Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Notice of Final Determination (1999-716) [GG No 144 of 24.12.1999, p 12389] (NSW)

1999 No 716

Threatened Species Conservation Act
1995 No 101 New South Wales

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:

Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (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.

Published in Gazette No 144 of 24 December 1999, page 12389	Page 1
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1999 No 716
Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination
Signed at Sydney, this 3rd day of December 1999.
Assoc. Prof. Paul Adam
Deputy Chairperson Scientific Committee
Annexure “A”

Schedule 1 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995

to the is amended by in the final determination of the Scientific Committee to list the ecological community)

inserting in Part 3 in alphabetical order the matter:
Annexure “B”

Final Determination of the Scientific Committee to list the Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion as an endangered ecological community.

Annexure “B”

NSW SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Final Determination

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion as an ENDANGERED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY on Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act. The listing of Endangered Ecological Communities is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

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1999 No 716

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1.      The Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland is the name given to the plant community from the local government areas of Wollongong City, Shellharbour City, and Kiama Municipality (within the Sydney Basin Bioregion) that is characterised by the following assemblage of species:

Acacia falcata	Dianella revoluta	Kennedia rubicunda
Acacia implexa	Dichondra repens	Lepidosperma laterale
Acacia maidenii	Dodonaea viscosa var angustifolia	Leucopogon juniperinum
Acacia mearnsii	Echinopogon caespitosus	Lomandra filiformis
Acacia stricta	Echinepogon ovatus	Lomandra multiflora
Allocasuarina littoralis	Entolasia stricta	Melaleuca decora
Angophora floribunda	Eragrostis sp.	Melaleuca styphelioides
Aristida ramosa	Eucalyptus amplifolia	Microlaena stipoides
Aristida vagans	Eucalyptus bosistoana	Oplismenus aemulus
Athropodium milleflorum	Eucalyptus botryoides	Oplismenus imbecillis
Boronia polygalifolia	Eucalyptus botryoides/saligna	Panicum sp.
Bothriochloa macra	Eucalyptus eugenioides	Parsonsia straminea
Brachychiton populneus	Eucalyptus longifolia	Plectranthus parviflorus
Brunoniella pumilio	Eucalyptus pilularis	Poa labillardieri
Bursaria spinosa	Eucalyptus tereticornis	Pratia purpurascens
Callistemon salignus	Gahnia radula	Pultenaea retusa
Carex longebrachiata	Geitonoplesium cymosum	Pultenaea villosa
Cheilanthes sieberi	Geranium solanderi	Rubus parvifolius
Citriobatus pauciflorus	Glycine sp.	Stellaria flaccida
Commelina cyanea	Goodenia hederacea subsp hederacea	Themeda australis
Cymbopogon refractus	Hardenbergia violacea	Tricoryne elatior
Daviesia genistifolia	Hibbertia aspera	Veronica calycina
Daviesia ulicifolia	Hypericum gramineum	Wahlenbergia sp.
Desmodium rhytidophyllum	Hypoxis hygrometrica
Desmodium varians	Jacksonia scoparia

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1999 No 716

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination

2.      The total species list of the community is considerably larger than that given in 1 (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 1 may be present. At any one time, seeds of some species may only be present in the soil seed bank 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.

3.      Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland has been recorded from the local government areas of Wollongong City, Shellharbour City and Kiama Municipality (within the Sydney Basin Bioregion).

4.      Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland includes the Yallah Woodland and Mills’ (1997) communities of the Floodplains, communities of the Ridges and Slopes (Dry communities) and communities of the lower escarpment (Moist communities), but does not include Floodplain Communities dominated by Casuarina species or rainforest on latite soils.

5.      Characteristic tree species in the Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland are Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus eugenioides, Eucalyptus longifolia, Eucalyptus bosistoana and Melaleuca decora.

6.      Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland occurs on relatively gently sloping to undulating lands less than about 200 m elevation on Berry Siltstone, Budgong Sandstone and Quaternary alluvium.

7.      Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland provides habitat for the endangered orchid Pterostylis gibbosa.

8.      No areas of Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland are presently included in formal conservation reserves though some occur in small council reserves including Blackbutt Reserve and Croome Road Reserve in Shellharbour.

9.      Large areas of Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland have been cleared. Most remnants are small and fragmented and their long term viability is threatened. Some remnants consist of regrowth after clearing or other disturbances. Identified threats include further clearing, grazing, weed invasion, selective logging, rubbish dumping, housing and hobby farm developments and physical damage from recreational activities.

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1999 No 716

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101—Final Determination

10.    In view of the small size of existing remnants, the threat of further clearing and other threatening processes, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion is likely to become extinct in nature unless factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate and that listing as an endangered ecological community is warranted.

Dr Chris Dickman
Chairperson
Scientific Committee

Reference: Kevin Mills & Associates (1997) Ecological Study Figtree Estate and Forest Red Gum Communities of the Illawarra Coastal Plain. (prepared for Stockland Trust Group Ltd Sydney).

BY AUTHORITY

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