PES0037 Memo template

Memo To: Les Purves

From: Jarrad Clark

CC: Michael Klvac

Date: 20 December 2017

Subject: Shorebird, Marine Turtle and other conservation significant fauna survey December 2017

Phoenix Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd ABN: 60 131 288 938 1

Background and methods

This memo has been drafted to provide interim results from the recent Migratory Shorebird, Marine Turtle and other conservation significant fauna survey undertaken 4-9 December 2017 undertaken for the Mardie Salt Project (the Project). The aim is to identify any fatal flaws for the Project

Several tasks where completed during the survey:

1. Installed 13 time-lapse cameras to investigate tidal movement as per RPS supplied locations

2. Undertook 3 high tide and 3 low tide aerial surveys and several ground counts for migratory shorebirds

3. Examined marine turtle nests south of the water inlet creek

4. Located and documented additional marine turtle nest sites north of the water inlet creek on tenements not part of the study area at time of mobilisation – tenements being sought to expand Project options.

5. Deployed audio recording devices at:

a. Six sites targeting North-western Free-tailed Bat (Mormopterus cobourgianus)

b. Three sites targeting Night Parrot

c. Identified nine additional sites to target Night Parrot – to be deployed by BCI Minerals staff

6. Investigated habitat for Northern Quoll and Black-flanked Rock Wallaby

Results

General

Time lapse cameras were all deployed as per RPS’ specifications. They will remain in place until the next field trip, currently planned for mid-January 2018.

No habitat for Northern Quoll (EN), Black-flanked Rock Wallaby (EN) Ghost Bat (VU), Pilbara Leaf-nosed bat (EN) and Pilbara Olive Python (VU) present within the study area.

Habitat for North-western Free-tailed Bat (P1) abundant and likely to be recorded.

Habitat for Bilby (VU) present in small areas, particularly near the planned plant and infrastructure areas; less in the south.

Habitat for Night Parrot present particularly near planned plant and infrastructure area, and generally along eastern salt flats boundary, more so in the north. Historic record 30 km south of southern tenement border, however spinifex in this area looks sub-optimal. Habitat on salt flat ‘island’ highly variable; poor in the south, better in the central portions of the study area.

Migratory Shorebirds

Key findings:

• A total of 23 species listed under international agreements and protected at the state or federal levels were recorded

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• Three ‘Critically Endangered’ species recorded: Curlew Sandpiper, Great Knot, Eastern Curlew (EPBC Act)

• Two ‘Endangered’ species recorded (EPBC Act)

• One and four ‘Vulnerable’ species recorded (EPBC Act and WC Act, respectively)

• Difference in Species Richness between tides negligible: 13.3 species at high tide and 12.7 at low tide (mean). Daily mean Species Richness greater (17.7) highlighting importance of undertaking high and low tide surveys

• Abundance of birds greater during high tide (mean = 556) than low tide (mean = 353). Daily mean abundance (909) >50% less than that if Nationally important bird habitat

• Distribution data suggests that the algal mat and salt flats (proposed ponds areas) areas are of least importance to the birds of the area in terms of abundance and richness – though an in-depth analysis has not yet been undertaken.

• Species that forage in sediment tend to move to the coastal mudflats and offshore islands during the low tide and inland to the mangrove/samphire wetlands at high tide. Species that prefer rocky habitats forage on the few rocky shelfs on the coast or on offshore islands during the low tide and roost in the mangroves during the high tide

• Area supports > 0.1% of the Eastern Flyway Population for Ruddy Turnstone

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Name Common name EPBC WC ACT Intl.Pop (1%) Nat.Pop (0.1%) Max Intl.% Nat.% Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Mig. Mig. 1900 190 2 0.1 1.1 Ardea modesta Eastern Great Egret Mig. 0 1 Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone Mig. Mig. 300 30 202 67.3 673.3 Calidris alba Sanderling Mig. Mig. 300 30 1 0.3 3.3 Calidris canutus Red Knot EN/Mig. Mig. 1100 110 100 9.1 90.9 Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper CR/Mig. VU/Mig. 900 90 40 4.4 44.4 Calidris ruficollis Red-necked Stint Mig. Mig. 4750 475 195 4.1 41.1 Calidris tenuirostris Great Knot CR/Mig. VU/Mig. 4250 425 1 0.0 0.2 Charadrius leschenaultii Greater Sand Plover VU/Mig. VU/Mig. 2500 250 9 0.4 3.6 Charadrius mongolus Lesser Sand Plover EN/Mig. EN/Mig. 2250 225 1 0.0 0.4 Charadrius veredus Oriental Plover Mig. Mig. 2300 230 40 1.7 17.4 Chlidonias leucopterus White-winged Black Tern Mig. Mig. 0 1 Gelochelidon nilotica Gull-billed Tern Mig. Mig. 0 100 Glareola maldivarum Oriental Pratincole Mig. Mig. 28800 2880 61 0.2 2.1 Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit Mig. Mig. 3250 325 173 5.3 53.2 Numenius madagascariensis Eastern Curlew CR/Mig. VU/Mig. 350 35 12 3.4 34.3 Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel Mig. Mig. 650 65 38 5.8 58.5 Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden Plover Mig. Mig. 1200 120 59 4.9 49.2 Sterna albifrons White-shafted Little Tern Mig. Mig. 0 40 Sterna caspia Caspian Tern Mig. Mig. 0 14 Tringa brevipes Grey-tailed Tattler Mig. P4/Mig. 700 70 42 6.0 60.0 Tringa cinerea Terek Sandpiper Mig. Mig. 500 50 5 1.0 10.0 Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank Mig. Mig. 1100 110 10 0.9 9.1

Mig. 22 23 CR 3 0 EN 2 1 VU 1 4

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P4 0 1

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Discussion

As per DoEE (2015) the study area is considered Nationally Important habitat for migratory birds, due to the following two criteria being met:

1) >15 species present

2) Area supports >0.1% of the Flyway Population for any one species: Ruddy Turnstone (only 30 individuals required, 202 recorded day 3 low tide aerial count).

With a maximum 202 individuals recorded, the study area appears to be important habitat for the species

It is also worth noting that:

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Red Knot (EN) was almost met, being 100 individuals of the 110 individuals required (90%) and is likely to be met in the future

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Curlew Sandpiper (CR; maximum 40 individuals) was 44% of the required 90 individuals

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Red-necked Stint (maximum 195 individuals) was 41% of the required 475 individuals

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Bar-tailed Godwit (maximum 173 individuals) was 53% of the required 325 individuals

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Eastern Curlew (CR; maximum 12 individuals) was 34% of the required 35 individuals

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Whimbrel (maximum 38 individuals) was 58.5% of the required 65 individuals

• the National 0.1% Flyway Population abundance criteria for Grey-tailed Tattler (P4; maximum 42 individuals) was 60% of the required 70 individuals

This analysis doesn’t however consider direct impact vs. indirect impact, and is only considering the entire study area.

At this stage of the fatal flaw analysis it is worth discussing the potential for the project to have significant impacts on migratory birds and how that might be treated at the federal and state level during impact assessment. DoEE (2015) states that:

“an action is likely to have a significant impact on a migratory species if there is a real chance or possibility that it will:

• substantially modify (including by fragmenting, altering fire regimes, altering nutrient cycles or altering hydrological cycles), destroy or isolate an area of important habitat for a migratory species

• result in an invasive species that is harmful to the migratory species becoming established in an area of important habitat for the migratory species

• seriously disrupt the lifecycle (breeding, feeding, migration or resting behaviour) of an ecologically significant proportion of the population of a migratory species.”

It appears that direct impacts to feeding habitat is minimal, though we haven’t had time yet to analyse the dataset in terms of direct impact vs indirect. The main impact appears to be to roosting

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habitat, which is less critical and can be ‘recreated’. Feeding habitat (i.e. mudflats, cannot be recreated.

Therefore, the outcome of round1 is that we have fairly significant results overall that will attract the attention of the DoEE and various bird groups such as BirdLife. We therefore need to validate the December results with another survey in January, during a more typical tide cycle.

We propose to mobilise the afternoon of January 12, with surveys being undertaken 13-15 January; and demobilising 16 January.

Yours Sincerely,

Jarrad Clark

Principal Zoologist

[email protected]

08 9345 1608

1/511 Wanneroo Rd Balcatta WA 6021

Memo Subject: Shorebird, Marine Turtle and other conservation significant fauna survey December 2017


0 50 100 150 200 250

Actitis hypoleucos (Common Sandpiper) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Ardea modesta (Eastern Great Egret) (Mig. WC Act)

Arenaria interpres (Ruddy Turnstone) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Calidris alba (Sanderling) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Calidris canutus (Red Knot) (EN/Mig. EPBC; Mig. WC Act)

Calidris ferruginea (Curlew Sandpiper) (CR/Mig. EPBC; VU/Mig. WC…

Calidris ruficollis (Red-necked Stint) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Calidris tenuirostris (Great Knot) (CR/Mig. EPBC; VU/Mig. WC Act)

Charadrius leschenaultii (Greater Sand Plover) (VU/Mig. EPBC; Mig.…

Charadrius mongolus (Lesser Sand Plover) (EN/Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Charadrius veredus (Oriental Plover) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Chlidonias leucopterus (White-winged Black Tern) (Mig., EPBC; WC…

Gelochelidon nilotica (Gull-billed Tern) (Mig. WC Act)

Glareola maldivarum (Oriental Pratincole) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Limosa lapponica (Bar-tailed Godwit) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Numenius madagascariensis (Eastern Curlew) (CR/Mig. EPBC;…

Numenius phaeopus (Whimbrel) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Pluvialis fulva (Pacific Golden Plover) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Sterna albifrons (White-shafted Little Tern) (Mig. WC Act)

Sterna caspia (Caspian Tern) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Tringa brevipes (Grey-tailed Tattler) (Mig. EPBC; P4 WC Act)

Tringa cinerea (Terek Sandpiper) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

Tringa nebularia (Common Greenshank) (Mig., EPBC; WC Act)

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3 - High

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!PANNAWONICA

All information within this map is current as of 15-Dec-17. This product is subject to COPYRIGHT and is property of PhoenixEnvironmental Sciences (Phoenix). While Phoenix has taken care to ensure the accuracy of this product, Phoenix make norepresentations or warranties about its accuracy, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose.

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Figure 2Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 1 (5 December 2017) High Tidenumber next to each site represents speciesdiversity

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Shorebird results fromDay 1 (5 December 2017)Low Tide

Figure 1Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 1 (5 December 2017) Low Tidenumber next to each site represents speciesdiversity


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Figure 4Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 2 (6 December 2017) High Tide


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Figure 3Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 2 (6 December 2017) Low Tidenumber next to each site represents species diversity


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!ONSLOW

DAMPIER

PANNAWONICAAll information within this map is current as of 15-Dec-17. This product is subject to COPYRIGHT and is property of PhoenixEnvironmental Sciences (Phoenix). While Phoenix has taken care to ensure the accuracy of this product, Phoenix make norepresentations or warranties about its accuracy, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose.

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Figure 6Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 3 (6 December 2017) High Tidenumber next to each site represents speciesdiversity


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Figure 5Mardie Salt Project Study areaWash Plant and site infrastructureCrystallisersConcentratorsFlight path: Day 3 (6 December 2017) Low Tidenumber next to each site represents speciesdiversity


2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement

ActivityRoosting/LoafingFeedingActive (Feeding/Flying)

Number of Individuals50100

150

Migratory Shorebirds

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



150

Bar-tailed Godwit

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



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Far Eastern Curlew

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



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Grey-tailed Tattler

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



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Oriental Plover

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



150

Red Knot

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



150

Red-necked Stint

2.5 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km

Pond layoutTenement



150

Ruddy Turnstone

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