ELLIOT SPRINGS HILLTOP ESTATE Ecological Assessment PR122454-3 Elliot Springs Hilltop Estate 1.5 04 March 2019 rpsgroup.com REPORT Document status Review Version Purpose of document Authored by Reviewed by Approved by date 1 Internal Draft Report AF - 16-07-18 2 Draft Report for Client Review AF LL 20-07-18 Approval for issue Anton Fitzgerald 12 March 2019 This report was prepared by RPS within the terms of RPS’ engagement with its client and in direct response to a scope of services. This report is supplied for the sole and specific purpose for use by RPS’ client. The report does not account for any changes relating the subject matter of the report, or any legislative or regulatory changes that have occurred since the report was produced and that may affect the report. RPS does not accept any responsibility or liability for loss whatsoever to any third party caused by, related to or arising out of any use or reliance on the report. Prepared by: Prepared for: RPS Lend Lease Anton Fitzgerald Simon Walker Senior Environmental Scientist Level 5, Central Plaza, 370 Flinders Street PO Box 1438 Townsville QLD 4810 Townsville QLD 4810 T +61 7 4724 4244 T 0408 084 900 E [email protected] E [email protected] PR122454-3 | Elliot Springs Hilltop Estate | 1.5 | 04 March 2019 rpsgroup.com Page ii REPORT Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope of works .............................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Statutory considerations ................................................................................................................ 3 2 METHODS .................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Desktop assessment ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Site inspection ............................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Vegetation and flora survey methods ........................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Bat detection methods .................................................................................................................. 8 2.2.3 Targeted survey for Northern quoll ............................................................................................... 9 2.2.4 Opportunistic records .................................................................................................................... 9 3 RESULTS....................................................................................................................................10 3.1 Site description ............................................................................................................................10 3.2 Site topography and drainage .....................................................................................................10 3.3 Geology and soils ........................................................................................................................10 3.4 Vegetation communities ..............................................................................................................13 3.4.1 Threatened ecological communities ...........................................................................................16 3.4.2 Field verified vegetation communities .........................................................................................16 3.4.3 Threatened flora ..........................................................................................................................17 3.5 Fauna ..........................................................................................................................................17 3.5.1 Threatened fauna ........................................................................................................................17 3.5.2 Migratory species ........................................................................................................................24 3.6 Aquatic ecosystems and wetlands ..............................................................................................24 3.6.1 Watercourses ..............................................................................................................................24 3.6.2 Wetlands .....................................................................................................................................27 3.7 Existing impacts ..........................................................................................................................27 4 ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION ................................29 4.1 Vegetation clearing and habitat loss ...........................................................................................29 4.1.1 Vegetation disposal .....................................................................................................................30 4.2 Habitat fragmentation ..................................................................................................................30 4.3 Edge effects ................................................................................................................................30 4.4 Vehicle and machinery strike ......................................................................................................31 4.5 Invasive plants and animals ........................................................................................................31 4.6 Dust, noise, light and vibration ....................................................................................................32 4.7 Sedimentation of surface waters .................................................................................................33 4.8 Chemical contamination of soils, groundwater and surface water..............................................33 5 LEGISLATIVE CONSTRAINTS AND REQUIREMENTS ..........................................................34 5.1 State legislation ...........................................................................................................................34 5.1.1 Matters of state environmental significance ................................................................................34 5.2 Federal legislation .......................................................................................................................40 5.2.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act ........................................................40 6 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................47 7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................50 PR122454-3 | Elliot Springs Hilltop Estate | 1.5 | 04 March 2019 rpsgroup.com Page iii REPORT Tables Table 1: Relevant environmental statutory considerations ........................................................................... 3 Table 2: Description of vegetation classifications ........................................................................................13 Table 3: Regional Ecosystem Descriptions .................................................................................................13 Table 4: Vegetation community description –Ironbark open woodland ......................................................16 Table 5: Wildlife online records of threatened flora species (10 km search radius) ....................................17 Table 6: Threatened fauna that have the potential to occur on the site (desktop assessment only) ..........18 Table 7: Assessment of the project area .....................................................................................................22 Table 8: Migratory species that have the potential to occur on site ............................................................24 Table 9: Bioregional clearing impacts .........................................................................................................29 Table 10: Matters of state environmental significance assessment ............................................................35 Table 11: Significant Impact Assessment – Northern Quoll ........................................................................42 Table 12: Significant Impact Assessment - Bare-Rumped Sheathtail Bat ..................................................44 Table 13: Summary of findings ....................................................................................................................47 Table 14: Threatened ecological communities likelihood assessment .......................................................60 Table 15: Threatened flora likelihood of occurrence ...................................................................................62 Table 16: Threatened and migratory fauna likelihood of occurrence ..........................................................65 Table 17: Flora Species List ........................................................................................................................75