MURRAY FUTURES: COORONG, LOWER LAKES & MURRAY MOUTH RECOVERY PROJECT SOUTH EAST FLOWS RESTORATION PROJECT Referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Contents Executive Summary................................................................................................... 1 1. Summary of proposed action ............................................................................ 5 1.1 Short Description ..................................................................................................5 1.2 Latitude and Longitude ........................................................................................5 1.3 Locality and property description ........................................................................5 1.4 Size of the development footprint or work area (hectares) ................................8 1.5 Street address of the site .....................................................................................8 1.6 Lot description ......................................................................................................8 1.7 Local Government Area and Council contact (if known) .................................10 1.8 Timeframe ............................................................................................................10 1.9 Alternatives to proposed action.........................................................................11 1.10 Alternative timeframes etc .................................................................................11 1.11 State assessment ................................................................................................11 1.12 Component of larger action ...............................................................................12 1.13 Related actions/proposals ..................................................................................12 1.14 Australian Government funding .........................................................................14 1.15 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ..........................................................................15 2. Detailed description of proposed action ......................................................... 16 2.1 Description of proposed action .........................................................................16 2.1.1 Context of the Proposed Action .................................................................................... 16 2.1.1.1 Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Region .................................................... 16 2.1.1.2 Upper South East Region, South Australia ............................................................... 20 2.1.1.3 SEFRP (Taratap and Tilley Swamp) Flow Path ........................................................ 26 2.1.2 Purpose of the proposed action .................................................................................... 31 2.1.2.1 Managing salinity in the South Lagoon ..................................................................... 31 2.1.2.2 Salinity target values and threshold to support Coorong biota ................................... 32 2.1.2.3 SEFRP yield to the Coorong .................................................................................... 33 2.1.2.4 Additional flows to en route wetlands ........................................................................ 35 ii 2.1.3 Elements of the proposed action .................................................................................. 35 2.1.4 Construction details ...................................................................................................... 38 2.1.5 Environmental Management ......................................................................................... 49 2.1.6 Management and operations ........................................................................................ 53 2.1.6.1 Current operating procedures ................................................................................... 54 2.1.6.2 Future operating procedures .................................................................................... 56 2.2 Alternatives to taking the proposed action .......................................................57 2.2.1 Do nothing scenario ..................................................................................................... 57 2.2.2 South Lagoon Salinity Reduction Strategy (Pumping Scheme) ..................................... 58 2.3 Alternative locations, timeframes or activities that form part of the referred action 58 2.4 Context, planning framework and state/local government requirements .......58 2.4.1 Legislative framework................................................................................................... 59 2.4.2 Commonwealth legislative compliance requirements .................................................... 60 2.4.3 State legislative compliance requirements .................................................................... 61 2.4.4 Agreements and Policies .............................................................................................. 64 2.5 Environmental impact assessments under Commonwealth, state or territory legislation ........................................................................................................................66 2.6 Public consultation (including with Indigenous stakeholders) .......................67 2.6.1 Stakeholder engagement ............................................................................................. 67 2.6.2 Traditional Owner engagement .................................................................................... 69 2.7 A staged development or component of a larger project .................................71 2.7.1 CLLMM Recovery Project............................................................................................. 71 2.7.2 Potential for future projects ........................................................................................... 71 3. Description of environment and likely impacts .............................................. 72 3.1 Matters of national environmental significance ................................................72 3.1.1 World Heritage Places .................................................................................................. 72 3.1.2 National Heritage Places .............................................................................................. 72 3.1.3 Wetlands of International Importance (declared Ramsar Wetlands) .............................. 73 3.1.3.1 Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Site Description ....................... 73 3.1.3.2 Nature and extent of likely impact upon the Ramsar wetland .................................... 84 iii 3.1.4 Listed Threatened Ecological Communities .................................................................. 96 3.1.4.1 Description of listed threatened ecological communities ........................................... 96 3.1.4.2 Nature and extent of likely impact on threatened ecological communities ................. 97 3.1.5 Listed threatened and migratory species .................................................................... 102 3.1.5.1 EPBC Act listed species assessment methodology ................................................ 102 3.1.5.2 Project sub-area descriptions and impacts ............................................................. 103 3.1.5.3 Likelihood of occurrence of EPBC-listed threatened and migratory species ............ 115 3.1.5.4 Nature and extent of likely impact on threatened and migratory species ................. 124 3.1.6 South-east Marine Region .......................................................................................... 174 3.1.7 Commonwealth Marine Area ...................................................................................... 176 3.1.8 Commonwealth Land ................................................................................................. 183 3.1.9 The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park ........................................................................... 183 3.1.10 A water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development ........................................................................................................................... 183 3.2 Nuclear actions, action taken by the Commonwealth, actions taken in a Commonwealth marine area, actions taken on Commonwealth land, or actions taken in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park .......................................................................... 184 3.3 Other important features of the environment ................................................. 184 3.3.1 Current state of the environment ................................................................................ 184 3.3.2 Hydrology, including water flows................................................................................. 184 3.3.3 Unique values of the environment .............................................................................. 184 3.3.4 Outstanding natural features ...................................................................................... 187 3.3.5 Soil characteristics ..................................................................................................... 187 3.3.6 Indigenous heritage values ......................................................................................... 187 3.3.7 Commonwealth Heritage Places