional significance. One of these communities is also of regional conservation significance. A search of the Department of Conservation and Land Management’s (CALM) threatened flora database identified 11 priority flora species that have previously been recorded within the vicinity of the study area. Of the plants recorded on site and identified prior to production of this draft report no Declared Rare flora species or species listed under the EPBC Act have been recorded from the study area. Six introduced (weed) flora taxa were observed in the survey. However, none of these are classified as Declared Plants pursuant to Section 37 of the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 as at 25 October 2001. In light of the suggestion from CALM Kalgoorlie’s Regional Ecologist that the optimum timing for the faunal component of the survey would be late spring, it was proposed that a habitat assessment and non-systematic fauna survey be conducted as part of the initial biological survey. Results from this brief survey are reported here. It is proposed that a more detailed survey, including the use of fauna trapping grids, be conducted in spring 2002. Database searches were undertaken to identify threatened fauna species. Potential species listed under the EPBC Act include the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis and Golden Bandicoot Isoodon auratus (Endangered nationally), the Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae, Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata and Bilby Macrotis lagotis (Vulnerable). Potential species listed under state legislation include ten Scheduled species and seven Priority Fauna. No rare or priority e:\ep016583\doc\rep\biological_report.doc 02/12/02 Page 4 fauna species were detected in the study area during the field survey. 54 species of bird, 10 reptiles and five mammals were recorded during the field visit. Fire and historical exploration issues were identified as producing the greatest impact on the biological environment within the study area. Acclaim Exploration NL conducts activities in the area in a fashion that is sensitive to the traditional owners. During the field survey, traditional elders of the Wingellina community accompanied the authors at all times. e:\ep016583\doc\rep\biological_report.doc 02/12/02 Page 5 2 Introduction 2.1 Project Background Acclaim Exploration NL is currently undertaking the Wingellina Project, an exploration (drilling) project for nickel in the Wingellina Hills, Western Australia. Acclaim Exploration NL commissioned Halpern Glick Maunsell (HGM) in March 2002 to undertake a baseline biological survey of the Wingellina Project lease area (E69/535). The primary objectives of this survey were to: • undertake a comprehensive literature review to gather relevant information on the biological and physical characteristics of the study area. • conduct asearch of CALM's databases for known populations of rare and endangered flora and threatened fauna from the vicinity of the study area (Appendices C and F); • conduct a search of the WA Herbarium’s database for voucher specimens submitted from the vicinity of the study area (Appendix B); • liaise with the Department of Agriculture to identify any noxious or Declared Plants or animals occurring within the vicinity of the study area; • initiate an inventory of flora species identified within the project area; • identify and map vegetation associations within the project area; • identify fauna habitats present; • initiate an inventory of vertebrate fauna species within the project area; • investigate opportunities for a fauna survey and trapping scheduled for late spring; • conduct an audit of the lease in regard to disturbance, particularly from previous exploration; and • liaison with CALM regional offices to identify any particular concerns relating to the project. The project area lies close to the Wingellina Aboriginal Community, therefore activities in the area were coordinated with consideration to the traditional owners. 2.2 Project Area The Wingellina Project Area is located on Aboriginal reserve land in the Central Ranges, Central Australia, approximately eight kilometres south-west of Surveyors General Corner (intersection of the NT, SA and WA borders) (Figure 1). e:\ep016583\doc\rep\biological_report.doc 02/12/02 Page 6 ) Darwin ) Townsville ) Port Hedland ) Mount Isa ) Alice Springs CENTRALCENTRAL RANGESRANGES ) Brisbane WINGELLINA SITESITE LOCATIONLOCATION ) Kalgoorlie ) Woomera ) Bunbury ) Sydney ) Adelaide ))) CANBERRA ) M elbourne Figure 1: Location of Project Area within Central Ranges IBRA Region The study area is approximately 100km2 and centred around the Acclaim Exploration Camp located at 26°03’24”S, 128°57’35”E. As the study area occurs within the Central Aboriginal Reserve and is proximal to the Wingellina Aboriginal Community (Irrunytiju) there are several exclusion areas designated by the traditional owners. These areas were not surveyed. 2.3 Physical Environment 2.3.1 Climate The Wingellina project area lies in central Australia, and therefore has an arid climate with variable rainfall (Bureau of Meteorology 1983). The Central