Shire of Dardanup Waterloo Urban and Industrial Expansion Flora and Fauna Survey March 2015 Executive summary This report is subject to, and must be read in conjunction with, the limitations set out in Section 1.4 and the assumptions and qualifications contained throughout the Report. The Greater Bunbury Strategy and Structure Plan identified a potential significant urban expansion area located to the east of the Eaton locality and an industrial expansion area in Waterloo, in the Shire of Dardanup. The Shire of Dardanup (the Shire) and the Department of Planning have commenced preparation of District Structure Plans (DSP) for the urban expansion area and the industrial expansion area. The DSP will be informed by several technical studies including flora and fauna surveys. The Shire has commissioned GHD Pty Ltd (GHD) to undertake a flora and fauna survey and reporting for the Project. The Project Area is situated in the locality of Waterloo in the Shire of Dardanup. The Project Area includes the urban development area to the north of the South- west Highway (SWH) and the industrial development area to the south of the SWH. GHD undertook a desktop assessment of the Project Area and a flora and fauna field assessment with the first phase conducted from 13 to 14 August, 2014 and the second phase conducted from 29 to 31 October 2014. The purpose of this assessment was to identify the parts of the Project Area that have high, moderate and low ecological values so that the Shire can develop the DSP in consideration of these ecological values. This assessment identified the biological features of the Project Area and the key results are as follows. Conservation estate Five Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) managed reserves occur within 10 km of the Project Area, including one that is directly adjacent to the Project Area between the urban development area and the industrial development area. This reserve is managed for the purpose of the conservation of flora and fauna and contains a number of significant communities and species. Waterways Three named waterways occur within the Project Area: Collie River: which occurs along the northern boundary of the urban expansion area, Millar’s Creek: which passes along the south-western boundary of the urban expansion area and through Lot 50 Clifton Road Ferguson River which passes through the south-west corner of the industrial expansion area. In addition, a number of small drainage lines and a number of man-made drains occur throughout the Project Area. The Project Area sits within a low-lying palus-plain, which is seasonally inundated as a result of a perched water table. In addition, there are a number of small damplands or sumplands scattered across the Project Area that have also been categorised as Multiple Use wetlands. The majority of these sumplands or damplands are used as farm dams and water sources. GHD | Report for Shire of Dardanup - Waterloo Urban and Industrial Expansion, 61/31266 | i Vegetation and flora Three Heddle et al. (1980) vegetation complexes have been mapped within the Project Area: Guildford complex, Southern River complex and Swan Complex. The remaining vegetated areas of these complexes are all below the 30 percent threshold level that is considered necessary for conservation, and are considered underrepresented. The majority of the Project Area has been cleared for agriculture and consists of paddocks used for dairy farming. Within the Project Area remnant vegetation occurs along the road reserves, along rivers and creeklines, in small patches on private land and as scattered trees in paddocks, including Melaleuca rhaphiophylla (Swamp Paperbark), Corymbia calophylla (Marri) and Eucalyptus rudis (Flooded Gum). Scattered claypans occur throughout the Project Area. The majority of these areas have been cleared but the small patches that remain support seasonally-inundated shrublands and herblands. A number of Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) and Priority Ecological Communities (PECs) have been previously mapped within 10 km of the Project Area. The field survey identified vegetation types within the Project Area that are considered representative of the TEC ‘Claypans on the Swan Coastal Plain’. This TEC is listed under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and endorsed by the state Minister for the Environment. A total of 201 flora taxa (including subspecies and varieties) representing 64 families and 151 genera were recorded in the Project Area during the GHD field survey. This total comprised 102 (51 %) native taxa and 99 (49 %) introduced taxa. The field survey did not record any EPBC Act or Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (WC Act)-listed flora taxa within the Project Area, however, two DPaW Priority-listed flora taxa were recorded: Chamaescilla gibsonii (Priority 3) and Aponogeton hexatepalus (Priority 4). The priority species were recorded within the claypan TEC at 310 Wireless Road and one population of the Aponogeton hexatepalus was also recorded at Lot 706 Clifton Road within a degraded claypan. These claypans were only able to be accessed on one occasion which limited the potential to identify species that flower in other seasons. The likelihood of occurrence assessment determined that there are a number of other priority species, including Schoenus capillifolius (Priority 3), that may also occur within the good quality claypan vegetation but which were not recorded during the field survey. The Project Area is a highly modified area and the vegetation within the Project Area is dominated by introduced species. Ninety-nine introduced species were recorded within the Project Area. This included four weed species that have been listed by the federal government as Weeds of National Significance (WoNS): *Rubus anglocandicans (Blackberry), *Asparagus asparagoides (Bridal Creeper), *Zantedeschia aethiopica (Arum Lily) and *Salix sp. (Willow). *Asparagus asparagoides and *Zantedeschia aethiopica are also Declared Pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act), and three other Declared Pests: *Gomphocarpus fruticosus (Narrowleaf Cottonbush) *Solanum linnaenum and *Echium plantagineum (Paterson’s Curse) were also recorded within the Project Area. Fauna species and fauna habitat There are eleven fauna habitat types within the Project Area. The majority of the Project Area has been previously cleared and is currently utilised for dairy farming. The landscape has been extensively altered for irrigation purposes and limited native vegetation persists. There are limited local and regional habitat connectivity values through most of the Project Area however there are some patches of remnant vegetation that retain ecological linkages values including Collie River and Millar’s Creek riparian habitats. ii | GHD | Report for Shire of Dardanup - Waterloo Urban and Industrial Expansion, 61/31266 During the two field surveys 91 fauna species were recorded including; 71 birds, five reptiles, seven mammals (three of which are introduced species), seven amphibians and one crustacean. There are five fauna species of conservation significance (protected under the EPBC Act, WC Act or DPaW Priority listed) that are known to occur in the Project Area and that were recorded during the field surveys; Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris), listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and WC Act. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii), listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and WC Act. Western Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis), listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and Endangered WC Act. Water Rat (Hydromys chrysogaster), listed by DPaW as a Priority 4 species. Carter's Freshwater Mussel (Westralunio carteri) listed as Vulnerable WC Act and nominated for listing under the EPBC Act. There are five fauna species of conservation significance that are likely to occur in the Project Area (but were not recorded during the field surveys); Baudin's Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii), listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and WC Act and Great Egret (Ardea modesta), Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis), White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) which are listed under the EPBC Act as a Migratory species and under Schedule 3 of the WC Act. Ecological values The study has identified parts of the Project Area that represent high, moderate and low ecological value. The areas of high ecological value are limited to those areas that contain remnant native vegetation that support species or communities of conservation significance and/or provide ecological linkages through the local landscape. Key outcomes The DSP should aim to reduce the impacts on the ecological values of the Project Area. If impacts to species and communities protected under EPBC Act, WC Act and EP Act can be avoided the approval processes can be expedited. Based on this study the following recommendations are made. In the first instance the DSP should aim to avoid impacts to areas with higher ecological values during the planning phase of the project. This avoidance could include the prioritisation of areas to be set aside and designs that retain the remnant vegetation. It is recommended that the following areas are zoned for conservation, or otherwise protected in perpetuity: – The claypan vegetation that is likely to be a TEC. The vegetated claypan areas, including Lot 310 Wireless Road, the south-east corner of Lot 706 Clifton Road and the south-west