Mount Morgan Mine Upper Mundic Gully TSF EA Amendment

EPBC Act status

NC Act status

Project area in species mapped distribution

Nearby historical records

Habitat presence and quality

Species recorded in field surveys

Conservatism required due to species detectability absence from field surveys

Conservatism required due to species mobility

Species name

Source Habitat requirements

Likelihood of occurrence

rock crevices and old mine shafts (TSSC, 2016a).

occurs within the current known range of this species (ABS 2025).

Mundic Gully Dam to Dam 8 occurs within the project area and contains potentially suitable roosting habitat for this species. The project area occurs within the current known range of this species (ABS 2025). Due to the presence of suitable foraging and roosting habitat (as defined in the species conservation advice, TSSC 2016b), and proximity of records, the species is considered likely to occur. No Ghost Bat calls were detected during survey. Due to the species’ quiet echolocation, this absence of calls does not definitively confirm Ghost Bats are absent from the tunnel. Known roosts occur at Mt Etna, approximately 53 km north of the study area (Augusteyn et al. 2017) and given their sustainable flight speed of 33 km/h (Bullen et al. 2016), individuals could potentially forage within the study area. As such, this species is considered likely to occur.

Unlikely to occur There are no nearby

The south-eastern long-eared bat ( Nyctophilus corbeni ) occupies a range of inland

Within the species known distribution – mapped as may occur in SPRAT

The nearest historical record occurs approximately 84 km west of the project area from 1884 (DETSI, 2025).

Marginally suitable foraging habitat is present in the project area

Yes – best detectability through October to March

Nyctophilus corbeni Corben's long- eared bat

V

V

PMST

No

No

historical records of this species. The project area occurs outside the current known range of this species (ABS 2025), with the nearest possible range occurring approximately 170 km to the west. The project area is connected to areas of contiguous vegetation further north. The project area contained very low densities of hollow-bearing trees, likely due to historical large- scale clearing and selective clearing. The understorey density within the project area is not considered suitable for the requirements of this species. This species was not recorded on the deployed Anabat during surveys. Due to the lack of potential habitat and distance from the species possible range, the species

woodland ecosystems, including box–ironbark–

cypress pine associations, as well as Buloke ( Allocasuarina luehmannii ), Brigalow ( Acacia harpophylla ), Belah ( Casuarina cristata ), smooth- barked apple ( Angophora spp.) woodlands, river red gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis ) forests, black box ( Eucalyptus largiflorens ) woodlands, and tree mallee communities. The species is most frequently recorded in box–ironbark–cypress pine habitats along the western slopes of New South Wales and southern Queensland. It exhibits a preference for large, contiguous tracts of native vegetation, particularly those containing old-growth structural elements, a well- developed tree canopy, and a dense understorey (Turbill & Ellis, 2006; Lumsden et al., 2008).

GHD | Heritage Minerals Pty Ltd | 12626510 | Heritage Minerals Mount Morgan

82

Powered by