Terrestrial Environment

Site Selection - Overview

Approach to Site Selection Key Considerations - NW Kimberley is a large, remote region. Knowledge of the

environment is patchy and incomplete. - Waiting to achieving comprehensive knowledge of the region

would take years of study, a strategic response cant wait.

Approach used ! • Use an expanded decision support matrix - to provide a consistent basis

for comparison of sites using regional and site specific information and expert knowledge to inform the Site Selection Criteria.

• Access to industry sourced information on locations, where detailed studies are available; and

• Use targeted studies of locations that industry has not studied.

The Matrix uses the consistent region-wide 1:250 000 scale geological mapping as the initial base for distinguishing environment types

Geological Province • Defines the broad regional geology/landform and

environment divisions of the west kimberley. Local site geology types. • Influences soil and rock characteristics, the types and

diversity of landforms, relative soil fertility and the flora and vegetation and fauna habitats present.

The Starting Point

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Regional geology influences regional landforms and biodiversity characteristics

Defining Environmental Characteristics of Kimberley Plateau Geological Province

Ancient and rugged sandstone and volcanic rocks of the Kimberley Plateau

A complex sunken coastline of headlands, deep embayments and island archipelagos, macro-tides.

Fauna Habitat Significance North-West Kimberley a Fauna Refuge

• The 2004 mammal audit revealed rugged higher rainfall north-west coastal catchments are a stronghold for species declining in other regions.

• Scaly-tailed possum, Kimberley Rock-rat, Monjon, Nabarluk, Golden Bandicoot, Golden-backed Tree-rat, Rough-scaled Python, Black Grass wren.

• The most common species now are rodents and bats.

• Islands are particularly important as refuge against threats from repeated hot fire, pests (Cane Toad) and feral stock

Golden Bandicoot Scaly-tailed Possum, a Kimberley endemic

Golden-backed tree rat

Defining Environmental Characteristics of Canning Basin Sandplain Geological Province

Largely flat-lying sedimentary rocks exposed in places as coastal cliffs and extensive red Pindan Sandplains. Coastal dunes impede drainage support the development of rainforest patches and wetlands.

Geology and Landform Characteristics Geology and Landform influences Site Selection Criteria through: • Landform characteristics and diversity of the environment • Vegetation types, diversity and fauna habitats present • Site construction and management issues associated with landform, rock,

soil types and depth - eg extent of clearing earthmoving required, stormwater, sediment pollution discharge

• Potential constraints on the size of a site and capacity for management of

environmental issues on-site. (Note: A small site is not necessarily an environmental advantage- eg light spill, setback from sensitive coastal areas, landscape management, water management…)

Objective - Seek a site with: • simple, widespread geology and landform types, • adequate size to manage on-site impacts, reduce potential off site

impacts

Coastal Geomorphology and Stability The Matrix next considers coastal geomorphology and stability Coastal geomorphology and key processes: • provides understanding of coastal landforms and stability • influences the landform, vegetation and fauna habitats present,

including significant restricted environment types, eg coastal limestone, dunes and rainforest patches, mangrove creeks,wetlands etc.

• influences the environmental (and economic) risks and hazards of a development, eg impacts on a restricted environment/habitat, coastal erosion, sand/sediment movement, coastal management requirements, discharge of stormwater etc.

Objective – Seek a site with: • Simple, stable coastal geomorphology and landform

Coastal Geomorphology influences environmental diversity

Calcareous and Quartzose sandstone (Bossut Formation) barrier supports a tidal creek, mangal and supratidal flats

Influence of geomorphology on the environment and vegetation diversity - Packer Island Vegetation mapping

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PACKERISI.AIID VEGETATIOH COMMUNITIES

Vegetation is identified as either Coastal, Wetland or Upland groupings and by the geology and landform that it is associated with.

This gives information on soil fertility, fauna habitat and relative extent of the unit.

Through this approach regional patterns of vegetation and habitat are reasonably understood.

Detailed knowledge is very patchy across the region.

Vegetation and Fauna Habitat James Price Point - Vine thicket on Pindan Dune swale behind coastal dune

Perpendicular Head – High Rainfall Pindan woodland and mixed shrubland on Emeriau Sandstone cliff top

Wilson Point Spear Wattle thicket and Woolybutt

Woodland on Buckland Sandstone and Vine Thicket on Hart Dolerite below cliff

Maret Islands Vine thicket on laterite slope and dune swale, dune vegetation and low open woodland to tussock grassland on laterite

Fauna, Flora and Vegetation Flora, Vegetation and Fauna impacts are a key issue for site selection. • Vegetation on restricted surface types and wetlands are more likely to support

habitat specialist species, Threatened or priority species and potentially Short Range Endemic species.

• Vine Thickets (Rainforests) and mound Springs are recognised Threatened Ecological Communities (in WA)

Survey Flora, Fauna and Vegetation of sites where recent detailed Industry

survey information is not available.

Site Selection Objective: • Seek a site with widespread simple landform and vegetation types • Seek to avoid sites with a diversity of vegetation and restricted habitats

• Avoid impact on Vine Thicket TEC’s, EPBC Act and Wildlife

Conservation Act Listed species.

Intactness - Site Condition and Disturbance Factors – Wilderness Quality

• The Kimberley has history of indigenous land management, established over thousands of years.

• In recent times this has diminished as people have left country and management has changed, notably fire regimes, which have become a major environmental threat.

• West Kimberley coast and islands of Kimberley Plateau have largely escaped impact of western long technological, industrial development and pastoral use. The region is highly valued internationally for its wild and undeveloped beauty.

• High rainfall coastal Kimberley Plateau is one of few regions in Australia that retains all species present at time of European settlement.

• Canning Sandplain Region have seen variously pastoral land use, road access, settlement and tourism / visitor access and significant threat from frequent extensive hot fires.

Site Selection Objective: Seek a site that is already impacted by

established road access and impacts of western landuse, weeds and introduced pest species.

Disturbance factors - Frequency of landscape burning 1989 to 2004

Source: DLI Firewatch Data

Extensive, hot fires burning parts of the North-West Kimberley almost every year are a major threat to biodiversity

Remoteness from existing development and access Quarantine risks / hazards • Remote areas of the NW Kimberley are an important final haven/refuge,

supporting species that are declining or extinct elsewhere across northern Australia.

• Kimberley Islands are important refugea • Major development in these areas poses a significant risk of introducing

weeds and pests that would damage this environment Potential impacts of land based transport infrastructure links • The potential threat of a possible future decisions to develop road access or

infrastructure across undeveloped country to a remote location is a very serious concern.

Site Selection Objective: Seek a site that is already impacted by established road access and quarantine issues are much reduced.

Visual Landscape Quality Landscape is one measure that crosses between a biophysical

factor and an social, tourism consideration. • Landscape diversity and integrity is an important factor in

considering a possible site for industry in the Kimberley. • Landscape integrity at a regional scale is a measure of the

wildness, and remoteness of the region from the impacts of western technological development’

• It is increasingly rare in the world and highly valued by many. • Landscape impact has the capacity to impact well beyond the

development location (visual impact and transport impacts), and has a potential economic implications to local and regional tourism operators. It is a strong driver for ecological tourism in the region.

• A study has been commissioned to assess Landscape Quality issues and will be discussed today.

North-West Kimberley Current land tenure, proposed conservation reserves

Objective: Avoid impacts on existing parks, reserves and IPA’s.

Seek to prioritise sites not proposed for future conservation reserves. Seek to avoid ecological communities, flora/fauna that would be of risk of significant cultural impact.

Limitations • We did not gain indigenous approval for terrestrial or intertidal surveys of

the Coulomb Point - Quondong Point location until too late to report to this Workshop, (Vegetation mapping from Helicopter has been completed, these studies will be undertaken and reported on subsequently)

• We have not had time to survey the two recent additional sites nominated by the TO’s/KLC (Cape Voltaire and Anjo Peninsula) - limited information is available.

• Inpex have not provided access to their detailed environmental survey information for the Maret Islands to enable consistent consideration of this potential site, (We have sourced records of fauna survey returns to DEC to obtain species information.) Additional precaution will be needed in considering the Maret Islands in the absence of detailed survey information.