Ecology Assessment Report Lot 1 AB78 Release Notice This document is available through the Australia Pacific Liquefied Natural Gas (Australia Pacific LNG) Upstream Phase 1 Project controlled document system TeamBinder™. The responsibility for ensuring that printed copies remain valid rests with the user. Once printed, this is an uncontrolled document unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy. Third-party issue can be requested via the Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Project Document Control Group. Document Conventions The following terms in this document apply: Will, shall or must indicate a mandatory course of action Should indicates a recommended course of action May or can indicate a possible course of action. Document Custodian The custodian of this document is the Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Project – Environmental Approvals Team Leader. The custodian is responsible for maintaining and controlling changes (additions and modifications) to this document and ensuring the stakeholders validate any changes made to this document. Deviations from Document Any deviation from this document must be approved by the Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Project – Environmental Approvals Team Leader. Doc Ref: Q-4500-15-RP-1027 Revision: 0 Page 2 of 45 Approvals, Land and Stakeholder Team, Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Uncontrolled when printed unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy. Ecology Assessment Report Lot 1 AB78 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 5 1.1. Scope of Works ............................................................................................. 5 1.1.1. Ecological Assessment Field Survey Methodology .................................................... 5 1.2. Definitions & Abbreviations .............................................................................. 9 1.2.1. Definitions ................................................................................................. 9 1.2.2. Abbreviations .............................................................................................. 9 1.2.3. Document References .................................................................................. 10 2. Site context .......................................................................................... 13 2.1. Bioregion .................................................................................................. 13 2.2. Land Use ...................................................................................................... 13 2.3. Soils and Geology ........................................................................................... 13 2.4. Climate ....................................................................................................... 14 2.5. Site Description ............................................................................................. 14 3. Methodology ......................................................................................... 14 3.1. Desktop and Literature Review ....................................................................... 14 3.2. Field Survey ............................................................................................... 15 3.2.1. Vegetation Community Survey ........................................................................ 15 3.2.2. Habitat Surveys .......................................................................................... 16 3.2.3. Threatened Flora and Fauna Survey .................................................................. 16 3.2.4. Exotic Flora and Fauna Survey ........................................................................ 17 3.2.5. Disturbance Survey ..................................................................................... 17 3.2.6. Survey Limitations ...................................................................................... 17 4. Results and Discussions ............................................................................. 18 4.1. Desktop and Literature Review ....................................................................... 18 4.1.1. Commonwealth Environmental Matters .............................................................. 18 4.1.2. Queensland Environmental Matters .................................................................. 20 4.2. Field survey ............................................................................................... 22 4.2.1. Commonwealth Environmental Matters .............................................................. 23 4.2.2. Queensland environmental matters .................................................................. 28 4.2.3. Weeds and Pests ........................................................................................ 32 4.2.4. Watercourses and Wetland Ecosystems .............................................................. 32 4.2.5. Disturbance .............................................................................................. 33 5. Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................. 34 Doc Ref: Q-4500-15-RP-1027 Revision: 0 Page 3 of 45 Approvals, Land and Stakeholder Team, Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Uncontrolled when printed unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy. Ecology Assessment Report Lot 1 AB78 6. Appendix A: Site Location and Survey Points ................................................... 35 7. Appendix B: EPBC Protected Matters Search Tool Results ................................... 36 8. Appendix C: Wildlife Online Database Search Results ......................................... 37 9. Appendix D: EHP Mapping of Environmentally Sensitive Areas ............................... 38 10. Appendix E: EHP Regional Ecosystems and High Value Regrowth Mapping ................. 39 11. Appendix F: EHP Wetlands and Watercourse Mapping ......................................... 40 12. Appendix G: Flora and Fauna Recorded During the Surveys .................................. 41 13. Appendix H: Potential EPBC Threatened Ecological Communities ........................... 42 14. Appendix I: Field Validated Regional Ecosystems and High Value Regrowth Mapping .... 43 15. Appendix J: Threatened Species Recorded During the Surveys .............................. 44 16. Appendix K: Declared Plants and Animals Recorded During the Surveys.................... 45 List of Tables Table 1: Definitions ................................................................................................. 9 Table 2: Abbreviations .............................................................................................. 9 Table 3: Associated Document References .................................................................... 10 Table 4: PMST results for threatened ecological communities potentially occurring on Site ........ 18 Table 5: PMST results for threatened species potentially occurring on Site ............................ 19 Table 6: Wildlife online search tool results for threatened species potentially occurring on Site .. 20 Table 7: Endangered REs mapped as potentially present on Site ......................................... 21 Table 8: No concern at present REs mapped as potentially present on Site ............................ 21 Table 9: HVR mapped as potentially present on Site ....................................................... 22 Table 10: Weeds and pest fauna potentially present on Site .............................................. 22 Table 11: Threatened ecological communities present or potentially present on Site based on field survey results ....................................................................................................... 23 Table 12: EPBC Act protected flora species’ potential to occur on Site. ................................ 24 Table 13: EPBC Act protected fauna species potentially present on Site ............................... 25 Table 14: NC Reg listed threatened flora potentially occurring on Site ................................. 28 Table 15: NC Reg listed threatened fauna species present or potentially present on Site ........... 29 Table 16: Endangered and of concern REs identified to be present on Site ............................ 30 Table 17: No concern at present REs identified to be present on Site ................................... 31 Table 18: Declared plants recorded during the ecological field survey on Site ........................ 32 Table 19: Declared animals identified during the ecological field survey on Site ..................... 32 Table 20: Disturbance type, age, severity and frequency of occurrence on the Site. ................ 33 Doc Ref: Q-4500-15-RP-1027 Revision: 0 Page 4 of 45 Approvals, Land and Stakeholder Team, Australia Pacific LNG Upstream Phase 1 Uncontrolled when printed unless issued and stamped Controlled Copy. Ecology Assessment Report Lot 1 AB78 1. Introduction This report provides a description of the ecological values found within defined study areas within Lot 1 on AB78 (the Site). At the request of the client (and due to land holder access restrictions), the defined areas subject to the formal assessment were primarily restricted to locations corresponding to remnant vegetation polygons shown on the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection’s (EHP) regional ecosystem (RE) mapping. The results are based on an initial desktop assessment followed by a field survey to confirm the vegetation