FLORA AND FAUNA SURVEY REPORT PROPOSED REZONING VALLA URBAN GROWTH AREA DECEMBER 2010 (REF: 10054F) FLORA AND FAUNA SURVEY REPORT PROPOSED REZONING VALLA URBAN GROWTH AREA DECEMBER 2010 Conacher Environmental Group Environmental and Land Management Consultants Suite E, 78 York Street, East Gosford NSW PO Box 4300, Gosford NSW Phone: 02 4324 7888 Fax: 02 43247899 [email protected] This document is copyright © Conacher Environmental Group ABN 62 274 841 042 PREFACE This Flora and Fauna Survey Report has been prepared by Conacher Environmental Group to identify the flora and fauna characteristics of land within the Valla Urban Growth Area. The report has been prepared as an investigation to provide information on the ecological characteristics of the subject site. This report also identifies habitats and occurrence of threatened species as listed within the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). This information may be used in assessing the potential biodiversity impacts of rezoning the land for future urban development. PROJECT TEAM PHILLIP ANTHONY CONACHER B.Sc.(Hons), Dip.Urb Reg Planning, M.Nat.Res. NPWS Scientific Licence Number: S10618 Director Conacher Environmental Group JACOB MANNERS B.Sc. NPWS Scientific Licence Number: S10618 Ecological Consultant Conacher Environmental Group PAUL GERARD SHELLEY Grad. Cert. Appl. Sc NPWS Scientific Licence Number: S10618 Fauna Technician Conacher Environmental Group TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 SITE CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................................ 1 1.3 PROPOSED REZONING .............................................................................................. 1 SECTION 2 FLORA CHARACTERISTICS 2.1 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES .................................................................................. 2 2.2 ENDANGERED FLORA POPULATIONS & ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ................. 3 2.3 VEGETATION SURVEY METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 6 2.4 VEGETATION COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS & FLORA SPECIES............................. 7 SECTION 3 FAUNA CHARACTERISTICS 3.1 THREATENED FAUNA SPECIES ............................................................................... 15 3.2 ENDANGERED FAUNA POPULATIONS..................................................................... 20 3.3 FAUNA SURVEY METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 20 3.4 FAUNA OBSERVED ................................................................................................... 22 SECTION 4 SURVEY SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENTS 4.1 SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS ............................................................................ 24 4.2 SEPP 44 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................. 24 4.3 EP&BC ACT REVIEW .................................................................................................. 24 4.4 CONSIDERATION OF BIDIVERSITY ISSUES ............................................................ 25 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 FLORA & FAUNA SURVEY METHODS APPENDIX 2 FLORA SPECIES OBSERVED WITHIN STUDY AREA APPENDIX 3 FAUNA SPECIES OBSERVED WITHIN STUDY AREA APPENDIX 4 WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING SURVEY PERIODS APPENDIX 5 SEPP 44 ASSESSMENT APPENDIX 6 EP&BC PROTECTED MATTERS REVIEW SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 INTRODUCTION Conacher Environmental Group has been engaged to prepare a Flora and Fauna Assessment Report for the proposed rezoning of the Valla Urban Growth Area. This Flora and Fauna Survey report has been prepared to identify the flora and fauna characteristics of the site and to determine the potential ecological constrains within the subject site with regard to species, populations and ecological communities listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act). 1.2 SITE CHARACTERISTICS The planning and cadastral details of the study area are provided in Table 1.1 while Table 1.2 summarises the geographical characteristics of the site. TABLE 1.1 STUDY AREA DETAILS Location Valla Urban Release Area Area Approximately 650 hectares Topographic Map Missabotti 1:25 000 and Macksville 1:25 000 Grid Reference 497000E 6613000N Local Government Area Nambucca Shire Existing Land Use Predominantly agriculture and rural residential Proposed Activity Rezoning for employment and residential development 1.3 PROPOSED REZONING It is proposed to rezone the Valla Urban Growth Area for employment and residential purposes. This report has been prepared as part of the Local Environment Study to support a Local Environment Plan for the Valla Urban Growth Area. Flora and Fauna Survey Report – Valla Urban Growth Area (Ref: 10054) © Conacher Environmental Group Ph: (02)4324 7888 1 SECTION 2 FLORA CHARACTERISTICS 2.1 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES A search of the Atlas of NSW Wildlife (NPWS 2010) was undertaken to identify records of threatened flora species located within 20km of the site. This allowed for a specific search for threatened flora to be undertaken determining if any threatened flora species were present within the study area. Details on threatened flora species as listed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the TSC Act (1995), with a known or possible occurrence within the local area, are provided in Table 2.1. TABLE 2.1 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES OF THE AREA TSC EPBC Species Growth Form and Habitat Requirements Comments Act Act Acacia E - Small tree to 15m tall. Grows as an Suitable habitat chrysotricha understorey species on rainforest edges and present. in wet sclerophyll or dry eucalypt forest in steep narrow gullies on quartzite soils. Acronychia E E Small tree to 6m tall. Grows in littoral No suitable habitat littoralis rainforest in transitional areas between present. swamp sclerophyll forest, cypress pine communities and cleared land. Found on sand in humid high rainfall zones generally within 2km of the ocean. Creeping grass with branching, erect stems. Suitable habitat Arthraxon hispidus V V Found in or on the edges of rainforest and in present. wet eucalypt forest. Chamaesyce E - Prostrate herb. Grows on coastal dunes. No suitable habitat psammogeton present. Crytostylis Saprophytic orchid. Grows in swamp heath on No suitable habitat V V hunteriana sandy soils or Scribbly Gum Woodland. present. Cynanchum Climber or twiner to 1 m. Grows in rainforest Suitable habitat E E elegans gullies, scrub & scree slopes. present. Dendrobium E - Epiphytic orchid growing frequently on Suitable habitat melaleucaphilum Melaleuca stypheloides , less commonly on present. rainforest trees or on rocks in coastal districts. Flowers July-Oct. A small tree to 10m growing in subtropical Suitable habitat rainforest, moist eucalypt forest and Brush present. Hicksbeachia Box forest. Distributed along coastal areas of V V pinnatifolia north-east NSW from the Nambucca Valley north to south-east Queensland. Marsdenia E V Slender climber of the milk vine group. Found Suitable habitat longiloba in subtropical and warm temperate forests, present. adjoining lowland moist eucalypt forest and on rock outcrops. Flora and Fauna Survey Report – Valla Urban Growth Area (Ref: 10054) © Conacher Environmental Group Ph: (02)4324 7888 2 TABLE 2.1 THREATENED FLORA SPECIES OF THE AREA TSC EPBC Species Growth Form and Habitat Requirements Comments Act Act Shrub or small tree 2-5m tall and rarely 10m No suitable habitat Melaleuca tall with fibrous paperbark. Grows in heath present. V - groveana often in exposed areas within higher areas and the coastal districts north of Port Stephens. Niemeyera whitei V - Tree to 20m. Found in rainforest and adjacent Suitable habitat moist eucalypt forest. present. Parsonsia V E Climber to 6m tall. Grows in tall eucalypt Suitable habitat dorrigoensis forest and in subtropical and warm-temperate present. rainforest. Prefers open areas and forest margins and usually grows on brown clay soils derived from metasediments up to 800m above sea level. Epiphyte with photosynthetic roots. Grows on Suitable habitat Taeniophyllum outer branches and branchlets of rainforest present. V - muelleri trees. coast and coastal ranges north from the Bellinger R. Erect herb to 0.4 m high. Root parasite. Suitable habitat Thesium australe V V Grassland or woodland often damp. present. Tinospora E - Climber. Found in dry rainforest and along the No suitable habitat smilacina boundaries of dry rainforest and dry eucalypt present. forest. Tinospora V V Tall woody climber. Found in wetter Suitable habitat tinosporoides subtropical rainforest, including littoral present. rainforest, on fertile, basalt-derived soils. E = Endangered Species V = Vulnerable Species No threatened flora species were observed within the subject site. There is however suitable habitat contained within the study area for several threatened flora species. 2.2 ENDANGERED FLORA POPULATIONS & ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES 2.2.1 Endangered Flora Populations An endangered flora population of Glycine clandestina (broad leaf form), occurs within the Nambucca local government area. This species is only known from two locations on a headland immediately south of Scotts Head. This species was not observed on the subject site. It is therefore considered that no endangered flora population