Publication Date

6-2023

Publisher

State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development)

City

Perth

Abstract

The Goomig Project (Weaber Plains Development Project) is an irrigated agricultural development located approximately 30 km north of Kununurra, which involved clearing approximately 9,260 ha of vegetation for agriculture. Approximately 11,470 ha of native vegetation surrounding, or remaining between, the cleared areas has been designated as a buffer area (the study area for this report) to be managed to protect surrounding conservation reserves and watercourses (Strategen 2014). Gouldian Finch monitoring in the buffer area during ongoing operations is required as a condition of project approval, and is outlined in the Gouldian Finch Conservation Plan (GFCP; Strategen 2014). Item 7 of the monitoring regime requires “annuaI monitoring of breeding populations, including timing and reproductive outputs (i.e. clutch size and fledging success), to be undertaken annually between February and July”.

Breeding surveys in the buffer area were conducted across three phases, at monthly intervals in March, April and May 2023, to coincide with the primary breeding period previously recorded within the study area. Artificial nest boxes previously deployed in the study area were checked for evidence of usage by Gouldian Finches using a burrow scope camera, and if active nests were detected, details on the status of the nest (e.g. clutch size, development of chicks) were recorded.

Number of Pages

54

Keywords

Ord River, ORIA, irrigated agriculture, environmental compliance reporting, Western Australia, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Gouldian finch

Disciplines

Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring

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