Fauna Survey (Level 2) Phase 1 (September 2016) and Phase 2 (April 2017) Lake Wells Potash Project Australian Potash Ltd September 2017 Report Number: 01-000017-1/2 VERSION 4 On behalf of: Australian Potash Limited PO Box 1941 WEST PERTH, WA 6872 Prepared by: Greg Harewood Zoologist PO Box 755 BUNBURY WA 6231 M: 0402 141 197 E: [email protected] LAKE WELLS POTASH PROJECT – AUSTRALIAN POTASH LTD – L2 FAUNA SURVEY - PHASE 1 & 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017 – V4 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. III 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 SURVEY AREA ................................................................................................. 1 1.3 SURVEY SCOPE .............................................................................................. 1 2. METHODS ........................................................................................................ 3 2.1 FAUNA INVENTORY - LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................... 3 2.1.1 Database Searches .................................................................................................................. 3 2.1.2 Previous Fauna Surveys in the Area ........................................................................................ 3 2.2 FAUNA INVENTORY – DETAILED FAUNA SURVEY ..................................... 5 2.2.1 Survey Timing and Weather ..................................................................................................... 5 2.2.2 Survey Team ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.2.3 Trap Site Selection ................................................................................................................... 6 2.2.4 Ground Fauna Survey .............................................................................................................. 8 2.2.5 Bird Surveys ............................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.6 Acoustic Bat Recordings ......................................................................................................... 10 2.2.7 Motion Sensing Cameras ....................................................................................................... 10 2.2.8 Spotlighting/Head Torching .................................................................................................... 10 2.2.9 Opportunistic and Targeted Surveys ...................................................................................... 10 2.2.10 Terrestrial Short-Range Endemic/Salt Lake Specialist Invertebrates ..................................... 11 2.3 FAUNA CONSERVATION CATEGORIES ...................................................... 12 2.4 TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE ............................................................ 13 2.6 SURVEY LIMITATIONS .................................................................................. 14 3. REGIONAL CONTEXT ................................................................................... 16 LAKE WELLS POTASH PROJECT – AUSTRALIAN POTASH LTD – L2 FAUNA SURVEY - PHASE 1 & 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017 – V4 3.1 BIOGEOGRAPHIC SETTING ......................................................................... 16 3.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................... 16 3.2.1 Climate ................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.2 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................... 17 3.2.3 Landscape Systems, Geology and Soils ................................................................................ 17 3.2.4 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................. 18 4. SURVEY RESULTS ........................................................................................ 20 4.1 FAUNA INVENTORY - LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................. 20 4.2 FAUNA INVENTORY – DETAILED FAUNA SURVEY ................................... 21 4.2.1 Amphibians ............................................................................................................................. 22 4.2.2 Reptiles ................................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.3 Birds ....................................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.4 Native Non-Volant Mammals .................................................................................................. 25 4.2.5 Bats ........................................................................................................................................ 25 4.2.6 Introduced Fauna .................................................................................................................... 25 4.2.7 Terrestrial Short-Range Endemic/Salt Lake Specialist Invertebrates ..................................... 26 5. LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE - VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................. 27 6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 29 7. REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 31 LAKE WELLS POTASH PROJECT – AUSTRALIAN POTASH LTD – L2 FAUNA SURVEY - PHASE 1 & 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017 – V4 TABLES TABLE 1: Daily Temperatures and Rainfall at the Laverton Aero rainfall station (#12035) During Phase 1 and Phase 2 Survey Periods (BOM 2017). TABLE 2: Trap Sites within the Survey Area TABLE 3: Summary of Trap Nights – Phase 1 & 2 TABLE 4: Fauna Survey Limitations and Constraints TABLE 5: Main Landform and Vegetation Types within the Survey Area. TABLE 6: Summary of Potential Vertebrate Fauna Species (as listed in Appendix D) TABLE 7: Number of Vertebrate Fauna Species Recorded TABLE 8: Likelihood of Occurrence – Vertebrate Fauna Species of Conservation Significance FIGURES FIGURE 1: Survey Area and Surrounds FIGURE 2: Survey Area – Air Photo FIGURE 3: Survey Sites FIGURE 4: Mean monthly rainfall and maximum temperature (June 1994 to April 2017) for the Laverton Aero weather station (#12035) (BoM, 2017a) FIGURE 5: Vegetation Communities (courtesy Botanica Consulting) FIGURE 6: Potential SRE Invertebrates - Records APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Conservation Codes and Categories APPENDIX B: Fauna Trap and Recording Sites – Details APPENDIX C: DBCA & EPBC Database Search Results APPENDIX D: Vertebrate Fauna Observed or Potentially in Survey Area APPENDIX E: Conservation Significant Vertebrate Species - Profiles APPENDIX F: Raw Vertebrate Trapping & Recording Results APPENDIX G: Invertebrate Reports – Alacran Environmental Sciences LAKE WELLS POTASH PROJECT – AUSTRALIAN POTASH LTD – L2 FAUNA SURVEY - PHASE 1 & 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017 – V4 Acronyms/Abbreviations: ALA: Atlas of Living Australia www.ala.org.au BA: Birdlife Australia (Formerly RAOU, Birds Australia). BC Bill: Biodiversity Conservation Bill (2015). WA Government. °C: Degrees Celsius. CALM: Department of Conservation and Land Management (now DBCA), WA Government. CAMBA: China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement 1998. CBD: Central Business District. DBCA: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (formerly DPaW, DEC, CALM, DoE), WA Government DBH: Diametre at Breast Height – tree measurement. DEC: Department of Environment and Conservation (now DBCA), WA Government. DEH: Department of Environment and Heritage (now DotEE), Australian Government. DEP: Department of Environment Protection (now DER), WA Government. DER: Department of Environment Regulation (now DWER), WA Government. DEWHA: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (now DotEE), Australian Government DMP: Department of Mines and Petroleum (formerly DoIR), WA Government. DoE: Department of Environment (now DER/DBCA), WA Government. DoP: Department of Planning, WA Government. DotE: Department of the Environment (now DotEE), Australian Government. DotEE: Department of the Environment and Energy (formerly SEWPaC, DWEHA, DEH & DotE), Australian Government. DoIR: Department of Industry and Resources (now DMP), WA Government. DoW: Department of Water (now DWER), WA Government. DPaW: Department of Parks and Wildlife (now DBCA), WA Government. Page i LAKE WELLS POTASH PROJECT – AUSTRALIAN POTASH LTD – L2 FAUNA SURVEY - PHASE 1 & 2 – SEPTEMBER 2017 – V4 DWER: Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (formed by the amalgamation of OEPA, DoW and DER), WA Government. EP Act: Environmental Protection Act 1986, WA Government. EPA: Environmental Protection Authority, WA Government. EPBC Act: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Australian Government. ha: Hectare (10,000 square metres). IBRA: Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia. IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources – commonly known as the World Conservation