heathcote-ridge-strategic-assessment-report

STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT REPORT HEATHCOTE RIDGE, WEST MENAI November 2012 Prepared for Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council By Cumberland Ecology with input from BBC Consulting Planners and PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Background 1.2 The Program 1.2.1 Background 1.2.2 Proposed Development Concept 1.3 1.4 Regional Context 12 Land Use Planning 13 1.4.1 13 1.4.2 13 1.4.3 14 1.4.4 15 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Land to Which the SEPP Amendment will Apply Proposed Land Use Zones Principal Development Standards Consent Authority Land Tenure 15 Legal and Administrative Frameworks 16 Consultation 17 Actions Under the Program 18 Management, Planning and Approval Arrangements 18 ENVIRONMENT AND MNES 19 2.1 Environment Affected by the Program 19 2.1.1 General Environment 19 2.1.2 Matters of National Environmental Significance Assessment Methodology 27 2.1.3 Matters of National Environmental Significance Present 40 2.1.4 Commonwealth Land 74 2.2 Identifying Areas of High Environmental Value 77 ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 79 3.1 Background, History and Basis for Heathcote Ridge Development 79 3.1.1 79 3.1.2 81 3.1.3 82 3.1.4 83 3.1.5 3.1.6 83 3.1.7 86 3.1.8 90 Land Release History Recent Strategic Planning Regional Strategies Local Strategies Conclusion 83 State and Regional Planning Significance Demand for Urban Land Uses Housing Affordability 3.1.9 Environmental Suitability and Urban Capability 92 3.1.10 Sustainability 93 3.1.11 Environmental Management 96 3.2 Mechanisms for Achieving Ecologically Sustainable Development 96 3.2.1 Decision-making processes should effectively integrate both longterm and short term economic, environmental, social and equitable considerations 97 3.2.2 If there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation 98 3.2.3 The principle of inter-generational equity that the present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations 98 3.2.4 The conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in decision-making 99 3.2.5 Improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms should be promoted 99 IMPACTS TO MNES 100 4.1 Nature and Extent of Impacts 100 4.2 4.1.1 General Impacts 100 4.1.2 Endangered Ecological Communities 4.1.3 108 Threatened Flora 113 4.1.4 Threatened Fauna 125 4.1.5 Migratory Species 145 4.1.6 Influence of Projected Climate Change Scenarios 149 Management, Mitigation and Offsetting of Likely Impacts 152 4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 153 4.2.4 4.3 168 Introduction 152 Avoidance Measures 152 Mitigation Measures Compensatory Measures 154 Impacts on Commonwealth Land 163 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT 5.1 Uncertainties 168 5.1.1 Extent of Development 168 5.1.2 Securing Ofsets 168 5.1.3 Management Outcomes 169 5.2 170 AUDITING AND REPORTING 6.1 6.2 6.3 172 Review or Modification of Planning Mechanisms and Frameworks 169 Monitoring, Public Reporting and Independent Auditing 170 Record Keeping and Review Processes 171 Responsibilities 171 INFORMATION SOURCES CONCLUSION 173 Purpose Description and 1.1 Introduction This Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) has been prepared in accordance with section of the agreement between The Commonwealth of Australia and the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council (GLALC) for the assessment of the impacts of developing Heathcote Ridge, West Menai, NSW, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the agreed terms of reference included Attachment B to the agreement The SAR describes the program and potential impacts from the Program on matters of national environmental significance (MNES) protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act) 1.1.1 Background EPBC Act and MNES The EPBC Act is the Commonwealth Government's key piece of environmental legislation and is managed by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC) It protects the following MNES: • World Heritage places; • National Heritage places; • Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Wetlands); • Nationally listed threatened species and ecological communities; • Listed migratory species; • Commonwealth marine areas; • The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; and • Nuclear actions, including uranium mining Strategic assessments are covered under Part 10 of the EPBC Act Under Part 10, proposed developments are assessed for MNES at a landscape scale, rather than through site-by-site impact assessments The strategic assessment process is described below EPBC Act Strategic Assessment In November 2011, the Commonwealth Government of Australia, through SEWPaC and Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council (GLALC) commenced a Strategic Assessment under the EPBC Act of the potential impacts likely to arise through the development and management of the Heathcote Ridge Development Site (the Program) Planning for the area originally commenced in the 1960’s when the State government considered the Menai area a potential future major urban growth centre in metropolitan Sydney as part of the Sydney Region Outline Plan, with the first stage of development occurring in 1971 Subsequent delays resulted in a halt to further development until the release of The Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036 in December 2010, a major review of the previous Metropolitan Strategy – City of Cities: A Plan for Sydney’s Future, 2005 The Metropolitan Plan provides a broad framework for managing growth and development of Sydney over a 25 year period and includes finalising the planning process for West Menai that commenced in the 1970’s It will enable the population and employment targets for the South Subregion in the Metropolitan Plan to be met by creating residential, employment and conservation areas and related infrastructure at Heathcote Ridge and West Menai, approximately 25km south-west of the Sydney central business district (CBD) This Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) has been prepared in accordance with section of the agreement between The Commonwealth of Australia and the GLALC It comprises two key documents: the draft SAR (this report) which provides a detailed assessment of the implications of the Program for MNES under the EPBC Act; and the Program Report (PR), which describes the program and presents commitments and undertakings for protection and management of MNES Current Status of the Strategic Assessment On 11 August 2010, the Minister for Planning agreed to consider Heathcote Ridge, West Menai as a potential State Significant site for listing under Schedule of the Major Development SEPP and requested the Director General of the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DoPI) to make arrangements for a State Significant Site Study to be undertaken by the proponent This Study has been prepared and is with the Director General The Draft Program Report and Draft Strategic Assessment Report were publicly exhibited from 14 December 2011 to 29 February 2012 The reports were subsequently modified as a consequence of submissions received, and the amended proposal is addressed in this report, to be provided to the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment for his consideration The process for the strategic assessment includes the following stages: The Commonwealth Government Minister for the Environment (the Minister) enters into an agreement with another person to undertake a strategic assessment of the impacts of actions under a policy, plan or program (completed) Terms of Reference are prepared for a report on the impacts relating to the agreement (completed) A draft report is prepared (completed) The draft report is exhibited for public comment for at least 28 days (completed) The Minister may recommend modifying the policy, plan or program (current) The Minister may endorse the policy, plan or program if appropriate The Minister may approve actions under the policy, plan or program if appropriate (approval conditions) 1.2 Program may include The (a) how the program has been developed and its legal standing 1.2.1 Background The release of Heathcote Ridge and other land at West Menai has been on the State government radar since the 1970s Prior to Aboriginal land claims in 1986, the State Government and Council had made substantial progress in rezoning the land Council had prepared a Local Environmental Study of the area and had initiated the preparation of a local environmental plan As a consequence of the delays associated with the land claims, studies to investigate and resolve outstanding planning issues were not completed and the land was removed from the Urban Development Program in 1997 so as not to distort land supply figures and prevent proper understanding of the real land supply situation in the outer areas of the Sydney Region Studies into land suitability were not completed at this time, interrupted by the land claim process Remaining issues included including flora and fauna, bushfire management, access and proximity to ANSTO and the Lucas Height Waste Management facility The Minister at the time noted that the removal of the West Menai release area did not preclude its reinstatement should future demand justify it and if supported by environmental, planning, servicing and economic feasibility studies These studies have now been undertaken providing the opportunity to complete comprehensive planning investigations into the suitability of the previous release area for development and move forward with the rezoning of the land for urban and conservation purposes and determining the future land use for the area 1.2.2 Concept Proposed Development The preferred Land Use Structure Plan (Figure 1.1) has evolved from a comprehensive assessment of the characteristics of the site with particular consideration given to biodiversity, bushfire risk, access and the nature of surrounding land uses It has been amended following exhibition of the SSS Study and the draft Strategic Assessment Report and Program Report Heathcote Ridge has the potential to create a high quality, environmentally sustainable new community that is well connected, protects important ecological areas, integrates with adjoining urban and bushland areas and provides a range of living, working and recreational opportunities Urban development is proposed over part of the site with the majority of the site to be protected as a conservation area to be managed by the GLALC Additional ofsets are provided to compensate for the loss of bushland associated with urban development The urban design is driven by the need to protect areas of biodiversity significance, to provide adequate protection from potential catastrophic bush fire events and to provide adequate access to the site for private vehicles and public transport The key elements of the proposal (as amended following exhibition) are:  The provision of a conservation area having an area of 566 hectares;  Approximately 283 hectares of land for urban purposes comprising: o 51.4 hectares of employment land (including a new village centre) estimated to provide 4,700 jobs; o 182.7 hectares of land for residential and associated purposes including local open space capable of accommodating an estimated 2,400 homes (7,200 persons); New sportsfields and other open space (17.2 hectares), provision for a school and community facilities; and o A visitors and cultural heritage centre as a gateway to the proposed Heathcote Conservation Area o  Creation of distinct residential neighbourhoods linked together via walking trails, pathways and a central collector road spine;  Provision of an east west arterial road connecting New Illawarra Road with Heathcote Road; and The provision of bushfire management measures including asset protection zones, access routes and water services and neighbourhood safe places Conservation  i Gandangara will protect approximately 566 hectares of land in perpetuity conserving significant biodiversity and maintaining an environmental corridor from Georges River National Park in the north through to the Woronora River, Defence land and other national parts to the south The project footprint has been designed to ensure listed threatened species and communities are protected within this conservation reserve In the limited cases where this is not possible, the submission contains a package of ofsets to ensure the overall biodiversity value is maintained or improved The proposal has increased the size of the conservation reserve by nearly 50%, since the request for State Significant Site Listing, from 380 hectares to more than 566 hectares The site has been, and continues to be, the subject of both illegal dumping and illegal use by trail bikes and 4WDs The submission proposes to progressively clean up the dump sites and remediate all degraded areas Almost all the degradation and contamination was done in the many decades the site was owned by the NSW Government Notwithstanding this, Gandangara proposes to pay for the clean-up and remediation itself at no net cost to the NSW Government ii Bushfre Management The project site has historically been prone to bushfires due to its location and topography and proximity to the Holsworthy Defence base The project team has consulted closely with Sutherland Shire Council and the Rural Fire Service to Management Adaptive 5.1 Uncertainties The reports must identify the uncertainties associated with implementing the program and intended actions or responses to address uncertainties, and to adapt to changed circumstances, where there are risks to MNES or the environment of Commonwealth land It is anticipated that the development component of the Program will be undertaken over a 20+ year timeframe The proposed actions relating to biodiversity will extend beyond this development timeframe Given the longterm nature of the Program, it is difficult to predict the full extent of outcomes and therefore there is a level of uncertainty associated with the implementation of the Program The key uncertainties relating to the Program include:  Extent of development;  Securing offsets; and  Management outcomes Each of these key uncertainties and the intended actions to address such uncertainties is discussed below 5.1.1 Extent Development of Precinct planning of the development has allowed for the delineation of the broad footprint of the Program, including defining areas for employment, retail, community use, residential, public open space and internal transport routes The uncertainty relating to the extent of the development relates to the east-west road links The location and layout of the road link assessed within this report is only indicative The final location of the east-west road link will be determined through negotiation with relevant agencies Given that the location and layout of the road link has not been finalised, there is uncertainty of the scale of impacts to MNES Any proposed east-west road link would be subject to an assessment of impacts to MNES In determining the location of the road link, the primary consideration would be the avoidance of key areas of MNES A suite of mitigation measures are likely to be required to be implemented to minimise the impacts of the road including consideration of the residual impacts of the road link 5.1.2 Ofsets Securing The proposed HRCA will be rezoned under the Program to allow for protection and conservation To supplement the proposed conservation area and the associated management, the offsets package includes provision of indirect ofsets such as monetary contributions to research on biodiversity issues relating to the project area These proposed indirect offsets are also dependent on a number of variables, particularly negotiations with relevant government agencies Given the uncertainty of the above mentioned variables, the exact 180 nature of the biodiversity outcomes are unable to be determined Despite these uncertainties, the offsets package will be targeted towards providing positive biodiversity outcomes for a range of MNES 5.1.3 Outcomes Management Management within the proposed HRCA and additional indirect ofsets have been proposed to improve the biodiversity values of these areas There is a certain level of uncertainty about the outcome of such activities Included within the relevant management plans will be provisions for monitoring of the progress of these activities Monitoring will be undertaken to quantify the ecological changes occurring within vegetation and associated and habitats as a result of improved management The results of monitoring are to be incorporated into adaptive management procedures to ensure that ongoing impacts are effectively addressed 5.2 Review Mechanisms and Frameworks or Modifcation of Planning The reports must also set out the circumstances in which the planning mechanisms and frameworks that will implement the program may be reviewed or modified, to ensure better protection of MNES or the environment of Commonwealth land, and the procedures, if any, that would be used to ensure an adaptive management approach The monitoring of management activities proposed for the Program will incorporate consideration of MNES The monitoring activities will determine the progress of the management activities proposed and identify where modifications are required Where desired outcomes for MNES are not being achieved, the proposed adaptive management will assist in addressing the short fall The NSW Department of Infrastructure and Planning and the Minister for Planning are responsible for decisions regarding the zoning of the land and the preparation of development controls Subsequent to the zoning of the land for urban development, the relevant consent authority would determine individual applications in accordance with S79C(1) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 which includes requirements for the consideration of impacts of the proposed development on listed threatened species or communities Where impacts to MNES are found to be greater than predicted or new impacts are identified, the planning mechanisms and frameworks for implementing the Program will be reviewed or modified This could include changes to the development footprint if required Monitoring will also take into consideration any newly listed communities and species, as well modifications to existing listings 181 Auditing and Reporting 6.1 Monitoring, Public Reporting and Independent Auditing The reports must set out: monitoring, public reporting undertaken and independent auditing to be Components of the monitoring of the program include:  Determine the progress of managing 566ha of vegetation within the Heathcote Ridge Conservation for conservation;  Determine where modifications to the Program are required to adequately address MNES Details of the monitoring of, and reporting on, the efectiveness of the avoidance, mitigation and compensatory measures will be provided within the proposed Biodiversity Management Plan In summary however, general monitoring of the management activities will be undertaken annually and will address both NSW and Commonwealth requirements, including commitments,impacts and risks to MNES Reportin g GLGLC will prepare a public annual report highlighting the Conservation Area and Biodiversity Management outcomes achieved in the previous year for the first five years of implementation of the project and for subsequent years as directed by SEWPaC The matters to be addressed will include but not be limited to: • Status of development; • Status of establishing and managing conservation area; • Translocation success; • Unforseen impacts on MNES and actions to address Independent Audit An independent audit of the Program is required every two years for the duration of the development period GLALC will establish a Biodiversity Management Reference Group to evaluate the Conservation Area and Biodiversity Management requirements of the Program The purpose of the independent audit will be to evaluate the Program’s progress in achieving SEWPaC objectives in ensuring the protection of threatened biodiversity values and MNES and will report on: 182 • status of development; • progress in establishing and protecting the conservation area within the site; • translocation success; • progress in achieving the required offset areas within the site; 183 • unforseen impacts on MNES and actions to address; • a summary of the outcomes for matters of national environmental significance Terms of Reference will be prepared which will include provision for input from relevant government agencies These reporting mechanisms will contain clear provisions for adaptive measures should proposed outcomes not be achieved for MNES The report will identify perceived risks from development and report on outcomes The report will also identify unforseen impacts and actions to address such impacts The reports will be published on the program web site and provided to relevant approval agencies including Department of Planning and Infrastructure and Council A review at the end of this period will determine the need and scale of any ongoing auditing 6.2 Record Keeping and Review Processes The reports must set out: record keeping and review program processes under the The reports prepared for the Program are to be made publicly available and submitted to government departments for review 6.3 Responsibilities The reports must set out: the person(s)/authorities actions GLALC will actions be responsible responsible for for these these 184 Information Sources - - The reports must identify the source of information and data relied upon to make judgments, including, but not limited to the impacts and appropriateness of mitigation measures The information and analysis contained within the reports must be informed by all relevant current Commonwealth policies All information is to be presented in a clear and unbiased manner A suite of resources were utilised for the preparation of this report including databases, site/locality specific survey data and MNES profiles Generally, the data obtained from literature review, database assessment and current surveys of the project area furnished an appropriate level of information to support the project assessment Key resources utilised for this assessment include:  OEH Atlas of NSW Wildlife;  EPBC Protected Matters Search Tool;  Survey data collected by Cumberland Ecology from November 2010 – November 2011;  Existing survey data from adjacent land;  DEC Threatened Species Profiles;  SEWPaC Species Profiles and Threats Database;  State and Commonwealth Recovery Plans; and  Journal articles relating to species and impacts A full list of resources is provided in the references section of this report 185 Conclusion Despite the impacts of previous disturbance and current illegal activities within the project area, the project would have an impact on the biodiversity values, including MNES within the project area The proposed Heathcote Ridge development will remove areas of heath, woodland and forest that form habitat for a range of native flora and fauna species A total of 283ha of land including native vegetation and associated habitat will be cleared within the development footprint Two EPBC-listed communities, two EPBC-listed threatened flora species and one EPBC-listed threatened fauna species have been recorded within the project area during the current surveys A suite of other listed flora and fauna species also have the potential to occur The project will remove broad areas of vegetation and associated habitat from the project area, which would result in a sizeable ecological impact at the local level in the absence of appropriate impact mitigation measures However, at the sub-regional level, these impacts would not be significant as there are broad areas of similar biodiversity values in the locality, including within conservation reserves such as Georges River National Park, Gandangara State Conservation Area and Heathcote National Park In recognition of the potential ecological impacts of the project, a package of mitigation and compensatory measures is proposed to be implemented The considerations for reducing the ecological impacts followed the avoid, mitigate and compensate hierarchy of principles Additionally, as the project area occurs in proximity to a substantial reserve system which provides long-term security for EECs and threatened species, the need for a substantial land-based ofset is reduced Some 566ha of heath, woodland and forest habitat will be permanently conserved within the Heathcote Ridge Conservation Area This conservation area supports habitat for the threatened flora and fauna species known to occur within the development footprint Additional compensatory measures proposed include provision of indirect offsets This assessment has found that there are large areas of nearby known habitats for all of the impacted communities, threatened flora and threatened fauna within the locality It is recognised that the project will impact the habitat for these communities and species However, the combined avoidance, mitigation and compensatory measures to be implemented are likely to sufficiently ameliorate these impacts to the extent that no threatened species are likely to become extinct as a result of the project 186 References Bennett, A F 1990 Habitat Corridors: Their role in wildlife management and conservation Department of Conservation and Environment, Melbourne, Australia Benson, D and L McDougall 1996 Ecology of Sydney Plant Species: Part Dicotyledon family Fabaceae Cunninghamia 4:552752 Botanic Gardens Trust 2011 PlantNET Braun-Blanquet, J 1927 Pflanzensoziologie Wien Springer Brooker, M and D Kleinig 1990 Field guide to eucalypts of south eastern Australia, Volume Inkata, Melbourne Clarke, K R and R N Gorley 2001 PRIMER v.5 User Manual/Tutorial Version PRIMER-E, Plymouth Clarke, K R and R N Gorley 2006 Primer v6: User Manual/Tutorial Primer-E Ltd, Plymouth Clarke, K R and R M Warwick 2001 Change in Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical Analysis and Interpretation 2nd Edition Primer-E Ltd, Plymouth Cumberland Ecology 2008 GLALC Land in Menai, Barden Ridge and Lucas Heights - Literature Review of Flora and Fauna Constraints Cumberland Ecology Pty Ltd, Carlingford Court, NSW DEC (NSW) 2004 Threatened Biodiversity Survey and Assessment: Guidelines for Developments and Activities (Working Draft) New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005a Acacia pubescens - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005b Broad-headed Snake - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005c Bynoe's Wattle - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hustrville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005d Camfield's Stringybark - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005e Deane's Paperbark - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005f Giant Burrowing Frog - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005g Hairy Geebung - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005h Koala - profile Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005i Large-eared Pied Bat - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005j Leucopogon exolasius - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) DEC (NSW) 2005k Shale Sandstone Transition Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion - Profile Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005l Spotted-tailed Quoll - profile Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005m Swift Parrot - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DEC (NSW) 2005n Sydney Plains Greenhood - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW DEC (NSW) 2005o Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest - profile Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville DECC 2008 Rapid Fauna Habitat Assessment of the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority Area Department of Environment and Climate Change, Hurstville, NSW DECC (NSW) 2008 Recovery Plan for the Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) Department of Environment and Climate Change, Sydney, NSW DECCW 2010a NSW Climate Impact Profile Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, NSW DECCW 2010b Priorities for Biodiversity Adaption to Climate Change Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, NSW 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Didham 2006 Confounding factors in the detection of species responses to habitat fragmentation Biological Reviews 81:117-142 French, K., B Pellow, and M Henderson 2001 Vegetation of the Holsworthy Military Area Cunninghamia 6:893-939 Gondwana Consulting 2010 Mill Creek Catchment Strategic Management Plan Gondwana Consulting Pty Ltd, Narrabeen, NSW Harden, G J 1990-1993 Flora of NSW Volumes 1-4 New South Wales University Press, Kensington Harris Environmental Consulting 2011 Riparian Corridor Assessment for Heathcote Ridge Harris Environmental Consulting, Jamberoo, NSW Lee, T., K R Zenger, R Close, M Jones, and D N Phalen 2010 Defining spatial genetic structure and management units for vulnerable koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the Sydney region, Australia Wildlife Research 37:156165 Morcombe, M 2007 Field Guide to Australian Birds Steve Parish Publishing Murcia, C 1995 Edge effects in fragmented forests: implications for conservation Trends in Ecology and Evolution 10:58-62 Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council 2004 National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan 2004-2007 Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, ACT NSW NPWS 2004 Endangered Ecological Community Information -Shale Sandstone Transition Forest New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney NSW Scientific Committee 1998 Shale/Sandstone Transition Forest endangered ecological community listing Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW NSW Scientific Committee 2000 Anthroprogenic climate change - key threatening process listing Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville, NSW NSW Scientific Committee 2004a Acacia bynoeana (a shrub) endangered species listing Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville NSW Scientific Committee 2004b Grey-headed Flying-fox - vulnerable species listing Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville OEH 2011 Atlas of NSW Wildlife Pitney Bowes Software Inc 2010 MapInfo Pitney Bowes Inc Richardson, F J., R G Richardson, and R C H Shepherd, editors 2006 Weeds of the South-east: An identification guide for Australia R.G and F.J Richardson, Victoria SEWPaC 2011a Acacia bynoeana in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011b Acacia pubescens in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011c Chalinolobus dwyeri in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011d Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (SE mainland population) in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011e EPBC Protected Matters Search Tool Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra ACT SEWPaC 2011f Haliaeetus leucogaster in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population Communities, Canberra SEWPaC 2011g Heleioporus australiacus in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011h Hirundapus caudacutus in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population Communities, Canberra and and and SEWPaC 2011i Hoplocephalus bungaroides in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011j Lathamus discolor in Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra SEWPaC 2011k Persoonia hirsuta in Species Profiles and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, NSW SEWPaC 2011l Shale/Sandstone Transition Forest in Community and Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT SEWPaC 2011m Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion in Community and Species Profile and Threats Database Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra, ACT Sutherland Shire Council 2004 State of the Environment Report 2003/04 Sutherland Shire Council, Sutherland Sutherland Shire Council 2008 State of the Shire 2007/08 Report Sutherland Shire Council, Sutherland, NSW Sutherland Shire Council unpublished Plan of Management: Natural Areas Lucas Heights Conservation Area Threatened Species Scientific Committee 2008 Approved Conservation Advice for Pterostylis saxicola (Sydney Plains Greenhood) Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra, ACT Urbis 2009 Heathcote Ridge Employment, Economic and Social Benefits Study Urbis, Sydney, NSW