Commonwealth of Australia

Amendment to the list of threatened species, threatened ecological communities and key threatening processes under sections 178, 181 and 183 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC144)

I, JOSH FRYDENBERG, Minister for the Environment and Energy, pursuant to paragraph 184(1)(a) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby amend the list referred to in section 181 of that Act by:

including in the list in the critically endangered category

Illawarra and south coast lowland forest and woodland ecological community

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

Dated this 26 day of August 2016

[signed]

JOSH FRYDENBERG

Minister for the Environment and Energy

SCHEDULE

Illawarra and south coast lowland forest and woodland

Illawarra and south coast lowland forest and woodland ecological community occurs on the south coast of New South Wales. It occurs in the Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA v7) Illawarra (SYB12), Ettrema (SYB13) and Jervis (SYB14) subregions in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (SYB) and Bateman subregion (SEC03), in the South East Corner Bioregion (SEC).

The ecological community occurs below approximately 350 m asl, on the coastal plain or foothills between the immediate coastal strip and the escarpment. It occurs on a range of loam soils, derived from sedimentary and sometimes highly weathered volcanic substrates.

The ecological community occurs as a forest or woodland, with foliage cover of the main canopy at least 10%. Its local expression is influenced by geology and soils, drainage and aspect, site history and management as well as nearby land cover and use. Either Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum) or E.longifolia (woollybutt) is typically present and often dominant in the mature tree canopy. One or more of the following canopy species may also be dominant: Angophora floribunda (rough-barked apple); E. bosistoana (coast grey box); E. eugenioides (thin-leaved stringybark); E. globoidea (white stringybark). Hybrids may be present. Amongst the other tree species commonly found in the ecological community, but not typically dominant are: Corymbia maculata (spotted gum); E.amplifolia ssp. amplifolia (cabbage gum); E. botryoides (bangalay); E. paniculata ssp. paniculata (grey ironbark); E. pilularis (blackbutt); and E. quadrangulata (coastal white box).  A sub-canopy of Melaleuca decora (paper bark), M. ericifolia (swamp paper bark), M. styphelioides (prickly-leaved tea tree), tree-sized Acacias and/or Casuarina glauca (swamp oak) may be present. Large shrubs may also be present in this layer.

The understorey varies and may contain a ground layer of grasses, herbs and sedges and/or a shrubby layer. Mesic species such as Pittosporum undulatum (sweet pittosporum) are more common at long-unburnt sites. Other shrub species often present include: Breynia oblongifolia (coffee bush); Leucopogon juniperinus (prickly beard-heath), Leptospermum polygalifolium (yellow tea tree); and Ozothamnus diosmifolius (rice flower). The ground layer may have a dense cover including Microlaena stipoides (weeping grass) and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass).

The ecological community provides habitat to a variety of fauna, including nationally threatened species. The vertebrate fauna includes bats such as Falsistrellus tasmaniensis (eastern false pipistrelle) and  Pteropus poliocephalus (grey-headed flying fox). Other mammals include Cercartetus nanus (eastern pygmy possum); Macropus giganteus (eastern grey kangaroo); Petaurus breviceps (sugar glider); and Phascolarctos cinereus (koala). Amphibians may include Crinia signifera (common eastern froglet) and Litoria aurea (green and golden bell frog). Reptiles include: Amphibolurus muricatus (jacky dragon); Pseudonaja textilis (eastern brown snake); and Varanus varius (lace monitor). Typical bird species include: Acanthiza nana (yellow thornbills); Caligavis chrysops (yellow-faced honeyeater); Eopsaltria australis (eastern yellow robin); Pachycephala rufiventris (rufous whistler); Pardalotus punctatus (spotted pardalote); Platycercus eximius (eastern rosella); and Rhipidura albiscapa (grey fantail).