ATTACHMENT 6 COVER PAGE Attachment ID Attachment Title Attachment 6 Coondoo Creek Ecological Study 2012. Department of Transport and Main Roads Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 Ecological Study April 2012 This Report for Coondoo Creek Ecological Study (“Report”): 1. has been prepared by GHD Pty Ltd (“GHD”) for the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR); 2. may only be used and relied on by the DTMR; 3. must not be copied to, used by, or relied on by any person other than the DTMR without the prior written consent of GHD; 4. may only be used for the purpose of providing baseline ecological data for the study site (and must not be used for any other purpose). GHD and its servants, employees and officers otherwise expressly disclaim responsibility to any person other than the Department of Transport and Main Roads arising from or in connection with this Report. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all implied warranties and conditions in relation to the services provided by GHD and the Report are excluded unless they are expressly stated to apply in this Report. The services undertaken by GHD in connection with preparing this Report: x were limited to those specifically detailed in section 1 of this Report; x did not include any RE verification or vegetation mapping, impact studies, reporting or species management plans or consideration of environmental aspects other than those specified in the scope; and x did not include any terrestrial fauna monitoring (i.e. call playback or trapping). The opinions, conclusions and any recommendations in this Report are based on assumptions made by GHD when undertaking services and preparing the Report (“Assumptions”), including (but not limited to): x the background data provided by DTMR was accurate at the time of submission. GHD expressly disclaims responsibility for any error in, or omission from, this Report arising from or in connection with any of the Assumptions being incorrect. Subject to the paragraphs in this section of the Report, the opinions, conclusions and any recommendations in this Report are based on conditions encountered and information reviewed at the time of preparation and may be relied on for a period of 6 months, after which time, GHD expressly disclaims responsibility for any error in, or omission from, this Report arising from or in connection with those opinions, conclusions and any recommendations. 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 Ecological Study Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Study Area 1 1.3 Purpose 1 2. Methodology 3 2.1 Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora 3 2.2 Terrestrial Fauna Survey and Terrestrial Habitat Assessment 3 3. Survey Results 5 3.1 Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora 5 3.2 Terrestrial Fauna 8 4. References 21 Table Index Table 1 Threatened species assessment for the Coondoo Bridge replacement on Tin Can Bay Road. 8 Table 2 Habitat Characteristics 13 Figure Index Figure 1 Study Area 2 Figure 2 Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi individuals at two separate locations 6 Figure 3 Environmental Factors Map 7 Figure 4 Habitat tress identified within disturbance zone. 18 Figure 5 Field Observations Map 19 Appendices A Flora Species List B Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi Locations 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 Ecological Study 1. Introduction 1.1 Background The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) engaged the services of GHD to undertake an ecological survey for the proposed construction of a new bridge and approaches at Coondoo Creek on the Tin Can Bay Road (Chainage 34.10 km – 34.63 km) between Gympie and Tin Can Bay. During bridge replacement works, a sidetrack is proposed to be constructed adjacent to the existing road formation in order to divert traffic away from the construction area. A depiction of the study area has been included in Figure 1. 1.2 Study Area Field surveys extended approximately 100 m upstream and 100 m downstream of the existing Coondoo bridge on both the northern and southern banks. As Figure 1 demonstrates the study area also extended to the north and south of the existing bridge to include vegetation within the road reserve which is expected to be disturbed as a result of the works. Cadastral information for this area indicates that Toolara State Forest borders this section of Tin Can Bay Road on both the eastern and western side (DERM, 2009). Toolara State Forest is an extensive exotic Pinus plantation which supplies timber for house framing, flooring, mouldings, beams, plywood, medium density fibreborads, paper and landscaping (FPQ, 2011). 1.3 Purpose The purpose of the ecological survey was to identify flora and fauna species present within the study area and to assess the potential for habitat types present to support EVNT (endangered, vulnerable, near threatened) species. 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 1 Ecological Study Figure 1 Study Area 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 2 Ecological Study 2. Methodology 2.1 Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora 2.1.1 Desktop Investigations Database search results and other relevant information were reviewed in order to guide the targeted flora surveys for threatened plant species. The following desktop databases were searched for the Project area: The Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) Protected Matters database for matters of National Environmental Significance (NES); The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) Wildnet database for previous records of flora species; and The Queensland Herbarium’s Certified Regional Ecosystem (RE) Mapping (Version 6.0), Essential Habitat Mapping (Version 3), Regulated Regrowth Mapping (Version 2.0), and RE Description Database for areas and descriptions of mapped remnant or regrowth communities. 2.1.2 Field Survey A one day field assessment was conducted by GHD’s qualified ecologists on 28 March 2012. The flora survey involved undertaking a walking traverse of the study area and its immediate surrounds in order to: generate an inventory of vascular plant species present (native and introduced) within the disturbance footprint; identify weed species present within the works area; and record locations of any A Class Restricted Plants observed within the study area. Targeted searches for Commonwealth and State listed conservation significant flora species based on preferred habitats and known distributions were also undertaken. 2.2 Terrestrial Fauna Survey and Terrestrial Habitat Assessment 2.2.1 Desktop investigations A desktop search was conducted to document previous records of fauna within the area, identify mapped sensitive areas and to determine species specific habitat requirements for species that may occur. The following literature/desktop databases were searched for the Project area: The Commonwealth EPBC Act Protected Matters database to identify matters of NES; The Queensland DERM Wildlife Online database for previous records of fauna species; and Existing ecological reports for the Project area supplied by DTMR. Terrestrial fauna species identified as potentially occurring within the Project area were assessed for their likelihood to occur within the study area. The results from the assessment have been included in section 3.2.1 of this report. 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 3 Ecological Study 2.2.2 Field survey A one day field assessment was conducted by GHD’s ecologists in conjunction with the flora survey on 28 March 2012. The objective of the field survey was to identify and characterise the terrestrial fauna habitat values relevant to the study area and to ground-truth results from the literature review and desktop assessment. The terrestrial field survey involved a combination of habitat assessments and active searching for terrestrial fauna species. The following information was recorded during habitat assessments: The structural complexity and type of riparian vegetation; Canopy species overhanging watercourses; The nature and likely hydroperiod of surface water; Habitat features (i.e. hollows, fallen logs, water bodies); Wildlife traces (i.e. diggings, burrows, scratches and nests); Spatial criteria (i.e. remnant size, fragmentation and connectivity); and Sources of existing disturbance. Active search techniques were used throughout the field assessment and more specifically at each of the habitat assessment sites. Active searches or opportunistic observations were performed for approximately 5 – 10 minutes at each site. Active searching involves looking for terrestrial fauna around the base of reeds, under leaf litter, underneath rocks, behind defoliating bark and within trees. The terrestrial fauna assessment did not include any aquatic habitat surveys. A freshwater aquatic assessment of the study area was undertaken by Central Queensland University in 2011 (Wormington and Black 2011). 41/24808/15161 Coondoo Creek Bridge Replacement Job Number 261-41a-800 4 Ecological Study 3. Survey Results 3.1 Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora 3.1.1 Desktop results Search results of the EPBC Protected Matters database for the Project area indicated that the following eight threatened flora species may potentially occur in the area: Baloghia marmorata (jointed Baloghia) – vulnerable; Bosistoa selwynii (heart leaved Bosistoa) – vulnerable; Bosistoa transversa (three-leaved Bosistoa) – vulnerable; Cryptocarya foetida (stinking