Biodiversity Assessment – Hilliards Creek Corridor, Redland Shire.

(2007/2008) for the Redland Shire Council.  Design and undertake baseline assessment of flora, fauna and associated habitat values of the Hilliards Creek Corridor, and establish an ongoing biodiversity monitoring program for this and other catchments within Redland Shire. 

Pest Monitoring Program for European Foxes, Feral Dogs and Feral Cats inhabiting North Stradbroke Island, Redland Shire

August 2007. Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd (BAAM) were commissioned by Redland Shire Council to design a Pest Monitoring Program for European Foxes, Feral Dogs and Feral Cats inhabiting North Stradbroke Island (NSI). Specifically, the consultancy was to provide guidelines and recommendations that addressed the aims of the NSI Pest Animal Control Committee (PACC). These aims being:

• improve stakeholder knowledge and understanding of pest animal distribution, activity and impacts;
• develop cooperative pest animal monitoring and control programs;
• involve all interested stakeholders in a spirit of cooperation;
• promote the project and impact of pest animals to the wider community.

Terrestrial Vertebrate Monitoring Study – Murrin Murrin Mine, Western Australia.

Report for Minara Resources Pty Ltd. March 2007 – ongoing. In response to the release of “Guideline no. 6: Rehabilitation of Terrestrial Ecosystems”, Minara Resources contracted Biodiversity Assessment and Management to design and implement a monitoring program for their rehabilitated areas. 

In addition, these ongoing studies would allow the accumulation of data for extant fauna communities within the companies mining leases. 

Glossy Black-Cockatoo Assessment and Management Strategy – North Stradbroke Island.

2006/2007 for Consolidated Rutile Limited.  This report provided an assessment of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo population and their resource partitioning over the entire area of North Stradbroke Island to advance appropriate management strategies and recommendations for the species.  

The results of this project will be used to identify and guide future investigations into the Glossy Black-Cockatoo population utilising the resources on CRL holdings, provide the means by which resources within the Enterprise study area can be assessed in context with the island as whole, and provide baseline data for ongoing monitoring and/or evaluation of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo on North Stradbroke Island.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo Investigation – University of the Sunshine Coast.

May, 2007. BAAM were contracted by Guida Moseley Brown Architects to undertake an independent and comprehensive assessment of the population of Eastern Grey Kangaroo that utilise habitat within or immediately adjacent to the University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs Campus.  This information was to contribute to the Master Plan for the USC during its five yearly review.

The specific aims of the investigation were to:

• (a) estimate the number of Kangaroos utilising the University grounds and surrounds during a five day field survey program;
• (b) record Kangaroo diurnal movement patterns including favoured feeding and resting locations during a five day field program;
• (c) record Kangaroo behaviour in terms of interactions between individual animals and between animals and the human environment; and
• (d) provide an assessment of the impacts of the proposed future loss of habitat for the Sippy Downs Town Centre and further development of the University on the Kangaroo population.

Targeted Mammal Assessments for Logan City Council Reserves.  Prepared for Logan City Council.

May 2006. This consultancy provided an independent, targeted assessment of the terrestrial mammal fauna and associated habitat values of a number of major conservation reserves within Logan City. 

The specific aims of the assessment were to provide

• (a) the results of a targeted survey and habitat assessment for terrestrial mammal fauna present on or that may utilise the study area, including species lists and significance status under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) and Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA);
• (b) an evaluation of and comment on the presence or absence of any at-risk or otherwise significant species of mammal known or predicted for the study area;
• (c) an overview of significant faunal habitats within the study area; and
• (d) incidental records of amphibian, reptilian and avian fauna detected during the survey, including significance status under the EPBC and NCA. 

All observations and details provided in the reports were based on database interrogation, review of available literature, and targeted site surveys undertaken by BAAM staff, with assistance by Logan City Council staff for their training purposes.

Can a fence strop a frog? Results of frog exclusion fencing trials.

Report prepared for Parsons Brinckerhoff Aus Pty Ltd, November 2005. An Environmental Impact Statement conducted for the Tugan Bypass identified that the roadway could impact a significant on frog species in the area. BAAM Pty Ltd was asked to test the effectiveness of the exclusion fencing that was recommended in the EIS and to design and test additional structures that may restrict the movement of frogs, in particular the Wallum Sedge Frog (Litoria olongburensis) and the Wallum Froglet (Crinia tinnula) from crossing the Tugan Bypass and hence risking collisions with vehicles.

The trials were conducted at a perched lake on North Stradbroke Island over a three week period. A total of 5 designs were tested using Wallum Sedge Frogs. Only one of the BAAM designs was successful in preventing frogs from escaping out of the enclosures and this design is now incorporated in the design of the Tugan Bypass.