Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Notice of Final Determination (1998-704) [GG No 176 of 18.12.1998, p 9815] (NSW)

1998 No 704

New South Wales

THREATENED SPECIES CONSERVATION ACT 1995 No 101

Notice of Final Determination and Amendment of Schedule 1 to Act The Scientific Committee established under the Threatened Species

Conservation Act 1995 has, in pursuance of Division 3 of Part 2 of that Act,

made a final determination to insert the following ecological community in Part 3 of Schedule 1 to that Act (Endangered ecological communities) and, accordingly, that Schedule is amended as set out in Annexure "A" to this Notice:

O’Hares Creek Shale Forest (as described in the final determination of the
Scientific Committee to list the ecological community)

The final determination, set out in Annexure "B" to this Notice, to insert this ecological community in Part 3 of Schedule 1 has been made because the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the community is likely to become extinct in nature in New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate. Copies of the final determination may be inspected at:

The Information Centre (Level 1)
National Parks & Wildlife Service
43 Bridge Street

HURSTVILLE NSW 2220

and at all District Offices of the National Parks and Wildlife Service during

business hours.

Signed at Sydney, this 8th day of December 1998.

Dr Chris Dickman

Chairperson

Scientific Committee

Annexure “A”

Schedule 1 to the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 is amended by
inserting in Part 3 in alphabetical order the matter:
O’Hares Creek Shale Forest (as described in the final determination of the

Scientific Committee to list the ecological community)

Published in Gazette No 176 of 18 December 1998, page 9815 page 1

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination

Annexure “B”
NSW SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

The Scientific Committee established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act has made a Final Determination to list the O’Hares Creek Shale Forest Community, as an ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY on Schedule 1 Part 3 of the Act. The listing of endangered ecological communities is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. The O’Hares Creek Shale Forest Community (OHSFC) is the plant community that occurs on deep, well drained red loam on small outcrops of Hawkesbury shale in the Darkes Forest area on the Woronora Plateau within Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Wollongong Council areas.

2.         OHSFC occurs on flat ridgetops and adjacent slopes.

3.         OHSFC is characterised by the following assemblage of vascular plant species

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination

4.         The total species list of the community is considerably larger than that given in 3 (above), with many species present in only one or two sites or in very small quantity. In any particular site not all of the assemblage listed in 3 may be present. Locations on the Darkes Forest Ridge typically have a more mesic understorey than those on smaller shale outcrops further west. At any one time, seeds of some species may only be present in the soil seedbank with no above ground individuals present. The species composition of the site will be influenced by the size of the site and by its recent disturbance history. The number of species and the above ground composition of species will change with time since fire, and may also change in response to changes in fire frequency.

5 .         Approximately half of the original extent of OHCSF has been cleared for agriculture or mining and only small remnant patches remain, totalling less than 200 ha. Only a small area occurs within conservation reserves (some 20-30 ha in Dharawal Nature Reserve and State Recreation Area) and this reserved proportion does not cover the range of floristic variation in the community.

6 .        OHCSF is threatened by degradation of remaining stands, including weed invasion, high fire frequency, disturbance associated with illegal wood cutting and off-road vehicle use, and the possibility of further clearing.

7.         The Scientific Committee noted that general Information on the O’Hares Creek Shale Forest Community is contained in: Keith. D. (1994) Floristics, structure and diversity of natural vegetation in the O’Hares Creek catchment south of Sydney. Cunninghamia 3 (3):543-594.

8.          In view of 5 and 6. the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that

O’Hares Creek Shale Forest Community is likely to become extinct in nature i n New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate and that the community is eligible for listing as an endangered ecological community

Dr Chris Dickman
Chairperson
Scientific Committee