MELBOURNE AIRPORT LINK TO OUTER METROPOLITAN RING & BULLA BYPASS PLANNING STUDY FLORA, FAUNA & NET GAIN ASSESSMENT VicRoads Network & Asset Planning 25 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, Vic. 3122 P.O. Box 74, Richmond, Vic. 3121 Ph. (03) 9815 2111 Fax. (03) 9815 2685 May 2013 Report No. 11138 ( 1.6) (Accessible Version) Melbourne Airport Link to OMR & Bulla Bypass – Flora, Fauna & Net Gain Assessment Report No. 11138 (1.6) CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... 1 2. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 6 3. SOURCES OF INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 8 3.1. Existing information ................................................................................................. 8 3.1.1. Flora .................................................................................................................. 8 3.1.2. Ecological Vegetation Classes ......................................................................... 8 3.1.3. Fauna ................................................................................................................ 9 3.2. Field methodology .................................................................................................... 9 3.2.1. Flora .................................................................................................................. 9 3.2.2. Native vegetation ............................................................................................. 9 3.2.3. Fauna .............................................................................................................. 11 3.3. Limitations of field assessment ............................................................................ 11 4. SITE DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................... 13 5. ASSESSMENT RESULTS ................................................................................................. 17 5.1. Vegetation assessment ......................................................................................... 17 5.1.1. Flora species .................................................................................................. 17 5.1.2. Ecological Vegetation Classes ....................................................................... 20 5.1.3. Scattered trees ............................................................................................... 25 5.1.4. Degraded treeless vegetation ....................................................................... 27 5.2. Fauna ...................................................................................................................... 28 5.2.1. Habitat assessment ....................................................................................... 28 5.2.2. Fauna species ................................................................................................ 29 5.2.3. Listed threatened fauna species .................................................................. 30 6. BROWN TOADLET TARGETED SURVEY ......................................................................... 41 6.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 41 6.2. Species Biology ...................................................................................................... 41 6.2.1. Description ..................................................................................................... 41 6.2.2. Habitat ............................................................................................................ 41 6.2.3. Distribution ..................................................................................................... 41 6.2.4. Threats ............................................................................................................ 42 6.2.5. Legislative protection ..................................................................................... 42 6.3. Methods .................................................................................................................. 42 Page | i Melbourne Airport Link to OMR & Bulla Bypass – Flora, Fauna & Net Gain Assessment Report No. 11138 (1.6) 6.3.1. Existing information ....................................................................................... 42 6.3.2. Habitat assessment ....................................................................................... 42 6.3.3. Targeted Survey ............................................................................................. 42 6.3.4. Limitations of field assessment .................................................................... 43 6.4. Results .................................................................................................................... 45 6.4.1. Existing information ....................................................................................... 45 6.4.2. Habitat Assessment ....................................................................................... 45 6.4.3. Survey results ................................................................................................. 47 6.4.4. Call Playback .................................................................................................. 47 6.4.5. Spotlighting and active searches .................................................................. 47 7. IMPACTS AND REGULATORY IMPLICATIONS ................................................................ 49 7.1. Proposed development .......................................................................................... 49 7.2. Impacts of BB1 South ............................................................................................ 49 7.3. Impacts of BB1 North ............................................................................................ 50 7.4. Impacts of BB2 ....................................................................................................... 50 7.5. Impacts of BB3 ....................................................................................................... 51 7.6. Impacts of Oaklands Road Duplication ................................................................ 51 7.7. Impacts of Melbourne Airport Link ....................................................................... 52 7.8. Comparison of impacts .......................................................................................... 52 7.9. Objective Based Evaluation Matrix ....................................................................... 52 7.10. Preferred Route Option ...................................................................................... 54 7.11. Planning controls ............................................................................................... 62 7.11.1. State provisions ......................................................................................... 62 7.11.2. Local provisions ......................................................................................... 62 7.12. Native Vegetation Management Framework ................................................... 62 7.12.1. How the Framework operates ................................................................... 62 7.12.2. Design recommendations ......................................................................... 65 7.12.3. Offset targets for removal from habitat zones ......................................... 65 7.12.4. Offset targets for removal of scattered trees ........................................... 71 7.13. EPBC Act ............................................................................................................. 77 7.13.1. Threatened ecological communities ......................................................... 77 7.13.2. Threatened flora species ........................................................................... 77 Page | ii Melbourne Airport Link to OMR & Bulla Bypass – Flora, Fauna & Net Gain Assessment Report No. 11138 (1.6) 7.13.3. Threatened fauna species ......................................................................... 77 7.13.4. Key Threatening Processes under the EPBC Act ..................................... 77 7.13.5. Implications ................................................................................................ 77 7.14. FFG Act ................................................................................................................ 78 7.14.1. Threatened ecological communities ......................................................... 78 7.14.2. Threatened/protected flora species ......................................................... 79 7.14.3. Threatened fauna species ......................................................................... 79 7.14.4. Key Threatening Processes under the FFG Act ........................................ 79 7.14.5. Implications ................................................................................................ 79 7.15. EE Act .................................................................................................................. 79 7.16. DSE advisory lists ............................................................................................... 80 8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................