Visual Assessment & Rehabilitation Management Plan
Proposed Landform Raising – Lot 901 South
Western Highway, Whitby
10 October 2012
WA Limestone
Page 6
3.4
Local species proposed to be used in rehabilitation
Species from the following list are proposed to be established through direct seeding and/or
hardened tube plants.
Species
Key
Notes
Acacia saligna
LS#W rapid screening/short life
Allocasuarina fraseriana
TL#
Callistemon phoeniceus
aW
Calothamnus quadrifidus
S#a
Calothamnus rupestris
Sa
Calothamnus sanguineus
Sa
Eucalyptus accedens
T
slow but good in hard clay sites
Eucalyptus calophylla
TS
Eucalyptus laeliae
T
Eucalyptus megacarpa
TS
Eucalyptus patens
TS
Eucalyptus rudis
TSW
can be affected by insects
Eucalyptus wandoo
T
slow but good in hard clay sites
Hakea lissocarpha
a
Hakea petiolaris
a
Hakea trifurcata
a
Leptospermum erubescens
a
Melaleuca preissiana
TSW
Melaleuca radula
a
Melaleuca scabra
a
Paraserianthes lophantha
LS#a
short life, rapid screening
Taxandria linearifolia
Wa
Viminaria juncea
LS#W
W
Suitable for wet sites
T
Tree Local trees are
limited in species number
A
Shrub
L
Legume or nitrogen fixing
S
Best species for providing rapid screening cover
#
Suitable for seeding and normally introduced from seed
SJS TRIM - IN12/17340
OCM122.9/01/13
Visual Assessment & Rehabilitation Management Plan
Proposed Landform Raising – Lot 901 South Western Highway, Whitby
10 October 2012
WA Limestone
Page 7
3.5
Fauna Management
There are kangaroos currently utilising the site and there will also be a range of small fauna such as
reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds.
The most common small mammals are likely to be bandicoots and possums, which are now
increasing in numbers along the Darling Scarp because of the reduction in fox numbers through
baiting and the introduction of better habitats.
Minimal changes to fauna numbers are expected as a result of the land raising and rehabilitation of
the site.
3.6
Weed Management
The management of weeds is essentially similar to that for plant diseases. The impact of weeds is
really the impact within the local area and the more they are controlled the better. It is desirable
that the site does not become a haven for environmental weeds and therefore a management and
control program is warranted at the site.
Weeds can be
declared under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 which
requires that Declared Weeds are eradicated. Other weeds are not Declared but may be classified as
Environmental Weeds because they are well known for impacting on vegetation.
Generally if the actions taken for plant pathogens are applied they will also control weeds. This
overburden spreading project is an ancillary activity to WA Bluemetal’s quarry. The same
environmental management procedures and practices are proposed to be applied to this project as
are currently approved for the quarry.
As a general rule the following principles should be used when undertaking weed management.
3.6.1
Weed Management Principles
•
Dieback procedures should be used in conjunction with weed management.
•
Material won from the topsoil stripping should not be placed in an area of higher vegetation
quality.
•
All vehicles and equipment to be used during land clearing or
land reinstatement are to be
clean and free from soil or plant material when arriving at a site.
•
No soil and vegetation is brought to the site apart from that to be used in rehabilitation.
•
Plants to be used in rehabilitation should be free from weeds. Plants are only to be sourced
from suitable nurseries.
•
Vehicles should stay on defined access roads and firebreaks wherever possible.
3.7
Fire breaks
The landform raising is taking place in an open paddock therefore no firebreak construction or
maintenance will be required, with all existing firebreaks for the property being retained. Tree
planting in the area will be for screening purposes only, so access across the site for emergency
vehicles can be maintained at all times.
SJS TRIM - IN12/17340
OCM122.9/01/13
Visual Assessment & Rehabilitation Management Plan
Proposed Landform Raising – Lot 901 South Western Highway, Whitby
10 October 2012
WA Limestone
Page 8
3.8
Dieback Management
Visual examination suggests that there are no obvious signs of dieback on site. There are no
indicator species and no obvious species showing deaths.
The site would therefore most likely be uninterpretable with respect to dieback and therefore a
dieback survey is not warranted. Instead practices should be used which minimise the spread of
weeds and plant pathogens if and when they occur. In many ways the same principles used in weed
management also apply to dieback management.
The aim will be to minimise the spread or introduction of dieback
Phytophthora spp. or other
diseases during the project earthworks. As a general rule the following principles should be used
when undertaking dieback management.
3.8.1
Dieback Management Principles
•
Dieback management procedures should be used in conjunction with weed management.
•
Dieback diseases are more likely to be transported under moist clay soil conditions.
•
All vehicles and equipment to be used during land clearing or land reinstatement are to be
clean and free from soil or plant material when arriving at a site.
•
Plants for re-vegetation are only sourced from suitable nurseries.
•
Vehicles should stay on defined access roads and firebreaks wherever possible.
•
Drainage from access roads and firebreaks is to be directed off the road/firebreak by a
sequence of small drains to minimise large areas of wet soils.
•
When clearing land or firebreaks vehicles work from dieback free areas, or
areas of better
vegetation towards dieback identified or areas of lower quality vegetation.
SJS TRIM - IN12/17340
OCM122.9/01/13