Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mine Leases and Associated Infrastructure Baseline Ecological Report Prepared for Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mines Pty Ltd Level 1, 282 Wickham Street Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 4006 PO Box 419, Fortitude Valley, 4006 Queensland, Australia Telephone +61 7 3852 3922 Facsmile +61 7 3852 4766 Email: [email protected] Web: www.placedesigngroup.com PLACE DESIGN GROUP DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared in accordance with the scope of services described in the contract or agreement between PLACE Design Group Pty Ltd ACN 082 370063 (PDG) and the Client. The report relies upon data, surveys, measurements and results taken at or under the particular times and conditions specified herein. Any findings, conclusions or recommendations only apply to the aforementioned circumstances and no greater reliance should be assumed or drawn by the Client. Furthermore, the report has been prepared solely for use by the Client and PDG accepts no responsibility for its use by other parties. Authored by: Dominique Taylor Position: Ecologist Authored by: Grant Brearley Position: Ecologist Senior Ecologist – Environmental Reviewed by: Mitchell Taylor Position: Scientist Approved by: Andrew Dickinson Position: Associate, Manager Environment Date: 18 November 2010 Document Reference: ICM02_Baseline Ecologcial Assessment_V2.0_20101118 Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mine Leases and Associated Infrastructure, Baseline Ecological Report: Report Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mines Baseline Ecological Report (ICM02) PLACE DESIGN GROUP GLOSSARY, ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS Term Definition Arboreal Living in a tree or trees Biodiversity The variety of all life forms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems and ecological processes they are part of Bioregion Broad landscape patterns that reflect major structural geologies and climate as well as major changes in floristic and faunistic assemblages Connectivity A behaviourally determined, species specific parameter, which depends on both landscape composition and movement ability and of animals; a parameter that measures the processes by which sub-populations in a landscape are interconnected DERM Department of Environment and Resource Management Ecological Corridors Retained and or restored systems of linear habitat, which at a minimum enhance the connectivity of wildlife populations and may help them overcome the main consequences of habitat fragmentation (Wilson & Lindenmeyer 1995); A defined area of contiguous habitat that facilitates the dispersal of subpopulations throughout the landscape. Corridors may be structural, being identifiable physical/spatial features of habitat, and functional being a measure of whether a species can move between habitat patches (Bennett 1990). EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Commonwealth) 1999 Fauna Animals of a given region or period considered as a whole Flora The plants of a particular region, habitat or geological period (pl. floras or florae) ha Hectare HERBRECS Botanical database of the Queensland Herbarium Investigation Site Defined section of the ML (950 ha) subject to current surveys km Kilometre LP Act Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act (Qld) 2002 m Metre mm Millimetre ML Mining Lease NC Act Nature Conservation Act (QLD) 1992 NES National Environmental Significance PDG PLACE Design Group QLD Queensland RE Regional Ecosystem; REs describe the relationship between vegetation communities in a particular bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil REDD Regional Ecosystem Description Database Terrestrial Ground dwelling Threatened Species Species listed as critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable in the EPBC Act or Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened in the NC Act and Regulation Vegetation Community An assembly of different species of plants growing together in a particular habitat; the floral component of an ecosystem VM Act Vegetation Management Act (Qld) 1999 Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mines Baseline Ecological Report (ICM02) PLACE DESIGN GROUP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In July 2010, Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mines (ICM) engaged PLACE Design Group (PDG) to identify the nature and extent to which the existing pool of literature assists in addressing environmental conditions imposed on ICM for the Selwyn Mine Area (SMA) by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM). The purpose of the assessment was to identify the overall adequacy of the existing information in attending to the requirements laid out in the conditions. Surveys were undertaken in detail on areas to be disturbed by Access Roads and Decline development, and regional scale surveys were undertaken on Mining Leases (MLs) to assess the potential occurrence of Endangered REs and flora and fauna in these areas. This information should facilitate management of low level disturbance in areas identified as not of concern. PDG in liaison with ICM developed a scope of works which adequately covered all ICM’s proposed disturbance and MLs. This report has been prepared to inform ICM of the potential for Species of Conservation Significance (SOCS) and threatened Regional Ecosystems (RE) which may occur throughout the Investigation Area. PDG undertook a detailed vegetation community, flora, fauna and fauna habitat assessment (including fauna trapping) of the 10 ha Decline and Waste Dump Development. A similar detailed assessment of the vegetation communities, flora and fauna habitats, specifically concentrating on SOCS, was carried out along the proposed 15 km Access Road between Lucky Luke and Selwyn Mine. Further to this, PDG undertook a preliminary assessment of vegetation communities and fauna habitats within all of the ICMs MLs. These assessments were focused on assessing the potential occurrence of SOCS and Of Concern / Endangered RE’s within the ICM MLs. The aforementioned surveys have been conducted during the mid-late dry season (15th- 23nd of September 2010). Further survey works will be conducted post-wet season within and around those areas proposed for immediate disturbance(Decline Area and Access Road) to account for seasonal variation in both flora and fauna species. Vegetation and Regional Ecosystems Flora and Species of Conservation Significance 92 vascular plant species recorded across the Access Road and the Decline Area (no species censusing occurred within the ML groupings). This number is typical for a pre- wet season survey of this nature. None of the flora species recorded during the field survey are listed under the Nature Conservation Act (Qld) 1992 or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (C’wlth) 1999. From the analysis undertaken to date, it was determined unlikely that Species of Conservation Significance would occur either within the Access Road or the Decline or the ML. Suitable habitat does exists within the broader area for a number of species of conservation significance, and while the trees and shrubs are easily detectable year- round, certain groups such as twiners, graminoids, sedges, forbs and sub-shrubs are not readily detectable during the dry season. It is therefore recommended that post-wet season surveys are undertaken to assess the presence of Species of Conservation Significance and to bolster listings of flora species inconspicuous in the dry. Ivanhoe Cloncurry Mines Baseline Ecological Report (ICM02) PLACE DESIGN GROUP Weeds Of the total 84 recorded flora species, 2 species, or 2.4%, are exotic species naturalised in Queensland. Neither of these species is declared under the schedules of the Land Protection (Pest and Stockroute) Management Act (Qld) 2002. Regional Ecosystems Eucalyptus leucophloia (snappy gum) woodland is the dominant vegetation association over most of the area. It is often found in association with Corymbia terminalis (western bloodwood) and / or Eucalyptus leucophylla (Cloncurry box) which may become locally dominant. On the rocky upper slopes of the eastern fringe Acacia cambagei (gidgee) becomes the dominant species. A shrub layer of topography-dependent density is dominated by species of the genera Acacia and Senna. This strata varies from extremely sparse in the south-west plains, to sparse in the foothills and medium within the drainage lines. The seasonally depauperate ground layer is dominated by Triodia molesta (pincushion spinifex); apart from the western gibber plains which are dominated by indigenous species of Poaceae. Most drainage lines are dominated by a narrow Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum) woodland which has a typically sparse shrub layer dominated by Acacia chisholmii (Chisholm’s wattle) and a ground layer dominated by the exotic species *Pennisetum ciliare (buffel grass). Six Regional Ecosystems RE1.3.7, RE1.5.3, RE1.10.4, RE1.11.2, RE1.11.3 and RE1.12.1 have been identified in the Investigation Area. All six have a management status under the Vegetation Management Act (Qld) 1999 of Least Concern, the lowest conservation significance levels (greater than 30% of the pre-settlement RE remains). Within the investigation Area, RE1.11.2 is represented by an additional four major vegetation communities recognised by the Queensland Herbarium (2009); RE1.11.2a, RE1.11.2e, RE1.11.2a and 1.11.2x2. These too have a management status of Least Concern Riparian areas present throughout the Investigation Area are aligned with RE1.3.7 “Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) woodland on channels and levees (south)”. This RE is found within the Access Road, and the Mount Elliott, Lady Ella, Mount Dore