Origin Win for RPS Ecology Team

Our Brisbane Ecology team has been engaged by Origin Energy to undertake pre-clearance ecological surveys for a 3D Seismic Program over approximately 12,000ha of land near Miles, 200km west of Toowoomba in southern Queensland.

The ecological survey works are required to identify ecological constraints for each property. The results of the assessment will be utilised to provide ecological advice for finalising the seismic survey program. Specifically, this work includes targeted searches for threatened flora and fauna species, the classification of Regional Ecosystems and the identification of wetlands, waterways and other ecologically sensitive areas.

To date the team has identified several threatened species (Glossy Black-cockatoos - Calyptorhynchus lathami, Grey Goshawk – Accipiter novaehollandiae, Golden-tailed Gecko – Strophurus taenicauda, Micromyrtus carinata, Acacia tenuinervis, and a huge population of Orchard - Gonocarpus urceolatus) and endangered vegetation communities including Brigalow - Acacia harpophylla.

This is the first of three similar projects for Origin which will keep the ecology team very busy for most of the year. The Ecology and Spatial teams are also working on a potential pilot project to provide predicative habitat modelling for threatened fauna species in the Origin gas fields using the results of these surveys. This model may ultimately be applied to a range of fauna species to assist with constraints and CSG infrastructure planning, flora and fauna survey design and compliance with commonwealth and state government approval conditions.