Pacific National Greta Provisioning Facility Biodiversity Offset Package January 2013 Contents 1. Executive Summary ................................................................ 1 2. Introduction ............................................................................. 3 2.1 Overview ........................................................................................ 3 2.2 Objectives ...................................................................................... 4 2.3 Relationship with Existing Reports .................................................. 6 2.4 Site Context .................................................................................... 6 2.5 BioBanking ................................................................................... 10 2.6 Glossary of Terms ........................................................................ 11 3. Methodology ......................................................................... 14 3.1 Desktop Assessment .................................................................... 14 3.2 BioBanking Assessment and Credit Calculation ............................ 14 3.3 Potential Offset Property Comparison ........................................... 15 3.4 Site Survey ................................................................................... 16 3.5 Staff Qualifications ........................................................................ 17 4. Existing Environment ............................................................ 21 4.1 Development Area ........................................................................ 21 4.2 Greta Biobank .............................................................................. 28 4.3 Branch Lane Biobank ................................................................... 32 5. BioBanking Credit Calculations ............................................. 40 5.1 Approach ...................................................................................... 40 5.2 Development Area ........................................................................ 40 5.3 Greta Biobank Site ....................................................................... 46 5.4 Branch Lane Biobank Site ............................................................ 50 6. BioBanking Credit Comparison ............................................. 55 6.1 Variation Criteria for Mitigated Net Loss ........................................... 55 6.2 Offset Package Credit Contribution ............................................... 56 6.3 Offsets for Matters of National Environmental Significance ............ 62 7. Biodiversity Offset Site Management Framework ................. 64 7.1 Summary ...................................................................................... 64 7.2 Conservation Covenant (biobanking agreement) ........................... 64 22/15976/00/187155 Greta Provisioning Facility i Biodiversity Offset Package 7.3 Management Actions .................................................................... 65 7.4 Summary of Rehabilitation and Management Activities ................. 69 7.5 Monitoring of Biobank sites ........................................................... 71 7.6 Compliance Assurance ................................................................. 71 8. Conclusions .......................................................................... 73 8.1 BioBanking Credit Calculations ..................................................... 73 8.2 Alignment with Offsetting Principles .............................................. 74 8.3 Alignment with Conditions of Approval .......................................... 79 8.4 Matters of National Environmental Significance ............................. 85 8.5 Additional Assessment.................................................................. 85 9. Disclaimer ............................................................................. 87 10. References ............................................................................ 88 Table Index Table 1 GHD Survey Effort 16 Table 2 GHD Ecology Personnel and Qualifications 18 Table 3 Vegetation Types within the Greta Development Area 23 Table 4 Greta Biobank Site Vegetation 30 Table 5 Vegetation Types within the Branch Lane biobank 35 Table 6 Development Area Landscape Assessment Values 41 Table 7 Development Area vegetation zones 42 Table 8 Development Management Zones 43 Table 9 Development Area Ecosystem Credit Profile 43 Table 10 Greta Biobank Landscape Assessment Values 46 Table 11 Greta Biobank vegetation zones 47 Table 12 Greta Biobank Management Zones 48 Table 13 Greta Biobank Ecosystem Credit Profile 48 Table 14 Branch Lane Biobank Landscape Assessment 50 Table 15 Branch Lane Biobank vegetation zones 52 Table 16 Branch Lane Biobank Management Zones 53 Table 17 Branch Lane Biobank Ecosystem Credit Profile 53 Table 18 Offset Package - Comparison between the Development Area Credits Required and Biobank Credits Contribution58 Table 19 Comparison between Development and Biobank Threatened Fauna Species 59 Table 20 Program for completing biobanking agreements 64 22/15976/00/187155 Greta Provisioning Facility ii Biodiversity Offset Package Table 21 Summary of Rehabilitation and Management for Greta biobank site 67 Table 22 Summary of Rehabilitation and Management for Branch Lane biobank site 69 Table 23 Comparison of the Offsets Package with the DECC (2008) Offsetting Principals 74 Table 24 Comparison of the offset package with the DSEWPaC (2007) Offsetting Principles 77 Table 25 Comparison of the offset package with DP&I Conditions of Approval 79 Table 26 Comparison of the offset package with DSEWPaC Conditions of Approval 82 Table 27 Greta Subject Site Flora Species 93 Table 28 Greta Subject Site Fauna Species 99 Table 29 Branch Lane Biobank Flora Species 101 Table 30 Branch Lane Biobank Fauna Species 116 Figure Index Figure 1 Subject Site Location and Layout 8 Figure 2 Branch Lane Biobank Site Location 8 Figure 3 Subject Site Vegetation Zones 19 Figure 4 Branch Lane Biobank Vegetation Zones 20 Figure 5 Subject Site Threatened Biota 27 Figure 6 Greta Subject Site Landscape Assessment 45 Figure 7 Branch Lane Biobank Landscape Assessment 51 Appendices A Greta Biobank Site BioBanking Credit Reports B Species Lists C Expert Reports 22/15976/00/187155 Greta Provisioning Facility iii Biodiversity Offset Package 1. Executive Summary GHD was commissioned by Pacific National (the Proponent) to oversee the provision of biodiversity offsets for the proposed development of a Train Support Facility at Greta, in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales (the Project). This Biodiversity Offset Package (referred to as ‘the offsets package’) has been prepared by GHD to provide biodiversity offsets to compensate for impacts arising from the Project. The Project comprises the construction of a series of rail sidings, maintenance facilities and staff car parking within a 49 ha site. The Project has been assessed under Part 3A of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act) and will result in impacts on native biota. An ecological impact assessment of the Project has been performed and has identified and quantified the impacts on native biodiversity along with proposed measures to avoid and mitigate these impacts (SKM, 2010a, 2010b). The outcome of this and subsequent assessments is that the Project would result in residual impacts equating to the removal of approximately 19.8 ha of vegetation, including the removal of EECs and habitat for threatened species (DoP, 2011a). Subsequent consultation with the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) established that DSEWPaC would require biodiversity offsets for removal of vegetation within a 20.47 hectare development area that also includes areas that may be developed at some point in the future. Biodiversity offsets are required to compensate for residual impacts on EECs, threatened species and their habitats and clearing of native vegetation. A biodiversity offset comprises one or more appropriate actions that are put in place to counterbalance specific impacts on native biota and their habitats. Appropriate actions are considered to be long-term management activities that aim to improve biodiversity conservation. This can include legal protection of land (i.e. an offset site) to ensure security of management actions and remove threats (DECC, 2008). An offsets package for the Project has been presented that includes the purchase and retirement of biodiversity credits using the BioBanking methodology and the OEH (2011) offsets policy. This offsets package includes the conservation of two biobank sites: A portion of the subject site outside of the development footprint, which is referred to as the ‘Greta biobank site’. A privately owned site at The Branch, which is referred to as the ‘Branch Lane biobank site’. The BioBanking methodology has been used to develop the offsets package as follows: Desktop application of the BioBanking methodology to determine impacts of the development and the Project offsetting requirements in terms of biodiversity credits. Site survey of the Greta biobank site and the Branch Lane biobank site using the BioBanking plot/transect methodology and additional targeted surveys appropriate to biodiversity values at the sites. Assessment of the biobanks using the BioBanking methodology to determine the biodiversity credits that will be generated when biobanking agreements are obtained