Warrell Creek to Urunga Upgrade of the Pacific Highway Threatened Flora Management Plan Prepared for: NSW Roads and Maritime Services 76 Victoria Street Grafton NSW 2460 Prepared by: Dr Andrew Benwell Ecos Environmental Pty Ltd PO Box 641 Mullumbimby, NSW 2482 ph 0266 804817; email: [email protected] Version 5: 1/7/2016 WC2U Threatenened Flora Management Plan 2 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................... 5 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Purpose...........................................................................................................9 1.2 Description of the Study Area......................................................................12 1.2.1 Location ...............................................................................................12 1.2.2 Landscape Context...............................................................................12 1.2.3 Native Vegetation ................................................................................12 1.3 Consultation .................................................................................................13 1.4 Glossary .......................................................................................................14 2 MANAGEMENT PLAN OVERVIEW...................................................................... 15 3 TARGETED FLORA SURVEYS.............................................................................. 18 3.1 Environmental Assessment Vegetation Survey...........................................18 3.2 Targeted Orchid Surveys (EcoPro 2010 & Geolink 2012)..........................18 3.3 Targeted Survey for the Threatened Flora Management Plan.....................20 3.3.1 Survey Design......................................................................................20 3.3.2 Indicative Species List .........................................................................20 3.3.3 Timing and Personnel ..........................................................................23 3.3.5 Quadrats ...............................................................................................23 3.3.6 Targeted Survey for Rhizanthella slateri.............................................23 3.3.7 Additional Threatened Flora Records for WC2NH.............................24 3.3.8 Spatial Impact Analysis .......................................................................24 3.4 SURVEY RESULTS ...................................................................................26 3.4.1 Summary..............................................................................................26 3.4.2 Slender Marsdenia (Marsdenia longiloba) ..........................................28 3.4.3 Rusty Plum (Niemeyera whitei)...........................................................31 3.4.4 Woolls’ Tylophora (Tylophora woollsii).............................................32 3.4.5 Maundia (Maundia triglochinoides) ....................................................33 3.4.6 Floyd's Grass (Alexfloydia repens) ......................................................36 3.4.7 Spider Orchid (Dendrobium melaleucaphilum)...................................37 3.4.8 Ford's Goodenia (Goodenia fordiana) (2RC-).....................................38 3.4.9 Bellingen Ironbark (.............................................................................39 3.4.10 Koala Bells (Artanema fimbriatum).....................................................39 3.4.11 Other Rare of Regionally Significant Species .....................................41 3.4.12 Rhizanthella slateri ..............................................................................42 3.4.13 Limitations of the Survey.....................................................................42 3.5 DISCUSSION - Translocation Feasibility.....................................................44 3.5.1 Introduction..........................................................................................44 3.5.2 Slender Marsdenia (Marsdenia longiloba) ..........................................44 3.5.3 Woolls’ Tylophora (Tylophora woollsii).............................................46 3.5.4 Rusty Plum (Niemeyera whitei)...........................................................47 3.5.5 Maundia (Maundia triglochinoides) ....................................................49 3.5.6 Floyds Grass (Alexfloydia repens) .......................................................50 3.5.7 Spider Orchid (Dendrobium melaleucaphilum)...................................51 3.5.8 Other species........................................................................................51 3.5.9 Conclusion - Translocation Feasibility ................................................52 3.6 DISCUSSION - Compensatory Habitat........................................................53 3.6.1 Introduction..........................................................................................53 WC2U Threatenened Flora Management Plan 3 3.6.2 Assessing Translocation Outcomes .....................................................53 3.6.3 Compensatory Habitat for Threatened Plants ......................................54 3.6.4 Process for Incorporating Compensatory Habitat for Threatened Plants in the Biodiversity Offset Strategy ......................................................................55 3.6.5 Determining the Type and Area of Threatened Plant Species Habitat 56 4 TRANSLOCATION PLAN ....................................................................................... 57 4.1 Introduction..................................................................................................57 4.2 General Considerations................................................................................59 4.2.1 What Kind of Translocation?...............................................................59 4.2.2 WC2U Translocation Objectives .........................................................60 4.2.3 Designing Translocated Populations....................................................61 4.2.4 Genetic Management ...........................................................................62 4.2.5 Experimental Component ....................................................................63 4.3 Pre-translocation Assessment ......................................................................64 4.3.1 Species Ecology...................................................................................64 4.3.2 Description of the Original/Donor Site................................................69 4.3.3 Selection of the Receival Site ..............................................................70 4.3.4 Receival Sites.......................................................................................72 4.3.5 Logistical Assessment..........................................................................74 4.4 The Translocation Proposal .........................................................................75 4.4.1 General Approach ................................................................................75 4.4.2 Translocation Procedures.....................................................................75 4.4.3 Implementation Schedule.....................................................................79 4.5 Species Proposals.........................................................................................81 4.5.1 Slender Marsdenia (Marsdenia longiloba) ..........................................81 4.5.2 Wooll's Tylophora(Tylophora woollsii)...............................................84 4.5.3 Rusty Plum (Niemeyera whitei)...........................................................85 4.5.4 Maundia (Maundia triglochinoides) ....................................................85 4.5.5 Floyds Grass (Alexfloydia repens) .......................................................87 4.5.6 Spider Orchid (Dendrobium melaleucaphilum)...................................88 4.5.7 Ford's Goodenia (Goodenia fordiana).................................................90 4.5.8 Koala Bells (Artanema fimbriatum)....................................................90 4.6 The Translocation Action ............................................................................92 4.6.1 Preparation for Transplanting ..............................................................92 4.6.2 Timing..................................................................................................92 4.6.3 Transplanting .......................................................................................92 4.6.4 Pruning and Hygiene............................................................................92 4.6.5 Watering...............................................................................................92 4.6.6 Anti-transpirant and Plant Stimulant ...................................................93 4.6.7 Mulching..............................................................................................93 4.6.8 Shade-cloth Shelters.............................................................................93 4.6.9 Seed/cutting Collection and Propagation.............................................93 4.7 Post-translocation Actions ...........................................................................94 4.7.1 Maintenance.........................................................................................94