Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment 20 December 2019 Version 2 Prepared by EBS Ecology for ElectraNet Document Control Revision No. Date issued Authors Reviewed by Date Reviewed Revision type Mark Laws, 1 22/11/2019 Dr Marina Louter 22/11/2019 Draft Jesse Carpenter Mark Laws, 2 20/12/2019 Dr Marina Louter 20/12/2019 Final Emma Tremain Distribution of Copies Revision No. Date issued Media Issued to 1 27/11/2019 Electronic Alecia Wright, ElectraNet 2 20/12/2019 Electronic Alecia Wright, ElectraNet EBS Ecology Project Number: E90106A COPYRIGHT: Use or copying of this document in whole or in part (including photographs) without the written permission of EBS Ecology’s client and EBS Ecology constitutes an infringement of copyright. LIMITATION: This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of EBS Ecology’s client, and is subject to and issued in connection with the provisions of the agreement between EBS Ecology and its client. EBS Ecology accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. CITATION: EBS Ecology (2019) Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment. Report to ElectraNet. EBS Ecology, Adelaide. Cover photograph: Lasiopetalum behrii (Pink Velvet-bush). EBS Ecology 125 Hayward Avenue Torrensville, South Australia 5031 t: 08 7127 5607 http://www.ebsecology.com.au email: [email protected] Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATION OF TERMS BAM Bushland Assessment Method BDBSA Biological Database of South Australia (maintained by DEW) DEH Department for Environment and Heritage (now DEW) DEW Department for Environment and Water (South Australia) DotE Department of the Environment (now DotEE) (Commonwealth) DotEE Department of the Environment and Energy (Commonwealth) EBS Environment and Biodiversity Services Pty Ltd – trading as EBS Ecology EPBC Act Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ha Hectare(s) IBRA Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia km Kilometre(s) kV Kilovolt(s) m Metre(s) m2 Square metre(s) MNES Matter(s) of National Environmental Significance (under the EPBC Act) NCSSA Nature Conservation Society of South Australia NatureMaps Initiative of DEW that provides a common access point to maps and geographic information about South Australia's natural resources in an interactive online mapping format. NPW Act National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 NRM Natural Resources Management NRM Act Natural Resources Management Act 2004 NV Act Native Vegetation Act 1991 NVC Native Vegetation Council NVF Native Vegetation Fund NVMU Native Vegetation Management Unit pers. comm. Personal communication PMST Protected Matters Search Tool (under the EPBC Act, maintained by DotEE) Project The replacement of the existing and soon to be insufficient Eyre Peninsula transmission line Project Area The proposed Eyre Peninsula transmission line corridor from Port Lincoln to Cultana (100 m easement) ii Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment SA South Australia(n) SEB Significant Environmental Benefit sp. species spp. species (plural) ssp. sub-species TEC Threatened Ecological Community var. Variety – a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form WoNS Weeds of national significance iii Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment Table of Contents 1 APPLICATION INFORMATION ............................................................................... 1 2 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 2 3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................. 3 3.1 Project rationale ......................................................................................................................... 3 3.2 Project Area ............................................................................................................................... 3 3.2.1 Administrative boundaries ............................................................................................ 3 3.3 Infrastructure impact requirements ............................................................................................ 5 3.4 Previous ecological assessments .............................................................................................. 7 3.5 Compliance and legislative summary ........................................................................................ 8 3.6 Environmental setting ................................................................................................................ 8 3.6.1 Region ........................................................................................................................... 8 3.6.2 Existing land use ........................................................................................................... 8 3.6.3 Climate .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.6.4 Protected areas............................................................................................................. 8 3.6.5 Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia ................................................... 9 4 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 18 4.1 Desktop Assessment ............................................................................................................... 18 4.1.1 EPBC Act Protected Matters Search Tool (PMST) .................................................... 18 4.1.2 Biological Database of South Australia (BDBSA) ....................................................... 18 4.1.3 Likelihood of occurrence assessment ........................................................................ 18 4.2 Native vegetation assessment ................................................................................................. 19 4.2.1 Bushland Assessment Method (BAM) ........................................................................ 19 4.2.2 Rangeland Assessment Method (RAM) ..................................................................... 20 4.2.3 Block determination .................................................................................................... 21 4.2.4 BAM and RAM scoresheets ........................................................................................ 21 4.2.5 SEB calculations ......................................................................................................... 22 4.2.6 Sandalwood survey .................................................................................................... 22 4.3 Fauna assessment .................................................................................................................. 24 4.3.1 Birds ............................................................................................................................ 24 4.3.2 Mammals and reptiles ................................................................................................. 24 4.4 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 24 4.4.1 Desktop assessment limitations ................................................................................. 24 4.4.2 Native vegetation assessment limitations ................................................................... 24 4.4.3 Fauna survey limitations ............................................................................................. 25 5 DESKTOP ASSESSMENT RESULTS ................................................................... 26 iv Eyre Peninsula Transmission Line Native Vegetation Assessment 5.1 Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) ........................................................ 26 5.1.1 Threatened ecological communities (TECs) ............................................................... 27 5.1.2 Nationally threatened flora .......................................................................................... 28 5.1.3 Nationally threatened fauna ........................................................................................ 37 5.1.4 Migratory fauna ........................................................................................................... 37 5.2 Matters of State Significance ................................................................................................... 49 5.2.1 State threatened flora ................................................................................................. 49 5.2.2 State threatened fauna ............................................................................................... 49 6 NATIVE VEGETATION ASSESSMENT RESULTS ............................................... 54 6.1 Flora ......................................................................................................................................... 54 6.1.1 Threatened flora ......................................................................................................... 54 6.1.2