Abstract: |
This project aims to undertake a study to characterise flora and fauna communities within the Cooper-Eromanga Basin, Far North region, South Australia, with the aim to ensure spatial information and data on flora and fauna is available to both industry and the regulator.
Having identified this area for improvement, Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) Energy Resources Division commissioned Jacobs in 2015 to develop an ecological monitoring framework for the Cooper-Eromanga Basin.
METHODOLOGY:
Jacobs reviewed a number of environmental impact reports and statement of environmental objectives as part of this study, and the associated report (Jacobs 2015) identified that the lack of an ecological monitoring framework results in a risk of inadequate monitoring and assessment of ecological impacts, and inconsistent collection of data between licensee's and respective projects, which results in difficulties for data comparison or amalgamation.
The report also noted a lack of available ecological data for proponents to draw upon, and subsequently recommended a study be undertaken to describe and assess the habitat value and resilience of key vegetation communities in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin.
REFERENCE:
Hobbs TJ, Armstrong D, Wenham D, Howell S, Spencer J, Maconochie J, Facelli F, Brandle R, Bowen Z & Fitzgerald L (2017). Flora and fauna communities of the Cooper-Eromanga Basin, DEWNR Technical report 2017/23, Government of South Australia, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources / Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Adelaide.
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Study Area Description: |
The study area consists of the whole of the Cooper Basin within South Australia as defined by DSD mapping and extends to include parts of the Eromanga Basin to the west of Cooper Basin without existing DEWNR vegetation mapping. The study area is located within the Channel Country, Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields and Stony Plains bioregions (IBRA), and includes the Strzelecki Desert, Cooper Creek, Patchawara, Piniewirie, Merninie, Lake Frome and Petermorra IBRA associations . |