BIOSIS RESEARCH HALLADALE AND BLACK WATCH PROJECT Flora and fauna assessment February 2011 Project no. 12242 Natural & Cultural Heritage Consultants 449 Doveton Street North (PO Box 18N) Ballarat North Victoria 3350 BIOSIS RESEARCH Report to Origin Energy Pty. Ltd. HALLADALE AND BLACK WATCH PROJECT Flora and fauna assessment FINAL REPORT 10 February 2011 prepared by Nathan Garvey Shona Arber Rodney Armistead Melbourne: Jessica Davies 38 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne VIC 3207 Ph: (03) 9646 9499 Fax: (03) 9646 9242 email: [email protected] Sydney: Project no. 12242 18–20 Mandible Street, Alexandria NSW 2015 Ph: (02) 9690 2777 Fax: (02) 9690 2577 email: [email protected] Ballarat: Document Information: 449 Doveton Street North, Ballarat VIC 3354 Version/date Internal Date sent Ph: (03) 5331 7000 Fax: (03) 5331 7033 review by to client email: [email protected] Draft version 04 SGM 16/12/10 Canberra: Final version 01 SLA 13/01/11 Unit 16 / 2 Yallourn Street Final version 02 SLA 26/01/11 Fyshwick ACT 2609 Ph: (02) 6228 1599 Fax: (02) 6280 8752 Final version 03 JM 10/02/11 email: [email protected] Wollongong: 8 Tate Street, Wollongong NSW 2500 File name: 12242.HBW.Project.FFA.FIN03.10022011.doc Ph: (02) 4229 5222 Fax: (02) 4229 5500 email: [email protected] Wangaratta: © Biosis Research Pty. Ltd. 26a Reid Street (PO Box 943) This document is and shall remain the property of Biosis Research Pty. Ltd. The document may Wangaratta VIC 3677 only be used for the purposes for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of Ph: (03) 5721 9453 Fax: (03) 5721 9454 the Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever email: [email protected] is prohibited. Biosis Research Pty. Ltd. has completed this assessment in accordance with the relevant federal, BIOSIS RESEARCH Pty. Ltd. A.B.N. 65 006 175 097 state and local legislation and current industry best practice. The company accepts no liability for Natural & Cultural Heritage Consultants any damages or loss incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the report content or for any purpose other than that for which it was intended. CONTENTS CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........................................................................................................V SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope of Assessment................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Site Description.......................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Halladale and Black Watch Proposed Well Site...................................................... 2 1.3.2 Heytesbury Site.......................................................................................................... 3 2.0 METHODS ................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Literature and Database Review............................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Definitions of Significance........................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Likelihood of occurrence .......................................................................................... 6 2.2 Site Investigation ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Flora assessment....................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Fauna assessment..................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Legislation and Policy ............................................................................................. 10 2.4 Victoria’s Native Vegetation Management Framework ....................................... 11 2.5 Mapping .................................................................................................................... 12 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.................................................................................. 13 3.1 Site Context .............................................................................................................. 13 3.1.1 Halladale and Black Watch Proposed Well Site.................................................... 13 3.1.2 Heytesbury Site........................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Qualifications ........................................................................................................... 14 3.3 Flora .......................................................................................................................... 16 3.3.1 Halladale and Black Watch Proposed Well Site.................................................... 16 3.3.2 Heytesbury Site........................................................................................................ 20 3.4 Fauna......................................................................................................................... 25 3.4.1 Halladale and Black Watch Proposed Well Site.................................................... 25 3.4.2 Heytesbury Site........................................................................................................ 34 3.5 Further survey – flora and fauna............................................................................ 46 3.6 Summary of biodiversity values of the site........................................................... 47 3.6.1 Halladale and Black Watch Proposed Well Site.................................................... 47 3.6.2 Heytesbury Site........................................................................................................ 47 4.0 BIODIVERSITY LEGISLATION AND GOVERNMENT POLICY .............................. 49 4.1 Commonwealth ........................................................................................................ 49 4.1.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999..................... 49 4.2 State .......................................................................................................................... 52 4.2.1 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 .................................................................... 52 4.2.2 Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994............................................................. 53 4.2.3 Planning and Environment Act 1987 ..................................................................... 53 4.2.4 Pipelines Act 2005 ................................................................................................... 57 4.2.5 Native Vegetation Management Framework ......................................................... 59 BIOSIS RESEARCH Acknowledgements II 4.2.6 Wildlife Act 1975 and associated Regulations...................................................... 59 4.2.7 Water Act 1989 ......................................................................................................... 60 4.2.8 Environment Protection Act 1970: State Environmental Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) 2003...................................................................................................................... 60 4.2.9 Regional Catchment Strategy and River Health Strategy.................................... 61 5.0 ASSESSMENT AGAINST VICTORIA’S NATIVE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK (NET GAIN) ..................................................................................................... 62 5.1 Three-step approach ............................................................................................... 62 5.1.1 Avoiding and minimising impacts on native vegetation ..................................... 62 5.1.2 Offsetting vegetation losses................................................................................... 63 5.2 Quantifying native vegetation on site.................................................................... 64 5.2.1 Patches of native vegetation .................................................................................. 64 5.2.2 Scattered Trees ........................................................................................................ 66 5.3 Assessing loss of native vegetation...................................................................... 67 5.3.1 Patches of native vegetation .................................................................................. 67 5.4 Gain targets .............................................................................................................. 68 6.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION .............................................................. 69 6.1 Potential impacts ..................................................................................................... 69 6.1.1 An assessment of the potential impacts of noise from drilling operations at