A preliminary report into Regis Resource's McPhillamy's gold mine site south-east of Orange detailing the impact on threatened species has been referred to the Department of the Environment and Energy.
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The referral lists threatened bird species such as Flame Robins, Rainbow Bee-Eater, Latham's Snipe, Diamond Firetails and several species of bats in the report.
The survey also reported the location is used by koalas as a foraging area and included their associated box woodlands as a threatened species.
For example, if we need to remove a box tree we'd need to replace it with four or five.
"When you have certain biodiversity species which need offsets according to the state, and we have some, as most projects do, there's a need to refer that to the federal government," he said.
"The federal government have the option of assessing that completely themselves, if it's something that is endangered or critical, or if it's at a lower level referring it back to the state.
"Ultimately though the federal government still makes a decision on it but allow all the assessment process to be done by the state government."
The report, commissioned by Regis Resources and completed by environmental consulting firm EMM, includes an updated site plan that is being closely examined by the Belubula Headwaters Protection Group.
President of the BHPG Dan Sutton said the report was very thorough in its examination and survey of the species affected and that it was good to have that information in the public domain.
"The fact that they've done the research into what they're going to impact, and determined that it's a federally significant proposal, is good," he said.
"Some of these surveys go back to 2013 which shows they're not just assessing it over a three-month period."
Mr Sutton added that neighbours of the mine had long been concerned at what kind of impact the removal of the box trees would have.
Mr Smith said that if the company was having an impact on a species that they would make an environmental offset.
"For example, if we need to remove a box tree we'd need to replace it with four or five," he said.
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