ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED ARMIDALE REGIONAL PUTRESCIBLE WASTE FACILITY

A review of Matters of National Environmental Significance of the Site

INTRODUCTION

This report has been prepared at the request of the Gara Valley Environment Preservation Association Inc (GVEPA). The aim is to review the ecological significance of the locality of the proposed landfill site and report upon matters of National Environmental Significance that apply to the site.

LANDSCAPE CONTEXT

The site of the proposed landfill is located approximately 12km east of Armidale near the eastern edge of the New England Tablelands immediately to the north of the Macleay River Gorges. The Macleay Gorges are reserved within the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park section of the Central Eastern Rainforests Reserves of Australia (CERRA) World Heritage Property.

The site of the proposed landfill forms part of a fragmented corridor of native vegetation along the Gara River and Commissioners Waters valleys linking the large areas of native vegetation contained within the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park to smaller outliers of native vegetation within both Yina and Imbota Nature Reserves. To the west of this corridor there is a large expanse of land in the vicinity of Armidale with little or no remnant vegetation.

SPECIES LISTED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT (1999)

Regent Honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia) - ENDANGERED

The Regent Honeyeater has been documented both east and west of the site of the proposed landfill, to the west at Imbota Nature Reserve (formerly Eastwood State Forest) and to the east in 2000 at the Gara River Travelling Stock Reserve. The proposed landfill site is located immediately between these two recorded localities for this species.

The Regent Honeyeater primarily forages upon nectar from a limited number of Eucalypts (NPWS, 1999) including the Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) and Mugga Ironbark (E. sideroxylon) on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. The Regent Honeyeater is also known to forage upon lerp, manna and other high carbohydrate content exudates from Eucalypts and wattles. The occurrence of a considerable number of mature Yellow Box at the proposed landfill site indicates the high habitat quality for the Regent Honeyeater of the site; whilst the location of the site between two sites of known occurrence of the species further highlights the value of the vegetation on the site of the proposed landfill to the Regent Honeyeater.

IMPACTS

Key threats to the Regent Honeyeater identified by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (1999) include:

- loss and fragmentation of habitat, and

- reduction in large flowering eucalypts.

The clearance of a substantial area of Eucalypt forest and woodland to construct the proposed landfill, including the removal of tree species known to be of high value to the Regent Honeyeater (eg. Yellow Box) would create a major impact upon the species at this locality.

The removal of high quality habitat for the Regent Honeyeater in an area known to support the species has high potential to cause local extinction of a species that is already in substantial decline. Furthermore the loss of landscape connectivity and increased fragmentation of high quality habitat for the species is likely to adversely impact upon its ecological function and viability.

Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) - ENDANGERED

The Swift Parrot has been documented at Imbota Nature Reserve, approximately 3km to the west of the proposed landfill site.

The Swift Parrot breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates in a nomadic fashion from Tasmania to the mainland of Australia as far north as Brisbane during Autumn and Winter. The Swift Parrot forages upon a similar range of nectar bearing species as the Regent Honeyeater including Yellow Box. The species frequently forages upon lerp and other high carbohydrate content exudates.

IMPACTS

Key threats to the Swift Parrot are similar to those documented for the Regent Honeyeater above. However, a further threat of relevance to the locality of the proposed landfill is the threat of window and fence collision. Due to the rapid and often low flight of the Swift Parrot a considerable risk of window and fence strike risk exists. Given the proposal to construct wire chainlink fencing around the entire landfill facility it is considered that a major risk of strike by the Swift Parrot has been created. Of particular concern is the proposal to fence higher elevation sections of the site with fences of over 2m height as these areas are potential 'flyways' for the Swift Parrot.

Spotted Tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus Southeastern Mainland Population) - ENDANGERED

The northeast of NSW is known to support the largest remaining and nationally significant populations of the Spotted Tailed Quoll (DEH, undated) and the gorges of the Macleay River are known to be of major significance to the species (Dave Scotts pers. comm.). Several records of the Spotted Tailed Quoll have been made within the last five years in close proximity to the site of the proposed landfill, most associated with disturbance to domestic chicken coops.

The vegetation occurring upon the site for the proposed regional landfill contains a range of habitat features of significance to the Spotted Tailed Quoll including hollow bearing trees, fallen timber and the availability of prey species such as native birds and possums. Furthermore the native vegetation on the proposed landfill site is of value to the Spotted Tailed Quoll as a 'stepping stone' of habitat between major populations in the Macleay Gorges and smaller populations to the north and east. The maintenance of habitat connectivity in this locality is essential for maintaining genetic flow between these populations.

IMPACTS

With the removal of a substantial area of native vegetation for the construction of the proposed landfill a considerable impact on the Spotted Tailed Quoll population in the locality is anticipated. Due to the lack of native vegetation in the locality and the documented occurrence of the Spotted Tailed Quoll within the landscape any further removal of vegetation is likely to heavily impact the species and has the potential to cause extinction on both the site of the proposed landfill as well as in the locality through the removal of high quality habitat features, essential dispersal corridors and habitat connectivity.

The clearance of native vegetation on the site of the proposed landfill will result in the removal of tree hollows and fallen timber, both recognised as key habitat features for the Spotted Tailed Quoll (NPWS,2001). These habitat features do not exist in land surrounding the proposed landfill site, due to extensive and ongoing clearance of native vegetation.

Narrow Leaved Black Peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholli) - VULNERABLE

The Narrow Leaved Black Peppermint occurs on undulating terrain dominated by woodland vegetation on the New England Tableland. This poorly conserved and nationally Vulnerable species has been documented on the site of the proposed landfill. Other populations are known to the immediate east and west of the proposed landfill facility.

IMPACTS

The primary threat to this species is the clearance and fragmentation of native vegetation (NPWS, 2001). The majority of occurrences of this species are small populations on private lands under a high degree of threat of clearance of native vegetation. Development of land adjacent to the existing individuals of this species in the vicinity of the proposed landfill has the potential to adversely impact upon the viability of the species by limiting opportunities for recruitment and enhancement of critically low population numbers.

OTHER SPECIES

Three species of frog listed on the EPBC Act have been documented historically in the locality of the proposed landfill. The Endangered Yellow Spotted Tree Frog (Litoria castanea) and the Vulnerable Peppered Frog (L. piperata) and Booroolong Frog (L. booroolongensis) have all been recorded in the catchment of the Gara River and Commissioners Waters. It is thought that each species is now extinct in the locality with the last record of each of these species made over 20 years ago. The Yellow Spotted Tree Frog is thought to be extinct across its entire range, the Peppered Frog is known to occur in limited areas to the east of Glen Innes and Tenterfield and the Booroolong Frog is thought extinct on the New England Tablelands.

Should any of these species still occur in the locality of the proposed landfill, major impacts resulting from the construction of the proposed landfill are anticipated. Specifically the mobilisation of sediments and declines in water quality as a result of construction and commissioning of the proposed landfill

WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES

The Oxley Wild Rivers section of the CERRA World Heritage property is located within three kilometres of the proposed landfill. Mobilisation of sediments, habitat clearance and fragmentation and declines in water quality as a result of construction and commissioning of the proposed landfill will all impact adversely upon the World Heritage values of this reserve.

CONCLUSION

The existence of known populations of Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot in the locality of the proposed landfill is of major significance. The proposal to remove a substantial area of high value habitat (mature nectar bearing trees such as Yellow Box) for these species to construct a landfill is of major concern and is likely to create a major impact upon these endangered and declining species.

The removal of high value habitat features for the Spotted Tailed Quoll such as hollows, fallen timber and habitat for prey species will heavily impact upon the viability in the locality and has high potential to cause local extinction. Removal of individuals of the Narrow Leaved Black Peppermint and development of land adjacent to individuals has the potential to severely impact upon this poorly conserved species.

Construction and commissioning of a landfill in the catchment of the Oxley Wild Rivers section of the CERRA World Heritage Property has the potential to substantially impact upon the world heritage values of this reserve.

REFERENCES

NSW NPWS. 1999. Species Information Sheet - Regent Honeyeater. NPWS, Hurstville

NSW NPWS, 2001. Threatened Species of the New England Tablelands. NPWS, Coffs Harbour.

Mark S. Graham

Principal Ecologist

Buckombil Conservation Services

'Spring Waters'

1162 Wardell Road

Meerschaum Vale NSW 2477.