BHP Pilbara Strategic Assessment
East Pilbara Surplus Water Drilling Validation Notice
17 July 2024
BHP | East Pilbara Surplus Water Drilling Validation Notice |
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Document Version
Date | Of | ||||||
Description | Of | Date Validation | Date Validation Notice | Validation | |||
Rev | Amendment | Organisation | Notice Finalised | Effective From | Notice Expiry | ||
Rev 0 | N/A | BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd | |||||
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Glossary and Abbreviations
Term | Meaning |
Activity | The Activity refers to the East Pilbara Surplus Water Drilling Program being undertaken in the Thirteen |
Creek and Caramulla Creek area, as described in Sections 1.4 and 2.2. | |
Activity Area | The area in which the Activity will be undertaken within as described in Section 1.5. |
AER | Annual Environmental Reporting |
APOP | Pilbara Strategic Assessment and Assurance Plan and Offsets Plan, Revision 2.3. Published April |
2023. Supersedes BHP (2018a and 2018b) versions. | |
Approval | The approval of the taking of an action or class of actions granted by the Minister on 19 June 2017 in |
accordance with the Program given under section 146B of the EPBC Act. | |
Approval Holder | Any person or persons named in an Approval as an Approval Holder who may take action in |
accordance with the Program. | |
BHP | BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd |
DCCEEW | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (formerly DAWE) |
Department, the | The Australian Government Department responsible for the administration of the EPBC Act or |
successors. | |
Direct Disturbance | The clearing of native vegetation and/or moving of earth as a result of activities undertaken within the |
Strategic Assessment Area in accordance with the Program. | |
DMIRS | Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety |
DoE | Department of the Environment |
DWER | Department of Water and Environment Regulation |
EPA | Environmental Protection Authority |
EPBC | Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 |
Impact or impacts | As defined in section 527E of the EPBC Act. |
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Term | Meaning |
Important population | A population that is necessary for a species' long-term survival and recover (N.B. variations of this |
definition may exist for the Program Matters - See Section 4.1.1). | |
Indicative Footprint | The area where the clearing of native vegetation and/or moving of earth as a result of activities is |
planned to occur. | |
IRR | Impact Reconciliation Report |
m bgl | Metres below ground level |
MAR | Managed aquifer recharge |
Minister | Minister responsible for administering the EPBC Act (being, at the date of this Validation Notice, the |
Minister for the Environment). | |
MNES | Matters of National Environmental Significance |
MS | Ministerial Statement |
NJV | Newman Joint Venture |
Notifiable Action | An activity that is considered likely to have a relevant impact on a Program Matter based on an |
assessment of the proposed Activity against the thresholds defined for Program Matters in the | |
Assurance Plan and Offset Plan. In relation to the voluntary part of the Program, this includes an | |
activity that is considered likely to have a relevant impact on a New Listing or a New Matter. | |
NVCP | Native Vegetation Clearing Permit |
Offsets Plan | The plan that provides further detail on the processes that will be implemented to identify and deliver |
offsets associated with a Notifiable Action, as approved by the Minister on 15 May 2023. Supersedes | |
BHP (2018b) version. | |
PEOF | Pilbara Environmental Offset Fund |
PMO | Program Matter Outcomes |
Program | The BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pilbara Strategic Assessment Program endorsed by the Minister on 11 May |
2017. Whilst the Agreement refers to a Plan, it was agreed with the Department that the term Program | |
is a better reflection of the systems and processes to be delivered by BHP. | |
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Term | Meaning |
Program Matters | The listed threatened species Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat (Rhinonicteris aurantius), Northern Quoll |
(Dasyurus hallucatus), Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas), Pilbara Olive | |
Python (Liasis olivaceus barroni), Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) and Grey Falcon (Falco | |
hypoleucos) as detailed in the Pilbara Strategic Assessment Assurance Plan and Offsets Plan (BHP | |
2023). | |
Strategic Assessment Area: The geographical extent of the assessment and boundaries within which | |
SAA | the Program must be implemented, as depicted in Appendix 1. |
SEA | Strategic Environmental Approval |
SM4 | Song Meter 4 (acoustic recording device) |
Study Area | The geographical extent of a survey's boundaries. |
TSS | Total suspended solids |
TSSC | Threatened Species Scientific Community |
Validation Notice | This Validation Notice under Part C of the endorsed program. |
WA | Western Australia |
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Contents
1 | Introduction | 1 |
1.1 | Background | 1 |
1.2 | Framework | 1 |
1.3 | Program, Assurance Plan and Offsets Plan Requirements | 3 |
1.4 | Activity Overview | 4 |
1.5 | Activity Area | 4 |
1.6 | Timeframes | 5 |
1.7 | Decision for a Validation Notice | 5 |
2 | Project Disturbance and Description | 21 | |
2.1 | Proposed Disturbance | 21 | |
2.2 | Activity Description | 22 | |
2.2.2 | Hydrogeological testing and surface water discharge | 23 | |
2.2.3 | Closure and Decommissioning | 24 | |
3 | Stakeholder Engagement | 25 | |
3.1 | Stakeholder Consultation | 25 | |
3.2 | Public Consultation | 25 | |
4 | Validation Process | 27 | |
4.1 | Guidance | 27 | |
4.1.1 | Important Population | 28 | |
4.1.2 | Critical Habitat | 28 | |
4.2 | Surveys and Studies | 28 | |
4.2.1 | Contemporary Surveys | 28 | |
4.2.2 | Other Surveys | 34 | |
5 | Existing environmental values | 37 | |
5.1 | Fauna habitats | 37 | |
5.2 | Greater Bilby | 41 | |
5.2.1 | General Species Information | 41 | |
5.2.2 | Regional Habitat | 41 | |
5.2.3 | Local Habitat | 47 | |
5.2.4 | Greater Bilby Records | 48 |
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5.2.5 | Impact Assessment | 52 | |
5.2.6 | Mitigation Hierarchy | 54 | |
5.2.7 | Residual Impact | 55 | |
5.2.8 | Review of Program Matter Outcomes | 55 | |
5.2.9 | Monitoring | 56 | |
5.3 | Ghost Bat | 56 | |
5.3.1 | General Species Information | 56 | |
5.3.2 | Local Habitat | 56 | |
5.3.3 | Ghost Bat Records | 57 | |
5.3.4 | Impact Assessment | 61 | |
5.3.5 | Summary | 62 | |
5.4 | Northern Quoll | 62 | |
5.4.1 | General Species Information | 62 | |
5.4.2 | Local Habitat | 63 | |
5.4.3 | Northern Quoll Records | 63 | |
5.4.4 | Impact Assessment | 67 | |
5.4.5 | Summary | 68 | |
5.5 | Pilbara Olive Python | 68 | |
5.5.1 | General Species Information | 68 | |
5.5.2 | Local Habitat | 69 | |
5.5.3 | Pilbara Olive Python Records | 69 | |
5.5.4 | Impact Assessment | 73 | |
5.5.5 | Summary | 74 | |
5.6 | Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat | 75 | |
5.6.1 | General Species Information | 75 | |
5.6.2 | Local Habitat | 75 | |
5.6.3 | Pilbara Leaf-nosedBat Records | 76 | |
5.6.4 | Impact Assessment | 80 | |
5.6.5 | Summary | 81 | |
5.7 | Grey Falcon | 81 | |
5.7.1 | General Species Information | 81 | |
5.7.2 | Local Habitat | 82 | |
5.7.3 | Grey Falcon Records | 82 | |
5.7.4 | Impact Assessment | 86 | |
5.7.5 | Summary | 87 |
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5.8 | Night Parrot | 87 | |
5.8.1 | General Species Information | 87 | |
5.8.2 | Local Habitat | 88 | |
5.8.4 | Impact Assessment | 91 | |
5.8.5 | Summary | 92 | |
5.9 | Validation Reporting | 92 | |
6 | Offset Proposal | 94 | |
6.1 | Residual Impacts | 94 | |
6.2 | Offset Requirements | 94 | |
6.3 | Proposed Offset | 97 | |
6.4 | Offset Calculation | 97 | |
6.4.1 | Baseline Conditions | 97 | |
6.4.2 | Offset Value | 97 | |
6.4.3 | Offset Rates | 98 | |
6.5 | Proposed Schedule | 98 | |
6.6 | Offsets Reporting | 99 | |
6.6.1 | Payment of Financial Contributions | 99 | |
6.6.2 | Implementation of PEOF Projects | 100 | |
7 | Commitments | 101 | |
7.1 | Clearing Commitments | 101 | |
7.2 | Management Commitments | 102 | |
7.3 | Offset Commitments | 103 | |
8 | References | 104 |
Appendices | 109 |
Tables | |
Table 1-1: Content of Validation Notice | 3 |
Table 1-2: Notifiable Action Triggers for the Activity | 8 |
Table 2-1: SAA Disturbance Allocation | 21 |
Table 3-1: Stakeholder Engagement to date | 26 |
Table 4-1: Terrestrial Fauna - recent studies and surveys | 30 |
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Table 4-2: Other surveys | 34 |
Table 5-1: Fauna habitats in the Activity Area | 38 |
Table 5-2: WA Rangeland systems within 25 km of the Activity Area | 42 |
Table 5-3: Greater Bilby critical and supporting habitat within Activity Area and Indicative footprint | 47 |
Table 5-4: Records of Greater Bilby within the Activity Area | 49 |
Table 5-5: Avoidance/Mitigation management summary for identified direct and indirect impacts | 54 |
Table 5-6: Review of Program Matter Outcomes (Greater Bilby) | 55 |
Table 6-1: Impacts requiring offsetting | 95 |
Table 6-2: Offsets reporting period | 99 |
Table 6-3: PEOF contributions schedule | 99 |
Table 7-1: Proposed clearing commitments - Greater Bilby | 101 |
Table 7-2: Proposed management commitments - Greater Bilby | 102 |
Table 7-3: Proposed offset commitments - Greater Bilby | 103 |
Figures | |
Figure 1-1: Regional location | 2 |
Figure 1-2: Activity Area and Indicative Footprint | 7 |
Figure 4-1: Contemporary vertebrate fauna surveys undertaken in the Activity Area | 35 |
Figure 5-1 Fauna habitat within the Activity Area | 40 |
Figure 5-2: Greater Bilby regional records and distribution | 45 |
Figure 5-3 Regional land systems | 46 |
Figure 5-4-: Greater Bilby survey areas and sample sites | 50 |
Figure 5-5: Greater Bilby mapped habitat and records | 51 |
Figure 5-6: Ghost Bat regional records and distribution | 58 |
Figure 5-7: Ghost Bat survey areas and methods | 59 |
Figure 5-8: Ghost Bat mapped habitats and records | 60 |
Figure 5-9: Northern Quoll survey areas and methods | 65 |
Figure 5-10: Northern Quoll mapped habitats and records | 66 |
Figure 5-11: Pilbara Olive Python regional records and distribution | 70 |
Figure 5-12: Pilbara Olive Python Survey Coverage | 71 |
Figure 5-13: Pilbara Olive Python mapped habitat and records | 72 |
Figure 5-14: Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat regional records and distribution | 77 |
Figure 5-15: Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat survey coverage | 78 |
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Figure 5-16: Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat mapped habitat and records | 79 |
Figure 5-17: Grey Falcon regional records and distribution | 83 |
Figure 5-18: Grey Falcon survey coverage | 84 |
Figure 5-19: Grey Falcon mapped habitats and records | 85 |
Figure 5-20: Night Parrot regional records and distribution | 89 |
Figure 5-21: Night Parrot survey coverage | 90 |
Figure 6-1: Fauna habitat clearing offsets | 96 |
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BHP Group Limited published this content on 17 July 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 17 July 2024 00:03:01 UTC.