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Flora and Fauna of Wollongong Campus

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Flora and Fauna of Wollongong Campus Flora and Fauna of Wollongong Campus University of Wollongong Facilities Management Division Prepared by Alison Scobie Environmental Officer, Facilities Management Division Assistance from Mark Haining, Landscape Supervisor, Anthony Wardle Landscape Horticulture and Fauna, Aaron McGrath and Melanie Foster, Landscape Team Leader, Facilities Management Division Approved by: David Low Senior Manager Environment, Facilities Management Division Contents 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Background .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 3.0 Fauna Species........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Bird species .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Table 3.1 Bird species .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Amphibian species ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Table 3.2: Amphibian species ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Reptile species ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Table 3.3: Reptile species ............................................................................................................................................................. 9 3.4 Mammal species ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Table 3.4: Mammal species ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 3.5 Fish and crustacean species .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 3.5: Fish and crustacean species........................................................................................................................................ 11 3.6 Introduced and pest fauna species .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 3.6: Introduced and pest fauna species .............................................................................................................................. 11 3.7 Threatened fauna species (known to occur on site) ................................................................................................................ 13 Table 3.7: Threatened fauna species (known to occur on site) .................................................................................................... 13 3.8 Threatened fauna species (that potentially occur or visit the site) .......................................................................................... 15 Table 3.8: Threatened fauna species (that potentially occur or visit the site) .............................................................................. 15 4.0 Flora Species .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Native flora species ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Table 4.1 Native flora species............................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Threatened flora species ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 4.3 Threatened flora species ............................................................................................................................................... 33 4.3 Weed and introduced flora species ......................................................................................................................................... 33 4.3 Weed and introduced flora species ............................................................................................................................... 33 5.0 References .............................................................................................................................................................................. 39 2 | FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE WOLLONGONG CAMPUS 1.0 Introduction Wollongong Campus occupies a site of 82.4 hectares beside the escarpment of Mount Keira. The campus now occupies what was once a cleared farm. Before it was cleared for farming it would have contained rainforest as well as moist and dry sclerophyll forest. When the University first commenced building on the site in 1962 there was very little vegetation present. Existing vegetation was located in the riparian corridors and on the escarpment as well as a few isolated trees. In the 1970s the University commenced transforming the site by planting local native species. Approximately 50,000 trees and shrubs have been planted on campus since 1975. Ponds and water features have also been built. The campus has two management zones: Landscaped areas and Natural areas refer to Figure 1. The landscaped areas are located within the built areas of the campus and contain lawns, sport fields as well as the managed gardens. The natural areas are the riparian corridors and the escarpment lands that contain the remnant vegetation that was present onsite before the University was built. Figure 1 Campus Landscape Management Zones (red shading natural areas, blue shading landscaped areas) This document outlines the flora and fauna species that are known or potentially occur on the Wollongong Campus and associated habitat information and threatening processes. This document should be considered as a starting point for understanding biodiversity and ecological values and 3 | FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE WOLLONGONG CAMPUS issues on the campus. It has been prepared based on desktop review and should not be used as the sole basis for decision making. 2.0 Background Biodiversity conservation and protection is outlined in National and State level legislation and a range of policies, plans and agreements exist at all levels of government. The following summary has been prepared to provide context to the status of the species listed in Section 3 and 4 of this document. At a national level is the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) outlines approval and assessment requirements for activities that impact on matters of national environmental significance. These matters include threatened species and endangered communities, migratory species listed in international agreements (JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA) as well as places such as World Heritage Places and Marine Areas. At a state level the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) and the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act) identify threatened species, communities and populations, critical habitat. This legislation also outlines mechanisms for managing and protecting them such as recovery plans, priority action statements and threat abatement plans. Key Threatening Processes (KTPs) are also listed. Threatened species and community listings in NSW and the Commonwealth are based on the best practice standard developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as used to create the Red List of Threatened Species, with some amendments to suit the Australian context using IUCN criteria. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. It is also important to note that all native flora and fauna is protected under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act). The Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity, or IGAB, (Council of Australian Governments 2012) is an agreement between the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments (with the exception of Tasmania) that aims to improve shared management of risks posed by pests and diseases entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Australia. The Australian Pest Animal Strategy 2017 -2027 and the Australian Weeds Strategy 2017-2027 outline the framework for managing weeds and pests in Australia. In NSW weeds and pest animals are managed under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015. A biosecurity risk exists where weed or pest has the potential to negatively impact on agriculture, industry, the liveability of our city, human health or the environment. Landowners or land managers have a general biosecurity duty to prevent,
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