Commonwealth of Australia

Amendment to the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC154)

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:

River-flat eucalypt forest on coastal floodplains of southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

Dated this…...........6th............................day of….........December................................2020

SUSSAN LEY

Minister for the Environment

SCHEDULE

River-flat eucalypt forest on coastal floodplains of southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria

The River-flat eucalypt forest on coastal floodplains of southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria occurs in the South East Corner and Sydney Basin bioregions. This encompasses the area from around Sale, on the south-east coast of Victoria, to around Raymond Terrace, just north of Newcastle on the New South Wales east coast.

The ecological community occurs on alluvial landforms related to coastal river floodplains and associated sites where transient water accumulates, including floodplains, river-banks, riparian zones, lake foreshores, creek lines (including the floors of tributary gullies), floodplain pockets, depressions, alluvial flats, fans, terraces, and localised colluvial fans. The ecological community is typically found below 50 metres above sea-level (ASL), although it can occur up to 250 metres ASL (e.g. on floodplain pockets and plateaus above nick points).

The structure of the ecological community is generally a tall open forest to woodland, but there may be localised areas of closed forest and/or low forest, often associated with disturbance (including flooding). The canopy may be dominated by a single eucalypt species, or by a mix of several eucalypt species (including hybrids) from the two genera Eucalyptus and Angophora, notably: Angophora floribunda (Rough-barked Apple), A. subvelutina (Broad-leaved Apple), and members of the ‘red gum’ group of eucalypts (Exsertaria), notably Eucalyptus tereticornis (Forest Red Gum, Red Irongum) and E. amplifolia (Cabbage Gum). Other eucalypt species (and hybrids) that frequently occur and may dominate or co-dominate patches of the ecological community include: E. baueriana (Blue Box), E. bosistoana (Coast Grey Box), E. botryoides (Bangalay, Southern Mahogany), E. elata (River Peppermint) E. ovata (Swamp Gum) and E. viminalis (Manna Gum, Ribbon Gum). The nationally and state listed E. benthamii (Camden White Gum) may be locally dominant within its range (parts of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River floodplain west of Sydney). Additional eucalypt species that may be present in low abundance, or dominate, or co-dominate the canopy in limited areas include: E. botryoides hybrids, E. grandis (Flooded Gum), E. longifolia (Woollybutt), E. moluccana (Grey Box) and E. saligna (Sydney Blue Gum). Other eucalypt and non-eucalypt tree species may also be present in the canopy.

A mid-layer of small trees or sub-canopy may be present with scattered to dense shrubs. For example, Melaleuca, Leptospermum and related genera may form dense thickets beneath eucalypt canopies or in gaps between trees. The ecological community often has climbers and vines extending into the mid-storey and canopy and generally has a more diverse and abundant groundcover of grasses, forbs, ferns, sedges and scramblers than locally adjoining slopes. The intact ecological community may also have high litter cover and fallen logs.

The ecological community includes a variety of fauna species, including species that are listed as threatened at a national or state level.