THREATENED PLANTS and ANIMALS, including MIGRATORY BIRDS, at LAKE COWAL,
Wiradjuri Heartland, New South Wales, Australia
· Lake Cowal is habitat for a high diversity of waterbirds. 172 species of birds have been recorded in the vicinity.
· 82 bird species use the lake area as breeding grounds, 38 of these species are waterbirds.
· Lake Cowal supports migratory birds protected under international agreements and treaties:
- China–Australia Migratory Birds Agreement (CAMBA) (C)
- Japan–Australia Migratory Birds Agreement (JAMBA) (J).
- Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention)
Lake Cowal is registered on the National Estate and is listed in the Directory of Important wetlands in Australia. Australia is also a party to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) which is aimed at conserving wetlands. Lake Cowal has yet to be listed under the Ramsar convention.
Lake Cowal is on the ‘flyways’, or migratory routes, for many species of birds. During their migratory flight of many weeks the birds stop at several wetlands to feed and replenish their fat reserves. The continued existence of these wetlands is essential for the survival of migratory birds.
Cyanide tailings ponds at the North Parkes mine in New South Wales killed thousands of waterfowl belonging to many species in 1995.
Cyanide-laced ballast, believed to be from the Granites Gold Mine, is being dumped in the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory. This cyanide-laced water has killed up to 500 birds and a dingo.
· Migratory birds at Lake Cowal and protected under J=JAMBA and C=CAMBA agreements.
· CJ Cattle Egret Ardeola ibis
· C Lesser Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica
· CJ Greenshank Tringa nebularia
· APCJ Japanese (Latham’s) Snipe Gallinago hardwickii
· CJ Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
· CJ Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
· CJ Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
· CJ Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
· CJ Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
· C White-winged Black Tern Childonias leucopterus
· C White-bellied Sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
· C Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
· CJ Great [White] Egret Egretta alba
· C Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
· J Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
· CJ Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
· CJ Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilus
· (aka Little Greenshank)
· CJ Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
· J Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
· CJ Little Curlew Numenius minutus
· CJ Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus
· C@ Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata
· C@ Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
(aka Yellow-hooded Wagtail)
· The “Bonn Convention”–the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals seeks to protect the following birds which occur at Lake Cowal:
· Osprey Pandion haliaetus
and all migratory members of the species:
· Gruidae Grus spp (Brolga Grus rubicunda)
· Falconidae, Falcon spp
· Anatidae, Magpie Goose etc
Key:
AP = included in Threatened Migratory Waterbird Species in the Asia-Pacific Region
(Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 2001-2005).
@ = NSW Wildlife Atlas records, (considered to be possible occurrences).
% = CSIRO database records (considered to be possible occurrences)
Threatened species inhabiting Lake Cowal and the surrounding region and protected under Schedules 1 and 2 of NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Many animals breed here and are endangered by proposed explosive blasting, noise, cyanide and other chemicals in tailings ponds and destruction of habitat etc.
The following animals are listed as threatened species in the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed gold mine, but significant species were omitted.
Key:
F = Vulnerable species as listed in NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994
E = Endangered species as listed in NSW Threatened Species Act 1983
V = Vulnerable species as listed in NSW Threatened Species Act 1983
NE = Nationally Endangered species, as listed in Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
NV = Nationally Vulnerable species (EPBC Act)
NC = Nationally Conservation Dependent species (EPBC Act)
# = CAMBA China-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement
** = JAMBA Japan-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement
V Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata (Latham)
V Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis (Gould)
V Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa (Gould)
V Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus (Wagler)
V Osprey Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeu
V Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosterno (Gould)
V Brolga Grus rubicunda (Perry)
NV E Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus (Gould)
V Black-tailed Godwit #, ** Limosa limosa (Linneaus)
V Painted Snipe # Rostratula benghalensis (Linneaus)
E Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius (Latham)
V Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo Cacatua leadbeateri (Vigors)
NV V Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii (Desmarest)
V Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta (Gould)
V Gilbert’s Whistler Pachycephala inornata (Gould)
NV E@ Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata (Gould)
E@ Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus (Latham)
V@ Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura (Gould)
V@% Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos (Gould)
E@% Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis (J.E.Gray)
NE E@% Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor (Shaw)
V@% Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella (Shaw)
V@ Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae (Stephens)
NE E@ % Regent Honeyeater Xanthomyza phrygia (Shaw)
V@ % Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia (Gould)
V@ % Chestnut Quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotus (Gould)
V@ Grey Ternlet Procelsterna cerulea (Bennett)
V@ Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami (Temminck)
Threatened birds omitted from EIS, but listed by the Australian Heritage Commission in the Statement of significance for Lake Cowal:
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
[AHC 1990 vulnerable and rare]
Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius
[AHC 1990 regionally endangered populations]
White-winged Fairy Wren Malurus leucopterus
[AHC 1990 regionally endangered populations]
Mammals:
V Yellow-bellied Sheathtailed-bat Saccolaimus flaviventris (Peters)
NC V Large Bent-wing-bat Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl)
V Little Pied Bat Chalinolobus picatus (Gould)
V Inland Forest Bat Vespadelus baverstocki
(Kitchener, Jones & Caputi)
V Eastern Cave Bat Vespadelus troughtoni
(Kitchener, Jones & Caputi)
V Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus
V@% Spotted-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus (Kerr)
@% Brush-tailed Phascogale Phascogale tapoatafa
V % Koala Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss)
V@% Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis (Kerr)
V@ Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata (J.E. Gray)
NV V@% Greater Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus timoriensis
(Geoffroy [Saint-Hiaire])
V % Large-eared Pied Bat Chalinolobus dwyeri (Ryan)
V % Eastern False Pipistrelle Falsistrellus tasmanensis (Gould)
V % Southern Myotis Myotis macropus (Gould)
Reptiles:
NV E South-eastern
Lined Earless Dragon Tympanocryptis lineata pinguicolla (southern form) (Mitchell)
NV V % Pink-tailed Legless [Worm]-lizard Aprasia parapulchella (Kluge)
Amphibians:
NV E@% Southern Bell Frog Litoria raniformis (Keferstein)
Or Green or Warty Swamp Frog
NV V Giant Burrowing Frog Heleioporus australiacus
(AHC 1990, but thought to be restricted to Hawkesbury sandstone and southern coastal areas. Could be a misidentification of the Eastern Pobblebonk (!) (Limnodynastes dumerilii)).
Red-[crowned] groined Toadlet Pseudophryne australis
[AHC 1990]
Fishes omitted from EIS:
NE VF Macquarie Perch Macquaria australasica
(Cuvier, 1830)
(Included by Homestake in submission to Environment Australia 29 August 2001)
VF Silver Perch Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell, 1838)(recorded by Vestjens 1977)
Golden Perch Macquaria ambigua
[regionally rare AHC 1990]
Insects, Spiders, Shellfish, and other Invertebrates etc also omitted from EIS.
E Austral Pillwort Pilularia novae-hollandiae (Braun)
E Winged Peppercress Lepidium monoplacoides (Mueller)
As part of Homestake’s ‘referral’ to Environment Australia on 29 August 2001 under the Environmental and Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act [EPBC Act ] Eight-part tests prior to the Species Impact Statement (SIS) were not conducted for the plants:
NV a Speargrass Stipa metatoris (Everett & Jacobs)
NV a Donkey Orchid Diuris sheaffiana now D. tricolor
(Fitzgerald)
for either mining operations area or the transmission line “due to the lack of records for these species in the wider region.” (p.15)
Under the EPBC Act, Eight-part tests of significance for a Species Impact Statement (SIS) were only conducted for:
a Speargrass Stipa wakoolica
(Vickery, Jacobs & Everett)
An SIS was prepared on Lepidium monoplocoides Winged Peppercress [Brassicaceae]. Proper plant surveys are yet to be done.
Eucalypts, including River Red Gums E. camaldulensi, will be removed from the open pit and waste rock areas. These trees provide habitat for many animals including the Greater Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus timorensis).
Surveys conducted in the past few years apparently did not find any bats in the proposed mine pit area itself. The EIS stated: “If detected bats would be relocated. Furthermore, revegetation of the mine site with hollow-bearing species of Eucalypts (particularly River Red Gums) would in the longer term provide potential habitat for this bat species.” (How easy would it be to relocate bats? Also it is a long time before River Red Gums form tree hollows. Some of the trees at Lake Cowal would have to be hundreds of years old.)
In part 3.4.c of Homestake’s Referral to Environment Australia under the EPBC Act “the presence of outstanding natural features, including caves” the decision from the Commonwealth department Environment Australia was:
‘…no outstanding features occur in the vicinity of the mining operations area…’ […isn’t Lake Cowal an outstanding feature?]
[Compiled by Ellie Gilbert, Contact: (02) 61616821
(with assistance from Jane Morrison (02) 6294 0146]
or
jane.morrison@bigpond.com) 14/2/2002