Terrestrial Environment
Site Selection - Overview
Approach to Site Selection
Key Considerations
- NW Kimberley is a large, remote region. Knowledge of the
environment is patchy and incomplete.
- Waiting to achieving comprehensive knowledge of the region
would take years of study, a strategic response cant wait.
Approach used !
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Use an expanded decision support matrix - to provide a consistent basis
for comparison of sites using regional and site specific information and
expert knowledge to inform the Site Selection Criteria.
•
Access to industry sourced information on locations, where detailed studies
are available; and
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Use targeted studies of locations that industry has not studied.
The Starting Point
The Matrix uses the consistent region-wide 1:250 000 scale
geological mapping as the initial base for distinguishing
environment types
Geological Province
• Defines the broad regional geology/landform and
environment divisions of the west kimberley.
Local site geology types.
• Influences soil and rock characteristics, the types and
diversity of landforms, relative soil fertility and the flora
and vegetation and fauna habitats present.
Regional geology influences regional landforms and biodiversity
characteristics
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Defining Environmental Characteristics of
Kimberley Plateau Geological Province
Ancient and rugged sandstone
and volcanic rocks of the
Kimberley Plateau
A complex sunken coastline of
headlands, deep embayments and
island archipelagos, macro-tides.
Fauna Habitat Significance
North-West Kimberley a Fauna Refuge
• The 2004 mammal audit revealed
rugged higher rainfall north-west
coastal catchments are a
stronghold for species declining in
other regions.
• Scaly-tailed possum, Kimberley
Rock-rat, Monjon, Nabarluk,
Golden Bandicoot, Goldenbacked Tree-rat, Rough-scaled
Python, Black Grass wren.
Golden Bandicoot
Scaly-tailed Possum, a
Kimberley endemic
• The most common species now
are rodents and bats.
• Islands are particularly important
as refuge against threats from
repeated hot fire, pests (Cane
Toad) and feral stock
Golden-backed tree rat
Defining Environmental Characteristics of Canning
Basin Sandplain Geological Province
Largely flat-lying sedimentary rocks exposed in places as coastal cliffs
and extensive red Pindan Sandplains. Coastal dunes impede drainage
support the development of rainforest patches and wetlands.
Geology and Landform Characteristics
Geology and Landform influences Site Selection Criteria through:
• Landform characteristics and diversity of the environment
•
Vegetation types, diversity and fauna habitats present
•
Site construction and management issues associated with landform, rock,
soil types and depth - eg extent of clearing earthmoving required,
stormwater, sediment pollution discharge
•
Potential constraints on the size of a site and capacity for management of
environmental issues on-site. (Note: A small site is not necessarily an
environmental advantage- eg light spill, setback from sensitive coastal
areas, landscape management, water management…)
Objective - Seek a site with:
• simple, widespread geology and landform types,
• adequate size to manage on-site impacts, reduce potential off site
impacts
Coastal Geomorphology and Stability
The Matrix next considers coastal geomorphology and stability
Coastal geomorphology and key processes:
• provides understanding of coastal landforms and stability
• influences the landform, vegetation and fauna habitats present,
including significant restricted environment types, eg coastal
limestone, dunes and rainforest patches, mangrove creeks,wetlands
etc.
• influences the environmental (and economic) risks and hazards of a
development, eg impacts on a restricted environment/habitat,
coastal erosion, sand/sediment movement, coastal management
requirements, discharge of stormwater etc.
Objective – Seek a site with:
• Simple, stable coastal geomorphology and landform
Coastal Geomorphology influences environmental diversity
Calcareous and Quartzose sandstone (Bossut Formation)
barrier supports a tidal creek, mangal and supratidal flats
Influence of geomorphology on the environment and
vegetation diversity - Packer Island Vegetation mapping
Vegetation and Fauna Habitat
Vegetation is identified as either Coastal, Wetland or
Upland groupings and by the geology and landform that
it is associated with.
James Price Point - Vine
thicket on Pindan Dune
swale behind coastal dune
This gives information on soil fertility, fauna habitat and
relative extent of the unit.
Through this approach regional patterns of vegetation
and habitat are reasonably understood.
Detailed knowledge is very patchy across the region.
Perpendicular Head –
High Rainfall Pindan
woodland and mixed
shrubland on Emeriau
Sandstone cliff top
Wilson Point
Spear Wattle thicket and Woolybutt
Woodland on Buckland
Sandstone and Vine Thicket on
Hart Dolerite below cliff
Maret Islands
Vine thicket on laterite slope and dune
swale, dune vegetation and low open
woodland to tussock grassland on
laterite
Fauna, Flora and Vegetation
Flora, Vegetation and Fauna impacts are a key issue for site selection.
• Vegetation on restricted surface types and wetlands are more likely to support
habitat specialist species, Threatened or priority species and potentially Short
Range Endemic species.
• Vine Thickets (Rainforests) and mound Springs are recognised Threatened
Ecological Communities (in WA)
Survey Flora, Fauna and Vegetation of sites where recent detailed Industry
survey information is not available.
Site Selection Objective:
• Seek a site with widespread simple landform and vegetation types
•
Seek to avoid sites with a diversity of vegetation and restricted habitats
•
Avoid impact on Vine Thicket TEC’s, EPBC Act and Wildlife Conservation
Act Listed species.
Intactness - Site Condition and Disturbance
Factors – Wilderness Quality
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The Kimberley has history of indigenous land management,
established over thousands of years.
In recent times this has diminished as people have left country and
management has changed, notably fire regimes, which have
become a major environmental threat.
West Kimberley coast and islands of Kimberley Plateau have largely
escaped impact of western long technological, industrial development and
pastoral use. The region is highly valued internationally for its wild and
undeveloped beauty.
High rainfall coastal Kimberley Plateau is one of few regions in Australia that
retains all species present at time of European settlement.
Canning Sandplain Region have seen variously pastoral land use, road
access, settlement and tourism / visitor access and significant threat from
frequent extensive hot fires.
Site Selection Objective: Seek a site that is already impacted by
established road access and impacts of western landuse, weeds and
introduced pest species.
Disturbance factors - Frequency of landscape burning
1989 to 2004
Extensive, hot fires
burning parts of the
North-West Kimberley
almost every year are a
major threat to
biodiversity
Source: DLI
Firewatch Data
Remoteness from existing development
and access
Quarantine risks / hazards
• Remote areas of the NW Kimberley are an important final haven/refuge,
supporting species that are declining or extinct elsewhere across northern
Australia.
• Kimberley Islands are important refugea
• Major development in these areas poses a significant risk of introducing
weeds and pests that would damage this environment
Potential impacts of land based transport infrastructure links
• The potential threat of a possible future decisions to develop road access or
infrastructure across undeveloped country to a remote location is a very
serious concern.
Site Selection Objective: Seek a site that is already impacted by
established road access and quarantine issues are much reduced.
Visual Landscape Quality
Landscape is one measure that crosses between a biophysical
factor and an social, tourism consideration.
• Landscape diversity and integrity is an important factor in
considering a possible site for industry in the Kimberley.
• Landscape integrity at a regional scale is a measure of the
wildness, and remoteness of the region from the impacts of western
technological development’
• It is increasingly rare in the world and highly valued by many.
• Landscape impact has the capacity to impact well beyond the
development location (visual impact and transport impacts), and
has a potential economic implications to local and regional tourism
operators. It is a strong driver for ecological tourism in the region.
• A study has been commissioned to assess Landscape Quality
issues and will be discussed today.
North-West Kimberley
Current land tenure, proposed conservation reserves
Objective: Avoid impacts on existing parks, reserves and IPA’s.
Seek to prioritise sites not proposed for future conservation reserves. Seek to avoid
ecological communities, flora/fauna that would be of risk of significant cultural impact.
Limitations
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We did not gain indigenous approval for terrestrial or intertidal surveys of
the Coulomb Point - Quondong Point location until too late to report to this
Workshop, (Vegetation mapping from Helicopter has been completed, these
studies will be undertaken and reported on subsequently)
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We have not had time to survey the two recent additional sites nominated
by the TO’s/KLC (Cape Voltaire and Anjo Peninsula) - limited information is
available.
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Inpex have not provided access to their detailed environmental survey
information for the Maret Islands to enable consistent consideration of this
potential site, (We have sourced records of fauna survey returns to DEC to
obtain species information.) Additional precaution will be needed in
considering the Maret Islands in the absence of detailed survey information.