Impact Mitigation: Bird Nest Monitoring and Management
Applied Environment & Safety have been supporting Enerven on the Eyre Peninsular Transmission Line Demolition project. This decommissioning project involves the demolition and disposal of two transmission lines and site rehabilitation. In total, 507 structures over about 213 km have been decommissioned from Whyalla to Port Lincoln in South Australia.
Our team contributed their operational experience to support onsite environmental and land access management for the project, focussing on biosecurity, landholder management and protection of flora and fauna.
One challenge on the project was the management of birds nesting in towers to be demolished. The project approval allowed for the destruction of birds’ nests, however it was opted not to impact species listed as endangered, vulnerable or rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
Our onsite Environmental Consultant, Lachlan Peace, supported the project team by delivering and implementing the Bird Management Procedure. Lachlan led the collection of field data in order to identify species and lifecycle information. He also developed training information for work crews to ensure minimal disturbance to birds’ nests.
The procedure and field data informed project scheduling to allow protected birds to naturally fledge. In total, 37 nests were identified, two of which were considered rare and protected, the Peregrine Falcon and Black Falcon.
Efficient implementation of the procedure and onsite support from Lachlan resulted in minimal delays when encountering birds’ nest and ensured the project could comply with best practice to protect native fauna.
We believe in working closely with our clients to build supportive relationships. By working together, we have been able to ensure positive environmental outcomes for this project.