Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 2026

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 2026

made under section 184 of the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Compilation No. 1

Compilation date: 22 April 2026

Includes amendments: by editorial change

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 2026 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 22 April 2026 (the compilation date).

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

The effect of uncommenced amendments is not shown in the text of the compiled law. The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Register (www.legislation.gov.au).

Application, saving and transitional provisions

If the operation of a provision or amendment of the compiled law is affected by an application, saving or transitional provision that is not included in this compilation, details are included in the endnotes.

Editorial changes

For more information about any editorial changes made in this compilation, see the endnotes.

Presentational changes

The Legislation Act 2003 provides for First Parliamentary Counsel to make presentational changes to a compilation. Presentational changes are applied to give a more consistent look and feel to legislation published on the Register, and enable the user to more easily navigate those documents.

Modifications

If the compiled law is modified by another law, the compiled law operates as modified but the modification does not amend the text of the law. Accordingly, this compilation does not show the text of the compiled law as modified. Any modifications affecting the law are accessible on the Register.

Self‑repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

Contents

1 Name

2 Commencement

3 Authority

4 Schedules

Schedule 1—Amendments

Declaration under s178, s181, and s183 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - List of threatened species, List of threatened ecological communities and List of threatening processes

Schedule 2—Description of ecological community

Endnotes

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Endnote 5—Editorial changes

1  Name

  This instrument is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 2026

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 184 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

4  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in Schedule 1 to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in Schedule 1 to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Declaration under s178, s181, and s183 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - List of threatened species, List of threatened ecological communities and List of threatening processes

1  In the appropriate position under the category heading “ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED”

Insert the following ecological community:

 (a) Illawarra-Shoalhaven shrublands on volcanic outcrops

Schedule 2—Description of ecological community

Illawarra-Shoalhaven shrublands on volcanic outcrops 

The ecological community is the assemblage of plants, animals and other organisms associated with and dependent upon, a type of dense (at times patchy) shrubland typically dominated by Melaleuca armillaris (bracelet honey-myrtle) or Kunzea ambigua (tick bush). Acacia spp. (wattle) and Platysace lanceolata (shrubby platysace) can dominate or co-dominate the canopy in certain locations, particularly after disturbance events such as fire.

Illawarra-Shoalhaven shrublands on volcanic outcrops occur from south of Wollongong to north of Bateman’s Bay and is restricted to exposures of igneous rocky outcrops with shallow soils, typically associated with Bumbo Latite and Milton Monzonite but may occur on other igneous substrates such as Termeil Essexite. It mostly occurs on ridgetops, hills, benches and slopes between the coastal escarpment (the Great Eastern Escarpment) and the sea. Rocky outcrops can also support moist areas, for example, near creeks or where soils are less skeletal, where rocks provide protection and the shrub canopy is dense.

The diversity within the shrub layer varies but can include other shrub and small tree species such as Acacia mearnsii (black wattle), A. parramattensis (Parramatta wattle), A. parvipinnula (silver-stemmed wattle), Indigofera australis (Australian indigo) and Notelaea venosa (smooth mock-olive). Trees can occur as sparse or scattered emergents or on the margins of the ecological community and may include Acacia implexa (hickory wattle), Alphitonia excelsa (red ash), Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum) and Pittosporum undulatum (sweet pittosporum).

The understorey supports greater floristic diversity and can vary from shrubby to grassy. A low shrub layer typically includes Styphelia sieberi (long-flower beard-heath) as a sub-dominant species. Other species may include Breynia oblongifolia (coffee bush), Coleus graveolens (fragrant spur-flower), Hibiscus heterophyllus subsp. heterophyllus (native rosella), Indigofera australis (Australian indigo), Prostanthera nivea (snowy mint-bush), Solanum celatum, S. vescum (gunyang, green kangaroo apple), Phyllanthus gunnii (scrubby spurge) P. parviflorus (cockspur flower) and Zieria granulata (Illawarra zieria).

Herbaceous species may include Calandrinia pickeringii (pink purslane), Commelina cyanea (scurvy weed), Crassula sieberana (austral stonecrop), Euchiton japonicus (clustered/creeping cudweed), Pelargonium inodorum (kapota), Scaevola aemula (fairy fanflower), Veronica plebeia (trailing speedwell), Xerochrysum bracteatum (golden everlasting) and Irenepharsus trypherus (Illawarra Irene). Orchids and lilies may occur, such as Arthropodium minus (small vanilla-lily), Caesia parviflora (pale grass-lily), Caladenia tessellata (thick-lipped spider orchid), Calochilus pulchellus (pretty beard orchid), Dianella longifolia (flax lily) and Geitonoplesium cymosum (scrambling lily).

Grasses can occur particularly where the shrub canopy is less dense. Ferns may be present, such as Asplenium flabellifolium (necklace fern), Cheilanthes distans (bristly cloak fern), C. sieberi (mulga fern) and Pellaea falcata (sickle fern). Moist areas of the ecological community can include mosses and sundews. Twining species may be present in the understorey and/or canopy.

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

Endnotes

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

The endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.

The following endnotes are included in every compilation:

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Abbreviation key—Endnote 2

The abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.

Legislation history and amendment history—Endnotes 3 and 4

Amending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.

The legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.

The amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.

Editorial changes

The Legislation Act 2003 authorises First Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial and presentational changes to a compiled law in preparing a compilation of the law for registration. The changes must not change the effect of the law. Editorial changes take effect from the compilation registration date.

If the compilation includes editorial changes, the endnotes include a brief outline of the changes in general terms. Full details of any changes can be obtained from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Misdescribed amendments

A misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe how an amendment is to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, then the misdescribed amendment can be incorporated through an editorial change made under section 15V of the Legislation Act 2003.

If a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the amendment is not incorporated and “(md not incorp)” is added to the amendment history.

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Endnote 5—Editorial changes

In preparing this compilation for registration, the following kinds of editorial change(s) were made under the Legislation Act 2003.

Section 1

Kind of editorial change

Correct a typographical error

Details of editorial change

Section 1 refers to the name of the instrument as the “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 20266”. The year should be “2026”.

This compilation was editorially changed to omit “20266” and substitute “2026” in section 1 to correct the typographical error.