Lonsdale Lane Upgrade, Coolamon

TEF was engaged by Coolamon Shire Council to assess the ecological impacts arising from the proposed works to upgrade a 2.2 km section of Lonsdale Lane in Coolamon, NSW. To inform the design process for the lane upgrade TEF also completed a biodiversity constraints assessment to identify key constraints and recommendations for measures to avoid and minimise impacts to threatened ecological communities, threatened species and native vegetation.

The lane contained good quality native woodland with a very high density of hollow-bearing trees (63 in total)  throughout the entirety of the lane, which supported a breeding population of Grey-crowned Babblers and a breeding pair of Superb Parrots, both of which are threatened species under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Four threatened ecological communities were also recorded along the lane including Inland Grey Box Woodland and Box-Gum Woodland.

Following the adoption of the recommendations in the constraints assessment, Council proposed the upgrade works such that no direct impacts to trees or large shrubs would occur, with impacts to groundcover vegetation also proposed to be avoided and minimised where possible, and the timing of works to occur outside of key breeding times for Grey-crowned Babblers and Superb Parrots.

As a result, the lane upgrade could take place and was unlikely to have a significant negative effect on the threatened species, communities or their habitat.