GINKGO MINE MODIFICATION – CRAYFISH DEPOSIT FAUNA ASSESSMENT Rainbow Bee-eater, listed as Migratory under the EPBC Act (photo by Andrew Lothian) Field Survey and Fauna Assessment A Report by Biodiversity Monitoring Services, November 2012 GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT i GINKGO MINE MODIFICATION – CRAYFISH DEPOSIT FAUNA ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS: Section Section Title Page Number Number 1.0 BACKGROUND 1 2.0 STUDY AREA 6 3.0 SURVEY SITES WITHIN THE MODIFICATION AREA 8 4.0 SURVEY GUIDELINES 11 5.0 APPROACH TO SURVEY 11 6.0 METHODOLOGY 13 6.1 Fauna Sampling 13 6.2 Survey Effort 19 6.3 Habitat Characteristics 20 6.4 Statistical Analysis 21 6.5 Use of Indices 21 7.0 RESULTS 24 7.1 Fauna 24 7.1.1 Fauna Listings 24 7.1.2 Fauna in the Study Area 25 7.2 Threatened Species 30 7.3 Application of Environment Protection and Biodiversity 34 Conservation Act 1999 to Fauna Known or Expected to Occur within Modification 7.4 Habitat 37 8.0 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 40 8.1 Loss of Vegetation 41 8.2 Disturbance by Noise and Dust 43 8.3 Vehicle Movement 43 8.4 Fauna and Artificial Lighting 43 8.5 Introduced Fauna 44 8.6 Bushfire Risk 44 8.7 Cumulative Impact Assessment 44 8.7.1 Loss of Native vegetation 44 8.7.2 Loss of Habitats 44 8.7.3 Threatened Fauna 45 9.0 MEASURES TO AVOID AND MITIGATE IMPACTS 45 10.0 PROPOSED BIODIVERSITY OFFSET AREA 49 10.1 Background 49 BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT ii Section Section Title Page Number Number 10.2 Comparison between Modification Area and Biodiversity 49 Offset Area 10.2.1 Species Richness of Faunal Groups 51 10.2.2 Simpson’s Index of Diversity 52 10.2.3 Evenness of Occurrence of Species within an Area 52 10.2.4 Capture Rates of Individual Species 55 10.2.5 Contribution to the Faunal Assemblages by Threatened 55 Species and Species Dependent upon Woodland 10.2.6 Habitat Characteristics 56 10.2.7 Habitat Complexity Scores 57 10.2.8 Threatened Fauna 58 10.2.9 Other factors 58 10.3 Conclusion 59 11.0 OFFSET MEASURES 60 11.1 Offset area proposal management, security, monitoring 60 and auditing 11.1.1 Proposed Management Plan 60 11.1.2 Monitoring 60 11.1.3 Independent Audits 61 11.1.4 Completion Criteria 61 11.1.5 Strategic Benefit of the Offset Area 61 11.1.6 Ecosystem Resilience 61 11.1.7 Existing Infrastructure 62 11.3 Reconciliation of the Proposed Offset Strategy against 63 OEH Offset Principles 11.4 Ecological Gains of the Proposed Offset 64 12.0 REFERENCES 65 BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT iii Section Section Title Page Number Number Appendix 1 SUMMARY OF TECHNIQUES TO BE USED DURING 67 THE SURVEY OF STUDY AREA Appendix 2 FAUNA LOCATED DURING THE SURVEY OF MLA 68 AND HAUL ROAD AREAS Appendix 3 FAUNA LOCATED WITHIN STUDY AREA 74 Appendix 4 SIGHTING NUMBERS OF BIRDS WITHIN EACH AREA 81 DURING A SIX DAY SURVEY PERIOD Appendix 5 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS UPON THREATENED 83 SPECIES Appendix 6 BIODIVERSITY OFFSET FAUNA ASSESSMENT 110 FIGURES Figure Figure Title Page Number Number 1 Modification Layout including Haul Road Route to and 3 Within Gingko Mine 2 Vegetation Communities within the Modification 7 3 Habitats within the Modification Area 8 4 Locations of Main Survey Sites within the Modification and 10 Haul Road Survey Area 5 Sampling Score Sheet Used to Calculate Habitat 24 Complexity 6 Biodiversity Indices for Birds and Reptiles 27 7 Threatened Species in or Near Modification Area 32 8 Distribution Records of Delma australis 33 9 Habitat Characteristics at Each Site 38 10 Habitat Complexity Scores 40 11 Comparison of the Survey Efforts between the 51 Modification and Biodiversity Offset Areas 12 Biodiversity Indices for Birds and Reptiles 53 13 Mean Values of Habitat Characteristics for Modification 57 and Biodiversity Offset Areas 14 Habitat Complexity Scores 58 BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT iv TABLES Table Table Title Page Number Number 1 Main Sites Selected at Modification Area and Haul Road 9 Area 2 Weather at Pooncarie during Survey Period 12 3 Survey Efforts within Each Area in Trap-Days, Camera- 20 days and person-days 4 Species Richness at Snapper Mine and the Modification 26 5 Biodiversity Indices for Study Area, MLA and Haul Road 27 Area 6 Threatened Species Located in Modification Area 30 7 Fauna Species of National Environmental Significance that 35 could occur within the Modification 8 Habitat Characteristics of the Detailed Survey Sites 37 9 Habitat Complexity Scores for All Sites in Modification 39 Area 10 Percentage of Habitat Lost within Modification Area 42 11 Biodiversity Indices for Modification Area and Biodiversity 53 Offset Area 12 Proportion of Woodland Dependent and Declining Birds 56 in Each Area 13 Mean Values of Habitat Characteristics for Modification 56 and Biodiversity Offset Areas 14 Habitat Complexity Scores for All Sites 58 15 Sightings of Pest Species in Both Areas 59 16 Reconciliation of Offset Strategy against OEH Principles 63 PLATES Plate Plate Title Page Number Number 1 Tree-mounted Tomahawk Traps at a patch of Old Trees 14 at Site CD06 2 CD04 Site showing tree-mounted Glider Tube 15 3 Remote Camera at Bait Station 16 4 Pit Trap Line Established at CD01 Site 17 5 CD05 Site with line of Reptile Funnels 18 6 Shingleback Lizards Inspecting a bait Station at CD04 26 (Oakland) Site 7 Sand Goanna at CD01(Dune South) Site 62 BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT ES-1 GINKGO MINE MODIFICATION – CRAYFISH DEPOSIT FAUNA ASSESSMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 1) A large area (Study Area) containing low sand dunes with mallee-spinifex, woodland of Black Box, woodland of Black Oak, Chenopod shrubland and grassland was surveyed for fauna in the summer of 2011 and the winter of 2012 using a range of techniques recommended by NSW and Federal guidelines. 2) A total of 76 bird, 13 native mammal, eight introduced mammal, 21 reptile and four amphibian species were located within the Study Area. The assemblage of fauna is representative of the region, particularly in terms of bird and reptile fauna. 3) No small native ground fauna were located and this is possibly due to the disturbed nature of the area and the presence of numbers of introduced competitors (House Mouse) and predators (Feral Cat and Red Fox). Feral Goat numbers were also high within the area. 4) A total of seven species listed as Vulnerable or Endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act were located within Study Area. These were the Little Eagle, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Varied Sittella, Hooded Robin, Inland Forest Bat, Little Pied Bat and Marble-headed Delma. 5) The development of the Modification Area will result in the potential loss of 760 ha of vegetation, comprising 268.5 ha spinifex-dune habitat, 73 ha Black Box/Black Oak woodland and the remainder grassland and shrubland. This loss represents approximately 0.033% of the extent of vegetation in the surrounding region. BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT ES-2 6) Other impacts would include noise and dust generation, increased vehicle movement, attraction of introduced species and creation of artificial lighting. Such impacts are considered minor and appropriate mitigation measures can be put into place to reduce any such impacts. 7) The loss of habitats, particularly the spinifex-dune habitat and a small number of hollow-bearing trees may impact upon the resident fauna. In particular, species with small home ranges may be affected, including the Marble-headed Delma. 8) The creation of a Biodiversity Offset Area will help mitigate the impacts from the loss of habitats in the Modification and Haul Road Areas. The proposed Biodiversity Offset Area occupies 2,594 ha and comprises similar habitats to that within the Modification Area. 9) The Modification, Haul Road and Biodiversity Offset Areas were surveyed for fauna and it was possible to assess the biodiversity values of the Modification and Biodiversity Offset Areas to determine whether the offset would adequately compensate for the disturbance of the deposit area. 10) Analyses of the results from the surveys showed that there are no significant differences in the fauna assemblages and habitats between the Modification Area and the Biodiversity Offset Area. 11) Mitigation measures are provided, together with guidelines for a management plan for the Biodiversity Offset Area aimed to improve the biodiversity values of this area. BIODIVERSITY MONITORING SERVICES [email protected] GINGKO MINE MODIFICATION – FIELD SURVEYS & FAUNA ASSESSMENT Page 1 GINKGO MINE MODIFICATION – CRAYFISH DEPOSIT FAUNA ASSESSMENT Field Survey and Biodiversity Offset Fauna Assessment A Report by Biodiversity Monitoring Services, November 2012 1.0 BACKGROUND Bemax Resources Limited (Bemax) operates the Ginkgo Mineral Sands Mine (the Ginkgo Mine) which is located approximately 170 kilometres (km) to the south of Broken Hill in western New South Wales. Heavy mineral concentrate from the Ginkgo Mine is transported to the Bemax-owned Mineral Separation Plant (the MSP) in Broken Hill. Bemax propose to develop and mine a new mineral sands deposit (the Crayfish deposit) located approximately 6km to the east of the Ginkgo Mine within the Proposed Mining Leases Application (MLA) I. The Crayfish deposit would be developed to maximise the utilisation of existing infrastructure at the Ginkgo Mine.