MARCH 2016 MOUNT GIBSON MINING IRON HILL FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENT BASED ON REGIONAL AND LOCAL FLORISTIC ANALYSES REVISION 1 This page has been left blank intentionally. Mount Gibson Mining Iron Hill Flora and Vegetation Assessment Based on Regional and Local Floristic Analyses Document Status Approved for Issue Rev Author Reviewer Date Distributed Name Date To Draft M Macdonald M Hay 02/03/2016 S Grein M Hamilton 02/03/2016 Revision M Macdonald M Hay 03/03/2016 S Grein M Hamilton 03/03/2016 ecologia Environment (2016). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic, mechanical or chemical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, in any language, is strictly prohibited without the express approval of Mount Gibson Mining and/or ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for Mount Gibson Mining. Neither the report nor its contents may be referred to or quoted in any statement, study, report, application, prospectus, loan, or other agreement document, without the express approval of Mount Gibson Mining and/or ecologia Environment. ecologia Environment 1/224 Lord Street PERTH WA 6000 Phone: 08 96168 7200 Email: [email protected] March 2016 iii Mount Gibson Mining Iron Hill Flora and Vegetation Assessment Based on Regional and Local Floristic Analyses TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PREVIOUS FLORA AND VEGETATION ASSESSMENTS ................................................................ 2 2 METHODS FOR SURVEY AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................. 5 2.1 FLORISTIC SURVEY ..................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 TARGETED SURVEY .................................................................................................................... 7 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................................ 9 3.1 FLORA ........................................................................................................................................ 9 3.2 VEGETATION ...........................................................................................................................10 3.3 SURVEY LIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................26 4 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 29 5 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 31 TABLES Table 3.1 – Floristic groups at Iron Hill ...................................................................................................23 Table 3.2 – Floristic group and vegetation mapping (Bennett 2000) comparison .................................24 Table 3.3 – Floristic subgroup and vegetation mapping (Bennett 2000) comparison ...........................25 Table 3.3 – Survey limitations ................................................................................................................26 FIGURES Figure 2.1 – Mean monthly, 2014 (–) and 2015 (–) rainfall (Paynes Find BoM 007139) ......................... 5 Figure 2.2 – Species accumulation curve for 167 quadrats ..................................................................... 7 Figure 2.3 – Iron Hill quadrats, transects and significant flora records (ecologia 2015) ......................... 8 Figure 3.1 – Mt Gibson Iron Hill floristic analysis (Bray-Curtis coefficient) ............................................15 Figure 3.2 – Iron Hill floristic groups ......................................................................................................17 Figure 3.3 – Mount Gibson Ranges floristic groups ...............................................................................18 Figure 3.4 – Regional quadrats by floristic group ...................................................................................19 March 2016 iv Mount Gibson Mining Iron Hill Flora and Vegetation Assessment Based on Regional and Local Floristic Analyses EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mount Gibson Mining Limited is seeking to obtain environmental approvals for the operational expansion of hematite production from its Mount Gibson Iron Ore Mine and Infrastructure Project, including a proposal to mine the Iron Hill deposits, approximately 2.5 km south of the existing Extension Hill mine. To provide additional data on the flora and vegetation of the proposed Iron Hill disturbance area, including the delineation of floristic groups, Mount Gibson Mining engaged ecologia to complete a flora and vegetation assessment, including sampling 17 additional quadrats (each 20 x 20 m) within and adjacent to the proposed Iron Hill development envelope and floristic analysis to assess the vegetation at Iron Hill, incorporating the new floristic data and previously collected data. In addition, Priority flora searches were conducted across the study area in areas not known to be covered by previous targeted flora searches. A total of 115 vascular flora taxa were recorded from the 17 quadrats and transects surveyed in April/May 2015. Eight of the quadrats are located within the area covered by the Iron Hill proposal and nine are located in similar vegetation nearby. The vegetation condition in all quadrats sampled in 2015 was rated as either ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’. One Threatened flora species (Darwinia masonii) was recorded, within areas where the species has previously been recorded. No Priority flora taxa were recorded. Three range extensions were recorded: Hibbertia hypericoides, Hemigenia macphersonii and Sclerolaena eriacantha and eight additional taxa were recorded at the edge of their range: Eremophila eriocalyx, Eucalyptus kochii subsp. amaryssia, Leucopogon sp. Clyde Hill (M.A. Burgman 1207), Mirbelia sp. Bursarioides (T.R. Lally 760), Philotheca sericea, Prostanthera althoferi subsp. althoferi, Protanthera patens, Sida sp. Golden calyces glabrous (H.N. Foote 32). One introduced species (*Pentameris airoides subsp. airoides) was also recorded. The 167 quadrats in the floristic analysis were classified into 14 floristic groups. Six of these floristic groups (A, B, C1, C2, E and K) are recorded at Iron Hill and Iron Hill South (collectively known as Iron Hill). Floristic groups are related to the geographic location of the quadrats, whereby the quadrats from Iron Hill ironstone ridges and slopes belong exclusively to groups E and K, and those from the shrublands and woodlands of the adjacent plains are represented in groups A, B , C1 and C2. Within the proposed Iron Hill development envelope, floristic groups E and K are associated with the ironstone hills and slopes and are considered to be key components of the Priority 1 Mount Gibson Range vegetation complexes (banded ironstone formation) Priority Ecological Community. Floristic group K, the largest PEC floristic group (with respect to both number of quadrats and area mapped) was further divided into three subgroups, K1, K2 and K3. These three subgroups are similar in species composition and many taxa are common to all three subgroups, but may be represented in different frequencies. March 2016 v Mount Gibson Mining Iron Hill Flora and Vegetation Assessment Based on Regional and Local Floristic Analyses This page has been left blank intentionally. March 2016 vi Mount Gibson Mining Iron Hill Flora and Vegetation Assessment Based on Regional and Local Floristic Analyses 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Mount Gibson Mining Limited is seeking to obtain environmental approvals for the operational expansion of hematite production from its Mount Gibson Iron Ore Mine and Infrastructure Project, including a proposal to mine the Iron Hill deposits, approximately 2.5 km south of the existing Extension Hill mine. The proposed Iron Hill Development Envelope is approximately 2.5 km wide and covers 112 hectares (ha). The Western Australian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued an Environmental Scoping Document (ESD) outlining additional environmental assessment works required prior to submission of the Public Environmental Review (PER) for the Iron Hill project. In particular, this report and its content address the following ESD requirements: 10. In areas not already surveyed or where survey information is not of acceptable quality (such as incorrect survey season), standard and/or the proponent intends to use results from surveys at a lower level than a Level 2, justification will be required to ensure those surveys are relevant, representative of the development envelope, and were carried out using methods consistent with current best practice. A peer review of the vegetation and flora information by a botanist with appropriate experience and expertise would also be required. 11. Identify and map vegetation units (including sub-units of the plant assemblages of the Mt Gibson Range PEC) and DRF, Priority flora and other conservation significant flora species and their areas to be cleared or indirectly impacted as defined in EPA Guidance Statement 51. Provide details of the methodology used in the