MAY 2010 OAKAJEE PORT AND RAIL OAKAJEE TERRESTRIAL PORT DEVELOPMENT FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENT This page has been left blank intentionally OAKAJEE PORT AND RAIL OAKAJEE TERRESTRIAL PORT DEVELOPMENT FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENT May 2010 Oakajee Port and Rail Oakajee Terrestrial Port Development: Flora and Vegetation Assessment Document Status Approved for Issue Rev. Author Reviewer Date Name Distributed To Date R. Graham, C. Tauss, C. Slee, 1 J. Gilovitz, C. Cox 23 Feb 2009 C. Cox C. Miller 23 Feb 2009 C. Winton, M. Fulton, C. Cox C. Winton, 2 C. Cox 30 June 2009 T. Souster C. Miller 2 July 2009 C. Slee C. Winton, 3 C. Cox 30 June 2009 C. Cox C. Miller 3 August 2009 C. Cox 22 January 22 January 4 C. Macpherson C. Macpherson C. Miller 2010 2010 5 C. Macpherson T. Souster 19 February C. Macpherson C. Miller 19 February 6 M. Hay M. Hay 25 February T. Souster C. Miller 25 February 7 C. Macpherson T. Souster 20 April C. Macpherson C. Miller 20 April 2010 8 C. Macpherson T. Souster 18 May 2010 C. Macpherson Damien McAlinten 19 May 2010 ecologia Environment (2010). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic, mechanical or chemical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, in any language, is strictly prohibited without the express approval of Oakajee Port and Rail and/or ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for Oakajee Port and Rail. Neither the report nor its contents may be referred to or quoted in any statement, study, report, application, prospectus, loan, or other agreement document, without the express approval of Oakajee Port and Rail and/or ecologia Environment. ecologia Environment 1025 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 Phone: 08 9322 1944 Fax: 08 9322 1599 Email: [email protected] May 2010 i Oakajee Port and Rail Oakajee Terrestrial Port Development: Flora and Vegetation Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................................VIII 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND ...............................................................................................................1 1.2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................1 1.3 SURVEY OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................4 2 REGIONAL SETTING........................................................................................................... 5 2.1 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................................5 2.2 GEOLOGY...................................................................................................................................7 2.3 GERALDTON SANDPLAINS BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGION...............................................................7 2.4 LANDFORMS............................................................................................................................12 2.5 BEARD VEGETATION MAPPING...............................................................................................13 2.6 DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE VEGETATION WITHIN THE AREAS SURVEYED ...............................15 2.7 PREVIOUS BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN THE STUDY AREA ...........................................................15 2.8 LAND USES IN THE SUBREGION ..............................................................................................16 2.9 LAND USE HISTORY .................................................................................................................16 3 SURVEY METHODS.......................................................................................................... 19 3.1 DETERMINATION OF SURVEY SAMPLING DESIGN AND INTENSITY.........................................19 3.2 VEGETATION AND FLORA SURVEY ..........................................................................................20 3.2.1 Flora Survey Sites.....................................................................................................20 3.2.2 Vegetation Mapping................................................................................................23 3.3 THREATENED FLORA SURVEY..................................................................................................23 4 VEGETATION................................................................................................................... 27 4.1 VEGETATION UNITS OF THE SURVEY AREA.............................................................................27 4.2 VEGETATION CONDITION........................................................................................................39 5 FLORA............................................................................................................................. 41 5.1 SAMPLING ADEQUACY............................................................................................................41 5.2 FLORA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE..............................................................................42 5.2.1 Statutory Framework...............................................................................................42 5.2.2 Priority Flora Previously Recorded Near the Study Area.........................................42 5.2.3 DRF and Priority Flora Recorded During the Current Survey ..................................43 May 2010 ii Oakajee Port and Rail Oakajee Terrestrial Port Development: Flora and Vegetation Assessment 5.3 SPECIES OF INTEREST ..............................................................................................................53 5.4 INTRODUCED FLORA ...............................................................................................................53 5.4.1 Weeds of National Significance ...............................................................................53 5.4.2 Declared Plants........................................................................................................53 5.4.3 Introduced Flora within the Study Area ..................................................................54 5.5 SURVEY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS..............................................................................59 6 CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................................................... 61 6.1 FLORA......................................................................................................................................61 6.1.1 Flora of National Significance ..................................................................................61 6.1.2 Flora of State Significance .......................................................................................61 6.1.3 Flora of Regional Significance..................................................................................65 6.1.4 Flora of Local Significance .......................................................................................66 6.2 VEGETATION ...........................................................................................................................66 6.2.1 Vegetation of National Significance ........................................................................66 6.2.2 Vegetation of State Significance..............................................................................66 6.2.3 Vegetation of Regional Significance ........................................................................70 6.2.4 Vegetation of Local Significance..............................................................................74 7 STUDY TEAM................................................................................................................... 75 8 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 77 FIGURES Figure 1.1 – Location of the Port Study Area ...........................................................................................3 Figure 2.1 – Summary of Climatic Data for Geraldton Port (Source BoM, 2009).....................................5 Figure 2.2 – Location of Geraldton Hills Subregion on the West Coast of Western Australia .................8 Figure 2.3 – Land Systems of the Study Area ...........................................................................................9 Figure 2.4 – Map of Landforms of the Geraldton Area from Playford et al. (1970)...............................13 Figure 2.5 – Vegetation of the Study Area (Beard and Burns 1976) ......................................................14 Figure 2.6 – Conservation Reserves and Remnant Vegetation of the Study Area .................................17 Figure 3.1 – Locations of Quadrats within the Study Area.....................................................................22 Figure 3.2 – Location of Transects walked in the Study Area.................................................................25 Figure 4.1 – Distribution of Vegetation Units within the Study Area.....................................................37 Figure 5.1 – Species Accumulation Curve for Bounded Quadrats within the Study Area......................42 Figure 5.2 – Location of Species of Conservation