+ FINAL REPORT: Growling Grass Frog Litoria raniformis Conservation Management Plan for the Westwood Drive Extension, Burnside Heights, Victoria ON BEHALF OF: Melton Shire Council December 2011 Ecology And Heritage Partners Pty Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 420 Victoria Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 MELBOURNE: PO Box 298, Brunswick VIC 3056 GEELONG: PO Box 8048, Newtown VIC 3220 Table of Contents Summary................................................................................................................................. iv 1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope of Assessment ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Study Area .................................................................................................................... 2 2 Background................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Growling Grass Frog Litoria raniformis ................................................................... 4 2.1.1 Conservation status................................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Habitat requirements ............................................................................................... 4 2.1.3 Habitat within the study area.................................................................................. 5 2.1.4 Occurrence of the species within the study area................................................ 7 2.1.5 Distribution in surrounding area ............................................................................ 7 2.1.6 Threatening processes ........................................................................................... 8 2.2 Potential Impacts ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Habitat loss ............................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Habitat fragmentation and bridge construction ................................................... 8 2.2.3 Hydrology and water quality................................................................................... 9 2.2.4 Roads and Vehicular Traffic................................................................................... 9 2.2.5 Human Access ....................................................................................................... 10 2.2.6 Weeds...................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.7 Dog and cat ownership ......................................................................................... 10 2.2.8 Exotic Predators..................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Likely Improvements ................................................................................................. 11 3 Conservation Management Plan ......................................................................... 12 3.3 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Management Plan Implementation, Timeframe and Review.............................. 12 3.3 Pre-Construction phase ............................................................................................ 12 3.3.1 Mitigation measures .............................................................................................. 12 3.3.2 Fence Design Requirements and Considerations............................................ 14 3.3.3 Frog Salvage and Translocation ......................................................................... 15 3.3.4 Required approvals ............................................................................................... 16 3.3.4.1 National legislation ................................................................................................ 16 3.3.4.2 State legislation...................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Construction phase.................................................................................................... 17 3.4.1 Frog movement and dispersal ............................................................................. 18 Growling Grass Frog Conservation Management Plan for the Westwood Drive Extension, Burnside Heights, Victoria i 3.4.2 Vegetation netting.................................................................................................. 18 3.5 Post-Construction Phase: Ongoing Management and Monitoring .................... 18 3.5.1 Population and habitat monitoring ...................................................................... 18 3.5.2 Habitat management and maintenance ............................................................. 19 3.5.3 Pollution and stormwater management.............................................................. 20 3.5.4 Management policy ............................................................................................... 20 3.5.5 Water quality monitoring and management....................................................... 21 3.5.6 Litter and hard rubbish management.................................................................. 22 3.6 Responsibilities for Management ............................................................................ 22 3.6.1 Key responsibilities................................................................................................ 22 4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 23 Figures.................................................................................................................................... 24 References ............................................................................................................................ 28 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 33 Tables Table A1.1. Rare or threatened categories for listed Victorian taxa. .......................................34 Table A1.2. Defining Ecological Significance. ..........................................................................35 Table A1.3. Defining Site Significance.....................................................................................37 Table A1.4. Defining Vegetation Condition...............................................................................38 Table A1.5. Defining Habitat Quality.........................................................................................39 Table A2.1. Implementation schedule. .....................................................................................40 Table A3.1. Plant species recommended for w etland vegetation. ..........................................41 Growling Grass Frog Conservation Management Plan for the Westwood Drive Extension, Burnside Heights, Victoria ii Acknowledgements We thank the following people for their contribution in the project: Matthew Hutchinson (Melton Shire Council) for project and site information / photos. Anthony Mann [Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC)] for ongoing comments and assistance with Conservation Management Plan. Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) for access to data on the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. Cover Photo: Aerial photograph of Kororoit Creek and proposed bridge crossing located within the Westwood Drive development (Matthew Hutchinson, Melton Shire Council) and Growling Grass Frog Litoria raniformis (upper right) (Andrew Taylor, Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd). The following Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd employees either undertook the field assessments and/or contributed to the preparation of this report: Andrew Taylor, Jo Day, Aaron Organ and Amanda Feetham. Project # 3235 Copyright © Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd This document is subject to copyright and may only be used for the purposes for which it was commissioned. The use or copying of this document in whole or part without the permission of Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd is an infringement of copyright. Disclaimer Although Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd have taken all the necess ary steps to ensure that an accu rate do cument has been prepared, the company accepts no liability for any damages or loss incurred as a result o f reliance placed upon the report and its content. Growling Grass Frog Conservation Management Plan for the Westwood Drive Extension, Burnside Heights, Victoria iii SUMMARY Ecology and Heritage Partners Pty Ltd was commissioned by Melton Shire Council to prepare a detailed Conservation Management Plan for the nationally threatened Growling Grass Frog Litoria raniformis as part of the proposed road extension and bridge crossing at Westwood Drive, Burnside Heights, Victoria. This document provides a detailed plan for the protection, future management and monitoring of L. raniformis as part of the proposed development. It outlines detailed recommendations for the projection of the species pre-construction,