Cowal Gold Mine Extension Modification – Threatened Species Assessment ATTACHMENT A COWAL GOLD MINE AND SURROUNDS FLORA SURVEY (AMBS, 2012) 00541877 Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey Prepared by Australian Museum Business Services for Barrick (Cowal) Limited Final Report October 2012 110911 Australian Museum Business Services - 6 College Street, Sydney NSW 2010, Ph (02) 9320 6311, Fax (02) 9320 6428 australianmuseum.net.au/AMBS [email protected] Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey Document Information 110911 AMBS 2012. Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey. Prepared Citation: for Barrick (Cowal) Limited by Australian Museum Business Services. Versions: Draft Report v5 issued 25 June 2012 Draft Report v6 issued 10 October 2012 Final Version issued 26 October 2012 Recipient: Garry Pearson, Barrick Prepared by: Dr. John T. Hunter, Dr. Dorothy Bell & Belinda Pellow Reviewed by: Uli Kloecher and James Bevan Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey Executive Summary Australian Museum Business Services (AMBS) was commissioned by Barrick (Cowal) Limited to undertake a flora survey and review the status of vegetation at the Cowal Gold Mine and surrounds. This report collates existing information from previous floristic surveys, provides a map and validation of vegetation communities present, assesses vegetation condition, and reports on the presence of threatened flora and endangered ecological communities. The study area is located approximately 43 kilometres northwest of West Wyalong on the Western Slopes of New South Wales (NSW) and is approximately 11,714 hectares (ha) in size, including a portion of the Lake Cowal bed. As a result of recent rain the lake bed (4,848 ha) was flooded and was not assessed during this survey. A total of 130 full floristic survey sites were placed within the study area along with an additional 65 rapid data point sites (the latter recorded dominant species only). Based on classification (Kulczynski association) analysis, nine floristic associations were defined. An additional two mapping units were also defined: cropping and plantings. These nine communities were mapped based on ground truthing, air photo interpretation and landform. Three communities (C1, C3 and portions of C2) variously represent endangered ecological communities (see table below), Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW South Western Slopes Bioregions and Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands of South-Eastern Australia. It is highly likely that in most areas community C2 derived grasslands were originally one of these two EEC’s. This is particularly so in low lying locations of the study area. However, there are some locations where the clearing of other non-EEC’s may have resulted in these grasslands. Only those areas of C2 that were able to be quantitatively confirmed as representing one of these at this point in time have been mapped. Areas of community C2 not delineated as either EEC may in the future develop sufficient features which allow them to be allocated to one of these two EEC’s. A portion of the bed of Lake Cowal fall within the study area. Lake Cowal is named as an area encompassed by the EEC Aquatic Ecological Community in the natural drainage system of the lowland catchment of the Lachlan River. (Fisheries Scientific Committee 2005). Floristic Community Total Area Relevant Endangered Ecological Community (ha) Listing • TSC Act: Myall Woodland in the Darling Riverine Plains, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, C1: Weeping Myall – Belah – Poplar 282 ha Murray-Darling Depression, Riverina and NSW Box Shrubland and Woodland South Western Slopes Bioregions • EPBC Act: Weeping Myall Woodlands EEC • TSC Act: Myall Woodland EEC C2: Spear Grass – Windmill Grass • EPBC Act: Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassland and Low Open Grassy 2872 ha Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands Woodland of South-Eastern Australia C3: Inland Grey Box – Belah – Poplar • EPBC Act: Grey Box EEC 214 ha Box Woodland C4: Mugga Ironbark – Dwyer’s Red 83 ha Not threatened Gum – White Cypress Pine Woodland C5: Wallaby Grass – Spear Grass – 11 ha Not threatened Windmill Grass Grassland C6: Coolah Grass – Blue Grass Grassland 6 ha Not threatened C7: Sedgeland/Herbfield 80 ha Not threatened C8: River Red Gum Woodland and 87 ha Not threatened Forest C9: Dwyer’s Red Gum – Black Cypress 160 ha Not threatened Pine –Woodland ES-1 Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey C10: Cropping 1389 ha Not applicable C11: Plantings 110 ha Not applicable TSC Act denotes NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 EPBC Act denotes Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 EEC denotes Endangered Ecological Community A total of 451 flora species from 80 plant families have been recorded within the Cowal Gold Mine and surrounds during surveys from 1995 to 2012. The current survey recorded a total of 306 vascular plant species from 69 families and 176 genera. No threatened flora species were found during field surveys carried out as part of the current investigation; however, the Austral Pillwort (Pilularia novae-hollandiae), listed as Endangered under the TSC Act, was recorded in the study area during surveys undertaken in 1998 and 2003. Given that this species has been recorded in five locations in the past it is unlikely that individuals or propogules are no longer present. Periodic surveys of know locations are recommended into the future. ES-2 Cowal Gold Mine and Surrounds Flora Survey Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study area ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Previous flora survey work ....................................................................................................... 2 2 Methodology ............................................................................................... 3 2.1 Survey design .......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Site and species information .................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Floristics ................................................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Data management ................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Multivariate analysis ................................................................................................................ 6 2.4 Initial mapping and condition assessment site stratification ..................................................... 7 2.5 Final mapping product ............................................................................................................ 9 2.6 Endangered Ecological Communites ....................................................................................... 9 2.7 Potential threatened species ..................................................................................................... 9 3 Results ........................................................................................................ 12 3.1 Floristics ............................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Community definition .......................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Community and map unit descriptions ................................................................................. 14 3.3.1 Community C1: Weeping Myall – Belah – Poplar Box Shrubland and Woodland .............. 14 3.3.2 Community C2: Spear Grass – Windmill Grass Grassland and Low Open Grassy Woodland 19 3.3.3 Community C3: Inland Grey Box – Belah – Poplar Box Woodland ................................... 24 3.3.4 Community C4: Mugga Ironbark – Dwyer’s Red Gum – White Cypress Pine Woodland ..... 29 3.3.5 Community C5: Wallaby Grass – Spear Grass – Windmill Grass Grassland ....................... 34 3.3.6 Community C6: Coolah Grass – Blue Grass Grassland ...................................................... 37 3.3.7 Community C7: Sedgeland/Herbfield ............................................................................... 40 3.3.8 Community C8: River Red Gum Woodland and Forest ..................................................... 52 3.3.9 Community C9: Dwyer’s Red Gum – Black Cypress Pine Woodland .................................. 57 3.3.10 Community C10: Cropping ............................................................................................. 61 3.3.11 Community C11: Plantings ............................................................................................. 64 3.4 Endangered Ecological Communities .................................................................................... 67 3.4.1 Myall Woodland ............................................................................................................. 68 3.4.2 Grey Box Woodland .......................................................................................................