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ARC ENERGY & ORIGIN ENERGY A Brief Examination of Vegetation Regeneration on Seismic

Lines in the L1, L2 and EP413 Exploration Leases

MAY 2004

WOODMAN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING PTY LTD

A.C.N. 088 055 903

ARC ENERGY & ORIGIN ENERGY SEISMIC LINE REGENERATION


DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

Revision Description Originator Reviewed Date A Released for client review CG/GW DW 15-05-04

DISCLAIMER This document is prepared in accordance with and subject to an agreement between Woodman Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd (“Woodman Environmental”) and the client for whom it has been prepared (“Arc Energy and Origin Energy”) and is restricted to those issues that have been raised by the Client in its engagement of Woodman Environmental and prepared using the standard of skill and care ordinarily exercised by Environmental Scientists in the preparation of such Documents. Any organisation or person that relies on or uses this document for purposes or reasons other than those agreed by Woodman Environmental and the Client without first obtaining the prior written consent of Woodman Environmental, does so entirely at their own risk and Woodman Environmental denies all liability in tort, contract or otherwise for any loss, damage or injury of any kind whatsoever (whether in negligence or otherwise) that may be suffered as a consequence of relying on this document for any purpose other than that agreed with the Client.



TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................1 2 METHOD .....................................................................................................................................1 3 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................................1


WOODMAN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING PTY LTD 1

1 INTRODUCTION

Arc Energy and Origin Energy have contracted Woodman Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd (Woodman Environmental) to conduct a brief qualitative review of the natural regeneration of native vegetation occurring along historical seismic lines within the L1, L2 and EP413 Exploration Leases located to the south and east of Dongara. The objective of this brief review was to collect photographic evidence of vegetation regeneration at points along historical seismic lines in the Yardanogo and Beekeepers Nature Reserves to be incorporated into a Public Environmental Review Document for the proposed Denison 3D Seismic Survey.

2 METHOD

On the 29th and 30th of April 2004, Cathy Godden of Woodman Environmental visited historic seismic lines in the project area. While at each line, the following data were collected:

• Photographs of the line • GPS coordinates of the site assessed • Brief description of the undisturbed vegetation • Estimate of cover of the undisturbed vegetation • Brief description of the regenerating vegetation • Estimate of cover of regenerating vegetation • Description of issues such as erosion and/or weed infestation

3 RESULTS

The results of the field visit are presented in Table 1. Regeneration of the native vegetation on the seismic lines appears to be progressing well in most cases with no obvious evidence of third party access following line closure. There was also little evidence of weed invasion or erosion on the lines visited. Table 1: Regeneration of Native Vegetation on Previous Seismic Lines Survey Date of

seismic Location Vegetation

description Description

Ularino 2D 2001 1. Northern Beekeepers Reserve; OU01_001 303627E 6752226N

Acacia and Melaleuca thicket on dunal slope

Seismic line placed on existing exploration track; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of cover to 20%, mainly between old wheel ruts; Percentage foliage cover in undisturbed vegetation 70-100%; Some erosion on steep hill, but not active; Some minor weed invasion, *Hypochaeris glabra, *Ursinia



Survey Date of seismic

Location Vegetation description

Description

anthemoides, *Arctotheca calendula Ularino 2D 2001 2. Northern

Beekeepers Reserve; OU01_004 303617E 6751028N

Eucalyptus mallee woodland on grey sand/limestone

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration patchy, mainly Eucalyptus cover 10-40%; Percentage foliage cover in undisturbed vegetation - 60-70% Eucalyptus overstorey, 40-50% mixed shrub understorey; No erosion evident; No weeds evident; Much dead branch cover spread over seismic line


Eucalyptus mallee with mixed dense thicket on sand

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line, excepting for first 800m from railway line; Regeneration of Eucalyptus and understorey shrubs patchy, cover 10-40%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 80-100%; No erosion evident; No weeds evident; Much dead branch cover spread over seismic line

Ularino 2D 2001 4. Northern Beekeepers Reserve; OU01_003 303878ER 674248N

Low Melaleuca heath on sand over limestone

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of mixed heath species, cover 20-30%, mainly between old wheel ruts; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 50-80%; No erosion evident; Some weed invasion, *Arctotheca calendula, *Ursinia anthemoides, but weeds present at same densities throughout vegetation also; Much dead branch/litter cover spread over seismic line


Low Melaleuca and Acacia shrubland on sand over limestone

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of mixed species, mainly between old wheel ruts, cover 30%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70-80%; No erosion evident; Very minor annual weed invasion

Unknown 1998 6. Yardanogo; A98_D7R 310816E 6745121N

Actinostrobus sp./Banskia prionotes Shrubland on yellow sand

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration mainly of Actinostrobus sp., very few Banksia prionotes individuals, cover 20-30%;





Description

Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70-100%; No erosion evident; Area has experienced burn <5 years; Very minor annual weed invasion; Vegetation litter has been spread over line

Unknown 1989 7. Yardanogo; P98-15L 310803E 6746178N

Actinostrobus sp. Thicket on yellow sand with exposed limestone

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of Actinostrobus sp. and mixed understorey species, cover 40-50% Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation - >70%; No erosion evident; Area has experienced burn <5 years; No weeds evident

Unknown 1998 8. Yardanogo; A98-D7R 313036E 6747418N

Banksia hookeriana Shrubland on yellow sand

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of mixed understorey species and Banksia hookeriana, cover 20-30%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70-90%; No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Unknown 1998 9. Yardanogo; A98-D8 313367E 6745594N

Banksia prionotes and Actinostrobus sp. Shrubland

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of tree and understorey species on line, cover 30%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70%; No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Hibbertia 3D

2001 10. Yardanogo; North of Mt Adams Road 315939E 6745715N

Banksia hookeriana shrubland with emergent Banksia menziesii

Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, mainly between old wheel ruts, however very few Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 20%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70%; No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Unknown 1992 11. Yardanogo; S92-07 315788E 6744263N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, mainly between old wheel ruts, however very few Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 20-40%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70%





Description

No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Hibbertia 3D

2001 12. Yardanogo; South of Mt Adams Road 315789E 6744276N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, mainly between old wheel ruts, however very few Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 10-20%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Unknown 1992 13. Yardanogo; S92-09 315800E 6743120N



Hibbertia 3D




Beharra Springs 3D




Unknown 1992 16. Yardanogo 315841E 6742691N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, mainly between old wheel ruts, greater number of Banksia hookeriana individuals than site above, cover 20-60%;





Description

Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Behara Springs 3D



Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, mainly between old wheel ruts, cover 10-40%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Unknown 1989 18. Yardanogo; B89-401 315831E 6742158N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, includes Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 30-60%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Behara Springs 3D

1999 19. Yardanogo, South of Mt Adams Road 315926E 6740914N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, includes Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 40%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Behara Springs 3D

1999 20. Yardanogo, South of Mt Adams Road 315922E 6741154N


Line rolled for seismic exploration; No current vehicle access through line; Regeneration of numerous species, includes Banksia hookeriana individuals, cover 30-60%; Percentage foliage cover of undisturbed vegetation – 70% No erosion evident; No weeds evident

Plates 1 to 20 show the condition of the closed seismic lines and recovery of the native vegetation at the sites assessed.



Plate 1: Site Location 1
