Prepared for Taurus Energy Proposed Development of a 30MW Wind Farm on the Cullerin Range, Southern Tablelands, New South Wales Biodiversity Assessment prepared by May 2006 nghenvironmental sydney head office: bega 3/6 west street pymble nsw 2073 australia 1/216 carp street (po box 470) bega nsw 2550 australia phone: + 61 2 9499 4310 fax: + 61 2 9499 4311 phone: + 61 2 6494 7771 fax: + 61 2 6494 7773 www.nghenvironmental.com.au email: [email protected] a division of nicholas graham-higgs pty ltd Document Verification Document Proposed Development of a 30MW Wind Title Farm on the Cullerin Range, Southern Tablelands, New South Wales Document Type Biodiversity assessment File Location \\Server\NGH-Active\Projects\ Biodiversity assessment Cullerin Revision Date Prepared by Checked by Approved by Draft 29th Dec 05 name Brooke name Nick G-H name Nick G-H Marshall and Jackie Miles. sign. sign. sign. Final 15 Feb 06 name Brooke name Nick G-H name Nick G-H Marshall sign. Sign. sign. Final for DoP 10 May 06 name Brooke name Nick G-H name Nick G-H validation Marshall sign. Sign. sign. nghenvironmental prints all b/w documents on sugar cane paper made from 100% bagasse (a by-product of sugar production). Biodiversity Assessment: Cullerin Wind Farm Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 2. THE PROPOSAL............................................................................... 2 2.1. Description of the site........................................................................... 2 2.2. Proposed works .................................................................................... 2 2.3. Approach of this assessment ............................................................... 3 3. REGIONAL CONTEXT ...................................................................... 5 3.1. Regional review..................................................................................... 5 3.2. Conservation reserves in the area ........................................................ 6 3.2.1. Wet Lagoon and Wollogorang Lagoon ..................................................................... 6 3.2.2. Mundoonen Nature Reserve..................................................................................... 6 3.3. Habitat adjacent to the site ................................................................... 7 3.3.1. Vehicle-based survey of the area ............................................................................. 7 4. FLORA AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES.................................... 9 4.1. Approach and methodology ................................................................. 9 4.1.1. Preliminary assessments ......................................................................................... 9 4.1.2. Field survey and mapping ........................................................................................ 9 4.1.3. Threatened species and communities.................................................................... 10 4.1.4. Survey limitations ................................................................................................... 10 4.2. Survey Results..................................................................................... 11 4.2.1. Survey zones .......................................................................................................... 11 4.2.2. Vegetation communities of conservation significance ........................................... 14 4.2.3. Species recorded at the site ................................................................................... 16 4.2.4. Species of conservation significance ..................................................................... 16 4.2.5. Disturbance and weeds .......................................................................................... 17 4.3. Impact assessment.............................................................................. 17 4.3.1. Construction impacts.............................................................................................. 17 4.3.2. Operational impacts................................................................................................ 20 4.3.3. Decommissioning impacts ..................................................................................... 20 i nghenvironmental Biodiversity Assessment: Cullerin Wind Farm 5. FAUNA ............................................................................................ 21 5.1. Approach and methodology ............................................................... 21 5.1.1. Preliminary assessments ....................................................................................... 21 5.1.2. Field surveys and mapping..................................................................................... 21 5.1.3. Threatened and other significant species............................................................... 25 5.1.4. Survey limitations ................................................................................................... 25 5.2. Survey results...................................................................................... 25 5.2.1. Fauna habitat in the study area .............................................................................. 25 5.2.2. Survey results......................................................................................................... 26 5.2.3. Sensitive habitat features ....................................................................................... 27 5.2.4. Threatened species ................................................................................................ 27 5.2.5. Matters of national significance (EPBC Act) .......................................................... 31 5.3. Impact assessment.............................................................................. 32 5.3.1. Construction impacts.............................................................................................. 32 5.3.2. Operational impacts................................................................................................ 34 5.3.3. Decommissioning impacts ..................................................................................... 41 6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................... 42 6.1. Flora..................................................................................................... 42 6.1.1. Construction............................................................................................................ 42 6.1.2. Operation ................................................................................................................ 43 6.1.3. Decommissioning impacts ..................................................................................... 43 6.2. Fauna................................................................................................... 44 6.2.1. Construction............................................................................................................ 44 6.2.2. Operation ................................................................................................................ 44 6.2.3. Decommissioning impacts ..................................................................................... 45 7. REFERENCES ................................................................................ 46 ii nghenvironmental Biodiversity Assessment: Cullerin Wind Farm APPENDIX A: FLORA LIST..................................................................- 1 - A.1: Plant species list for the site ................................................................- 2 - APPENDIX B: FAUNA LIST..................................................................- 7 - B.1: Faunal species list for the site .............................................................- 8 - APPENDIX C: THREATENED SPECIES EVALUATION ....................- 11 - C.1 Flora .....................................................................................................- 12 - C.2 Fauna ...................................................................................................- 15 - APPENDIX D: ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE............................- 21 - D.1 TSC Act Assessment of significance ..................................................- 22 - D.2 EPBC Act Assessment of significance................................................- 31 - Endangered ecological communities (EECs).................................................................- 31 - Threatened flora and fauna species................................................................................- 33 - Migratory species ............................................................................................................- 37 - APPENDIX E: BIRD IMPACT RISK ASSESSMENT ..........................- 39 - E.1 Risk assessment ..................................................................................- 40 - E.2 Conclusion...........................................................................................- 44 - APPENDIX F: PHOTOGRAPHS .........................................................- 45 - F.1 Photographs of the site, by vegetation survey zone. .........................- 46 - APPENDIX G: ADDENDUM ...............................................................- 53 - G.1 Follow-up assessment of access routes.............................................- 54 - Lerida Road North...........................................................................................................-