FINAL REPORT Santos GLNG Ecological Assessment Report – Pipeline Flora Prepared for Santos Ltd Santos House Level 14 60 Edward Street Brisbane QLD 4000 11 February 2009 42626220 C:\Documents and Settings\rxborge0\My Documents\URS Report front cover for pdf.doc GLNG ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PIPELINE FLORA Project Manager: URS Australia Pty Ltd Level 16, 240 Queen Street Brisbane, QLD 4000 GPO Box 302, QLD 4001 Dan Simmons Australia Associate Environmental T: 61 7 3243 2111 Scientist F: 61 7 3243 2199 Project Director: Chris Pigott Senior Principal Author: Date: 11 February 2009 Reference: 42626230 Status: Final Chris Todd Senior Ecologist Prepared for Santos, 11 February 2009 GLNG ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PIPELINE FLORA Table of Contents Table of Contents ES Executive Summary ......................................................................................... 1 1 Glossary and Abbreviations............................................................................ 1 Abbreviations............................................................................................................................... 1 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................... 2 2 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Study Aim and Objectives.............................................................................................. 4 2.2 Review of Existing Information ..................................................................................... 4 2.3 Target Species................................................................................................................. 4 2.4 Legislative Context ......................................................................................................... 5 2.4.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (EPBC Act).................................................................................................................... 5 2.4.2 Nature Conservation Act, 1992 (NC Act).......................................................... 5 2.4.3 Lands Protection Act, 2002 (LP Act) ................................................................ 5 2.4.4 Vegetation Management Act, 1999 (VM Act) ................................................... 6 2.5 Field Survey Approach................................................................................................... 8 2.5.1 Survey Limitations ............................................................................................ 9 2.5.2 Nomenclature ................................................................................................. 10 3 GLNG Environmental Values......................................................................... 11 3.1 Regional Context........................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 Bioregion......................................................................................................... 11 3.1.2 Sub-regions .................................................................................................... 11 3.1.3 Regional Ecosystems (REs)........................................................................... 11 3.1.4 Study Site ....................................................................................................... 12 3.1.5 Weather Conditions ........................................................................................ 12 3.2 Survey Results .............................................................................................................. 13 3.2.1 Species Diversity ............................................................................................ 13 3.2.2 Regional Ecosystems ..................................................................................... 14 3.2.3 Weeds of Concern.......................................................................................... 16 3.2.4 Vegetation of Significance .............................................................................. 16 3.2.5 Regional Connectivity..................................................................................... 16 4 Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures................................................. 16 4.1 Potential Impacts .......................................................................................................... 16 Prepared for Santos, 11 February 2009 i GLNG ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PIPELINE FLORA Table of Contents 4.1.1 Proposed Development .................................................................................. 16 4.1.2 Vegetation Disturbance .................................................................................. 16 4.1.3 Impacts to Conservation Significant Species ................................................. 16 4.1.4 Dust Impacts................................................................................................... 16 4.1.5 Fragmentation................................................................................................. 16 4.1.6 Impact to Marine Plants .................................................................................. 16 4.1.7 Weed Impacts................................................................................................. 16 4.1.8 Edge Effects.................................................................................................... 16 4.1.9 Impacts associated with changes to fire regimes........................................... 16 4.1.10 Impacts associated with Erosion and Sedimentation ..................................... 16 4.2 Impact Mitigation........................................................................................................... 16 4.2.1 Pipeline Route Selection................................................................................. 16 4.2.2 Further Surveys .............................................................................................. 16 4.2.3 Clearing Scheme ............................................................................................ 16 4.2.4 Weed Control.................................................................................................. 16 4.2.5 Rehabilitation of Disturbed Areas ................................................................... 16 4.2.6 Biodiversity Offsetting ..................................................................................... 16 4.2.7 Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................ 16 5 References ...................................................................................................... 16 Prepared for Santos, 11 February 2009 ii GLNG ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PIPELINE FLORA Tables, Figures, Appendices Tables, Figures, Appendices Tables Table 3-1 Regional Ecosystems recorded within 100 m buffer of gas transmission pipeline.........................14 Table 3-2 Declared exotic weeds present along gas transmission pipeline ...................................................16 Table 3-3 Conservation Significant species recorded from gas transmission pipeline...................................16 Table 3-4 Significant Vegetation Communities recorded within 100 m buffer along gas transmission pipeline ........................................................................................................................................................16 Table 4-1 Proposed area of vegetation communities to be removed from the gas transmission pipeline .....16 Figures Figures 1 - 3 Significant Flora Species Records (HERBRECS) Figures 4 - 28 Regional Ecosystem Mapping Appendices Appendix A Pipeline Flora Survey (A1 – Potentially occurring significant species, A2 – Flora Survey Methodology, A3 – Regional Ecosystem Survey Data) Appendix B Master Flora Species List Prepared for Santos, 11 February 2009 iii GLNG ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PIPELINE FLORA Executive Summary ES Executive Summary The flora assessment of the gas transmission pipeline comprised a desktop assessment and a detailed flora field survey. The aims of the investigation were to map the Regional Ecosystems of the gas transmission pipeline corridor and identify vegetation or species of conservation significance. In addition, the survey sought to identify pest plants in the study area and discuss potential impacts and outline mitigation strategies. A desktop study identified flora species potentially present, including significant species listed under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act, 1992 (NC Act) and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (EPBC Act). The flora field survey utilised standard sampling techniques for the mapping of Regional Ecosystems. The field survey was conducted over a 32 day period and included 126 survey sites. The desktop assessment identified sixty-eight significant flora species as potentially present within the pipeline study area. Of these identified taxa, two species (Cycas megacarpa and Acacia pedleyi) were located during the field surveys. The field survey identified the presence of 47 Regional Ecosystems within the gas transmission pipeline corridor including 18 listed as ‘Endangered’ or ‘Of Concern’ under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VM Act) and/or EPBC Act. The field survey identified 302 taxa of plants, representing