Flora survey for Hamersley Drive recreation - Environmental ...

FRNP Improvement Project: Culham Inlet to Hamersley Inlet GF Craig– July 2010
5. Requirement for Referral or Other Clearances
DEC has ranked plant taxa considered to be threatened under a series of conservation
codes, depending on their apparent degree of threat (see Appendix 1). Taxa listed as
Declared Rare Flora require permission from the Minister responsible for the Wildlife
Conservation Act 1950, if any portion of the plant is to be, or likely to be, disturbed.
The Hamersley Drive upgrade will require permits to take Adenanthos ellipticus, Eucalyptus
burdettiana, Eucalyptus coronata, Kunzea similis subsp. similis, Stylidium galioides and
Verticordia pityrhops.
Schedule 5 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 has 10 principles of clearing. The
wave-cut bench at the base of East Mt Barren, is one of the most botanically important sites
in the FRNP and along the south coast. It is highly diverse with a large number of short-range
endemics, including six species of Declared Rare flora two of which (K. similis and V.
pityrhops) grow nowhere else. Also, a number of micro-wetlands supporting sedge
communities important to fauna occur here (see Chapman 2009).
According to Schedule 5, native vegetation should not be cleared if —
1. it comprises a high level of biological diversity;
2. it includes, or is necessary for the continued existence of, rare flora;
3. it is growing in, or in association with, an environment associated with a watercourse
or wetland;
4. the clearing of the vegetation is likely to have an impact on the environmental values
of any adjacent or nearby conservation area.
According to the above criteria, none of the vegetation on the wave-cut bench should have
any further disturbance.
Concept plans for the recreational nodes propose installation of new roads and carparks. As
well, the intersection of Hamersley Road and Hamersley Inlet Road is proposed for
realignment. A number of these sites will require clearing of native vegetation of an area
greater than one hectare. It is recommended that Main Roads WA determine the requirement
to obtain a permit under the Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation)
Regulations 2004 from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). Permit
applications need to consider impacts including, but not restricted to: biodiversity, rare flora,
threatened ecological communities and level of remnant vegetation representation (EPA
2004).
The Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
decided on 17 July 2010 that the FRNP Improvement Project is not a “controlled action” under
the Commonwealth’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC
Act). According to this decision, (i) DEC must adhere to a number of strict environment
management protocols to mitigate any environmental impacts, and (ii) DEC has committed to
mitigating any consequential and cumulative impacts from the development to ensure there is
no significant impact upon an EPBC listed species in the future.
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