Planning and constructing a mine the size of the Taroborah Project is a tricky task.
Building a world-class coal mining operation that is highly productive and achieves low cost of mining is one important goal. An equally important consideration for all of us working on the project is minimising the impact on the surrounding environment.
Ecological assessments of the project site were conducted during both wet and dry seasons, but no plant species of conservation significance were identified. In terms of fauna, the only conservation-significant species identified on the project site was the Little Pied Bat and the Cattle Egret.
What is the Little Pied Bat?
This small bat weighs just 4–8 grams with a head and body length of approximately 45mm and forearm length of 31–38mm.
The bat has long, glossy, black fur on its back that extends to the tail membrane, where it then fades to a brownish black colour. The belly is a faint wash of grey with two white stripes that form a V shape.
This species of bat is found from Greenvale to the Maryborough region and across south-western Queensland, western New South Wales and far north-eastern South Australia.
It mostly lives in dry, open woodland communities, dry sclerophyll forests and vine forests. The bat roosts in tree hollows, caves, abandoned mines and buildings. It eats insects such as moths.
The survival of the species is threatened by habitat loss, most commonly caused by:
- removal of hollow-bearing trees in production forests
- large scale clearing of native vegetation for grazing or agriculture
- loss of mature roost trees particularly in riverine areas.
Changing fire regimes is another potential threat to the species.
It is because of these threats that the species is currently listed as Near Threatened under Queensland legislation.
How We’re Protecting the Little Pied Bat
We recorded the Little Pied Bat on the Taroborah Project site during two separate terrestrial flora and fauna surveys conducted in September 2011 and August 2012.
The project site has the potential to impact on local populations of the Little Pied Bat by disturbing the bats’ shelter and foraging habit.
To lessen the potential impacts on the Little Pied Bat, we have designed the Taroborah Project around retaining the bats’ key habitat areas such as the riverine corridor along Taroborah Creek and nearby woodland communities.
Retaining roost and feeding habitat in these areas will minimise disturbance to the Little Pied Bat and its surroundings.