Warrawee Substation - Review of Environmental Factors

Assessment of the environmental impacts and risksFloraA total of 106 flora species from 54 families were recorded during the site inspection,of which 62 were exotic. No threatened flora species were observed or are likely tooccur.Cleared grassy areas of the site occur along the railway line and access tracks andare regularly slashed or mowed to provide access and prevent encroachment ofvegetation onto the railway line. These areas are dominated by exotic grasses. Inmoist areas at the southern end of site a variety of moisture-loving grasses and semiaquaticplants become more dominant.Planted trees are located along the eastern side of the site adjacent to the fence line.The majority of these trees (to the north of the northern Brentwood Avenue accessgate) would be removed prior to the proposal under RailCorp’s maintenanceprocedures. Dense stands of Bamboo occur under these planted trees south of thenorthern Brentwood Avenue access gate. Dense thickets of Lantana and Blackberrydominate the steep slope in the south of the site, interspersed with numerous exoticshrubs and climbers.There is a thin strip of predominately native understorey species which occurs alongthe edge of the railway cutting in the north of the site. The over-storey has beencleared and the vegetation does not exceed 1 metre in height. This strip is dominatedby Spiny-headed Mat-rush and Bracken with scattered shrubs. There are a variety ofnative herbs, climbers and grasses. Given the lack of over-storey, small area andlevel of weed encroachment into this remnant it is not possible to map this area as anative vegetation community type.Noxious WeedsThe Noxious Weeds Act 2003 provides for the declaration of noxious weeds in localgovernment areas. Landowners and occupiers must control noxious weeds accordingto the control category specified in the Act. Public authorities must control noxiousweeds according to the control category to the extent necessary to prevent theirspread to adjoining land. The site contains 16 species declared as noxious weeds inthe Ku-ring-gai Local Government Area (LGA), as shown in Table 1 in Appendix B.FaunaThirteen bird species, three reptile species and two frog species were recordedopportunistically during the site visit, including two exotic bird species. No threatenedfauna species were observed: only common, generalist species typical of highlydisturbed urban areas were recorded. Habitats at the site would have limited value fornative fauna, given the degree of disturbance observed and lack of native vegetation.The Noisy Miner was the most frequently observed and apparently dominant birdspecies at the site. Other species observed were typically large birds common inurban gardens, such as the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, and RedWattlebird. Dense stands of exotic vegetation would have potential value as shelterhabitat for small birds, but these stands are small and fragmented and would havelimited value for most bird species given the observed presence of aggressive speciessuch as the Noisy Miner.Warrawee Substation Project/Review of Environmental FactorsPage 21 of 64