Wedgetail Circle, Parkerville Fauna Assessment Prepared for: Coterra Environment 2/460 Roberts Road, Subiaco, WA 6008 Prepared by: Jeff Turpin, Simon Cherriman and Mike Bamford M.J. & A.R. Bamford Consulting Ecologists 23 Plover Way KINGSLEY WA 6026 14th August 2013 Wedgetail Circle Parkerville Fauna Assessment Executive summary Urbis on behalf of the landowner (Kordamentha) is proposing a residential development on land in the area adjoining Wedgetail Circle at Parkerville in Perth, Western Australia. As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project, Bamford Consulting Ecologists (BCE) was commissioned by Coterra Environment to conduct a Level 1 fauna assessment of the proposed development area – termed the “survey area”. The Level 1 fauna assessment included a desktop review and site inspection - with a focus on habitat assessment for threatened Black-Cockatoo species. A Level 1 fauna assessment is required to identify the fauna values of a site so that impacts upon these from any proposed development can be assessed and, where possible, minimised. The survey area (Lot 9503 Wedgetail Circle) lies approximately 25 km north-east of the Perth Central Business District in the outer suburb of Parkerville approximately 6km north-west of the Mundaring townsite. It adjoins the eastern boundary of John Forrest National Park (1577 ha). The survey area is approximately 195 hectares and contains mostly intact native vegetation, with smaller cleared areas previously used for farmland and agriculture. The survey area lies between two existing residential developments along Wedgetail Circle and Hidden Valley Road. The landscape surrounding the proposed development is dominated by rural and residential lots. BCE uses an impact assessment process with the following components: • The identification of fauna values: o Assemblage characteristics: uniqueness, completeness and richness; o Species of conservation significance; o Recognition of vegetation/substrate associations (VSAs) that provide habitat for fauna, particularly those that are rare, unusual and/or support significant fauna; o Patterns of biodiversity across the landscape; o Ecological processes upon which the fauna depend. • The review of impacting processes such as: o Habitat loss leading to population decline; o Habitat loss leading to population fragmentation; o Degradation of habitat due to weed invasion leading to population decline; o Ongoing mortality from operations; o Species interactions including feral and overabundant native species; o Hydrological change; o Altered fire regimes; and o Disturbance (dust, light, noise). • The recommendation of actions to mitigate impacts. The fauna investigations were based on a desktop assessment and a site reconnaissance survey in January 2013. The desktop study identified 257 vertebrate fauna species as potentially occurring in the Parkerville survey area: 15 frogs, 60 reptiles, 151 birds and 22 native and 9 introduced mammals. Of these, 58 species were recorded on site during the field survey. The assemblage includes at least 46 species of conservation significance (19 recorded). BAMFORD Consulting Ecologists 1 Wedgetail Circle Parkerville Fauna Assessment Key fauna values are: Fauna assemblage. Moderately rich and intact except for the loss of a suite of medium-size mammal species. Likely to be typical of fauna assemblages on uncleared land in the region. Species of conservation significance. These include three reptile species, 38 bird species, four mammal species and one invertebrate. Of greatest interest, because they are of high levels of conservation significance and may be present regularly (including the potential for breeding), are the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo, Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Carpet Python, Peregrine Falcon, Chuditch, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Brush Wallaby, Southern Brown Bandicoot and Scorpionfly (Austromerope poultoni). Feeding and breeding by Black-Cockatoos were recorded within the site. Vegetation and Substrate Associations. Three VSAs were identified across the survey area, with one of these disturbed cleared areas. Both the natural VSAs are regionally widespread and well represented in uncleared areas, but have been subject to clearing for agriculture. They also provide significant linkages to the adjacent John Forrest National Park and other neighbouring uncleared areas. Patterns of biodiversity. Biodiversity is likely to be spread across the natural VSAs, but areas of particular significance include VSA1 as the Banksias and Eucalypts may support foraging all three Black-Cockatoos. Key ecological processes. Main processes currently affecting the fauna assemblage in the survey area include local hydrology, fire, fauna interactions (feral predators, over-abundant native species) and weed invasion. Changes to these processes are likely to occur with residential development of the area Recommendations relate to impacts as outlined below. Loss of habitat • Retain large eucalypt trees suitable for breeding, roosting and foraging by Black-Cockatoos; • Develop as much as possible on already cleared land; • Minimise disturbance to VSA 1; • Clearly delineate areas to be cleared; • Develop and implement a plan to avoid and manage Dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi) and other plant diseases, especially to prevent invasion into the National Park. Species interactions • Discourage the presence of feral species, particularly the feral Cat and Fox, by the use of appropriate waste management procedures. • Inform prospective residents on responsible cat ownership. Hydrological changes BAMFORD Consulting Ecologists 2 Wedgetail Circle Parkerville Fauna Assessment • Develop an understanding of the surface and sub-surface drainage and possible effects of residential development. Habitat degradation due to weed invasions • Develop a weed management/hygiene plan. This could address areas such as the use of clean fill during house construction and the issue of garden escapees becoming naturalised in the nearby National Park. Changes in fire regime • Develop a fire management plan, especially with regard to the nearby National Park. Primary threats to Black-Cockatoos (based on DSEWPaC 2012e) • Avoid clearing native vegetation where possible. Clearing of any area of quality feeding habitat greater than 1 ha, including Marri and proteaceous shrubs, must be referred to the federal environment minister (DSEWPaC 2012e). • Conduct further survey work in spring 2013 to assess if potential nesting trees within the survey area are currently utilised by Black-Cockatoos as breeding sites. • If unavoidable, any clearing of known nesting trees (Section 4.2.2) must be referred to the federal environment minister prior to clearing for assessment and approval (DSEWPaC 2012e). Where possible, known or likely breeding sites should be retained with a disturbance free buffer to be discussed with the DEC and DSEWPaC. • Preserve any feeding habitat (list of trees in Appendix 5) around known nesting trees. Any clearing of foraging habitat around known nest trees needs to be referred to the federal environment minister (DSEWPaC 2012e). • Avoid clearing trees larger than 500mm DBH as these have the potential to be Black- Cockatoo nesting trees in the future. BAMFORD Consulting Ecologists 3 Wedgetail Circle Parkerville Fauna Assessment Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 1 Contents.................................................................................................................................................. 4 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 General Approach to Fauna Impact Assessment...................................................................... 6 1.3 Description of Survey Area ...................................................................................................... 7 2 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Regional Description ............................................................................................................... 1 2.2 Vegetation Units ..................................................................................................................... 2 2.3 Black-cockatoos ...................................................................................................................... 2 2.3.1 Species, ecology, habitat requirements and threats ........................................................ 2 2.3.2 Nesting tree size and hollow dimensions ........................................................................ 4 3 Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................ 5 3.2 Desktop Assessment ............................................................................................................... 6 3.2.1 Sources of information ..................................................................................................