Warriedar p

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- N

BOONER

ONG RD

WARRIEDAR - P

ERENJORI RD

AR

RI

E R

482000

484000

486000

488000

490000

492000

494000

496000

498000

500000

502000

504000

506000

508000

510000

512000

0

Main road

Warriedar pastoral lease

Tenements

Document Name: 20170125_TUN_Fig1-1_Biol Report

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ems@animalplantmineral.com.au / (08) 6296 5155

Figure 1-1: Mt Mulgine Project Location Plan

L e g e n d

L e g e n d

210

420

630

840

105

Kilometers

Perth

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1.2

S

COPE OF

W

ORK

Animal Plant Mineral Pty Ltd (APM) was engaged by TGN to design and execute vegetation and fauna surveys

to facilitate approval of the Mt Mulgine Project. The scope included a Level 2 vegetation survey and Level 1

fauna survey. The time of the survey was not optimal for annual flora and, though collections of annual flora

were made, the focus of the current survey was on the mapping of vegetation of the Project area. Additional

survey work is proposed following significant rainfall in 2017.

The methodology for the biological survey was determined by Principal Ecologist Dr Mitchell Ladyman and the

survey scope was then ratified through liaison with the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW).

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1.3

B

ACKGROUND AND

S

UPPORTING

I

NFORMATION

Species considered to be of national conservation significance are protected under the Environmental

Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999). Under this Act, activities that may have a

significant impact on a species of national conservation significance must be referred to the Department of

Environment (DoE) for assessment. In WA, all native flora and fauna species are protected under the Wildlife

Conservation Act 1950 (WC Act). Flora and Fauna species that are considered rare, threatened with extinction

or have high conservation value are specially protected by four schedules in this Act (see Appendix 1). The

DPaW also classifies some flora under four different Priority codes and fauna under five different Priority

codes (Appendix 1).

Some species of fauna are covered under the 1991 Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation

Council (ANZECC) Convention (Commonwealth(Cth)), while certain birds are listed under the 1974 Japan and

Australian Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) (Cth) and the 1986 China and Australian Migratory Bird

Agreement (CAMBA) (Cth). More recently Australia and the Republic of Korea agreed to develop a bilateral

migratory bird agreement similar to the JAMBA and CAMBA. The Republic of Korea-Australian Migratory Bird

Agreement (ROKAMBA) was entered into force in 2007. All migratory bird species listed in the annexes to

these bilateral agreements are protected in Australia as Matters of National Environmental Significance

(MNES) under the EPBC Act 1999.

1.4

E

XISTING

E

NVIRONMENT

The Project lies within the Shire of Perenjori. Land use in the area is predominantly pastoralism, in particular

grazing. The Project tenements are partially located within the former Warriedar pastoral station, which is now

managed by the DPaW. Some conservation areas are present in the broader region, along with unallocated

crown land and crown reserves (Desmond and Chant, 2001). The Project area contains no registered Aboriginal

heritage places and two ‘other heritage places’. Ethnographic sites and isolated artefacts have been identified

within the Project tenements. No European heritage places are within the Project area.

1.4.1

Climate

The Project is located within the bioregion Murchison of WA on the Yilgarn craton, which is characterised by

hot dry summers and cold winters.

The nearest Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) weather station is at Paynes Find (BoM Site Number: 007139),

approximately 70 km east of the Project area. The Paynes Find station has been recording rainfall since 1919

and temperature since 1975. Average monthly and annual rainfall and temperature are presented in Table 1-1.

Recorded data suggests that the Project area is likely to receive close to 289 millimetres (mm) of rain on an

annual basis and experience temperatures ranging between 5.5 degrees Celsius (°C) and 37.3°C (the lowest

and highest monthly averages recorded) (BoM, 2016a). January is the hottest month with a mean maximum

temperature of 37.3 °C and mean minimum of 21°C. July is the coolest month with a mean maximum

temperature of 18.5 °C and mean minimum of 5.5°C (BoM, 2016a) (Table 1-1). Figure 1-2 illustrates the Project

area is subject to climate typical of the region, with hot summers and wet winters.

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Table 1-1: Rainfall and temperature averages for Paynes Find Weather Station (007139)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Mean

Rainfall

(mm)

19.8

23.4

25.5

26.1

37.3

41.0

35.4

27.0

14.3

10.5

10.8

12.6

Mean Max

Temp (



C)

37.3

36.5

32.9

28.4

23.1

19.3

18.5

20.1

23.8

27.8

31.7

35.0

Mean

Min

Temp (



C)

21.0

21.2

18.1

14.3

9.5

6.7

5.5

6.0

8.0

11.5

15.4

18.4

Source: BoM, 2016a

Figure 1-2: Paynes Find Weather Station Meteorological Data (BoM, 2016a)

1.4.2

Biogeographic Regionalisation

The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia

(

IBRA) (version 7.1) classifies the Australian continent

into regions (bioregions) of similar geology, landform, vegetation, fauna and climate characteristics (Thackway

and Cresswell, 1995). The mapping completed by Beard (1975) provides the basis for the IBRA bioregions. IBRA

mapping (Version 7.1), places the Project within the Yalgoo Bioregion.

The Yalgoo Bioregion is characterised by low woodlands to open woodlands of Eucalyptus, Acacia and Callitris

on red sandy plains of the Western Yilgarn Craton and southern Carnarvon Basin. Mulga, Callitris,-E. salubris,

and Bowgada open woodlands and scrubs occur on earth to sandy-earth plains in the western Yilgarn Craton.

The Yalgoo Bioregion is further subdivided into the Edel (YAL01) and Tallering (YAL02) sub-regions. The Project

lies entirely within the Tallering sub-region, one of the few sub-regions not previously described by IBRA.

5

10

45

Tem

p

e

ratu

re

(



C)

R

ai

n

fal

l (m

m

)

Mean Rainfall (mm)

Mean Min Temp (°C)

Mean Max Temp (°C)

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1.4.3

Land Systems

The land system approach to the management of rangelands results from the identification of recurring

patterns of topography, soil and vegetation and involves their use in land use and catchment planning. Four

land systems have been mapped within the Project area by Payne et al. (1998):

Graves:

Basalt and greenstone rises and low hills, supporting eucalypt woodlands with prominent

saltbush and bluebush understoreys.

Moriarty:

Low greenstone rises and stony plains supporting halophytic and acacia shrublands with

patchy eucalypt overstorys.

Norie:

Granite hills with exfoliating domes and extensive tor fields supporting acacia shrublands.

Singleton:

Rugged greenstone ranges with dense casuarina and acacia shrublands.

1.4.4

Surface Water

The Project area is located within the greater Yara Monger catchment. Some drainage flows to the west

although drainage the Project area flows in an easterly direction towards Monger’s Lake chain (Soil Water

Consultants, 2012). On a local scale, surface water generally flows west and north east from Mt Mulgine into

broader southern and eastern drainage paths respectively. Incised flow channels are common and the steeper

terrain results in less potential for flooding (Soil Water Consultants, 2012).

1.4.5

Wetlands

The Project area does not include and is not in close proximity to any wetlands listed as Ramsar sites

(Landgate, 2016).

1.4.6

Previous Surveys

Much of the Mt Mulgine area has previously been surveyed to facilitate the expansion of mining by Minjar

Gold. Vegetation surveys have been undertaken by Woodman Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd (Woodman)

(2003 and 2007), APM (2011, 2012) and Terratree Pty Ltd (Terratree) (2013). A fauna survey of the area was

also undertaken by APM in 2012.

A summary of the surveys previously undertaken is provided in Table 1-2 below.

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Table 1-2: Existing surveys of the Mt Mulgine Project Area

Aspect

Report Title

Consultant

Year

Purpose

Flora and Vegetation

Vegetation Survey of

the Highland Chief and

Monaco Areas, Minjar

Gold Project.

Woodman

2003

Flora and vegetation

survey

for

the

expansion of mining

operations.

Minjar Gold Project.

Camp,

Trench

and

Bobby McGee Prospects

Proposed

Reverse

Circulation (RC) Drilling.

Flora and Vegetation

Assessment.

Woodman

2007

Flora and vegetation

survey for exploration

activity.

Minjar Gold Biological

Survey.

Minjar Gold

Mine Expansion. Flora

and

Vegetation

Assessment.

APM

2011

Flora and vegetation

survey

for

the

expansion of mining.

Level

1

Flora

and

Vegetation Assessment

and Targeted Search for

Flora of Conservation

Significance.

Austin,

Blackdog,

Camp,

Highland

Chief,

Keronima, Mugs Luck,

Riley and Trench.

APM

2012

Flora and vegetation

survey

for

the

construction

expansion projects.

Level 1 and 2 Flora and

Vegetation Survey and

Mapping

Potential

Habitat

for

the

Threatened

(Declared

Rare) species Stylidium

scintillans

Terratree

2013

Flora and vegetation

survey and habitat

mapping for Stylidium

scintillans.

Terrestrial Fauna

Fauna

Assessment.

Austin, Blackdog, Bobby

McGee, Bugeye, Camp,

Highland

Chief,

Keronima, M1, Monaco,

Mugs

Luck,

Riley,

Silverstone, Trench and

Windinne Well Projects.

APM

2012

Biological assessment

surveys

for

the

construction

expansion projects.

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2

METHOLOGY

2.1

C

ONTRIBUTING

A

UTHORS

The Project survey scope was designed by APM Principal Biologist Dr Mitch Ladyman. The flora and vegetation

survey and reporting was refined and executed by APM Senior Botanist James Tsakalos, with assistance from

Environmental Scientist Loren Kavanagh. The field fauna survey work was executed by Dr Mitch Ladyman and

Environmental Scientist Sarah Isbister, with the reporting component assimilated by Loren Kavanagh.

Technical review of the outputs were completed by Dr Mitch Ladyman and James Tsakalos.

2.2

D

ESKTOP

M

ETHODOLOGY

2.2.1

Database Searches

A search of the EPBC Act list of protected species was undertaken using the Protected Matters Search Tool

(PMST) (DoE, 2016a) to identify flora, fauna and threatened ecological communities considered to be Matters

of National Environmental Significance (MNES). This search covered an area within 10 km of the centre of the

Project area (-29.17 S, 116.96 E). The results of the database search are presented in Appendix 2.

The NatureMap database (DPaW, 2016) was searched to produce a list of potentially occurring species within

10 km of the Project area using coordinates (-29.17 S, 116.96 E). This database has the most up to date species

list based on flora and fauna licence returns from numerous surveys conducted in the area. The results of the

database search are presented in Appendix 3.

A search of the Atlas of Living Australia (AoLA) (AoLA, 2016) was also undertaken to produce a list of fauna

potentially occurring within a 10 km buffer of the Project area using coordinates -29.17 S, 116.96 E. The results

of the database search are presented in Appendix 4.

A request was made for a search of the DPaW database for Threatened and Priority flora and fauna and the

presence of Threatened Ecological Communities (TEC) or Priority Ecological Communities (PEC). This search

was conducted based on a single point approximately centrally located in the Project area at -29.17 S, 116.96 E

and included a 10 km buffer for flora, 35 km buffer for fauna and 30 km buffer for ecological communities. The

results of the flora and fauna database searches are presented in Appendix 5 and Appendix 6 respectively.

2.3

F

IELD

S

URVEY

2.3.1

Vegetation Survey Methodology

The vegetation field survey was undertaken from 8 to 12 of November 2016. Field personnel included Botanist

James Tsakalos and Environmental Scientist Loren Kavanagh. The survey was designed in accordance with

Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Guidance Statement No. 51 (EPA, 2004a) and EPA Position

Statement No. 3 (EPA, 2002) and was intended to comprise a Level 2 survey with respect to vegetation

mapping and analysis, with intention of additional survey following mesic conditions to capture annual species

and targeted rare flora survey.

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Prior to commencing the fieldwork, aerial photography was used to determine potential quadrat locations in

the Project area. Aerial photos were carried during fieldwork to confirm boundaries and extent of plant

communities and landforms and to assist in refinement of the placement and positioning of quadrats.

A total of 38 quadrats were established in patches of visually homogenous vegetation types. Each quadrat was

20 m by 20 m as outlined in the Technical Guidelines for Flora and Vegetation Surveys for Environmental

Impact Assessment (Freeman, Stack, Thomas and Woolfrey, 2015). The following information was collected at

each quadrat using a standard recording sheet:



Site description/landform;



Slope aspect;



Soil type and colour;



Surface rock cover;



Estimation of age since last fire;



Vegetation condition (Keighery, 1994); and



All vascular plant species present, height and foliage cover.

Plants with unknown or uncertain identities were collected and pressed on site. These plants underwent

formal identification using combination of dichotomous keys, published descriptions, occurrence records and

were compared against specimens housed at the Western Australian Herbarium to ensure correct

identification. Table 2-1 below describes the Keighery vegetation condition rating scale.

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