Chapter 9 – Migratory shorebirds and the Australian Painted Snipe

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ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Figure 9-20: Construction phase impacts on the wetland ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA & OPEN LINES 9 - 42
9.5.2 Indirect Impacts ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT The following issues have been identified as having the potential to lead to indirect impacts on migratory shorebirds and the Australian Painted Snipe: • fragmentation and edge effects including: o weeds; and o pests. • water quality and hydrology; • groundwater; • disturbance related impacts including: o noise; o light; o dust; and o increased activity. FRAGMENTATION AND EDGE EFFECTS Fragmentation Habitat fragmentation (as a result of clearance or ongoing disturbance) has the potential to reduce the value and viability of habitat for species and ecosystems more broadly. As discussed in Appendix A, fragmentation of the terrestrial environment may also reduce the viability of an area by increasing the occurrence and severity of ‘edge effects’, including weeds and pest animals. The construction and operational components of the Abbot Point project are largely located on the peripheral areas of the wetland and therefore will not result in direct fragmentation (see Figure 9-30). The construction and operational components may however have an effect in terms of increasing the likelihood of impacts from weeds and pests. The only potential habitat fragmentation which may occur relates to the rail loops. However, the impacts of these are difficult to predict as it is not known whether migratory shorebirds and the Australian Painted Snipe would continue to use the areas inside the loops. Similarly the ecological health and resilience of the wetland habitat inside the loops is difficult to predict, temporally and otherwise. Management of potential impacts to wetland habitat from fragmentation and associated edge effects is important and the application of mitigation measures is considered necessary; especially in relation to weeds and pests. Weeds The clearing of vegetation, especially during the construction phase, gives rise to the potential for opportunistic weed species to invade plant communities within the wetland. Weed invasion may threaten wetland biodiversity, leading to a potential decline in both species and habitat diversity. Weeds may impact upon wetland ecology in a number of ways by: • directly competing with established native wetland plant communities; ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA & OPEN LINES 9 - 43
Page 1 and 2: Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Asses
Page 3 and 4: ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSES
Page 13 and 14: Figure 9-3: BAAM March survey locat
Page 21 and 22: Coastal water and estuarine (intert
Page 27 and 28: SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER ABBOT POINT
Page 29 and 30: Feeding habitat and behaviour ABBOT
Page 41 and 42: 9.4 CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES ABBOT P
Page 43: Table 9-5: Areas of the Caley Valle
Page 47 and 48: GROUNDWATER ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE
Page 51 and 52: DISTURBANCE RELATED IMPACTS Noise A
Page 69 and 70: 9.9 INTERACTION WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
Page 71: ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSES

Chapter 9 – Migratory shorebirds and the Australian Painted Snipe

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