As part of the Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP) submission for the Prominent Hill Copper-Gold Project, a Native Vegetation Management Plan (NVMP) was developed in accordance with the MARP Guidelines prepared by PIRSA. The NVMP outlined how Oxiana intends to achieve a Significant Environmental Benefit (SEB) for the project by the provision and management of an SEB offset area within the Mount Eba Pastoral Lease. Development of this SEB is consistent with the agreement made with DWLBC by PIRSA that, in the process of administering the Native Vegetation Regulations, inter alia, the following objectives should be established for mining operations: a) biological diversity of vegetation is maintained through appropriate land management practices, including a suite of measures such as vegetation retention and re-establishment; b) where native vegetation clearance is unavoidable, measures are undertaken to counter-balance the loss of that vegetation with a significant environmental benefit either on the site or within the same region, either by works undertaken by the proponent, or through payment of money into the native vegetation fund (as established under the Native Vegetation Act 1991); c) the significant environmental benefit should support the highest possible biodiversity outcomes in terms of quality, position in the landscape, and ongoing management. THE OFFSET AREA The area that Oxiana will manage and protect for the SEB is 12,415 ha of land within the Mount Eba Pastoral Lease. As this parcel of land incorporates the mine and its associated infrastructure, 11,129 ha of this land is considered to be the SEB offset area (i.e., 12,415 ha minus a disturbance footprint of 1,266 ha). This offset area is more than double Oxiana's SEB offset requirements for the project and provides Oxiana with approximately 5,993 ha worth of SEB credits should they be required for future projects in South Australia. The location of the offset area has been selected for the following reasons: a) it contains a significant proportion of habitat (bluebush stony rises interspersed with low lying cracking clay gilgais) known to support the chestnut-breasted whiteface and thick-billed grasswren (and possibly the plains rat). These species are listed as threatening species under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The south-western corner of the offset area was extended specifically to incorporate more of this habitat type; b) it encompasses areas of breakaway mallee painted hills habitat to the north. This habitat type will not be affected by project activities but is the preferred habitat for two plants of conservation significance, the NPW Act - listed Zygophyllum crassissimum (thick twinleaf) and the EPBC Act - listed Frankenia pilcata; c) it contains the same habitat/vegetation types as those that will be disturbed by the project, including mulga creeklines; d) it will facilitate management during the life of the mine as part of Oxiana's regular operations.