20974 29Metals AR23 WEB V1 - Flipbook - Page 52
48
29Metals 2023 Annual Report
Responsible environmental stewardship continued
Biodiversity
29Metals is committed to minimising the impact of
its business on natural habitat and ecosystems.
At Golden Grove, interac琀椀ons with aspects of biodiversity
are managed through the implementa琀椀on of our Biodiversity
Management Plan (‘BMP’). The BMP re昀氀ects our commitment to
con琀椀nual improvement and provides a robust and comprehensive
method for iden琀椀fying and managing impacts.
The currently understood biodiversity values in the region
surrounding Golden Grove include:
■
■
The objec琀椀ves of the BMP are to:
■
■
■
list all the sensi琀椀ve biodiversity values in the environment;
list the management controls to minimise the opera琀椀ons
impacts on the biodiversity values of the area; and
minimise the adverse impacts of the opera琀椀ons on 昀氀ora
and fauna of the area.
There are no areas of known high biodiversity value in the
surrounding region of Golden Grove, however there are
vegeta琀椀on communi琀椀es and fauna species that must be
considered prior to any new disturbance.
During the Repor琀椀ng Period, an ecological survey was conducted
at Capricorn Copper as part of the studies to support prepara琀椀on
of the site’s Progressive Rehabilita琀椀on and Closure Plan (‘PRCP’).
The desktop review and 昀椀eld work con昀椀rmed the following
updates to biodiversity values in the region surrounding
the opera琀椀on:
■
■
■
■
three fauna species of conserva琀椀on signi昀椀cance listed under
both the EPBC Act, and the Queensland Nature Conserva琀椀on
Act 1992 (QLD) (the ‘NC Act’) are known to occur either at
Capricorn Copper (or within 50 km): the Ghost bat (Macroderma
gigas), the Orange leaf-nosed bat (Rhinonicteris auran琀椀a), and the
Purple-necked rock wallaby (Petrogale purpureicollis);
there is one conserva琀椀on signi昀椀cant 昀氀ora taxon iden琀椀昀椀ed
at Capricorn Copper – the Convolvulaceae (Ipomoea
antonschmidii), listed as near threatened under the NC Act;
one cri琀椀cally endangered species – the Northern bluetongue
(Tiliqua scincoides intermedia), and one endangered species, the
Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis), listed under the EPBC Act
may occur within 50 km of Capricorn Copper; and
ten fauna species of conserva琀椀on signi昀椀cance under the EPBC
Act and/or NC Act may or are likely to occur within 50 km of
Capricorn Copper. These include seven birds, two rep琀椀les, and
one mammal.
Case study
Managing impacts to Protected
Ecological Communities
A por琀椀on of the Golden Grove opera琀椀on intersects with
the Minjar and Chulaar Hills vegeta琀椀on complexes (Banded
Ironstone Forma琀椀on (‘BIF’) which is considered a protected
ecological community). Golden Grove is not directly impac琀椀ng
the vegeta琀椀on community, and the risk of indirect impact to BIF
was considered low. Previous 昀氀ora studies and the informa琀椀on
obtained from the DBCA database have also reported that
no signi昀椀cant impacts on the nearby conserva琀椀on signi昀椀cant
vegeta琀椀on communi琀椀es, the Minjar and Chulaar Hills Vegeta琀椀on
Complex, from current or proposed mining ac琀椀vi琀椀es.
■
two listed vulnerable fauna species known to exist in the
local area under the Environment Protec琀椀on and Biodiversity
Conserva琀椀on (EPBC) Act 1999: Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata)
and the Western Spiny Tailed Skink (Egernia stokesii badi).
The Malleefowl is further listed as vulnerable under the
Interna琀椀onal Union for Conserva琀椀on of Nature Red List;
twelve fauna species of conserva琀椀on signi昀椀cance listed
under either the Wildlife Conserva琀椀on Act 1950 (WA) or
Environmental Protec琀椀on and Biodiversity Conserva琀椀on Act 1999
(Cth) (the ‘EPBC Act’) that may exist over the managed leases,
comprising eight bird, three rep琀椀le and one mammal species; and
iden琀椀昀椀ed 昀氀ora species listed under the Western Australia
Biodiversity Conserva琀椀on Act 2016 including one Threatened Flora
(Declared Rare Flora). There are also 10 species listed on the
Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conserva琀椀on and
A琀琀rac琀椀ons’ (‘DBCA’s’) priority 昀氀ora list (nine Priority-3 species
and one Priority-4 species, as de昀椀ned by the Department).
As another important measure to protect biodiversity values in
the vicinity of Golden Grove opera琀椀ons, 29Metals implements
management and eradica琀椀on programs for introduced species
and feral pests. This includes the Muralgarra pastoral lease which
covers 126,778 ha that is managed as grazing land by 29Metals
as the leaseholder. Introduced 昀氀ora on the tenements are not
listed as Declared Pests (within the Shire of Yalgoo) under the
Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act), nor
are they listed as Weeds of Na琀椀onal Signi昀椀cance (‘WONS’).
Case study
Malleefowl protection
In 2023, Golden Grove developed a Malleefowl
Management Plan with the objec琀椀ve of providing
guidelines for the e昀昀ec琀椀ve protec琀椀on of Malleefowl,
and minimising adverse impacts on the species and its
associated habitats from the opera琀椀ons at Golden Grove.
The Malleefowl is a ground-dwelling bird found in
semi-arid to arid shrublands and low woodlands dominated
by mallee vegeta琀椀on. This species has been formally
recognised as rare, threatened with ex琀椀nc琀椀on, or
having high conserva琀椀on value, and is protected under
Commonwealth and State legisla琀椀on.
To avoid, mi琀椀gate and manage risks to Malleefowl
during explora琀椀on and mining opera琀椀ons, Golden Grove
implements the following controls:
■
■
■
■
■
land clearing and disturbance procedures;
bu昀昀er zones with reduced road speeds in work areas
adjacent to ac琀椀ve Malleefowl mounds;
regular feral animal control programs to
decrease popula琀椀ons of feral animals near
the mine opera琀椀ons;
signi昀椀cant e昀昀orts to control 昀椀res
on its leases; and
promptly close trenches to
prevent fauna entrapment.
