Commonwealth of Australia

Amendment to the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC145)

I, SUSSAN LEY, Minister for the Environment, pursuant to paragraph 184(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 of threatened ecological communities in the critically endangered category:

Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

Dated this 26th day of June 2020

SUSSAN LEY

Minister for the Environment

SCHEDULE

Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

The Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion occurs in proximity to the Nepean River in the Cumberland subregion of the Sydney Basin Bioregion under the Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) Version 7. Known patches occur on an extensively cleared and largely mined Tertiary sand deposit at the once-rural locality of Spring Farm adjacent to the suburb of Elderslie. Additional very small patches may have been present on Tertiary sands upstream of the Warragamba River confluence with the Nepean River.

The ecological community occurs at low elevations, of around 60 to 100 metres above sea level. It is normally above the 100 year flood level, though it is possible that some regrowth on mined sand deposits is now artificially within the present floodplain.

Key elements of the canopy include Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia (Coast Banksia), Angophora subvelutina (Broad-leaved Apple), Eucalyptus botryoides x E. saligna (a natural hybrid of Bangalay and Sydney Blue Gum) and various other species of Eucalyptus over a mostly shrubby understorey. Characteristic mid layer species include: Acacia decurrens (Black Wattle), A. implexa (Hickory Wattle), A. ulicifolia (Prickly Moses), Aotus ericoides (Common Aotus), Brachyloma daphnoides (Daphne Heath), Breynia oblongifolia (Coffee Bush), Dillwynia glaberrima (Smooth-leaved Dillwynia), Persoonia linearis (Narrow-leaved Geebung), Pimelea linifolia subsp. linifolia (Slender Rice-flower), and Ricinocarpos pinifolius (Wedding Bush). The ground layer often includes Dianella caerulea and D. revoluta (flax-lilies), Gahnia clarkei (Tall Saw-sedge), Gleichenia dicarpa (Pouched Coral Fern), Hibbertia diffusa (Wedge Guinea Flower), Lomandra spp. (mat-rushes) and Pteridium esculentum (Common Bracken).

In some wetter sites the ecological community includes more elements associated with dry rainforest and riverflat forest. In these areas a subcanopy of coast banksia may be present or a subcanopy of Melaleuca decora (Paper Bark, White Feather Honey Myrtle) and Melaleuca linariifolia (Snow in Summer) may be prominent. Mid-layer species at these sites include Clerodendrum tomentosum (Hairy Clerodendrum), Duboisia myoporoides (Corkwood), Kunzea ambigua (Tick Bush), Ozothamnus diosmifolius (White Dogwood), Platysace lanceolata (Shrubby Platysace), Clematis spp., Cayratia clematidea (Native Grape), Parsonsia straminea (Hairy Silkpod), and Denhamia silvestris (syn. Maytenus silvestris) (Narrow-leaved Orangebark). Sites with taller forest tend to include understorey species that prefer wetter areas, such as Viola spp. (Violets), Centella asiatica (Indian Pennywort), Dichondra repens (Kidney Weed), and Pteris tremula (Tender Brake). In some sites such as those intergrading with River-Flat Eucalypt Forest, a grassy understorey may be apparent, with e.g. Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass) and Austrostipa ramosissima (Stout Bamboo Grass) and sedges such as Gahnia and Carex species.

The ecological community provides habitat for a variety of fauna, including nationally threatened species. The vertebrate fauna may include:

Amphibians: Limnodynastes dumerilii (Eastern Banjo Frog), L. peronii (Brown-striped Frog), L. tasmaniensis (Spotted Marsh Frog), Litoria verreauxii (Verreaux's Tree Frog) and Crinia signifera (Common Eastern Froglet).

Reptiles: Ctenotus robustus (Striped Skink), Lampropholis guichenoti (Garden Skink), Pygopus lepidopodus (Common Scaly-foot), Pogona barbata (Bearded Dragon), and Pseudechis porphyriacus (Red-bellied Black Snake).

Birds are likely to include: Anthochaera carunculata (Red Wattlebird), Cacatua galerita (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo), Cacatua sanguinea (Little Corella), Cracticus tibicen (Australian Magpie), Corvus coronoides (Australian Raven), Eolophus roseicapillus (Galah), Eopsaltria australis (Eastern Yellow Robin) Dacelo novaeguineae (Laughing Kookaburra), Malurus cyaneus (Superb Fairy-wren), Manorina melanocephala (Noisy Miner), Platycercus elegans (Crimson Rosella), Platycercus eximius (Eastern Rosella), Podargus strigoides (Tawny Frogmouth), Rhipidura leucophrys (Willie Wagtail), Strepera graculina (Pied Currawong). Less common birds are likely to include: Acanthiza pusilla (Brown Thornbill), Anthochaera phrygia (Regent Honeyeater), Artamus cyanopterus (Dusky Woodswallow), Botaurus poiciloptilus (Australasian Bittern), Colluricincla harmonica (Grey Shrike-thrush), Caligavis chrysops (Yellow-faced Honeyeater), Malurus lamberti (Variegated Fairy-wren), Melanodryas cucullata (Hooded Robin), Ninox novaeseelandiae (Southern Boobook Owl), Pachycephala pectoralis (Golden Whistler), Pardalotus striatus and P. punctatus (Striated and Spotted Pardalotes), Petroica rosea (Rose Robin), Rhipidura albiscapa (Grey Fantail), Sericornis frontalis (White-browed Scrubwren), Calyptorhynchus funereus (Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo) and Lathamus discolor (Swift Parrot).

Mammals: Tachyglossus aculeatus (Short-beaked Echidna), Petaurus breviceps (Sugar Glider), Trichosurus vulpecula (Common Brushtail Possum), Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Common Ringtail Possum) and Pteropus poliocephalus (Grey-headed Flying-fox).

Disturbance may alter the structure and composition of some areas of the ecological community such that they do not contain all the characteristic features described above.