Attachment G - Fauna and Flora Assessment report

                                                                                 Native Foresters



3.4     Assessment of breeding places and fauna habitat quality

The natural vegetation areas within the survey area have been assessed as possessing good
habitat values, providing breeding habitat as well as refuge, roosting habitat and basking sites for
native fauna. All significant habitat trees and breeding places identified during the survey are
shown in Figure 5 and described in Appendix E.

Several arboreal hollows were observed in the mature trees on the northern and southern sides
of the built environment at the Vipassana Centre which provide important habitat and/or breeding
places for microbats, reptiles (skinks, pythons, goannas) and small gliders such as the Squirrel
Glider and Feathertail Glider. Some of the larger trees contain visible nests (bird/possum) and
are providing high value habitat and breeding places with multiple hollows in one tree.

The location of a large hollow stumps has been indicated in Figure 5 and shown in Figure 12.
These habitat features possess cavities and cracks which may be used by small mammals and
reptiles for refuge and/or breeding and should be retained in situ as ground habitat or relocated
further into the surrounding bushland, rather than burnt or chipped.

Breeding habitat for amphibians occurs in a constructed pond on the south-western corner of the
Southern Fire Management Zone as shown on Figure 8. There is potential for works to impact
this area which may result in the loss or modification of this wetland area.




               Figure 12: Stump and woody debris located in Northern Fire
               Management Zone, providing breeding habitat for reptiles and small
               mammals.


Vipassana Centre Upgrade Pomona – Fauna and Flora Assessment                                        29