Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment 12 June 2018 Prepared by EBS Ecology for OZ Minerals EBS Ecology Project Number: E80110 COPYRIGHT: Use or copying of this document in whole or in part (including photographs) without the written permission of EBS Ecology’s client 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: OZ Minerals (2018) Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Electricity Transmission Line Development Application, Appendix D1 Ecology Baseline Assessment. Developed by EBS Ecology for OZ Minerals. June 2018. Adelaide. Cover photograph: Atriplex vesicaria / Tecticornia medullosa Low Open Shrubland. EBS Ecology 3/119 Hayward Avenue Torrensville, South Australia 5031 t: 08 7127 5607 http://www.ebsecology.com.au email: [email protected] Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATION OF TERMS ALA Atlas of Living Australia BDBSA Biological Database of South Australia (maintained by DEW) DEW Department of Environment and Water (formly known as DEWNR) DPTI Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure DSEWPC Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities DotEE Department of the Environment and Energy (formerly DSEWPC) EBS EBS Ecology EIS Environmental Impact Statement EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 IBRA Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia NPW Act National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 NV Act Native Vegetation Act 1991 NVC Native Vegetation Council PMST Protected Matters Search Tool (under the EPBC Act, maintained by DotEE) Project The proposed Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill transmission line Project Area The proposed transmission line corridor (500 m, 250 m either side of the existing transmission line) RAM Rangelands Assessment Method Regional Study Area Area External to the Study Area SEB Significant Environmental Benefit SIC Southern Infrastructure Corridor – assessed in the Olympic Dam Expansion EIS Study Area Area surrounding the Project Area with a 5km buffer each side TEC Threatened Ecological Community ii Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EBS Ecology was contracted by OZ Minerals to conduct an ecological baseline assessment for the proposed Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Electricity Transmission Line Project (the Project). The assessment comprised of a desktop study and field survey to determine how matters of Commonwealth and state environmental significance may be impacted by the proposed development. The Project Area consists of the 500 m transmission line corridor, which includes the proposed alignment and a 250 m buffer either side. The Study Area for the desktop component of the ecological baseline assessment (i.e. database searches, review of existing biological surveys, data and mapping) included a 5 km buffer along both sides of the proposed transmission line alignment (i.e. 10 km corridor). The desktop study used data accessed via the Protected Matters Search Tool (PMST) to identify nationally threatened species potentially occurring in the Project Area, as well as other matters of national environmental significance protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Biological Database of South Australia (BDBSA) was also used to identify records of any threatened species listed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (NPW Act) and the EPBC Act within the Project Area. The key results of the desktop study when integrated with the survey results include: • The PMST identified one nationally threatened flora species and 8 nationally threatened fauna species as potentially occurring within the Study Area. One species was considered likely to occur within the Project Area; • The BDBSA identified 282 fauna species with historical records from within the Study Area. This included two amphibian species, 177 avian species (including 6 exotic species), 26 mammal species (including eight exotic species) and 77 reptile species. Of these, 24 birds, one mammal and two reptiles were threatened at national or state level. • The BDBSA identified 469 flora species as having records from within the Study Area. Of these, eight species were threatened at state level. One species was known from the Project Area being observed during the field survey, Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum). Three species were considered likely to be present within the Project Area; Australian Broomrape (Orobanche cernua var. australiana), Ophioglossum polyphyllum (Large Adders Tongue) and Gratwickia monochaeta. The field survey included (1) a vegetation survey performed by accredited ecologists in accordance with the Rangelands Assessment Method (RAM) devised by the Native Vegetation Council, and (2) an opportunistic fauna assessment concurrently with the vegetation survey. The key results of the field survey include: • The key habitats identified in the Project Area were sand/low plains, dunes and swales, stony tablelands, the Arcoona plateau, salt lakes and ephemeral claypans, and ephemeral creeklines; • Twenty vegetation associations were identified and mapped along the length of the Project Area. Accurate mapping was difficult due highly variable transitional areas in several associations and many changes were based on co-dominant species presence/absence; • No threatened or protected flora or fauna species listed under the EPBC Act were observed; iii Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment • Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), which is listed as rare under the NPW Act was observed within the Acacia aneura Mixed Woodland vegetation association; • No threatened fauna listed under the NPW Act were observed; and • Annual weeds such as Carrichtera annua (Wards Weed), were observed in sparse and moderate covers intermittently throughout the Study Area, despite very little rain since the beginning of 2018 and exceptionally dry conditions present at the time of the assessment. Other weeds observed were common Mediterranean species largely considered as naturalised within the rangelands, including Carthamus lanatus (Star Thistle), Sonchus oleraceus (Sow Thistle), Malvastrum americanum (Malvastrum) and Brassica tournefortii (Wild Turnip). iv Carriewerloo Substation to Prominent Hill Transmission Line Ecological Baseline Assessment Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Project Area........................................................................................................................... 2 2 COMPLIANCE AND LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY ..................................................... 4 2.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ............................................ 4 2.2 Native Vegetation Act 1991.................................................................................................... 4 2.3 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 ..................................................................................... 4 2.4 Natural Resources Management Act 2004 ............................................................................. 5 3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................. 6 3.1 Project details ........................................................................................................................ 6 3.1.1 IBRA ......................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.2 Administrative boundaries ......................................................................................... 8 3.1.3 Existing Land use ...................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Arid zone systems ................................................................................................................. 8 3.2.1 Salt lakes .................................................................................................................. 9 4 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 10 4.1 Desktop study ...................................................................................................................... 10 4.1.1 Protected Matters Search Tool (PMST) – EPBC Act ................................................ 10 4.1.2 Biological Database of South Australia (BDBSA) – NPW Act ................................... 10 4.1.3 Assessment of the likelihood of occurrence ............................................................. 10 4.1.4 Desktop study limitations ........................................................................................