1 Mackay Conservation Group Submissions on Waratah Coal draft EIS Galilee Coal Project China First V2 Mine Chapter 6 Terrestrial Ecology Biodiversity Values of Bimblebox Nature Refuge The Coordinator-General C/- EIS project manager – Galilee Coal project Significant Projects Coordination Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation Mrs Patricia Julien Coordinator Mackay Conservation Group P.O. Box 826 Mackay 4740 Ph: (07) 4966 8025 E: [email protected] 19th December, 2011 6.2.1 The Desktop Assessment will need to be updated in light of later biological survey information reported to DERM and SEWPac and supplied in this submission. Survey information we gave to Waratah Coal’s environment officer last year has not been included. Traditionally desktop assessments provide limited information as biological research in the Desert Uplands has been restricted. A thorough on-ground assessment of areas of high conservation value within the mine’s footprint is expected, especially for Bimblebox Nature Refuge, a protected area of State Biodiversity Significance within the National Reserve System classed by SEW Pac as IUCN IV. Under this classification no mining is permitted, and IUCN VI by the Queensland’s Department of the Environment and Resource Management (DERM) where only actions that will not adversely impact environmental values are allowed. We have provided information collected on bird species within Bimblebox Nature Refuge as birds are a good indicator of biodiversity condition and attest to the high environmental conservation values of this Nature Refuge. 6.2.2 Field Surveys The Australian Natural Resources Atlas Biodiversity Assessment reported: http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/vegetation/assessment/qld/ibra-desert-uplands.html#birds Birds Desert Uplands Bioregion Although the avifauna of the Desert Uplands is typical of tropical woodlands across northern Australia, it appears to contain the last substantial population of the southern subspecies of Black-throated Finch, a taxon that has disappeared from most of its range in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales since the first Atlas period. There are few introduced species in the bioregion, but there have been significant declines in the reporting rate of many woodland taxa and ground feeding insectivores. This may be related to the extensive land clearance that has occurred in recent decades Rare and threatened: Black-throated Finch in patches where grassy woodland are grazed conservatively. There have been two observations of the black-throated finch within Bimblebox Nature Refuge by Birds Australia observers, one in May and another in November 2011. Indicators: Emu, Australian Bustard, Banded Lapwing, Brown Treecreeper, Noisy Miner, Hooded Robin, Jacky Winter, Grey-crowned Babbler, Varied Sittella. 2 All Indicator Species except the banded lapwing have been recorded in Bimblebox Nature Refuge. Trend: Lower reporting rates of grassland and many woodland species as well as ground- feeding insectivores. Scenario: Continued loss of woodland species as clearance continues and fragments are degraded. Actions: Secure a functional landscape against clearance and over-grazing, including adequate representative areas of each community. Ensure pastoral areas with remnant Black- throated Finch populations are grazed conservatively. Maintain integrity of wetlands. The Australian Natural Resources Atlas Biodiversity Assessment also listed Proportion of sightings of the 238 resident bird species in the Desert Uplands Bioregion as ranging from low to medium to high. Of the 145 bird species recorded in Bimblebox Nature Refuge in the Alice Tableland region of the Desert Uplands twenty-one species were listed as low (14%), eighty-seven as medium (61%) and thirty-four as high (24%). An additional three were not listed i.e. letter-winged kite (Near-threatened IUCN); painted button-quail(?); and fuscous honeyeater. The identification of the painted button-quail is not confirmed so is listed as an unidentified button-quail. Those classed as a low proportion of sightings and found in Bimblebox Nature Refuge were: brown quail; wandering whistling duck; black falcon; black-shouldered kite; little button- quail; red-chested button quail; yellow-tailed black cockatoo; brush cockatoo; black-eared cockatoo; shining bronze-cuckoo; barn owl; speckled warbler; inland (brown) thornbill; chestnut-rumped thornbill; white-eared honeyeater; black-chinned honeyeater; golden whistler; spangled drongo; figbird; dusky woodswallow; brown songlark. All bird species within the class of low recorded sightings in the Desert Uplands Bioregion within Bimblebox Nature Refuge should be protected because of their low numbers. This applies even more so to those species whose status is Conservation Significance for the Desert Uplands Bioregion: These are the black falcon; speckled warbler, inland (brown) thornbill, white-eared honeyeater and the black-chinned honeyeater. Tables 1 and 2 show that significant percentages of habitat for almost all conservation significant species will be lost to open cut mining within Bimblebox Nature Refuge if this project is approved. As there is no possibility of a suitable offset, the Waratah Coal project presents a net loss for biodiversity in the Desert Uplands Bioregion. For this reason the mining of Bimblebox Nature Refuge and a buffer zone around it should not proceed. Half of this nature refuge will be lost to open cut mining and infrastructure. The rest will suffer underground mining. What will remain will be a modified native vegetation fragment half of its original size. The draft EIS is deficient in that it does not address which conservation significant species will be affected severely by the restriction of their habitats and how they will be affected. 3 Table 1(a). Bird Species of Conservation Significance for the Desert Uplands within the class of low recorded sightings in the Desert Uplands Bioregion within Bimblebox Nature Refuge that will be directly impacted by the proposed open cut mining pits. Based on observations to date. Common Bird Species Total Observations Observations within or very Percentage of observations Names close to proposed open cut within or very close to open mine pits in Bimblebox cut mine pits in Bimblebox Nature refuge Nature Refuge black falcon 6 6 100% speckled warbler (LC-IUCN) 4 2 50% inland (brown) thornbill 7 2 29% white-eared honeyeater No exact location data unknown unknown black-chinnned honeyeater 3 3 100% (NT-IUCN) Table 1(b). Bird Species of Conservation Significance within the class of medium recorded sightings in the Desert Uplands Bioregion within Bimblebox nature refuge that will be directly impacted by the proposed open cut mining pits. Based on observations to date. Common Bird Species Total observations Observations within or very Percentage of observations Name close to proposed open cut within or very close to open mine pits in Bimblebox cut mine pits in Bimblebox Nature Refuge Nature Refuge Australian bustard (LC- 6 3 50% IUCN) black-necked stork No exact location data unknown unknown bush stone-curlew 2 2 100% squatter pigeon No exact location data unknown unknown brown treecreeper (NT- 36 24 67% IUCN) hooded robin (NT-IUCN) 26 15 58% black-throated finch (E-QLD 2 2 recordings southwest of 100% NCA & EPBC) (V-IUCN) proposed B South Pit Table 1(c). Birds of Conservation Significance within the class of high recorded sightings in the Desert Uplands Bioregion within Bimblebox Nature refuge that will be directly impacted by the proposed open cut mining pits. Based on observations to date. Common Bird Species Total observations Observations within or very Percentage of observations Name close to proposed open cut within or very close to open mine pits in Bimblebox cut mine pits in Bimblebox Nature Refuge Nature Refuge Grey-crowned babbler (LC- 30 19 63% IUCN). Listed as high but reports from a QLD Herbarium botanist are that it is rarely seen. 4 Table 2a. Migratory EPBC-listed bird and butterfly species within proposed open-cut mine areas in Bimblebox Nature Refuge. Common Bird Species Total observations Observations within or very Percentage of observations Name close to proposed open cut within or very close to open mine pits in Bimblebox cut mine pits in Bimblebox Nature Refuge Nature Refuge Rainbow bee-eater 9 6 67% Horsefield’s bronze cuckoo 2 1 50% Great egret 1 1 100% Wanderer butterfly 1 1 100% Table 2b. Threatened EPBC-listed marine bird species within proposed open-cut mine areas in Bimblebox Nature Refuge. Common Bird Species Total observations Observations within or very Percentage of observations Name close to proposed open cut within or very close to open mine pits in Bimblebox cut mine pits in Bimblebox Nature Refuge Nature Refuge Wandering whistling duck 1 1 100% Straw-necked ibis 1 1 100% Whistling kite 1 1 100% Great egret 2 2 100% Black-faced cuckoo-shrike 4 4 100% White-bellied cuckoo-shrike 3 3 100% Horsefield’s bronze cuckoo 2 1 50% Channel-billed cuckoo 1 1 100% Southern boobook 1 1 100% Sacred kingfisher 4 2 50% Rainbow bee-eater 9 6 67% Spangled drongo 1 0 0 Richard’s pipit 1 0 0 tree martin 4 4 100% Rufous night heron 1 1 100% The Desert Uplands is a semi-arid region with high climatic variability. One or two on-ground surveys are insufficient to comprehensively represent biodiversity in such a region where flora and fauna changes dramatically in wet and dry years. Ideally seasonal surveys over a decade should be undertaken to capture the full ranges of flora and fauna in such a region of high climatic variability. A good example is the fact that it took three years of seasonal surveys by experienced Birds Australia bird observers to find two records of the endangered black-throated finch (commonwealth EPBC and Queensland NCA legislation) within Bimblebox Nature Refuge. New species continue to be recorded in ongoing surveys. Waratah Coal’s ecologists conducted thirty-one flora sites and eight fauna sites over 20 days from October 2009 through April 2010, a six month period covering an average Wet Season.