Ecological Assessment Report

                                                                                                                Ecological Assessment Report



Table of Contents
Acronyms and Glossary ....................................................................................................................... 5
      Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6
    1.1     Site Description ..................................................................................................................... 6
    1.2     Proposed Development ......................................................................................................... 7
    1.3     Scope of Works ..................................................................................................................... 7
2     Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 8
    2.1     Desktop Assessment ............................................................................................................. 8
    2.2     Field Survey........................................................................................................................... 8
      2.2.1   Flora Species Survey ......................................................................................................... 9
      2.2.2   Fauna Species and Habitat Survey ................................................................................... 9
      2.2.3   Survey Limitations ............................................................................................................. 9
3      Environmental Regulatory Framework ...................................................................................... 11
4     Ecological Values Assessment .................................................................................................. 18
    4.1     Ground-truthed Vegetation Communities ............................................................................ 18
      4.1.1   Vegetation Community 1: Cleared grassland ................................................................. 18
      4.1.2   Vegetation Community 2: Eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey ........................... 18
      4.1.3   Vegetation Community 3: Melaleuca forest .................................................................... 19
      4.1.4   Vegetation Community 4: Saltmarsh .............................................................................. 20
    4.2     Weed Species ..................................................................................................................... 22
    4.3     Fauna Species Assessment ................................................................................................ 22
    4.4     Flora Species Assessment .................................................................................................. 22
    4.5     Habitat Assessment ............................................................................................................ 22
    4.6     Corridors and Linkages ....................................................................................................... 23
    4.7     Summary of Ecological Values ............................................................................................ 23
5     Proposed Development Impact Assessment ............................................................................ 28
    5.1     Impact and Mitigation Measures ......................................................................................... 28
    5.2     Assessment against the legislation ..................................................................................... 30
      5.2.1   Council’s legislation ......................................................................................................... 30
      5.2.2   State legislation................................................................................................................ 30
    5.3     Proposed rehabilitation works ............................................................................................. 31
6      Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 39
7      References .................................................................................................................................... 40




Appendix 1 EPBC Act Protected Matters Search ................................................................................ 41
Appendix 2 Wildlife Online Database ................................................................................................... 42
Appendix 3 DOR Vegetation Management Report and Coastal Hazard Areas Map........................... 43
Appendix 4 Council Planning Scheme Overlay Maps .......................................................................... 44
Appendix 5 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 45
Appendix 6 Development Proposal Plan .............................................................................................. 47



TABLES
Table 1: Property Information .................................................................................................................. 6
Table 2: Legislative Framework ............................................................................................................ 11
Table 3: Summary of desktop and site assessment results. ................................................................. 24
Table 4: Summary of potential impacts and associated mitigation measures. ..................................... 28
Table 5: Plant species and densities for rehabilitation area 1 ............................................................... 33
Table 6: Weed management techniques .............................................................................................. 35
Table 7: Proposed 12 months maintenance schedule .......................................................................... 38




                                                                         PR22098_EA_36 Riverpark Drive, Ringtail Creek                         Page iii