Specified Protected Matters Impact Profiles (Including Risk Assessment)
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Appendix F Specified Protected Matters impact profiles (including risk assessment) Roads and Maritime Services EPBC Act Strategic Assessment – Strategic Assessment Report 1. FA1 - Wetland-dependent fauna Species included (common name, scientific name) Listing SPRAT ID Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) Endangered 1001 Oxleyan Pygmy Perch (Nannoperca oxleyana) Endangered 64468 Blue Mountains Water Skink (Eulamprus leuraensis) Endangered 59199 Yellow-spotted Tree Frog/Yellow-spotted Bell Frog (Litoria castanea) Endangered 1848 Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australicus) Vulnerable 1973 Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis) Endangered 1844 Littlejohns Tree Frog (Litoria littlejohni) Vulnerable 64733 1.1 Wetland-dependent fauna description Item Summary Description Found in the waters, riparian vegetation and associated wetland vegetation of a diversity of freshwater wetland habitats. B. poiciloptilus is a large, stocky, thick-necked heron-like bird with camouflage-like plumage growing up to 66-76 cm with a wingspan of 1050-1180 cm and feeds on freshwater crustacean, fish, insects, snakes, leaves and fruit. N. oxleyana is light brown to olive coloured freshwater fish with mottling and three to four patchy, dark brown bars extending from head to tail and a whitish belly growing up to 35-60 mm. This is a mobile species that is often observed individually or in pairs and sometimes in small groups but does not form schools and feed on aquatic insects and their larvae (Allen, 1989; McDowall, 1996). E. leuraensis is an insectivorous, medium-sized lizard growing to approximately 20 cm in length. This species has a relatively dark brown/black body when compared to other Eulamprus spp. Also has narrow yellow/bronze to white stripes along its length to beginning of the tail and continuing along the tail as a series of spots (LeBreton, 1996; Cogger, 2000). L. castanea is a frog species with large yellow or cream spots in the groin area and pale yellow spots/marbling on the lower hind limbs growing to 80 mm (Cogger, 2000). H. australiacus is a rotund frog with muscular forearms and hindlimbs ranging in colour from steely blue-grey to dark chocolate brown. This species grows to approximately 95 mm with varying degrees of white/yellowish spots on the sides and white below (Cogger, 2000). This frog mostly consumes ground dwelling invertebrates with the occasional aerial invertebrate (Webb, 1987; Penman, et al., 2005). L. booroolongensis is a medium-sized tree frog growing up to 55 mm. Body colour may be dull grey, olive or reddish brown and may be uniform or consist of indistinct black markings and salmon-coloured flecks. The abdomen is white (Moore, 1961; Barker, et al., 1995). This species is a generalist benthic grazer of arthropods and probably algae and other organic detritus (Hunter, 2013). L. littlejohni has a broad head, is greyish-brown above with many darker spots and flecks and a cream to pink belly and can grow up to 60 mm (Cogger, 2000). Tadpoles have been observed feeding on vegetation, sediment and surface matter while adults presumably eat invertebrates (Hero, et al., 2002). Distribution and habitat B. poiciloptilus occurs from south-east Queensland to south-east South Australia, Tasmania and the south- west of Western Australia. In New South Wales (NSW), it is frequently recorded in the Murray-Darling Basin (Marchant & Higgins, 1990). This is a solitary bird but occasionally found in pairs or dispersed aggregates of up to 12 individuals occurring in permanent and seasonal freshwater wetlands and rarely in estuarine habitats. It favours freshwater wetlands with tall, dense vegetation, where it forages in still and shallow water up to 30 cm deep (Marchant & Higgins, 1990). N. oxleyana has restricted and patchy distribution in approximately 20 coastal localities in Queensland and 25-30 localities in northern NSW (Arthington & Hughes, 1996). Characteristically found in coastal wallum heathlands but have also been recorded in intermediate Eucalypt forest/heath communities, rainforest/Melaleuca swamps and amongst estuarine salt rushes (Harrison & Howland, 1998; NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), 2005). E. leuraensis is restricted to the areas of the Blue Mountains and Newnes Plateau in NSW (Swan, 1990) where it lives in high elevation habitats from 560 m and restricted to isolated naturally fragmented habitats of permanent sedge and shrub hanging swamps (Wells & Wellington, 1984). L. castanea has relatively restricted distribution centred around Guyra on the New England Tableland in Roads and Maritime Services Appendix F – Specified Protected Matters impact profiles (including risk assessment) FA1 1 Item Summary NSW at altitudes between 1000-1500 m (White & Ehmann, 1997). Primarily occupies permanent ponds, swamps, lagoons, farm dams and the still backwaters of rivers usually where tall reeds are present. Also found in ponds or slow moving streams with overhanging grassy banks and overwintering in hollow centres of rotting logs and in earth surrounding the roots of uprooted trees (Courtice & Grigg, 1975; White & Ehmann, 1997). H. australiacus is confined to the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and coastal regions from near Mouth Coridudgy and Kings Cross in Wollemi National Park (Penman, et al., 2005). Appears to be dependent on areas of native vegetation with strong aversion to cleared habitats with most breeding records occurring in dry sclerophyll forests and wet habitats (Gillespie, 1990; Penman, et al., 2004). L. booroolongensis is known to occur in 28 populations throughout the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, Central West, Namoi, Hunter and Manning catchment areas (Hunter, 2013). This species occurs along permanent streams with some fringing vegetation cover such as ferns, sedges or grasses (Robinson, 1993; Anstis, 2002). Requires extensive rock bank structures along water courses (Gillespie, 1999; Hunter & Smith, 2006). L. littlejohni is confined to eastern New South Wales and north-east Victoria with a large distribution but few records throughout (Hero, et al., 2002). Known to inhabit forest, coastal woodland and heath from 100 to 950 m above sea level (asl) (White & Ehmann, 1997). Breeding habitat requirements vary from rocky streams, semi-permanent dams, still water in dams, ditches, isolated pools, flooded hollows, dam creeks and lagoons (Hero, et al., 1991; Barker, et al., 1995). Life history B. poiciloptilus breeds in single solitary pairs generally from October to February but is likely to breed when the plains are inundated by floodwaters. Nests are flat constructs of pieces of reeds measuring about 35-40 cm in diameter and 20-22 cm thick typically in stands of Phragmites sp., Typha sp. or rushes up to 2.5 m tall (Marchant & Higgins, 1990). B. poiciloptus is considered sedentary in permanent habitats but may potentially exercise short migrations during winter or wetter years (Department of the Environment (DoE), 2012). N. oxleyana usually spawn between September/October to December or through to April/May depending on geographic locations. Eggs of the N. oxleyana are adhesive and demersal, sinking and sticking to aquatic vegetation or substrates but little else is known about the reproductive biology of this species (Arthington & Hughes, 1996). N. oxleyana have been known to rely on floods to intermittently connect waterbodies for overland dispersal (Knight, 2000). Breeding season for E. leuraensis is likely to be between September and October with young born in December (LeBreton, 1996). This species is ovoviviparous but no specific information on the habitat requirements during breeding season is available (Department of the Environment (DoE), 2012). E. leuraensis may be active during the warmer months but hibernate during the winter months (LeBreton, 1996). Little is known about the life cycle of L. castanea but has been suggested to be similar to L. aurea and L. raniformis (Department of the Environment (DoE), 2012). Mating calls of H. australiacus are commonly heard in late summer or autumn following heavy rains (Penman, et al., 2004). Mating occurs in ephemeral pools, slow or standing water with foamy egg deposits in standing or flowing water concealed in vegetation or in burrows some distance from foraging areas (Watson & Martin, 1973; Mahony, 1993; Penman, et al., 2004). H. australiacus spend significant period of time underground during unfavourable conditions and during the day but can move 200-300 m a night during period of rain and on nights with low wind and high humidity (Penman, et al., 2006; Department of the Environment (DoE), 2012). Mating calls of L. booroolongensis occur in August preceding breeding in spring and early summer. Eggs are laid in large numbers in submerged rock crevices (Anstis, 2002). L. booroolongensis is a relatively sedentary frog with maximum movements of up to 300 m (Department of the Environment (DoE), 2012). Calling activity of the L. littlejohni has been reported to occur at any time of the year except mid-winter (White, et al., 1994). Clusters of eggs are attached to submerged twigs, stems or branches often near the banks of still pools in clear, slowly flowing streams (Anstis, 2002). Key threats Habitat loss, degradation due to drainage, infill, vegetation clearing, urban development. Cattle grazing. Water quality changes and sedimentation (particular to N. oxleyana which prefer a pH range of 5.9-7.2). Headwater erosion. Barriers to fish passage preventing dispersal. Introduced species including Eastern