Vegetation type Vegetation Type Description Landform and Extent Notes and Photograph Substrate (ha) quadrat reference Eucalyptus marginata, Eucalyptus marginata, Corymbia Plains and 1.56 Q6 Corymbia calophylla calophylla and Agonis undulating Allocasuarina and Agonis flexuosa/Allocasuarina fraseriana open hills of dark fraseriana flexuosa/Allocasuarina forest over Xanthorrhoea preissii, loamy soils occurs on the fraseriana open forest Bossiaea linophylla and Taxandria over laterite uplands within parviceps mid to tall sparse shrubland the survey area VT7 over Desmocladus fasciculatus sparse and Agonis shrubland flexuosa occurs on the lowlands in the survey area. Eucalyptus marginata Eucalyptus marginata and Allocasuarina Plains with 0.97 Q5 and Allocasuarina fraseriana open forest over Beaufortia grey sands fraseriana open forest decussata, Taxandria parviceps and Petrophile diversifolia mid to tall open VT8 shrubland over Desmocladus fasciculatus, Leptocarpus tenax and Anarthria spp. open sedgeland over Dampiera leptoclada isolated herbs 18 | GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 Vegetation type Vegetation Type Description Landform and Extent Notes and Photograph Substrate (ha) quadrat reference Tremulina tremula, Tremulina tremula, Mesomelaena Low lying 1.29 Q8 Mesomelaena tetragona and Lepidosperma area with tetragona and pubisquameum sedgeland with Darwinia black, grey Lepidosperma oederoides and Taxandria parviceps open loamy sand pubisquameum mid to low open shrubland sedgeland VT9 Planted trees The planted trees comprised of mostly Various 0.25 - introduced species. Planted Eucalyptus PT diversicolor was recorded alongside the northern part of McIntosh road. Scattered native Paddock and roadside areas with Various 3.7-1 - plants scattered native plants SN GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 | 19 Vegetation type Vegetation Type Description Landform and Extent Notes and Photograph Substrate (ha) quadrat reference Highly Disturbed Previously cleared areas, roads and Throughout 7.14 - tracks survey area HD 20 | GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 4.1.2 Vegetation condition The vegetation condition of the survey area ranged from Pristine to Completely Degraded. One fifth (7.14 ha) of the survey area is highly disturbed and includes roads, gravel tracks and other infrastructure. Approximately half of the survey area was in Excellent to Very Good condition. These areas are located throughout the survey area. Vegetation in Excellent to Very Good condition has been subject to some minor disturbance such as the presence of minor tracks or isolated occurrences of weeds. Areas with scattered native vegetation remaining within highly disturbed areas were rated as in Completely Degraded condition. Remnant vegetation varies in condition depending upon its location within the survey area. Due to edge effects and previous clearing, vegetation alongside cleared areas was generally in poorer condition (Good to Degraded) than that in the middle of vegetated areas (Excellent). Vegetation condition mapping areas are provided in Table 6 and Figure 4, Appendix A. Table 6 Extent of vegetation condition ratings within the Study Area Vegetation Condition Hectares within survey area Pristine to Excellent 0.69 Excellent 7.91 Excellent to Very Good 5.06 Very Good 6.92 Very Good to Good 0.73 Good 2.54 Good to Degraded 0.03 Degraded 1.16 Degraded to Completely Degraded 0.52 Completely Degraded 3.3 Highly Disturbed 7.14 Total 36.00 ha 4.1.3 Conservation significant ecological communities No EPBC Act listed TECs and/or State listed TECs or DPaW listed PECs were recorded during the field survey. 4.2 Flora 4.2.1 Flora diversity A total of 253 plant taxa (including subspecies and varieties) representing 56 families and 147 genera were recorded within the survey area. This total is comprised of 208 native species and 45 introduced (exotic) species. Dominant families recorded within the survey area include: Fabaceae: 42 species Myrtaceae: 30 species Proteaceae: 21 species Cyperaceae: 14 species. Thirty-three (seven introduced) taxa could not be formally identified to species level due to the lack of suitable flowering or fruiting material. Six taxa recorded by Aecom (2016) have not GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 | 21 previously been recorded within survey area. GHD did not record these species during the surveys. 4.2.2 Conservation significant flora No EPBC Act/WC Act listed flora were recorded during the two survey periods. One plant of the DPaW, Priority 4 listed species, Laxmannia jamesii, was recorded within the survey area at 536979 E and 6133283 N. Laxmannia jamesii is a tufted, stilt-rooted perennial, herb, 0.05 - 0.2 m high. The flowers are red and white, and it flowers between May to July. This species grows in grey sand in winter-wet locations (WA Herbarium 1998 -). The identification of the Laxmannia was confirmed by taxonomists from the WA Herbarium. Likelihood of occurrence assessment A likelihood of occurrence assessment of conservation significant species (based on the range, habitat requirements and previous records of the species) (Appendix D, summarised in Table 7) determined that 14 species could possibly occur and one species may be known to occur within the impact area (impact area to be confirmed) and one species is known to occur and 24 species could possibly occur within the survey area. The remaining species were considered as unlikely or highly unlikely to occur within the survey area. The survey was conducted in winter and spring 2016. The spring assessment however was conducted early in the season and many spring flowering plants were observed as in flower bud in the field. As such, some cryptic and annual conservation significant species may not have been observed during the spring survey. One Andersonia specimen and one Leucopogon specimen collected could not be fully identified. Based on NatureMap records a Priority 3 Andersonia and a Priority 3 Leucopogon are potentially present within the survey area. However, the previously recorded species flower during the Winter and Spring and should have been identifiable during the survey. Table 7 Conservation significant flora species possibly occurring within the survey area Taxon Status Likelihood of Likelihood occurrence of EPBC WC Act within impact occurrence Act /DPaW area within survey area Chordifex abortivus EN T Unlikely Possible Banksia goodii VU T Unlikely Possible Synaphea incurva P1 Possible Possible Anthocercis sylvicola P2 Unlikely Possible Isopogon buxifolius var. buxifolius P2 Possible Possible Lepyrodia extensa P2 Possible Possible Melaleuca ordinifolia P2 Unlikely Possible Melaleuca viminalis P2 Unlikely Possible Andersonia sp. Mitchell River P3 Possible Possible Andersonia sp. Virolens P3 Possible Possible Lasiopetalum sp. Denmark (B.G. P3 Possible Possible Hammersley 2012) Leucopogon alternifolius P3 Possible Possible Pimelea rosea subsp. annelsii P3 Unlikely Possible Sphaerolobium calcicola P3 Possible Possible Tetraria sp. Blackwood River P3 Possible Possible 22 | GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 Taxon Status Likelihood of Likelihood occurrence of EPBC WC Act within impact occurrence Act /DPaW area within survey area Banksia serra P4 Unlikely Possible Boronia virgata P4 Unlikely Possible Laxmannia jamesii P4 Possible/Known Known Lepidium pseudotasmanicum P4 Possible Possible Microtis pulchella P4 Possible Possible Microtis quadrata P4 Possible Possible Ornduffia submersa P4 Possible Possible Thomasia quercifolia P4 Unlikely Possible Trithuria australis P4 Possible Possible EN – Endangered; VU – Vulnerable; T – Threatened; P1 – Priority 1 4.2.1 Other significant flora The July and September field surveys did not identify any other significant flora, as defined by the EPA (2004a). 4.2.2 Introduced flora Forty-five introduced (exotic) species were recorded during the survey. No species listed as Declared Plants under Section 37 of the Agricultural and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 (WA) or a WoNS (Australian Weeds Committee, 2010) were recorded within the survey area. 4.3 Fauna 4.3.1 Fauna habitats The survey identified five fauna habitat types within the survey area. These habitat types are closely aligned to the vegetation types described in section 4.1.1. and are presented below in Table 8. The consist of; Jarrah, Sheoak and Banksia woodland/forest Sedgelands Myrtaceous shrublands Planted trees / scattered native species Highly Disturbed GHD | Report for LandCorp - Denmark East Development Precinct, 61/34762 | 23 Table 8 Fauna habitat descriptions Habitat type Indicative photograph Myrtaceous shrublands –1.77 ha (VT05) This vegetation type consists of shrublands to 2- 3 metres of Taxandria parviceps, Kunzea ericifolia, Petrophile sp. and Melaleuca and is very dense with a fine leaf and woody debris layer. The ground cover consists of dense sedges and low shrubs over litter on grey sandy soils. Typically, this shrubland is associated to damp areas low in the environment with water inundation present at the corner of Mount Barker Road / East River Road and again along McIntosh Road near to the intersection of East River Road. Most of this habitat type is long unburnt except for Mount Barker Road / East River Road intersection which appeared to have been burnt approximately 5 years ago. Tall shrubland provides excellent cover for small bush birds and mammals