Proposed Telecommunication Facility at Whyte Road, Agnes Waters Protected Plants Flora Survey ...

58 Pages·2015·2.6 MB·English

by  Rachel Hackett

Proposed Telecommunication Facility 13 October 2015

at Whyte Road, Agnes Waters Revision: A
Reference: 226420-
Protected Plants Flora Survey Report
AGWSTH-02
NBN Co Limited
Document control record
Document prepared by:
Aurecon Australasia Pty Ltd
ABN 54 005 139 873
141 Goondoon Street
Gladstone QLD 4680
PO Box 1144
Gladstone QLD 4680
Australia

T [phone]
F [phone]
E [email protected]
W aurecongroup.com

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Document control
Report title Protected Plants Flora Survey Report
Document ID 20151006 Flora Survey Report - Project number 226420-AGWSTH-02
Agnes_South_Rev A.docx
File path P:\Livelink_Projects\226420 NBN Ericsson - ecological assessments\Agnes
sites\Delivery\Agnes South\20151006 Flora Survey Report - Agnes_South_Rev A.docx
Client NBN Co Limited Client contact
Re Date Revision details/status Prepared Author Verifier Approver
v by
A 13 October 201513 Draft for comment T. Murphy T. Murphy G. Paterson L. Shields
October 2015

Current revision A

Approval
Author signature Approver signature

Name Tim Murphy Name Lisa Shields
Title Environmental Scientist Title Project Manager

Project 226420-AGWSTH-02 File 20151013 Flora Survey Report - Agnes_South_Rev A.docx 13 October 2015
Revision A
Proposed
Telecommunication Facility
at Whyte Road, Agnes
Waters

Date 13 October 2015
Reference 226420-AGWSTH-02
Revision A

Aurecon Australasia Pty Ltd
ABN 54 005 139 873
141 Goondoon Street
Gladstone QLD 4680
PO Box 1144
Gladstone QLD 4680
Australia
T [phone]
F [phone]
E [email protected]
W aurecongroup.com

Project 226420-AGWSTH-02 File 20151013 Flora Survey Report - Agnes_South_Rev A.docx 13 October 2015
Revision A
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background and Project Description 1
1.2 Purpose of This Report 1
1.3 Project Location and Proposed Development 2
2 Methodology 4
2.1 Desktop Assessment 4
2.2 Survey Methodology 4
3 Results 6
3.1 Desktop Assessment 6
3.2 Field Assessment 8
4 Conclusion 10
Appendices

Appendix A
Flora Species List
Appendix B
Site photos
Appendix C
Detailed CVs
Appendix D
Database Search Results
Appendix E
Proposed Development Plans
Appendix F
DEHP approval for reduced clearing impact area buffer zone
Appendix G
Reference List

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Figures

Figure 1: Proposed development area and reduced 100 m ‘clearing impact area’ buffer approved by
DEHP 3
Figure 2: Protected Plants Flora Survey Trigger Mapping 6
Figure 3 Regional ecosystem mapping 7
Figure 4: Top of ridge 9
Figure 5: Hillside with northern aspect, slightly disturbed 9
Figure 6: Hillside with western aspect 9
Figure 7: Existing dwelling and cleared firebreak facing west 9
Figure 8: 20 m north of proposed disturbance area, facing north-west 9
Figure 9: Existing driveway facing north-west 9

Tables
Table 1: Wildlife Online and EPBC Act PMST results using a 2 km buffer of the central point of the
proposed development 8

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1 Introduction
1.1 Background and Project Description
NBN Co has engaged Ericsson as the equipment vendor and project manager to establish the
infrastructure required to facilitate the fixed wireless component of the National Broadband Network
(NBN). Ericsson has in turn engaged Aurecon Australasia to act on its behalf in relation to the
establishment of the required fixed wireless network infrastructure.
The NBN is an upgrade to Australia’s existing telecommunications network. It is designed to provide
Australians with access to fast, affordable and reliable internet and landline phone services.
To support the fixed wireless component of this network, NBN Co requires a fixed wireless
transmission site to provide fixed wireless internet coverage to Agnes Water, and to serve as a key
communications anchor point for other NBN Fixed Wireless facilities in the region.
The Development Application (DA/125/2015) associated with this project (hereafter referred to as ‘the
proposed development’) was lodged on 26 August 2015 and sought planning consent for the following
infrastructure to be located at 91 Whyte Crescent, legally described as Lot 386 on RP880931:
 a 35 m high monopole;
 radio transmission equipment;
 two outdoor cabinets; and
 a secure compound measuring 90 m2 in area
1.2 Purpose of This Report
This report has been prepared as per the requirements of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and
Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006 (NC Regulation). The Protected Plants
Legislative Framework and Flora Survey Guidelines implement a risk-based approach to regulate the
clearing of protected plants in Queensland. This risk based approach requires that vegetation clearing
within any area that is mapped as ‘high risk’ on the Protected Plants Flora Survey Trigger Map is
required to be surveyed in accordance with Flora Survey Guidelines - Protected Plants (the
Guidelines).
The proposed development is located within a ‘high risk’ area on the regulated Protected Plants Flora
Survey Trigger Map as shown in Figure 2. A flora survey was undertaken in accordance with the
Guidelines, using an approved reduced survey buffer (refer Section 2.2.1). No protected plants were
observed within the ‘clearing impact area’ (ie within the reduced buffer of the proposed development),
therefore this report has been prepared for submission to the Department of Environment and
Heritage Protection (DEHP) to be eligible for exemption 261ZA(1)(a) under the NC Regulation from
the requirement for a clearing permit.

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1.3 Project Location and Proposed Development
The proposed NBN Fixed Wireless compound location (proposed development) is located at 91 Whyte
Crescent, Agnes Water. The site is legally described as 386 on RP880931 (refer Figure 1).
The land is heavily undulating, with ground levels ranging from 30 m AHD at the lowest point in the
north-western portion of the site and up to 105 m AHD at its highest point near to the south-eastern
corner of the property. The proposed facility is to be located to the east of the property, at a point of
approximately 99 m AHD. The subject lot within the Gladstone Regional Council area is zoned ‘Rural
Character’ under the Miriam Vale Planning Scheme. The subject site currently contains a residential
dwelling and vehicle access track where clearing of vegetation has previously been undertaken.
Remnant vegetation is located over majority of the subject site and surrounds the location of the
proposed facility.
The location of the proposed facility comprises a 9 m x 10 m lease area (NBN Co compound) located
near to the south-western corner of the property. Access to the subject site will be via an existing
access point off Whyte Crescent and then via the existing access/driveway to the dwelling. The
existing access is proposed to be upgraded and extended by approximately 30 m to the NBN
compound. Figure 1 shows the location of the proposed development. Detailed site plans for the final
location of the proposed development are attached in Appendix E.
Construction of the proposed development is expected to commence in December 2016 and be
completed by February 2017. These timeframes are indicative only and may commence earlier.
The subject property is bordered by rural residential land to the south, east and west, and Whyte
Crescent to the north. The closest dwelling on an adjoining property lies approximately 90 m to the
northeast of the proposed facility, along Anderson Way.
Nearby villages and townships in the wider locality include Seventeen Seventy (north), Round Hill
(west) and Deepwater (East).
For the purpose of the flora survey report and associated survey method guidelines, a ‘clearing impact
area’ which includes a partial 100 m buffer from the initial proposed development location is displayed
in Figure 1, with the methodology discussed in Section 2.

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Figure 1: Proposed development area and reduced 100 m ‘clearing impact area’ buffer approved by DEHP

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2 Methodology
2.1 Desktop Assessment
A desktop assessment of the following datasets was undertaken as part of the Development
Application process and prior to the flora field survey:
 Regulated Vegetation Management (RVM) Mapping, version 1
 Regional Ecosystem Mapping, version 8
 Protected Plants High Risk Flora Survey Trigger Map
 Aerial Photography – Digital Globe (2014)
 Cadastral Boundaries (2014)
 Watercourse Mapping, version 1.3, at 1:100,000 scale
A Wildlife Online search and an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act) Protected Matters Search Tool (PMST) report was generated within a 2 km buffer of the
central point of the proposed development area. The database search results are provided in
Appendix D.
2.2 Survey Methodology
2.2.1 Clearing Impact Area
For clearing within an area defined as high risk, flora surveys are required to be undertaken within the
clearing impact area, defined under section 249 of the NC Regulation as ‘the area to be cleared to the
extent it is within a high risk area, together with a buffer zone – an additional area 100 m in width
around the development footprint’.
Approval was granted by DEHP on 25 September 2015 to reduce the clearing impact area buffer zone
to exclude Lot 422 on RP880931 under section 249(2) of the NC Regulation (refer Appendix F).
As shown in Figure 1, the approved ‘clearing impact area’ includes the following lots:
 Lot 386 on RP880931 (location of proposed NBN facility)
 Lot 425 on RP862183 (adjacent lot, freehold land)
2.2.2 Survey Method
As the timed meander method is the preferred approach within the Flora Survey Guidelines –
Protected Plants, this method was adopted for surveying the clearing impact area. The field survey
was conducted on 29 October 2015 by two suitably qualified ecologists (refer Section 2.3).

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The habitat type present is described in Section 3.2. A timed meander was conducted in the habitat
types listed below:
 Non-remnant, disturbed areas (including access tracks, fire break and disturbed area from other
anthropogenic impacts on the subject lots), approximately 2.47 ha
 Remnant RE 12.12.11
2.2.3 Survey Timing
A number of Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened (EVNT) species were identified in the
desktop search (refer Section 3.1.3). It is considered that the timing of the survey was sufficient to
determine the presence of most EVNT species if present. The following plants would have been
identified by their distinctive habit and form:
 Cycas megacarpa (Zamia Palm)
 Cupaniopsis shirleyana (Wedge-leaf Tuckeroo)
 Arytera dictyoneura
Cossinia Australiana is reported to flower from October to January (Borsboom and Wang 1997).
Habenaria xanthantha is a native terrestrial orchid with little published information available. Native
Habenaria are reported to flower from December to March and would have been difficult to identify as
it is also deciduous.
2.2.4 Suitably Qualified Personnel
Grant Paterson, Lead Ecologist
Grant is a Commonwealth Department of Environment (DoE) Accredited Ecologist with almost 20
years’ experience in the design and implementation of Flora and Fauna Surveys and Ecological
Assessments (including EVNT species) to meet the requirements of relevant state and federal
legislation.
Grant joined Aurecon from Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) and has
extensive experience in vegetation assessment, natural resource management, agronomy, vegetation,
soils, legislation, policy, approvals and appeals. Whilst at DNRM Grant assisted in the development of
Field Methodologies for the assessment of Regional Ecosystems for Vegetation Management, Fauna
Habitat and Bio Condition. Grant has been with Aurecon for 8 years and has been involved in field
ecological assessments and reporting, predominantly in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Tim Murphy, Environmental Scientist
Tim has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of the Sunshine Coast (completing
subjects in the identification and taxonomy of Queensland flora) and has over eight years’ experience
conducting flora surveys (including EVNT species) in Central Queensland. Tim commenced with
Aurecon in 2012, where he has been tasked with conducting ecological surveys in the south-east
Queensland Bioregion, and providing technical environmental support for the development of a
greenfield construction site and major road reconstruction projects.
Tim has had six years’ experience with the former Department of Environment and Resource
Management (DERM), based in Central Queensland, where he was involved in a range of projects
including rangeland ecology assessments, assessment of clearing applications under the Vegetation
Management Act 1999, and assessment of leasehold land renewals under the Land Act 1994.
Detailed CVs are attached in Appendix C.

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