BHP : Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice

BHP Pilbara Strategic Assessment

Jimblebar Significant

Amendment

Validation Notice

5 July 2024

BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice

Document Version

Version	Description Of	Organisation	Date Validation	Date Validation Notice
	Amendment		Notice Finalised	Effective From
0	Original draft	BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd	N/A
	document
1	Updated draft	BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd
	document

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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice

Glossary and Abbreviations

	Term		Meaning
	Activity or activities		The Activity is the proposed Jimblebar Significant Amendment as defined in Section 1.4
	Activity Area		The area which the activity (or activities) will be undertaken within and excludes existing
			Newman hub operations as described in Section 1.4.
	APOP		Pilbara Strategic Assessment Assurance Plan and Offsets Plan, Revision 2.3. Published April
			2023. Supersedes BHP (2018a and 2018b) versions.
	Approval		The approval of the taking of an action or class of actions granted by the Minister on 19 June
			2017 in accordance with the Program given under section 146B of the EPBC Act.
	Approval Holder		Any person or persons named in an Approval as an Approval Holder who may take action in
			accordance with the Program.
	Assurance Plan		The plan that provides further detail on the process described in the Program, including
			management of Program Matters, stakeholder management, reporting and auditing
			requirements and governance arrangements, as approved by the Minister on 15 May 2023.
	BC Act		Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (WA)
	BHP		BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd
	Commence, commenced or		Any preparatory works required to undertake a Notifiable Action including clearing, the
	commencement		erection of any onsite temporary structure and the use of heavy duty equipment for the
			purpose of breaking the ground.
	DAWE		Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
	DBCA		Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (formerly DPaW)
	DCCEEW		Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (formerly DAWE)
	Department, the		The Australian Government Department responsible for the administration of the EPBC Act or
			successors.
	Direct disturbance		The clearing of native vegetation and/or moving of earth as a result of activities undertaken
			within the Strategic Assessment Area in accordance with the Program.
	DEMIRS		Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
	DotE		Department of the Environment
	DPaW		Department of Park and Wildlife (now DBCA)
	DSEWPaC		Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
	DWER		Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
	EPA		Environmental Protection Authority
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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice
Term	Meaning
EPBC Act	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).
Full Conceptual Development	The conceptual direct disturbance footprint for the development of all current BHP mining
Scenario	tenures within the Strategic Assessment Area. Applied in the Impact Assessment Report.
Impact or impacts	As defined in section 527E of the EPBC Act.
Impact Assessment Report or	BHP Billiton Iron Ore Strategic Assessment: Impact Assessment Report (BHP 2016).
IAR
Implementation Framework	Comprises this Assurance Plan and the Offsets Plan, which are designed to support the
	implementation of the Program.
Important population	A population that is necessary for a species' long-term survival and recover (N.B. variations of
	this definition may exist for the Program Matters -See Section 4.2.1).
Indicative Footprint	The area where the clearing of native vegetation and/or moving of earth as a result of activities
	is planned to occur.
KNAC	Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation
Minister	Minister responsible for administering the EPBC Act (being, at the date of this Validation
	Notice, the Minister for the Environment).
MNES	Matters of National Environmental Significance
MS	Ministerial Statement
New Listings	Any new listed threatened species or existing species that have been included in a higher
	endangerment category identified in accordance with Section 4.1.2 of the Program.
New Matters	Other matters protected by a controlling provision of Part 3 of the EPBC Act (other than listed
	threatened species) that may be identified in accordance with Section 4.1.2 of the Program.
Notifiable Action	An activity that is considered likely to have a relevant impact on a Program Matter based on
	an assessment of the proposed Activity against the thresholds defined for Program Matters in
	the Assurance Plan and Offset Plan. In relation to the voluntary part of the Program, this
	includes an activity that is considered likely to have a relevant impact on a New Listing or a
	New Matter.
Notifiable Action completion	The point at which a Notifiable Action has been implemented in full, such as the time identified
	in a Validation Notice or at an earlier point as agreed between BHP and the Department.
Notifiable Action triggers	Criteria relating to the presence of a species, which if met, require a Validation Notice to be
	prepared.
NVCP	Native Vegetation Clearing Permit
Offsets Plan	The plan that provides further detail on the processes that will be implemented to identify and
	deliver offsets associated with a Notifiable Action, as approved by the Minister on 15 May
	2023.

OSA

Overburden Storage Area

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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice
Term	Meaning
Other controlling provisions	Any controlling provision under the EPBC Act that is not already considered in accordance
	with the Program, this Assurance Plan and/or the Offsets Plan.
Practicable	Reasonably practicable having regard to, among other things, local conditions and
	circumstances (including costs) and to the current state of technical knowledge.
PEOF	Pilbara Environmental Offset Fund
Program	The BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pilbara Strategic Assessment Program endorsed by the Minister on
	11 May 2017. Whilst the Agreement refers to a Plan, it was agreed with the Department that
	the term Program is a better reflection of the systems and processes to be delivered by BHP.
Program Matters	The listed threatened species Pilbara Leaf-Nosed Bat (Rhinonicteris aurantius), Northern
	Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas),
	Pilbara Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus barroni), Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) and
	Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos)
Protected Matters	Matters protected by a provision of Part 3 of the EPBC Act.
PMO	Program Matter Outcome
Strategic Assessment Area or	The geographical extent of the assessment and boundaries within which the Program must be
SAA	implemented, as depicted in Appendix 1.
Study Area	The geographical extent of a survey's boundaries.
TSSC	Threatened Species Scientific Community.
Validation Notice	This Validation Notice under Part C of the endorsed Program.
WA	Western Australia

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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice

Contents

1	Introduction	1
1.1	Background	1
1.2	Framework	1
1.3	Program, Assurance Plan and Offsets Plan Requirements	3
1.4	Activity Overview	4
1.5	Activity Area	5
1.6	Timeframes	5
1.7	Decision for a Validation Notice	5

2	Project Disturbance and Description	13
2.1	Proposed Disturbance	13
2.2	Jimblebar Significant Amendment	14
2.2.1	Clearing	15
2.2.2	Mine dewatering and surplus water management	15
2.2.3	Overland Conveyor	15
2.2.4	Beneficiation and tailings management	15
2.2.5	Closure and Decommissioning	15

3	Stakeholder Engagement	17
3.1	Stakeholder Consultation	17
3.2	Public Consultation	17
4	Validation Process	20
4.1	Guidance	20
	4.1.1	Important Population	21
	4.1.2	Critical Habitat	21
4.2	Surveys and Studies	21
	4.2.1	Contemporary Surveys	21
	4.2.2	Other Surveys	25
5	Existing environmental values	28
5.1	Fauna habitats	28
5.2	Northern Quoll	33
	5.2.1	General Species Information	33
	5.2.2	Regional Habitat and Baseline Modelling Data	33
	5.2.3	Local Habitat	39
	5.2.4	Northern Quoll Records	39
	5.2.5	Impact Assessment	42
	5.2.6	Mitigation Hierarchy	44
	5.2.7	Residual Impact	44
	5.2.8	Review of Program Matter Outcomes	45
	5.2.9	Monitoring	45

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BHP		Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice
	5.2.10	Summary	45
5.3	Ghost Bat	45
	5.3.1	General Species Information	45
	5.3.2	Regional Habitat	46
	5.3.3	Local Habitat	48
	5.3.4	Ghost Bat Records	57
	5.3.5	Impact Assessment	57
	5.3.6	Mitigation Hierarchy	60
	5.3.7	Residual Impact	62
	5.3.8	Review of Program Matter Outcomes	62
	5.3.9	Monitoring	62
	5.3.10	Summary	67
5.4	Greater Bilby	67
	5.4.1	General Species Information	67
	5.4.2	Local Habitat	67
	5.4.3	Greater Bilby Records	68
	5.4.4	Impact Assessment	71
	5.4.5	Summary	72
5.5	Pilbara Olive Python	72
	5.5.1	General Species Information	72
	5.5.2	Local Habitat	72
	5.5.3	Pilbara Olive Python Records	73
	5.5.4	Impact Assessment	76
	5.5.5	Summary	77
5.6	Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat	77
	5.6.1	General Species Information	77
	5.6.2	Local Habitat	78
	5.6.3	Pilbara Leaf-nosedBat Records	78
	5.6.4	Impact Assessment	81
	5.6.5	Summary	82
5.7	Grey Falcon	82
	5.7.1	General Species Information	82
	5.7.2	Local Habitat	82
	5.7.3	Grey Falcon Records	83
	5.7.4	Impact Assessment	86
	5.7.5	Summary	86
5.8	Night Parrot	86
	5.8.1	General Species Information	86
	5.8.2	Local Habitat	87
	5.8.3	Night Parrot Records	87
	5.8.4	Impact Assessment	90
	5.8.5	Summary	91

6	Compliance tracking and Annual Reporting	92
7	Offset Proposal	93

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BHP		Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice
7.1	Residual Impacts	93
7.2	Offset Requirements	93
7.3	Proposed Offset	96
7.4	Offset Calculation	96
	7.4.1	Baseline Conditions	96
	7.4.2	Offset Value	96
	7.4.3	Offset Rates	97
7.5	Proposed Schedule	97
7.6	Offsets Reporting	98
	7.6.1	Payment of Financial Contributions	98
	7.6.2	Implementation of PEOF Projects	99
8	Commitments	100
8.1	Monitoring Commitments	100
8.2	Clearing Commitments	101
8.3	Management Commitments	102
8.4	Offset Commitments	103
9	References	104

Appendices	108
Table 1-1: Content of Validation Notice	3
Table 1-2: Notifiable Action triggers for the Activity	7
Table 2-1: SAA Program Disturbance Allocation	13
Table 3-1: Stakeholder Engagement	18
Table 4-1: Terrestrial Fauna - recent studies and surveys	23
Table 4-2 Other fauna surveys	25
Table 5-1 Fauna habitats present in the Activity Area and Indicative Footprint	29
Table 5-2: Northern Quoll modelled habitats within the SAA	36
Table 5-3: Pilbara land systems within 25 km of the Activity Area	36
Table 5-4 Northern Quoll habitat	39
Table 5-5 Review of Program Matter Outcomes (Northern Quoll)	45
Table 5-6 Caves with potential and recorded Ghost Bat use in the Activity Area	49
Table 5-7 Caves with potential and recorded Ghost Bat use outside of the Activity Area	51
Table 5-8 Ghost Bat habitat	54
Table 5-9 Ghost Bat records in the Activity Area	57
Table 5-10 Ghost Bat avoidance measures	61
Table 5-11: Review of Program Matter Outcomes (Ghost Bat)	62
Table 5-12: Ghost Bat Monitoring methods	62
Table 5-13 Ghost Bat monitoring commitments	65
Table 5-14 Greater Bilby habitat	68
Table 5-15 Pilbara Olive Python habitat	72
Table 5-16 Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat habitat	78
Table 5-17 Grey Falcon habitat	82
Table 5-18 Night Parrot habitat	87

Table 7-1: Program Matter residual impacts for the Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice requiring

offsetting under the SEA	94
Table 7-2: Offsets Reporting period	98
Table 7-3: PEOF Contributions Schedule	98
Table 8-1: Proposed monitoring commitments - Ghost Bat	100

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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice
Table 8-2: Proposed clearing commitments - Ghost Bat	101
Table 8-3: Proposed management commitments - Ghost Bat	102
Table 8-4: Proposed offset commitments	103
Figure 1-1: Regional location	2
Figure 1-2: Activity Area and Indicative Footprint	6
Figure 4-1: Contemporary vertebrate fauna surveys undertaken in the Activity Area	26
Figure 4-2: Historical vertebrate fauna surveys in the Activity Area	27
Figure 5-1 Fauna habitats in the Activity Area and Indicative Footprint	32
Figure 5-2: Northern Quoll regional records and distribution	34
Figure 5-3 Northern Quoll modelled habitat and regional records	35
Figure 5-4 Regional land systems	38
Figure 5-5: Northern Quoll survey areas and methods	40
Figure 5-6: Northern Quoll mapped habitats and records	41
Figure 5-7: Ghost Bat regional records and distribution	47
Figure 5-8: Ghost Bat survey areas and methods	55
Figure 5-9: Ghost Bat mapped habitat and records	56
Figure 5-10: Existing Ghost Bat monitoring locations	64
Figure 5-11: Greater Bilby survey areas and methods	69
Figure 5-12 Greater Bilby mapped habitat and records	70
Figure 5-13: Pilbara Olive Python survey areas and methods	74
Figure 5-14: Pilbara Olive Python mapped habitat and records	75
Figure 5-15: Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat survey areas and methods	79
Figure 5-16: Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat mapped habitat and records	80
Figure 5-17: Grey Falcon survey areas	84
Figure 5-18: Grey Falcon mapped habitats and records	85
Figure 5-19: Night Parrot survey areas	88
Figure 5-20 Night Parrot mapped habitat and records	89
Figure 7-1 Habitat areas to be offset	95

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BHP	Jimblebar Significant Amendment Validation Notice

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd (BHP) currently operates iron ore mines and associated rail and port infrastructure within the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA). Current mining operations include:

• Newman Joint Venture hub (NJV)- located approximately 2 km west of Newman township and consists of Mount Whaleback, and Orebodies 29, 30 and 35
• Mining Area C - Northern and Southern Flanks - located approximately 100 km northwest of Newman township
• Wheelarra Hill (Jimblebar) Mine, Orebody 18 and Orebody 31 (Jimblebar hub) - located approximately 35 km east of Newman township
• Eastern Ridge hub - located approximately 5 km east of Newman township and consists of Orebodies 23, 24, 25 and 32
• Yandi Mine - located approximately 100 km north northwest of Newman township.

Ore from the above mining operations is transported by rail to Port Hedland via the BHP Newman to Port Hedland Mainline (and associated spur lines). Ore is then shipped overseas via Port Hedland at the BHP facilities at Nelson Point and Finucane Island.

BHP proposes to expand existing operations at Jimblebar and amalgamate operations with Orebody 31 and Orebody

18. This Validation Notice has been prepared to document the validation process for the Jimblebar Significant Amendment (the Activity) as required under the BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pilbara Strategic Assessment Program (the Program) (BHP 2017).

1.2 Framework

The Program (BHP 2017) was endorsed by the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Energy on 11 May 2017 and an Approval Decision (the Approval) for taking actions in accordance with the Program was issued on 19 June 2017. The Approval applies to the development of new iron ore mines and associated infrastructure and the expansion of existing iron ore mines and associated infrastructure within a defined Strategic Assessment Area (SAA) (Figure 1-1).

1