Species Impact Statement – Cannes Reserve, Avalon CANNES RESERVE, AVALON – GREY-HEADED FLYING-FOX CAMP MANAGEMENT Species Impact Statement Prepared for Pittwater Council 5th June 2012 ` Species Impact Statement – Cannes Reserve, Avalon DOCUMENT TRACKING ITEM DETAIL Project Name Species Impact Statement – Cannes Reserve Project Number 11SUTECO-0085 File location G:\Synergy\Projects\11SUTECO\11SUTECO-0085 GHFF and Littoral RF SIS Prepared by Rodney Armistead, Lucas McKinnon, Bruce Mullins, Elizabeth Norris, Joanne Daly, Robert Humphries Reviewed by Robert Humphries, Lucas McKinnon Approved by Lucas McKinnon Status Final Version No. 2 Last saved on 5th June 2012 Photographs Clockwise from top left - GHFFs roosting at Cannes Reserve, Powerful in Cheese Tree in Gunyah Place Reserve, central section of Cannes Reserve, hair-tube station in Cannes Reserve. All photos by Rod Armistead – February 2012. This document should be referenced as: ‗ELA 2012. Cannes Reserve – Grey-headed Flying-fox camp management: Species Impact Statement. Prepared for Pittwater Council, by Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd, Sutherland‘ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document has been prepared by Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd with support from the Mark Behrarrel, Andrew Jennings, Sonja Elwood, and Kim Macqueen from Pittwater Council, Tim Pearson, Nancy Pallin, Benn Treharne from OEH, local Avalon residents and the project design team. Disclaimer This document may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the contract between Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd and Pittwater Council. The scope of services was defined in consultation with Pittwater Council, by time and budgetary constraints imposed by the client, and the availability of reports and other data on the subject area. Changes to available information, legislation and schedules are made on an ongoing basis and readers should obtain up to date information. Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report and its supporting material by any third party. Information provided is not intended to be a substitute for site specific assessment or legal advice in relation to any matter. Unauthorised use of this report in any form is prohibited. © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA P T Y L T D i Species Impact Statement – Cannes Reserve, Avalon Contents Certification .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 2 Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Purpose of SIS ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Director-General’s Requirements .......................................................................................................... 7 Matters which have been limited ........................................................................................................... 7 Matters to be addressed ......................................................................................................................... 8 1 Form of the Species Impact Statement .................................................................................. 11 1.1 A species impact statement must be in writing (Section 109{1}) ........................................ 11 1.2 A species impact statement must be signed by the principle author of the statement and by ................................................................................................................................................ 11 2 Contextual Information ............................................................................................................ 12 2.1 Description of Proposal, Subject site and Study Area ......................................................... 12 2.1.1. Description of the proposal ..................................................................................................... 12 2.1.2. Subject site................................................................................................................................ 14 2.1.3. Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 14 2.1.4. Locality ...................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Land Tenure Information ......................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................. 14 2.4 Plans and Maps ........................................................................................................................ 16 3 Initial Assessment .................................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Identifying Subject Threatened Species, Populations and Ecological Communities (‘subject species’) .................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.1. Assessment of available information ..................................................................................... 25 4 Survey ........................................................................................................................................ 31 4.1 Requirement to survey ............................................................................................................. 31 4.2 Documentation of survey effort and techniques ................................................................... 31 4.2.1. Description of survey techniques and survey locations ...................................................... 31 4.2.2. Documenting survey effort and results ................................................................................. 39 Description and mapping of results of vegetation, flora and fauna surveys .................................. 44 Description and mapping of results of endangered ecological community surveys .................... 44 4.3 Specific survey requirements ................................................................................................. 54 © ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA P T Y L T D ii Species Impact Statement – Cannes Reserve, Avalon 5 Assessment of Likely Impacts on Threatened Species and Populations .......................... 57 5.1 Assessment of species likely to be affected. ........................................................................ 57 5.2 Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) ................................................................................................. 59 5.2.1 Discussion of regional and local abundance and distribution................................................ 59 5.2.2 Assessment of habitat ............................................................................................................. 61 5.2.3 Discussion of conservation status ......................................................................................... 61 5.2.4 Discussion of the likely effect of the proposal at local and regional scales ...................... 62 5.3 Eastern Bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis) ............................................. 62 5.3.1. Discussion of regional and local abundance and distribution ............................................ 62 5.3.2. Assessment of habitat ............................................................................................................. 64 5.3.3. Discussion of conservation status ......................................................................................... 64 5.3.4. Discussion of the likely effect of the proposal at local and regional scales ...................... 64 5.4 East Coast Free-tail Bat (Mormopterus norfolkensis) .......................................................... 65 5.4.1. Discussion of regional and local abundance and distribution ............................................ 65 5.4.2. Assessment of habitat ............................................................................................................. 66 5.4.3. Discussion of conservation status ......................................................................................... 66 5.4.4. Discussion of the likely effect of the proposal at local and regional scales ...................... 66 5.5 Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) ............................................................... 67 5.5.1. Discussion of regional and local abundance and distribution ............................................ 67 5.5.2. Assessment of habitat ............................................................................................................. 68 5.5.3. Discussion of conservation status ......................................................................................... 68 5.5.4. Discussion of the likely effect of the proposal at local and regional scales ...................... 69 5.6 Description of feasible alternatives .......................................................................................