Mount Buller Sustainable Water Security Project – Off-stream Storage Native Vegetation Offset Strategy FINAL REPORT Prepared for the Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board 4 May 2017 © Biosis September 2012 – Leading ecology and heritage consultants 1 Biosis offices Document information Report to: Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Resort Management Board Canberra Prepared by: Michael Goddard Phone: (02) 6102 1200 Email: [email protected] Matt Looby Rachel Clancy Biosis project no.: 24846 NEW SOUTH WALES File name: 24846.Mt.Buller.Water.Storage.Offset.Strategy. Newcastle FIN02.20170413 Phone: (02) 4968 4901 Citation: Biosis 2017. Mount Buller Sustainable Water Email: [email protected] Security Project – Off-stream Storage: Native Sydney Vegetation Offset Strategy. Report for Mount Phone: (02) 9101 8700 Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Email: [email protected] Management Board. Authors: Goddard M, Looby M and Clancy R. Biosis Pty Ltd, Wollongong Melbourne. Project no. 24846. Phone: (02) 4201 1090 Email: [email protected] Document control QUEENSLAND Brisbane Version Reviewer Date issued Phone: (07) 3831 7400 Draft version 01 MJAL 08/03/2016 Email: [email protected] Final version 01 AJH 22/08/2016 Final version 02 AJH 13/04/2017 TASMANIA Hobart Acknowledgements Phone: (03) 8686 4821 Email: [email protected] Biosis acknowledges the contribution of the following people and organisations in undertaking this study: VICTORIA The Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Ballarat Management Board: Louise Perrin and Tom Kelly. Phone: (03) 5304 4250 Email: [email protected] Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for Melbourne (Head Office) access to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas and for preparing Phone: (03) 8686 4800 Offset Site Reports. Fax: (03) 9646 9242 Email: [email protected] Wangaratta Biosis Pty Ltd Phone: (03) 5718 6900 This document is and shall remain the property of Biosis Pty Ltd. The document may only be used Email: [email protected] for the purposes for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of the Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever is prohibited. Disclaimer: Biosis Pty Ltd has completed this assessment in accordance with the relevant federal, state and local legislation and current industry best practice. The company accepts no liability for 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. © Biosis 2015 – Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting www.biosis.com.au I Contents Glossary.................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Project background ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Permitted clearing and offsets .................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Offsets in Victoria's alpine resorts ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.4 Objectives ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Proposed vegetation removal and offsets required ............................................................................. 6 2.1 Clearing site details ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Proposed vegetation removal ................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Offsets requirements .................................................................................................................................................. 6 3. Achieving offsets ......................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Approach to identifying offset sites .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Offset site eligibility ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.1 Current and future land use .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.2 Existing offsets or agreements ...................................................................................................................... 9 3.2.3 Threats to native vegetation condition ........................................................................................................ 9 3.2.4 Minimum security and management commitments ............................................................................... 9 4. Desktop assessment ................................................................................................................................. 11 4.1 Desktop assessment methods ............................................................................................................................... 11 4.2 Outcome of desktop assessment .......................................................................................................................... 11 5. Field assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 12 5.1 Field assessment methods ...................................................................................................................................... 12 5.1.1 Native vegetation mapping, quality assessments and gain scoring .................................................. 12 5.1.2 Targeted surveys and habitat mapping.................................................................................................... 13 5.2 Outcome of field assessment ................................................................................................................................. 13 5.2.1 Native vegetation mapping, quality assessments and gain scoring .................................................. 13 5.2.2 Targeted surveys and habitat mapping.................................................................................................... 16 5.2.3 Records of flora species and management issues................................................................................. 19 6. Applying the alternative arrangements ............................................................................................... 20 6.1 Requirements for consideration of alternative offset arrangements ........................................................... 20 6.1.1 Specific offsets cannot be obtained .......................................................................................................... 20 6.1.2 Impacts minimised ........................................................................................................................................ 20 © Biosis 2016 – Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting www.biosis.com.au II 6.1.3 Equivalent evidence-based outcomes ...................................................................................................... 21 6.2 DELWP approval ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 7. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 22 References ............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Figures .................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Photos .................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................ 42 Appendix 1: Biodiversity impact and offset requirements (BIOR) report ................................................. 43 Appendix 2: Desktop offset site gain scoring .................................................................................................. 76 Appendix 3: Average habitat hectares scores ...............................................................................................