Coorong South Lagoon Salinity Reduction Strategy: Pumping Scheme Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999- Referral 1 Document Control Version Date Comment Action Officer V.34 19/04/09 Final edits Glynn Ricketts V.35 to 28/5/10 Final review Tiana Nairn 2 Contents 1. Summary of proposed action..............................................................................................................................5 1.1 Short Description........................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Latitude and Longitude............................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Locality....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Size of the Development Footprint or Work Area....................................................................... 6 1.5 Street Address of the Site .......................................................................................................... 6 1.6 Lot Description ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Local Description Area and Council Contact.............................................................................. 6 1.8 Timeframe .................................................................................................................................. 6 1.9 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 6 1.10 State Assessment .................................................................................................................... 7 1.11 Component of Larger Action .................................................................................................... 7 1.12 Related Actions or Proposals................................................................................................... 7 1.13 Australian Government Funding .............................................................................................. 7 2. Detailed description of proposed action .............................................................................................................8 2.1 Description of proposed action................................................................................................... 8 2.1.1 Impetus for the Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 8 2.1.2 Objectives of the Proposed Action ..................................................................................... 8 2.1.3 Elements of the Proposed Action ....................................................................................... 9 2.2 Alternative Locations, Time Frames or Activities that form part of the Referred Action........... 11 2.2.1 Do Nothing Scenario ........................................................................................................ 11 2.2.2 Pumping and/or excavation scenarios............................................................................. 11 2.2.3 Fresh Water Inputs from the River Murray ....................................................................... 14 2.2.4 Fresh Water Inputs from Redirection of Water from the South East Drainage Network... 14 2.2.5 Pumping Seawater in and Hypersaline Water out............................................................ 14 2.2.6 A Proposal to use the Difference in Water Level between the Coorong and Sea ............ 14 2.2.7 Alternative Project Locations............................................................................................ 15 2.2.8 Alternative Decommissioning Scenarios .......................................................................... 15 2.3 Context, Planning Framework and State/local Government Requirements............................. 15 2.4 Environmental Impact Assessments under Commonwealth, State or Territory Legislation..... 18 2.5 Consultation with Indigenous Stakeholders ............................................................................. 18 2.6 A Staged Development or Component of a Larger Project...................................................... 18 3. Matters of National Environmental Significance...............................................................................................19 3.1 World Heritage Properties........................................................................................................ 19 3.2 National Heritage Places.......................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Nuclear Actions ........................................................................................................................ 19 3.4 Wetlands of International Importance (Declared Ramsar Wetlands) ....................................... 19 3.4.1 Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar site................................................. 20 3.4.2 Species that Contribute to the Ramsar Status of the site................................................. 21 3.5 EPBC-listed Species and Ecological Communities.................................................................. 29 3.5.1 EPBC-listed Threatened Species ..................................................................................... 29 3.5.2 EPBC-listed Migratory Species ........................................................................................ 31 3.5.3 Likelihood of Occurrence of EPBC-listed Plant Species .................................................. 33 3.5.4 Likelihood of Occurrence of Faunal EPBC-listed Threatened and Migratory Species ..... 37 3.5.5 Threatened Ecological Communities................................................................................ 57 3.6 Commonwealth Areas.............................................................................................................. 58 4. Nature and Extent of Likely Impacts.................................................................................................................59 4.1 World Heritage Properties........................................................................................................ 59 4.2 National Heritage Places.......................................................................................................... 59 4.3 Species that Contribute to the Ramsar Status of the Site........................................................ 59 4.3.1 Plant Species.................................................................................................................... 60 4.3.2 Amphibian Species........................................................................................................... 61 4.3.3 Fish Species..................................................................................................................... 61 4.3.4 Bird Species ..................................................................................................................... 64 4.4 EPBC-listed Threatened Species............................................................................................. 75 3 4.5 EPBC-listed Migratory Species ................................................................................................ 87 4.6 EPBC-listed Threatened Ecological Communities ................................................................... 93 4.7 Commonwealth Marine Area.................................................................................................... 94 5. Other Important Features of the Environment..................................................................................................95 5.1 Soil and Vegetation Characteristics ......................................................................................... 95 5.2 Water Flows, including Rivers, Creeks and Impoundments..................................................... 96 5.3 Outstanding Natural Features, including Caves....................................................................... 99 5.4 Gradient (or depth range if action to be taken in a marine area) ............................................. 99 5.5 Buildings or other Infrastructure ............................................................................................... 99 5.6 Marine Areas............................................................................................................................ 99 5.7 Kinds of Fauna and Flora......................................................................................................... 99 5.8 Current State of the Environment in the Area ........................................................................ 100 5.9 Other Important or Unique Values of the Environment .......................................................... 100 5.10 Tenure of the Project Area ................................................................................................... 101 5.11 Existing Land/Marine Uses of Project Area.......................................................................... 101 5.12 Any Proposed Land/Marine Uses of Project Area................................................................ 101 6. Measures to Avoid or Reduce Impacts on Matters of NES........................................................................... 102 7. Environmental