Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Appendix G – Assessment against Ten Clearing Principles GHD | Report for Main Roads Western Australia - Margaret River Perimeter Road, 61/27189 Principle Number Principle Assessment Outcome (a) Native vegetation should not be cleared if it comprises a high level of biological diversity. The majority of the proposed alignment traverses through cleared agricultural land which contains some individual stands and patches of mature Jarrah and Marri trees. The alignment also traverses pine plantations, native bushland, conservation reserve, and existing roads and private properties. 5.2 ha of the alignment contains remnant vegetation in good to very good condition. The dominant vegetation community within the project area is Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and Marri (Corymbia calophylla) Open Forest with Peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) dominant along rivers and drainage lines. No Priority Ecological Communities (PECs) have been recorded within the project area. The proposal may be at variance to the principle. No Priority listed fauna were recorded in the study area during the field survey, although five Priority fauna species have previously been recorded within 5 km (NatureMap, 2011). Three fauna species listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and Schedule 1 under the WC Act were recorded within the Project Area during the field survey (Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Western Ringtail Possum and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo) No Threatened flora were recorded in the study area during the field survey, although one Priority flora species Gastrolobium formosum (P3) was recorded, with a targeted search in Spring 2012 identifying approximately 400 individuals at a cover of 70%. Additionally, approximately 200 plants at a similar cover were identified on the banks of the Margaret River, within 50 m of the Project Area, indicating that the species occurs at similar densities and is not confined to the Project Area. Vegetation within the project area is considered to represent moderate species diversity, with a total of 168 taxa from 52 families recorded, of which 34 are introduced species. The vegetation has had a combination of previous disturbances including large-scale clearing, roads/tracks and logging. Given the relatively small size of the project area and the availability of similar vegetation in the surrounding area, the loss of vegetation within the project area is unlikely to significantly reduce the biodiversity of the local area. (b) Native vegetation should not be cleared if it comprises the whole or part of, or is necessary for the maintenance of, a significant habitat for fauna indigenous Western Australia. The desktop queries identified twelve EPBC Act and WC Act threatened species and a further five marine and/or migratory bird species as potentially occurring within the study area. Six additional DEC listed Priority fauna species have been recorded within 5 km of the Project. Three fauna species listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and Schedule 1 under the WC Act were recorded within the Project Area during the field survey, including Baudin’s Black Cockatoo, Western Ringtail Possum and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. Additionally, the Southern Brush-tailed Phascogale which is also listed as Vulnerable and in Schedule 1, was recorded in the nearby Lot 2150. There is potential that this species also occurs within remnant GHD | Report for Main Roads Western Australia - Margaret River Perimeter Road, 61/27189 The proposal may be at variance to the principle. Principle Number Principle Assessment Outcome vegetation within the alignment. Within the Project Area there is a total of 4.64 ha of potential Black Cockatoo feeding habitat. There are 41 trees (Jarrah/Marri/eucalypt stags) within the Project Area which contain nesting hollows suitable for Black Cockatoo breeding. A further 171 trees were identified as a size suitable for the development of nesting hollows (>500 mm DBH) within the next 100 years. During the field survey three Western Ringtail Possums were observed active at night along riparian vegetation in the northern section of the alignment. Two dreys (resting platforms in trees) were also recorded in this area. Droppings were also recorded along Margaret River in the riparian vegetation and in the valley of Lot 2150. One hundred and twenty-three large Eucalypts were recorded within the alignment with hollows suitable for this species. The area of habitat that Western Ringtail Possums may utilise is approximately 0.86ha. (c) Native vegetation should not be cleared if it includes, or is necessary for the continued existence of, rare flora. No Threatened flora species listed under the WC Act or EPBC Act have been recorded within the project area. The proposal is not at variance with the principle. (d) Native vegetation should not be cleared if it comprises the whole or a part of, or is necessary for the maintenance of, a threatened ecological community. There are no known Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) within 5 km of the project area. The proposal is not at variance with the principle. Native vegetation should not be cleared if it is significant as a remnant of native vegetation in an area that has been extensively cleared. The vegetation within the project area is described as predominantly Beard vegetation association 3, with a small section in the north of the project area described as Beard vegetation association 1. The Mattiske vegetation complexes within the Project Area include Cowaramup (C1), Cowaramup (CW1) and Wilyabrub (W1). (e) No TECs were recorded within the project area during the field survey. The extent of the vegetation complexes C1 and CW1 are considered to be Depleted, i.e. between 30% and 50% of pre-European extent remaining. The extent of the vegetation complex W1 and Beard vegetation associations 1 and 3 are considered of Least Concern, i.e. intact, with over 50% of the pre-European extents remaining. The Beard and Mattiske vegetation associations and complexes present in the study area all 62 | GHD | Report for Main Roads Western Australia - Margaret River Perimeter Road, 61/27189 The proposal is not at variance with the Principle. Principle Number Principle Assessment Outcome retain more than the threshold level (30%) recommended in the National Objectives Targets for Biodiveristy Conservation, below which species loss appears to accelerate exponentially at an ecosystem level (Commonwealth of Western Australia, 2001). Furthermore, the study area does not occur within an extensively cleared landscape as approximately 67% of preEuropean vegetation extent remains in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River. Main Roads have proposed to offset the loss of vegetation as a result of the proposed project. (f) (g) Native vegetation should not be cleared if it is growing in or in association with a watercourse or wetland. Native vegetation should not be cleared if the clearing of the vegetation is likely to cause appreciable land degradation. There are no listed significant wetlands or watercourses within the project area. However, the Project Area traverses a section of the Margaret River and Darch Brook. Vegetation associated with these waterways includes Jarrah-Marri-Peppermint Forest and Closed Scrub of Melaleuca spp. over mixed Sedgeland. The proposal is at variance with the Principle. Water flow within these waterways will be maintained and where possible no diversion of watercourses be carried out. Direct impact on riparian vegetation and associated habitat should be avoided wherever possible. Vegetation retention within drainage lines will help prevent erosion and flooding and prevent potential deleterious impacts on downstream areas. The soils within the project area consist of loamy gravels, duplex sandy gravels, semi-wet soils and grey deep sand duplexes with some granite outcropping. Soil erosion and water erosion may occur on these soils, particularly along the river and creeklines. The clearing of native vegetation may cause some alteration to the health of adjacent lands including the introduction/spread of dieback, soil erosion and runoff and weed dispersal. The proposal is unlikely to be at variance with the Principle. The dieback assessment identified dieback within the transmission line easement, with the remnant vegetation to the north and south of this line being downslope. Consequently, dieback is likely to have infiltrated these areas of the State Forest and Bramley National Park. Main Roads has experience at addressing these issues on other projects and given appropriate management, the Project is unlikely to result in appreciable land degradation. Specific management actions will be implemented for the management of dieback, runoff, erosion, invasive species (weeds) and fire, with these incorporated into the CEMP. (h) Native vegetation should not be cleared if the clearing of the vegetation is likely to have an impact on the environmental values of any adjacent or nearby There are no Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) within or in close proximity to the study area. North of the Margaret River crossing, the alignment traverses Keenan State Forest and timber reserve and lies adjacent to the Bramley National Park. This section of the alignment was excluded from the National Park by request from Main Roads and the Shire of Augusta- The proposal may be at variance with the Principle GHD | Report for Main Roads Western Australia - Margaret River Perimeter Road, 61/27189 | Principle Number Principle Assessment conservation area. Margaret River, although 0.54 ha of the National Park will require excision. Outcome The proposed road will create a barrier for fauna movement between the western and eastern boundaries of the alignment within the National Park. However Main Roads have proposed to create wildlife corridors along the alignment to facilitate the movement of fauna between conservation areas. To reduce potential impacts associated with clearing within the section of remnant vegetation within and/or adjacent to the Bramley National Park, specific management actions for flora and fauna, dieback, erosion and invasive species (weeds) and fire should be incorporated in to the CEMP. (i) Native vegetation should not be cleared if the clearing of the vegetation is likely to cause deterioration in the quality of surface or underground water. The Project Area traverses the Margaret River and Darch Brook, and as such there is a risk of runoff with additional sediment entering these waterways during construction. A CEMP will be prepared which includes management actions to address these potential impacts. Detail design should include consideration of water management such that there is no direct runoff to the water courses, and to stabilising the banks of the watercourse following construction. The proposal is unlikely to be at variance with the Principle The groundwater salinity in the area is low. Given the scale of the proposed clearing, and the fact that the majority of the Project Area has been cleared for agriculture, it is unlikely to result in a deterioration of underground water quality. (j) Native vegetation should not be cleared if the clearing of the vegetation is likely to cause, or exacerbate, the intensity of flooding. A large proportion of the project area is presently cleared for agricultural purposes or consists of planted/introduced species. Given the nature of the soil within the project area and the scale and linear nature of the proposed clearing, it is not considered likely to cause, or exacerbate, the intensity of flooding. Any potential impacts will be managed through design and in the CEMP. 64 | GHD | Report for Main Roads Western Australia - Margaret River Perimeter Road, 61/27189 The proposal is not at variance with the Principle.