Communities for Communities Newsletter
Issue 19 (June 2015)
In this issue

Ecological Communities section
brief update
- New fact sheets

New threatened ecological
communities listed under national
environmental law

Technical workshops
- Banksia Dominated
Woodlands of the Swan
Coastal Plain Bioregion
- Poplar/Bimble Box Grassy
Woodland on Alluvial
Plains
What happens to a nomination
Conferences and events in 2015


Ecological Communities section brief
update
In addition to the matters covered in detail inside this
issue, you may be interested to know:

New fact sheets have been released for two
listed communities:
- Kangaroo Island Narrow-leaved Mallee
(Eucalyptus cneorifolia) Woodland
- Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist
Woodland on Shale.
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These fact sheets help readers understand:
What an ecological community is
Why it is nationally protected
What the listing aims to achieve
What the listing means for people in the region.
Two previously listed ecological communities
have received updated conservation advices:
Hunter Valley Weeping Myall (Acacia pendula)
Woodland
Shale Sandstone Transition Forest of the
Sydney Basin Bioregion.
Newly listed ecological communities
Since the previous edition of this newsletter in May 2014, six new ecological communities have been listed under
national environmental law. These new additions are:
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Coastal Upland Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
Natural Damp Grassland of the Victorian Coastal Plains
Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion
Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and Agnes Banks Woodlands of the Sydney Basin Bioregion.
Central Hunter Valley Forest and Woodland
Posidonia australis seagrass meadows of the Manning-Hawkesbury ecoregion
Two ecological community listings have been updated following reviews:
 Hunter Valley Weeping Myall (Acacia pendula) Woodland (updated name and conservation advice)
 Shale Sandstone Transition Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (up listed).
With these recent additions, the total number of nationally listed ecological communities has increased to 72. Further
information regarding all nationally listed ecological communities, including full conservation advice, detailed
descriptions, threat analyses, distribution maps, and priority research and conservation actions (within national
conservation advices and/or recovery plans), can be found on the Department’s website at:
www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publiclookupcommunities.pl
Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and Agnes Banks Woodlands at Agnes Banks Nature Reserve © Department of the Environment
Coastal Upland Swamps in the
Sydney Basin Bioregion
Date listed: July 2014
Category: Endangered
Location: The ecological community occurs on the
eastern part of the Sydney Basin bioregion of NSW. It
is found across the Woronora plateau to the south of
Sydney and the Somersby-Hornsby plateaux to the
north. The north and south distributions are separated
by variable geological features, with the Cumberland
Plain and Sydney city at the centre.
Descriptive features: Found primarily on
impermeable sandstone plateaux, the swamps occur in
the headwaters of streams and on sandstone benches
with abundant seepage moisture. They typically occur
at elevations of 200–450 m above sea level (ASL), but
can range from 20–600 m ASL.
These swamps are typically treeless, instead occurring
as graminoid heaths, sedgelands, fernlands and tall
scrub. Vegetation is highly variable and diverse with
upwards of 200 vascular plant species occurring across
its range.
Key threats:
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land clearing
changes to landscape hydrology
climate change
changes to fire regimes, including increased
frequency
 inappropriate recreational use (off-track vehicles,
horses, etc).
Other features: With such diverse vegetation, the
swamps provide vital habitat for a range of fauna.
Found within these swamps are a range of threatened
mammal, bird and frog species. Such examples
include:
 eastern pygmy-possum – state vulnerable
 eastern bristlebird – nationally and state
endangered
 turquoise parrot – state vulnerable
 green and golden bell frog – nationally
vulnerable, state endangered
 giant burrowing frog – nationally and state
vulnerable.
With 80% of this ecological community occurring on
the Woronora Plateau, protection will aid in ensuring
the health of the catchment and water supply for
Sydney and the surrounding regions.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=140&stat
us=Endangered
Green and golden bell frog © Frank Lemckert (SFNSW)
Eastern bristlebird © G Threlfo
Natural Damp Grassland of the
Victorian Coastal Plains
Key threats:
 land clearing and fragmentation
 changes to landscape hydrology
 weed invasion, including encroachment of native
shrubs
 inappropriate management regimes which are too
much or insufficient (slashing, mowing, grazing
and fire)
 inappropriate road and infrastructure maintenance
 fertiliser residues.
Date listed: February 2015
Category: Critically Endangered
Location: Located within the Victorian coastal plains,
the Natural Damp Grassland community is found
primarily in the Gippsland Plain subregion. Some
remnants are also present in the Otway Plain subregion.
Due to land clearing and significant fragmentation,
occurrences are often rare, small in size and are
relatively scattered across a significant range. The
grasslands are often found on fertile clay soils in areas
of high rainfall occurrence with infrequent drought.
The community is typically found up to 100 m ASL.
Other features: The ecological community provides
potential habitat for at least nine plant and 11 animal
species which are listed as nationally threatened.
Examples include:
 Caladenia fragrantissima subsp. orientalis (cream
spider-orchid) – nationally endangered
 Dianella amoena (matted flax-lily) – nationally
endangered
 Prasophyllum frenchii (maroon leek-orchid) –
nationally endangered
 southern brown bandicoot – nationally and state
endangered.
Descriptive features: Patches of the natural damp
grassland are associated with boggy soils and has a
unique assemblage of dryland and moisture-loving
native species. Therefore, any long-term disruption to
natural water flows may have impacts upon its
assemblage.
The community is typically characterised by the
abundance of grassy ground cover commonly
composing of tussock and non-tussock grasses, other
graminoids and forbs; with the absence or sparse
occurrences of trees and large shrubs. Most commonly
the ground vegetation is dominated by kangaroo
grasses in drier and non-saline areas, through to
common tussock grasses in wetter or brackish areas.
Shrubs may occasionally be present in drainage lines
and depressions in the landscape.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=133&stat
us=Critically+Endangered
Daraman Bushland Reserve © Department of the Environment
Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark
Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion
Date listed: March 2015
Category: Critically Endangered
Location: The Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark
Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is endemic to the
Cumberland subregion of NSW. The community is
generally found between Penrith and Richmond.
Additional patches occupy areas near Kemps Creek
and Holsworthy, as well as small urban remnants near
the Cooks River.
Descriptive features: The community is an openforest to low woodland. It is dominated by an
overstorey of Eucalyptus fibrosa (red ironbark) and
Melaleuca decora (white feather honeymyrtle), with E.
longifolia (woollybutt) often present. While the ground
layer is relatively sparse, there is a variable and often
dense shrub layer dominated by Melaleuca nodosa
(prickly-leaved paperbark) and Lissanthe strigosa
(peach heath).
Key threats:
 land clearing and fragmentation
 changes to fire regimes, particularly an increased
frequency
 invasion by weed species from garden escapes
and farms
 predation of native fauna by domestic pets, feral
species (such as noisy minors) and aggressive
urban adapted natives
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loss of hollow-bearing trees
removal of dead wood and trees
inappropriate rural-residential mowing
rubbish dumping
changes in faunal composition and ecological
function
 plant diseases such as Phytophthora cinnamomi
and myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii s.l.).
Other features: The community provides habitat for
many nationally threatened flora and fauna. This
includes at least 15 nationally listed threatened fauna
species which may occur or are known to occur in the
area occupied by the ecological community. Examples
include:
 Persoonia nutans (Nodding Geebung) –
nationally and state endangered
 Allocasuarina glareicola – nationally and state
endangered
 Pultenaea parviflora – nationally vulnerable
andstate endangered
 Australasian bittern – nationally and state
endangered
 regent honeyeater – nationally endangered and
state critically endangered
 spotted tail quoll – nationally endangered and
state vulnerable.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=129&stat
us=Critically+Endangered
Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest, Kemps Creek © Department of the Environment
Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and
Agnes Banks Woodlands of the
Sydney Basin Bioregion
Date listed: March 2015
Category: Endangered
Location: The Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and Agnes
Banks Woodlands of the Sydney Basin Bioregion are
typically found on the north-west of the Cumberland
Plain. Other known occurrences include Kemps Creek,
Longneck Lagoon and near Holsworthy. The
community is found on areas of flat or gently
undulating terrain where rainfall is 700–900 mm per
year. These are typically areas of low altitude and
hinterland positioning to avoid the warmer and drier
surrounding landscapes.
Descriptive features: Typically characterised as low
woodland, the canopy species typically reach 15 m in
height, sometimes emerging to 20 m. Species which
dominate the canopy can include Angophora bakeri
(narrow leaved apple), Eucalyptus racemosa (narrowleaved scribbly gum) and E. parramattensis subsp.
parramattensis (Parramatta red gum). With a
prominent and diverse understorey, it is typically
occupied by a sclerophyllous shrub mid-layer and
patchy ground cover of sedges and grasses. Species
diversity decreases and shifts to a sedge and grass
dominated understorey in areas of poor soil drainage.
Isolation of various geological and soil characteristics
has seen the development of differences in species
composition and abundance across the range of the
community.
Key threats:
 land clearing and fragmentation
 changes to fire regimes, particularly an increased
frequency (often due to arson)
 invasion by weed species from garden escapes
and farms
 hydrological changes and increases in water
nutrient loads
 predation of native fauna by domestic pets, feral
species and aggressive urban adapted natives
Narrow-leaved scribbly gum © Department of the Environment
 inappropriate rural-residential mowing
 rubbish dumping
 changes in faunal composition and ecological
function
 plant diseases such as Phytophthora cinnamomi
and myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii s.l.).
Other features: The community provides habitat for at
least nine nationally threatened fauna including:
 regent honeyeater – nationally endangered and
state critically endangered
 swift parrot – nationally and state endangered
 spotted tail quoll – nationally endangered and
state vulnerable
 large-eared pied bat – nationally and state
vulnerable.
The ecological community also represents a nationally
significant important bird area.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=119&stat
us=Critically+Endangered
Hunter Valley Weeping Myall
(Acacia pendula) Woodland
Date listed: December 2014 (originally August 2005)
Category: Critically Endangered
This ecological community was originally listed under
the name Weeping Myall – Coobah – Scrub Wilga
Shrubland of the Hunter Valley in 2005. After a recent
listing review where new information regarding its
occurrence was considered, the name was updated and
a new conservation advice issued.
Location: Found in the Hunter Region of NSW, the
weeping myall woodland is found between Warkworth
and Wybong. An additional patch is found in Jerrys
Plains cemetery and is considered the most intact patch
of the known community. All known weeping myall
woodlands occur within landscapes which have been
heavily cleared and grazed. Found at elevations of 60–
150 m ASL, the community favours heavy clay soils
located on flood washouts.
These near coastal stands of weeping myall are
probably a relic from the last period of glaciation. This
explains their segregation from the species’ primary
occurrence 100 km to the northwest on the Liverpool
Plains and elsewhere on the western slopes of the Great
Dividing Range.
Descriptive features: Typically appearing as a low
forest to woodland, the overstorey is characteristically
5–15 m in height. There is a sparse shrub layer 1-3 m
tall over a generally grassy ground layer. The floristic
composition of this woodland typically includes more
western species. Such examples include Acacia
melvillei-homalophylla complex, oak-leaved goosefoot
and Mulla Mulla, but it is the presence of weeping
myall which characterises this woodland.
Key threats:
 historic land clearing and fragmentation, as well
as current and future development activities
 invasion by exotic plant species
 inappropriate grazing regimes
 changes to fire regimes
 climate change
 competition and land degradation by rabbits.
Other features: There are four nationally listed
threatened fauna species which may occur or are
known to occur in the area occupied by the ecological
community:
 regent honeyeater – nationally endangered and
state critically endangered
 swift parrot – nationally and state endangered
 large-eared pied bat – nationally and state
vulnerable
 grey-headed flying-fox – nationally and state
vulnerable.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=44&statu
s=Critically+Endangered
Hunter Valley Weeping Myall Woodland © Trisha Hogbin and Office of Environment and Heritage
Shale Sandstone Transition Forest of
the Sydney Basin Bioregion
Date uplisted: December 2014 (originally 2000)
Category: Critically Endangered
This ecological community was originally listed as
endangered in 2000. After a recent listing review, it
has now been listed as critically endangered.
Location: Confined to the Sydney Basin bioregion of
NSW, the Shale Sandstone Transition Forest is found
to the west of Sydney on the edges of the Cumberland
Plain and on the sandstone-dominated Hornsby,
Woronora, and Lower Blue Mountains plateaux. It is
found primarily where soils are derived from shale
substrates which are characterised by their clay texture,
with a weathered sandstone substrate transition. This
ecological community is generally found in areas
receiving 800–1100 mm mean annual rainfall, and
most commonly occurs at elevations below 200 m
ASL—although can be found up to 600 m ASL in
specific locations.
Descriptive features: Occurring as a forest or
woodland, the community is dominated by an
overstorey of various eucalypt tree species such as grey
gum, narrow-leaved ironbark, red ironbark, forest red
gum, red mahogany, and thin-leaved stringybark with
an understorey of sclerophyllous shrubs, grasses and
herbs. As a result of variations in the underlying
substrate and environmental variables such as rainfall
and slope the community is highly diverse. An increase
in sandstone influence generally results in a shrubbier
understorey, whereas a reduction sees increased
prevalence of herbs and grasses.
Key threats:
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land clearing and fragmentation
invasion by exotic plant species and feral animals
inappropriate grazing regimes and mowing
changes to fire regimes, particularly an increased
frequency
inappropriate recreational use
rubbish dumping (source of weeds and pollutants)
wood removal
salinity.
Other features: The community provides habitat for at
least eight nationally listed threatened plant species and
five nationally listed threatened animal species (21
state threatened). Examples include:
 Persoonia hirsute (hairy geebung) – nationally
endangered
 Pterostylis saxicola (Sydney plains greenhood) –
nationally and state endangered
 Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora (smallflowered Grevillea) – nationally endangered
 regent honeyeater – nationally endangered and
state critically endangered
 swift parrot – nationally and state endangered
 spotted tail quoll – nationally endangered and
state vulnerable
 koala – nationally and state vulnerable.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=146&stat
us=Critically+Endangered
Koala and young in a eucalypt tree © Dan Lunney
Central Hunter Valley Forest and
Woodland
Date listed: May 2015
Category: Critically Endangered
Location: The Central Hunter Valley Forest and
Woodland ecological community occurs in the Hunter
Valley region (including the Goulburn Valley) within
the Hunter River catchment of north east NSW. It is
primarily found in the Muswellbrook, Singleton and
Cessnock Local Government Areas.
The community is found on soils with a high clay
content and of medium fertility relative to the fertile
deep alluvial loam soils nearby and the low fertility
sandy soils of the bordering escarpment landscape.
Descriptive features: Occurring as an open forest or
woodland, the community is typically dominated by
eucalypt species. It often has an open to sparse midlayer of shrubs and a ground layer of grasses, forbs and
small shrubs. Species composition is influenced by
factors such as position in the landscape and size of the
site, recent rainfall occurrences (including droughts)
and disturbance history (including clearing, grazing
and fire).
The community is usually dominated by one or more of
the following eucalypt species: narrow-leaved ironbark
(Eucalyptus crebra), spotted gum (Corymbia maculata
syn. Eucalyptus maculata), slaty gum (Eucalyptus
dawsonii) and grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana).
However, in some instances bulloak (Allocasuarina
luehmannii) may co-dominate. The sparse mid-layer
often compromises shrubs such as wattles and
blackthorn. Groundcover can be highly variable,
ranging from a sparse to thick coverage of native
grasses and other native herbs and/or native shrubs.
 removal of fallen timber and trees (e.g. collection
of firewood and ‘tidying up’)
 detrimental grazing, mowing and slashing
regimes
 altered fire regimes (fire intensity, frequency,
seasonality and patchiness all influence vegetation
composition and structure)
 predation of native fauna by feral species and
competition from aggressive native species.
Other features: The community provides potential
habitat for at least 61 nationally and/or state listed
threatened species including:
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brush-tailed rock-wallaby
bush stone-curlew
Corben's long-eared bat
green and golden bell frog
grey-headed flying fox
koala
large-eared pied bat
New Holland mouse
painted honeyeater
regent honeyeater
spotted tail quoll
swift parrot.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=130
&status=Critically+Endangered
Key threats:
 vegetation clearing and landscape fragmentation
 changes in faunal composition and ecological
function
 invasive flora species
 rural, residential and industrial development
Central Hunter Valley Forest and Woodland ©
Department of the Environment
Posidonia australis seagrass meadows
of the Manning-Hawkesbury
ecoregion
Date listed: May 2015
Category: Endangered
Location: The ecological community is found in a
limited number of estuaries and around islands along
the New South Wales coastline between Wallis Lake
and Port Hacking within the Manning Shelf and
Hawkesbury Shelf bioregions. The ecological
community is known to occur at Wallis Lake,
Broughton Island, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie,
Brisbane Water, Hawkesbury River, Pittwater, Port
Jackson (Sydney Harbour), Botany Bay and Port
Hacking.
Descriptive features: The ecological community is the
collection of plants, animals and micro-organisms
associated with seagrass meadows dominated by
Posidonia australis.
The ecological community is an important driver of
fisheries productivity and estuarine biodiversity. The
Posidonia seagrass provides a surface for other plants
(as epiphytes) and animals (as epifauna) to grow on
and which become a source of food for larger animals.
It provides refuge, nursery habitat and feeding grounds
for some important animals including Manly’s
endangered population of little penguins; the protected
Weedy seadragon © Department of the Environment
weedy seadragon; and commercially and recreationally
important fish species such as yellow bream, black
bream, sea mullet, luderick, fanbelly leather jacket, sixspine leatherjacket and yellowfin leatherjacket.
Key threats: The ecological community has suffered
substantial damage in the past, largely associated with
the direct loss and degradation of Posidonia australis
meadows.
A range of threats is ongoing and interacting in
complex ways to reduce the integrity and function
of the Posidonia seagrass meadows including:
coastal development, dredging, boat mooring and
other boating related activities, catchment
disturbance and pollution and climate change.
Other features: The ecological community protects
water quality by filtering the water, removing and
recycling nutrients; and stabilises sediment on the
seabed, preventing large scale sand movement. The
ecological community is an important carbon sink,
capturing and storing carbon through photosynthesis
and by trapping particles in the water. Seagrass debris
may be transported well beyond the range of the
meadow and subsequently provides food and shelter to
animals and microorganisms in other environments as
well as contributing to the stability of beach sediments.
Further information: www.environment.gov.au/cgibin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=127&stat
us=Critically+Endangered
Little penguin © Brian Furby Collection
Technical workshops
Technical workshops are often an important step in the Australian Government’s assessment of nominations to list
nationally threatened ecological communities. Workshops bring together key scientific experts, land managers and other
community experts to provide advice on a nominated ecological community. This allows for robust discussion of
complex definitional issues and testing at field sites. They enhance the outcomes of nomination assessments and help
ensure community engagement.
Banksia Dominated Woodlands of the
Swan Coastal Plain Bioregion
A public nomination for the Banksia Dominated
Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain Bioregion was
placed on the Finalised Priority Assessment List
(FPAL) in 2012. It is currently being assessed by the
Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the
Committee) for listing on the national list of threatened
ecological communities. The community has
undergone significant decline due to the impact of
ongoing threats. These threats include clearing and
fragmentation, weed invasion, hydrological changes,
climate change and changes in fire regimes.
This assessment investigates banksia woodlands across
the entire Swan Coastal Plain, spanning from Jurien
Bay north of Perth down to the Busselton region south
of Perth. As part of the assessment, a workshop was
held in Perth during June 2014. The workshop included
site visits to a range of example woodlands. Site visits
explored common characteristics of the ecological
community, variation between sites and the different
levels of condition—from degraded to pristine.
Participants at the workshop agreed that, while banksia
woodlands across the Swan Coastal Plain shared
common characteristics, they also featured variation
(e.g. floristic composition) due to the complexity of the
landscape. From the outcomes of this engagement and
additional information gathering, the Committee
continues to consider appropriate scales for this
assessment.
The community is principally defined as an upper
sclerophyllous layer of large shrubs and small trees.
These are commonly dominated or co-dominated by
Banksia attenuata (candlestick banksia) and/or B.
menziesii (firewood banksia), but other Banksia species
Banksia Dominated Woodland on the Swan Coastal Plain
Bioregion © Department of Environment
may dominate. It is estimated that the extent of the
woodlands has declined by at least 70% since
European settlement. Such declines have been
observed in the nearby Eucalypt Woodlands of the
Western Australian Wheatbelt. These examples
highlight the need for protection of threatened
ecological communities in this region.
The Threatened Species Scientific Committee will
finalise its assessment and provide its recommendation
on listing to the Minister during 2015. The Minister’s
listing decision will follow shortly after. To keep up to
date with the assessment, or to provide any relevant
information, please contact us at
epbc.nominations@environment.gov.au
Poplar/Bimble Box Grassy
Woodland on Alluvial Plains
The Poplar/Bimble Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial
Plains was nominated and accepted on the 2013
Finalised Priority Assessment List. In February 2015, a
two day technical workshop was held in Toowoomba.
The workshop brought together woodland and
grassland experts whose expertise ranged across the
national extent of the ecological community.
Poplar box grassy woodlands are very wide-ranging,
but heavily cleared, through Queensland and NSW.
The woodlands occur from south of Charters Towers
and west of Ipswich in Queensland to north of Leeton
and east of Cobar in NSW. They occur on alluvial soils
particularly clay, clay-loam, loam and sandy loams, but
are absent on sandy, sodic soils and siliceous
substrates. With decreasing soil fertility and increasing
topographic relief, the poplar box grassy woodlands are
replaced by shrubbier types of box woodland and
ironbark/cypress pine communities. Such communities
characterise much of the less fertile parts of the
landscape.
Owing to the productive nature of the soils they grow
on, much of the grassy box woodlands have been
historically impacted by clearance for agriculture and
pasture improvements. In addition to remaining patches
of grassy woodlands being heavily fragmented, the
woodlands are being impacted by many other threats.
These include weed invasion (particularly buffel grass
in Queensland), inappropriate fire regimes, along with
increasing salinity and hydrological changes.
The depth of Calostemma luteum at St Ruths Reserve
knowledge
Jondaryan © Rosemary Purdie
and
experience offered by the workshop participants
provided an immensely valuable underpinning to the
scientific assessment of this ecological community
under the EPBC Act. The assessment of the
Poplar/Bimble Box Grassy Woodlands on Alluvial
Plains for potential listing, as a threatened ecological
The ecological community is an assemblage of
organisms associated with the dominant canopy species
poplar/bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea). The ground
layer can vary in composition depending on hydrology,
landscape position and season. It is typically open, low
and dominated by a variety of grasses and herbs. In
some locations during dry periods, grass and
herbaceous species may decrease, allowing other
understorey species such as chenopods to dominate. In
more moist sites and seasons, sedges, rushes and ferns,
such as Marsilea drummondii (nardoo) may become
more prominent.
Poplar box trees are a significant hollow forming tree,
and are important for providing habitat for a diverse
range of native fauna. The grass layers of the poplar
box woodlands provide protection for fauna such as
narrow-nosed planigale and fat-tailed dunnart. The
woodlands are essential habitat for rare and threatened
fauna such as the square-tailed kite, lesser long-eared
bat, bridled nail-tail wallaby and koalas.
community under the EPBC Act, is due for completion
by 31 October 2015.
What happens to a nomination?
Background
Each year the Department will open a public
nomination period to allow for the submission of
ecological communities, species and key threatening
processes for listing or delisting consideration under
the EPBC Act (or the transfer from one threatened
category to another). The Minister may determine a
conservation theme and invite nominations which
reflect this theme.
The Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC)
may also submit its own nominations against the
assessment criteria. Such examples include those which
have been identified in strategic work or contribute to
state alignment.
The nomination period is open for no less than 40
business days (typically opening in December), as per
the requirements of the EPBC Act. The most recent
nomination period closed on Thursday 26 March 2015.
The conservation advice including a recommendation
on listing category is supplied to the Minister to
determine a final listing decision.
Importantly, items on the FPAL are not guaranteed
final listing under the EPBC Act. It is the subsequent
conservation advice and the Minister’s decision which
determines the final listing category, if any.
For further information regarding nominating a species,
ecological community or key threatening process under
the EPBC Act, please see:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened
/nominations
Items on the 2015 FPAL will be announced prior to 1
October 2015. To see other items currently under
assessment please see:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened
/assessments/fpal
Next steps for a nomination
Once the nomination period has closed, the TSSC will
consider all nominations. All nominations must first
contain a minimum amount of information, as specified
in the EPBC Act regulations, to be considered. These
nominations are then evaluated against criteria that
ensure a fairly weighted process to successfully accept
and prioritise nominations. These consider factors such
as threat, existing protection and available information.
Once each of the nominations has been evaluated, a
proposed priority assessment list (PPAL) is prepared
for the Minister to consider.
During this time the Minister has a statutory timeframe
of 20 business days in which to consider the PPAL.
This process sees the Minister make a determination
for the nominations to be included on the Final Priority
Assessment List (FPAL) for the upcoming assessment
period. For items which make the FPAL, assessments
will commence from October 1 and are bound by their
assessment completion timeframes listed on the FPAL.
Items on the FPAL are subject to robust assessment by
the TSSC against a clear set of criteria.
Banksia spinulosa in Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and
Agnes Banks © Department of the Environment
Conferences and events in 2015
The 8th Making Cities Liveable Conference
Melbourne, Victoria
6-7 July 2015
www.healthycities.com.au
Who’s who in the Ecological
Communities Section
Director:
Matt White
Australian Mammal Society Scientific Meeting
Hobart, Tasmania
6–10 July 2015
www.australianmammals.org.au/events/5_ams_confere
nce_2015
Assistant Directors:
Justin Billing
Ann Holden
John Vranjic
The 18th International River Symposium
Brisbane, Queensland
21–24 September 2015
www.riversymposium.com
Project Officers:
Paul Barraclough
Mark Bourne
Andrew Chalklen
Anthony Hoffman
Trudy O’Connor
Jesse Mahoney
2015 NSW Environmental Education Conference
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
29– 30 October 2015
www.nsweeconference.org.au
2015 EIANZ Annual Conference
Perth, Western Australia
29-30 October 2015
www.eianz.org
Media Enquiries
Please direct all media enquiries to
media@environment.gov.au
Ecological Society of Australia 2015 Annual
Conference
Adelaide, South Australia
29 November – 3 December 2015
www.ecolsoc.org.au
Australasian Systematic Botany Society Inc.
Conference
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
29 November – 3 December 2015
www.asbs.org.au/cbr2015
© Commonwealth of Australia, 2015.
This newsletter is licensed by Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment.
Covers: Banksia © Department of the Environment (front cover)