koala monitoring report - tmr.qld.gov.au

Doc No: KMR / SCHD-2647 Rev: B Rev Date: 29/05/2015

Koala Monitoring Report Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue Interchange Upgrade

Contract No. SCHD-2647

KOALA MONITORING REPORT

PREPARED FOR

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection

On behalf of the:

Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue Interchange Upgrade

Department of Transport and Main Roads


Prepared by: Jessica Berryman and Byron Reynolds




DOCUMENT CONTROL SCHEDULE OF REGISTERED HOLDERS

Copy No Holder Title Date Transmitted

1 Bryan Broadfoot – GC Connect Joint Venture 21/04/15

2 Alan Purvis- DTMR 22/04/15

3 DEHP 22/04/15

4 Bryan Broadfoot – GC Connect Joint Venture 29/05/15

5 Alan Purvis- DTMR 29/05/15

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7

8

9

10

*Note on Controlled / Uncontrolled Copies Only those copies listed in the Schedule of Registered Holders are Controlled Copies, subject to further official amendment. All other copies are Uncontrolled Copies, not subject to amendment notification or any further control.

EDITION / REVISION REGISTER – KOALA MONITORING REPORT The following revision register provides details on all versions of this project specific report.

Rev Rev Date Rev Details Approved by

A 21/04/15 Revision for Works B Broadfoot

B 29/05/15 Additional details added including mapping (BTR)




CONTENTS Page

1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Context ........................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Background .................................................................................................................................... 4

1.3 Monitoring Team ............................................................................................................................ 4

2 STUDY AREAS ........................................................................................................................................ 4

3 METHODS ................................................................................................................................................ 5

3.1 Monitoring Frequency .................................................................................................................... 5

3.2 Sweep Search Method ................................................................................................................... 5

3.3 Spotlighting/Call Back Method ....................................................................................................... 6

4 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................................. 6

4.1 Survey Outcomes ........................................................................................................................... 6

4.2 Incidental Results ........................................................................................................................... 7

5 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................... 9

6 REFERENCE DOCUMENTATION ........................................................................................................ 10

APPENDIX 1 – ................................................................................................................................................. 11




1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Context

This Koala Monitoring Report has been prepared as part of the Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue Interchange Upgrade (herein referred to as the Project). In line with the approved Species Management Program (SMP) (SMEC 2011) for the Project, monitoring for the presence of koalas in the fragmented habitat surrounding the project has been conducted over the life of the project.

The aim of monitoring was to reasonably determine:

1. The presence and relative abundance of koala surrounding the construction disturbance footprint.

The objective of the monitoring program was to:

2. Identify the presence of koala immediately adjacent to the construction site and in the general area in order to manage the site so that the works do not have a detrimental impact on the retained habitat or on any koala that may be present.

1.2 Background

The methods used to survey the koala population in the surrounding area were adopted from the Species Management Plan (SMEC 2011) approved for the Project by the former Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) now managed by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP). The Species Management Plan (SMEC 2011) was prepared under the requirements of the Species Management Program for Tampering with Animal Breeding Places (DERM 2011 now updated to DEHP 2013). The nominated monitoring team conducted sweep searches of the area adjacent to construction works, with a particular focus on areas in which koala scats or sightings of koalas had occurred during past surveys or historical research (GHD 2010, SMEC 2010 and Dickinson 2013).

1.3 Monitoring Team

The monitoring team consisted of the following people:

Byron T Reynolds – Environmental Officer Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Byron has several years of experience in flora and fauna assessment and monitoring including koala and other wildlife monitoring on several projects within the region. Byron also prepared a koala habitat tree survey report (Reynolds 2013) for the project and is very familiar with the location and preferred food trees for koala in the area.

Jessica Berryman – Environmental Officer Seymour Whyte

Jessica has several years of experience working on large civil construction projects. Jessica has developed very good skills in koala food tree identification and koala scat searches for this project and has become highly competent at koala monitoring.

2 STUDY AREAS Koala surveys and associated monitoring were undertaken in five key areas bounding the Project (Figure 1).

Site 1: The North-Western Corner of the Smith Street Motorway and Parklands Drive

Site 2: The South-Eastern Corner of the Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue

Site 3: Olsen Avenue Southbound- the Southern extent of the Project

Site 4: The South-Western Corner of the Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue

Site 5: The North-Eastern Corner of the Smith Street Motorway and Olsen Avenue




Figure 1: Monitoring locations 5 key areas

Within each of the five sites, monitoring was limited to a 10-20 metre edge of works, both within and alongside the road reserve. The site consists of remnants of a Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) forest with Broad leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) wet areas and some areas of thick Black she oak (Casuarina littoralis). Primary, secondary and supplementary koala food trees are scattered throughout each of the sites.

3 METHODS The koala survey and monitoring program used one primary sampling method for detecting koala combined with a secondary method implemented as deemed suitable. Monitoring methods were undertaken in accordance with the Species Management Plan (SMEC 2011).

3.1 Monitoring Frequency

Phase 1: Fortnightly during construction during the months of July 2014 and August 2014.

Phase 2: Weekly during construction during the months of December 2014 and January 2015

3.2 Sweep Search Method

Sweep searches were undertaken during the day moving through a designated survey patch, scanning the ground for koala faecal pellets (scats). Particular care was taken to target known koala food trees throughout the process and locations where koala scats had previously been identified as indicated by previous studies (GHD 2010, SMEC 2010 and Dickinson 2013). Where scratch marks on the tree trunks were detected, a more thorough search was undertaken. The approximate boundaries of the area searched, the time spent monitoring and brief information about the habitat were recorded. When koala scats were observed, the




location was recorded on a GPS, the tree species under which the scats were found was also recorded. These data were later transposed as information layers onto MapInfo and a map prepared to show the results of the koala scats recorded (Appendix 1).

3.3 Spotlighting/Call Back Method

As suggested in the Species Management Plan approved for the Project, spotlighting and koala call playbacks were considered for use by the monitoring team. It was however determined that playbacks may disturb and confuse the existing koala population, drawing them closer to the construction site (pers. Communications Gold Coast City Council Koala Unit 2014). Similarly, the use of spotlighting was only to be undertaken where fresh koala scats were detected and animals could not be spotted during canopy searches. However, opportunistic spotlighting for koalas was undertaken during each of the night time amphibian monitoring periods.

4 RESULTS 4.1 Survey Outcomes

A total of five areas, comprising approximately 8.48Ha were surveyed using the sweep search method during the construction phase of the project, taking over 75 combined person hours. Sites selected for survey during each monitoring period were largely dependent on work activities occurring and initial findings. Areas in which koala scats were located or sightings occurred during the project were prioritised. Results of monitoring are summarised in Table 1 with the locations shown in Appendix 1 maps.

Table 1: Monitoring results for scats located under tree species

Longitude Latitude Species Evidence Base of Tree Species

153.378215 -27.973215 Koala Scats Eucalyptus microcorys


153.377243 -27.97037 Koala Scats Eucalyptus tindaliae




153.37982 -27.965512 Koala Scats Angophora woodsiana





153.376157 -27.962977 Koala Scats Melaleuca quinquenervia


153.376128 -27.963013 Koala Scats Eucalyptus tindaliae 153.3761 -27.9631 Koala Scats Lophostemon suaveolens

153.3761 -27.9631 Koala Scats Corymbia intermedia






153.385011 -27.964798 Koala Scats On ground between trees




One set of old koala scats were located in Site 1, under a mature Eucalyptus tindaliae. Project monitoring in this area revealed no further evidence of koala presence.

Monitoring at Site 2 resulted in the discovery of several sets of koala scats, the majority of which were located underneath primary and secondary food trees. However, two sets of koala scats were also located at the base of both a Melaleuca quinquenervia and an Angophora woodsiana. Consistent searching of this location throughout the monitoring period and a targeted search into the forest did not locate any additional or fresh scats. Several sets of small old scats were located in the area which indicated the presence of a juvenile koala. This theory was confirmed with the sighting of a juvenile koala within a Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) in the area in early October 2014.

Monitoring at Site 3 resulted in the discovery of some old koala scats at the base of Eucalyptus microcorys. Consistent searching of this location throughout the monitoring period and a targeted search into the forest did not locate any additional or fresh scats.

Monitoring at Site 4 revealed a number of koala food trees, many with old koala scats located at the base of the trees. Consistent searching of this location throughout the monitoring period and a targeted search into the forest did not locate any additional or fresh scats.

Monitoring at Site 5 contained a number of old koala scats located underneath identified food trees in addition to two sets of scats located underneath Melaleuca quinquenervia trees. In late January 2015, a koala was sighted crossing Olsen Avenue to enter this area from the adjacent Griffith University grounds. The koala was monitored for the days immediately following, but moved on from the area of its own accord. Consistent searching of this location throughout the monitoring period and a targeted search into the forest did not locate any additional or fresh scats or koala.

4.2 Incidental Results

In addition to the monitoring undertaken as prescribed by the approved SMP for the project, a total of four live koalas were sighted within the immediate vicinity of the project outside the monitoring periods. A live koala was sighted on Smith Street on the 7th of August 2014 and was reported by Griffith University Students in the vicinity of the Griffith University Footbridge (Figure 2). This koala was not able to be located again until a second sighting of a koala was reported by construction workers in close proximity in October 2014 (Figure 2). It is not known if this was the same koala, however it was observed to be walking towards the construction site until it was deterred by temporary construction mesh. The koala was reported to have climbed a large Eucalyptus pilularis before jumping into an adjacent smaller tree and resting in a forked branch. The koala was monitored for the day and inspection of the site the following morning revealed the koala had moved on and was not sighted again. Subsequent monitoring of the area and scat searches did not locate any fresh or additional scats or other evidence of a koala in the area. It is therefore believed the koala had moved further into the bushland owned by Griffith University.




Figure 2: Live koala reported by Griffith University Students 7th August 2014 and Construction Works October 2014

Another live koala was observed by a construction worker on the 12th of February 2015 within vegetation in a construction storage area near Olsen Avenue (Figure 3). On the 19th of February 2015 a koala was reported as being struck by a car while attempting to cross Olsen Avenue. The wildlife rescue team (Naturecall Environmental) were called by a third party. Naturecall Environmental are the same organisation used by the project for fauna management. The koala was located and confirmed to be alive with no indications it was injured therefore suggesting the vehicle strike was very minor. The koala was monitored for several days as it grazed in a tree within a patch of vegetation that was to be retained. During this monitoring the koala was observed to jump from one tree to another and it was identified to be a young female. After several days the koala moved on of its own accord and has not been sighted since.




Figure 3: Koala sightings in February 2015

5 DISCUSSION The koala monitoring for this project was undertaken fortnightly during construction between the months of July 2014 and August 2014 (Phase 1) and weekly during construction between the months of December 2014 and January 2015 (Phase 2). The initial searches for scats during the months of July and August 2014 located the food trees that were indicated as having been used by koala due to the presence of scats at the base (Table 1). Throughout the monitoring undertaken in December 2014 and January 2015 no additional or fresh scats were located despite consistent and wider searches into the adjacent forest targeting preferred food trees such as Eucalytpus microcorys and other species identified in Table 1 to be providing food for koala. Incidental sightings of koala in the immediate vicinity of the construction site indicated that koala were still active in the area during construction, however no fresh scats were recorded throughout the monitoring periods to indicate consistent and regular activity directly adjacent to the project construction footprint.




6 REFERENCE DOCUMENTATION SMEC, (2011) Smith Street Motorway and Labrador-Carrara Road (Olsen Avenue) Upgrade – Phase C, Detailed Design Flora and Fauna Management Plan. Approved by the Department of Environment and Resource Management 18th July 2011 and reconfirmed by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection 22nd November 2013. GHD (2010) Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct Partnership Report for Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct Ecological Assessment. DEHP (2013) Species management program for tampering with animal breeding places under Section 88 of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Section 332 of the Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006 Dickinson, M. (2013) Report on Fauna Survey Olsen Avenue & Smith Street Interchange 2013. Australian Wildlife & Feral Management, Prepared for The Department of Transport and Main Roads. Reynolds. B. T., (2013) Smith Street Motorway and Labrador-Carrara Road Upgrade Flora Survey and Percentage of Koala Food and Shelter Trees at Impact Site Additional Maximum Clearing Footprint Controlled Action EPBC 2012/6423. Department of Transport and Main Roads, Nerang, South Coast District Office.




APPENDIX 1 –

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