Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts to define the requirement for DEWHA involvement in the development of the project. Assessment of the project against the Environmental Protection Act's Ten Cleaning Principles (Appendix 5) shown in Appendix A.
Site Vegetation
These trees form an entrance statement to the landscape in the city and any removal has the potential to reduce the effectiveness and character of this entrance statement. Main roads should avoid the removal of trees forming the Collie Access Statement, where possible, or where impact is unavoidable, minimize and replace removed trees to replicate the Access Statement in the longer term.
Vegetation Condition
Most of the Jarrah Marri Woodland was in 'very good' condition with some sections approaching. The shoulders of the highway were "Completely degraded" for the most part, particularly through Allanson and on the approach to Collie, however there are patches of native vegetation bordering the road in "Very Good" to "Excellent" condition.
Declared Rare and Priority Flora
The wetland vegetation (approximately SLK RHS) was in a 'degraded' condition with clear evidence of past disturbance including excavations, stockpiles of soil and tracks crossing the area.
Threatened Ecological Communities
Vegetation Clearing
Clearance should be kept to the minimum necessary for construction activities and to provide a safe evacuation zone. The rest of the cleared vegetation should be broken down on site for use in site restoration and soil stabilization.
Weeds and Introduced Species
Topsoil Management
All works must be carried out in accordance with the topsoil management plan established for the project.
Revegetation and Landscaping
Dieback
The movement of plants, machines and other tools should be limited to the boundaries of the areas to be cleaned.
Fauna
The project design needs to be reviewed and adjusted to retain the two trees containing potential nest cavities located at 32,320 SLK LHS and 33,020 SLK RHS. If any native fauna is disturbed during clearance, it should be allowed to make its own way to adjacent vegetated areas, and if injured DEC or a registered fauna keeper should be contacted for advice.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs)
The proposed cut is the minimum required for the safe operation and upgrading of the highway. Based on the outcome of these discussions, Main Roads should continue to liaise with DEWHA to define the requirement for DEWHA to participate in the development of the project.
Social Environment
- Reserves and Conservation Areas
- Existing Land Use
- Contaminated Sites
- Visual Amenity
- European Heritage
- Aboriginal Heritage
- Roadside Memorials
The search revealed seven ethnographic Aboriginal Heritage sites and one archaeological site that was within or near the project area. The archaeological field investigation was carried out on 8 and 10 June 2010 and was carried out through a systematic overall survey of the project area.
Pre-construction Works
Main Roads must ensure that the management of roadside memorials complies with the Road Memorial Policy and Guidelines (Main Roads, 2008).
Construction Phase Impacts
Environmental Management
Environmental Management and Quality Plan
Environmental Monitoring and Compliance
Consultation
Limitations
Overall Project Environmental Management
Pre-construction \ Design Phase
Alternatively, blackberry plants can be removed and burned on site or buried in a landfill. Contractor's role as 'Quality Management Representative' (QMR) in relation to the AS/NZS ISO 9001 contract.
Construction Phase Management Workforce Inductions and Education
Spill clean-up kits should be kept on site to clean up any accidental spills. Burning of cleared vegetation will not be allowed on the site No pets, firearms or traps should be allowed on the site. Main Roads Project Manager / Main Roads Construction Manager / Construction Contractor 3.5 All works must be carried out in accordance with topsoil management.
Materials required to clean up accidental spills must be maintained on site and personnel must be.
Post Construction Revegetation
Taxa that have been adequately researched and are considered to be in the wild either rare, endangered or otherwise in need of special protection and have been published as such. Taxa known from one or a few (generally <5) populations, at least some of which are not believed to be under immediate threat (ie, not currently threatened). Taxa face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
Taxa that are not considered endangered but are subject to a special conservation program, the termination of which would result in the species becoming endangered within five years. source: Australian Commonwealth Government, EPBC Act).
Black Cockatoo
Habitat Assessment
Coalfields Highway (~SLK 28 to 35.3)
Allanson/Collie
This fauna assessment report (the “report”) has been prepared in accordance with the scope of services set out in the contract, or as otherwise agreed, between the Client and Greg Harewood (the “Author”). In accordance with the purpose of the services, the Author relied on the data and carried out field environmental monitoring and/or testing in the preparation of the report. The nature and extent of the monitoring and/or testing performed is described in the report.
The report is prepared for the benefit of the Client and no other party.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
This report details the results of a black cockatoo habitat assessment of remnant native vegetation bordering a section of the Coalfields Highway just west of Collie. It is understood that this section of the Coalfields Highway will be widened/realigned and that vegetation clearance will be required in some places to achieve the required width. It is not possible at this stage to determine the area of vegetation that will require removal as the exact areas to be cleared have yet to be defined.
The study area includes a 7 km stretch of the Coalfields Highway between Rose Road, Allanson (~SLK 28) and Atkinson Road, Collie (~SLK 35.3) and includes all vegetation within 11 meters of the existing road on either side (Figure 1) .
SCOPE OF WORKS
The extent of clearing from the existing intersection varies from one side to the other depending on the location.
METHODOLOGY
Generally, any tree, living or dead, that contains one or more visible cavities (cavities in the trunk or branches) suitable for habitation by one of the three black cockatoo species for nesting/breeding purposes. Details of habitat trees (ie any tree with a hollow) that did not appear suitable for black cockatoos were also recorded. The extent of potential cockatoo foraging habitat at the site, based on the vegetation units/species present, was noted.
Any other observations that would help determine the likelihood of other species of conservation importance being present were also recorded.
SURVEY CONSTRAINTS
Hollows that had an entrance greater than about 12 cm in diameter and would allow a cockatoo (white-tailed or red-tailed) to enter a suitably large branch/trunk were recorded as "potential nest pits". GPS accuracy cannot be guaranteed above about 5 to 10 meters, although it should be noted that in some circumstances the accuracy may be worse (or better) than this. The author explored the study area on May 29, 2010 for a period of approximately 6 hours.
RESULTS
- HABITAT TREE ASSESSMENT
- BLACK COCKATOO FORAGING HABITAT
- OPPORTUNISTIC FAUNA OBSERVATIONS
It should be noted that these sightings do not represent all of the foraging evidence seen or likely to be present. Regardless of the amount of foraging evidence, nearly all remaining native vegetation in the study areas represents potential foraging habitat. Other than foraging evidence of Carnaby's and Baudin's Black Cockatoo, no evidence of any other species of conservation importance was seen during the survey of the study area.
Balge bushes, another diurnal shelter option used by WRPs, are completely absent from all parts of the study area.
LEGISLATIVE OBLIGATIONS
- WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ACT 1950
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 1986
- COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION & BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999
The study area contains feeding and breeding habitat for black cockatoos, but the size of the proposed clearing is relatively small and is very unlikely to lead to a long-term decline in the size of any population (or significant population). There is no evidence that the proposed land development at the study site would lead to a significant reduction in habitation area by any of the black cockatoo species. All species in question will continue to use the area adjacent to the road as they do now, despite the proposal.
There is no evidence to suggest that the proposed road widening and the removal of a small area of vegetation will interfere with the recovery of either species.
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
It is extremely unlikely that the proposed development of the land will result in the introduction of a disease that would cause any of the species in question to decline. In all cases, it is considered unlikely that the impact of the proposed roadworks would trigger any of the above criteria. This is primarily due to the relatively small area of clearing required, the fact that it will be spread over a long, thin area, and the existence of significant areas of similar habitat nearby.
In addition to the three black cockatoo species, it is also the authors' opinion that roads operating along this section of the Coalfields Highway are very unlikely to have a significant impact on any other EPBC Act-listed fauna species that may be present or known to be present the top is present in the general area.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Breeding behavior and biology of the short-billed form of the White-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus. Birds of Southwestern Australia: An Atlas of Changes in the Distribution and Abundance of Wheatbelt Avifauna. Effects of clearing for agriculture on the distribution of cockatoos in southwestern Western Australia.
V: Birds of Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands: Ecology, Conservation, Management (ed.. 2006) Conservation of Carnaby's Black Cockatoo on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia.
PLATES
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX B
APPENDIX C
Agmts - CA = CAMBA, JA = JAMBA, RK = ROKAMBA, Bush Forever Decreaser Species - Bh = habitat specialists, Bp = broad. Agmts - CA = CAMBA, JA = JAMBA, RK = ROKAMBA, Bush Forever Decreaser Species - Bh = habitat specialists, Bp = widely distributed species, Be = extinct in Perth Coastal Plain Region.
