Mount Dore Mine Lease Expansion Baseline Ecological Assessment Prepared for Ivanhoe Australia Level 1, 282 Wickham Street Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 4006 PO Box 419, Fortitude Valley, 4006 Queensland, Australia Telephone +61 7 3852 3922 Facsmile +61 7 3852 4766 Email: [email protected] Web: www.placedesigngroup.com PLACE DESIGN GROUP DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared in accordance with the scope of services described in the contract or agreement between PLACE Design Group Pty Ltd ACN 082 370063 (PDG) and the Client. The report relies upon data, surveys, measurements and results taken at or under the particular times and conditions specified herein. Any findings, conclusions or recommendations only apply to the aforementioned circumstances and no greater reliance should be assumed or drawn by the Client. Furthermore, the report has been prepared solely for use by the Client and PDG accepts no responsibility for its use by other parties. REVIEW AND APPROVAL Authored by: Valerie Bares Position: Senior Environmental Manager Authored by: Chris Kahler Position: Botanist (Ecological Interpretation) Reviewed by: Anna Maccheroni Position: Senior Environmental Planner Approved by: Chris Isles Position: Manager – Planning Date: 28/07/2012 Document ICM08_MtDore_Ecological Assessment_v1.0.doc Reference: Report: Post-wet Season Ecological Assessment for the Mount Dore ML Expansion DOCUMENT HISTORY Date Change Description Version No. 22/06/2012 Draft for Client Review 1.0 DRAFT 28/07/2012 Original 1.0 Ivanhoe Australia Mount Dore Mine Lease (ICM08) Baseline Ecological Report PLACE DESIGN GROUP GLOSSARY, ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS Term Definition Arboreal Living in a tree or trees Biodiversity The variety of all life forms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems and ecological processes they are part of Bioregion Broad landscape patterns that reflect major structural geologies and climate as well as major changes in floristic and faunal assemblages Connectivity A behaviourally determined, species specific parameter, which depends on both landscape composition and movement ability and of animals; a parameter that measures the processes by which sub-populations in a landscape are interconnected Data Search Area An area defined as a 150 km radius around the Study Area (defined as a central point Latitude: 22.1026, Longitude: 140.5623). DERM Department of Environment and Resource Management DSEWPAC Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Ecological Corridors Retained and or restored systems of linear habitat, which at a minimum enhance the connectivity of wildlife populations and may help them overcome the main consequences of habitat fragmentation (Wilson & Lindenmeyer 1995); A defined area of contiguous habitat that facilitates the dispersal of subpopulations throughout the landscape. Corridors may be structural, being identifiable physical/spatial features of habitat, and functional being a measure of whether a species can move between habitat patches (Bennett 1990). EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) Fauna Animals of a given region or period considered as a whole Flora The plants of a particular region, habitat or geological period (pl. floras or florae) ha Hectare HERBRECS Botanical database of the Queensland Herbarium IAL Ivanhoe Australia Ltd kHz Kilohertz km Kilometre LP Act Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 (Qld) m Metre mm Millimetre MGD Mitchell Grass Downs Bioregion MII Mount Isa Inlier; subregion 3 of the NWH Bioregion ML Mining Lease NC Act Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) NES National Environmental Significance NWH North West Highlands Bioregion PDG PLACE Design Group QLD Queensland RE Regional Ecosystem; REs describe the relationship between vegetation communities in a particular bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil REDD Regional Ecosystem Description Database SOCS Species of Conservation Significance Study Area Part of the Mount Dore ML comprising 1,600 ha (approx.) Terrestrial Ground dwelling Threatened Species Species listed as critically Endangered , Endangered , Vulnerable in the EPBC Act or Endangered , Vulnerable and Near Threatened in the NC Act and Regulation Vegetation Community An assembly of different species of plants growing together in a particular habitat; the floral component of an ecosystem VM Act Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Qld) WONS Weeds Of National Significance Ivanhoe Australia Mount Dore Mine Lease (ICM08) Baseline Ecological Report | Page i PLACE DESIGN GROUP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In February 2012 Ivanhoe Australia (IA) engaged PLACE Design Group (PDG) to undertake post-wet season flora and fauna assessments for the Mount Dore Mine Lease (ML) group. IA intend to expand the current disturbance areas within the Mount Dore ML to create new dumps, stockpile areas, leaching facilities and evaporation ponds associated with a processing plant. This new disturbance area is sandwiched between the existing mining facilities and the airstrip which services the mine and comprises an area of approximately 1,600 hectares, forming the Study Area. Flora and fauna assessments were conducted in accordance with Department of Environment and Resource Management’s (DERM) “Guidelines for Flora Assessment in North Queensland” and “Recommended Fauna Survey Methodology for Environmental Impact Assessments”. Targeted surveys for known Species of Conservation Significance (SOCS) identified from database records and regional surveys were conducted by transects, meanders searches, incidental sightings, active trapping and habitat analysis. Field assessments were conducted during the late wet season (14 – 20 March, 2012) to capture the highest account of seasonal variations within the herb and forbs populations inhabiting the Study Area as well as seasonal migratory variance in fauna communities. Previous dry and post-wet season surveys were conducted by PDG in 2010 and 2011 respectively and those reports were used to support the findings of this current survey. Flora Of the 170 species recorded in the Study Area, none have a conservation status under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). One species, Brachychiton collinus is classified as a Type A plant under the Nature Conservation (Administration) Regulation 2006 . A licence will be required for its removal but the regulation is aimed at controlling the trade of sought after plants. Of the 170 vascular plants recorded in the Study Area, 13 species or 7.6% are exotic species naturalised in Queensland. None of the species identified are declared weeds under the schedules of the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route) Management Act 2002 (Qld). Vegetation Communities and Regional Ecosystem Thirteen vegetation communities were recorded in the Study Area. The assigned regional ecosystem (RE) codes have a management status under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 of Least Concern. However one RE has a biodiversity status of Endangered (RE 1.3.7) with two having a biodiversity status of Of Concern (RE 1.3.6 and RE 1.5.6). Fauna No fauna species identified in this survey have a conservation status under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). Based on the analysis of their likelihood of occurrence it is anticipated that 4 species (all birds) would utilise the Study Area however the proposed mine expansion would not have a significant impact on these species given their large home range. Landscape Ecological Values The proposed expansion would sever a large riparian channel which traverses the Study Area. This channel is one of the main ecological features of the Study Area, providing good quality habitat. However these channels are common in the area and its severance would not constitute a significant impact at the regional scale. Conclusion Ivanhoe Australia Mount Dore Mine Lease (ICM08) Baseline Ecological Report | Page ii PLACE DESIGN GROUP The proposed expansion of the Mount Dore facilities occurs adjacent to the currently active areas of the ML. The proposed expansion will have a concise impact on vegetation and habitats within the Study Area and region. The impact proposed does not however result in the creation of new isolated activities. Due to this the likelihood of increased edge impacts will not significantly increase nor will any habitats be severed as a result. Direct physical habitat loss will result from the removal of approximately 1008 ha of remnant vegetation and their associated habitats. These habitats are well represented in the Study Area, and common throughout the region. Development would not result in the severance of significant habitat corridors, or affect ecological dispersal. The proposed expansion is not likely to cause a significant impact on these common habitats within the region nor are they likely to impact upon any known SOCS or threatened ecological communities/regional ecosystems. No threatened vegetation communities, flora, fauna or critical habitat features will be impacted upon by the proposed expansion works. Ivanhoe Australia Mount Dore Mine Lease (ICM08) Baseline Ecological Report | Page iii PLACE DESIGN GROUP TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY , ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................