Commonwealth of Australia

Amendment to the list of threatened species, threatened ecological communities and key threatening processes under sections 178, 181 and 183 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC153)

I, SUSSAN LEY, Minister for the Environment, pursuant to paragraph 184(1)(a) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby amend the list referred to in section 181 of that Act by:

including in the list in the critically endangered category

Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) Woodlands and Forests of the Swan Coastal Plain ecological community

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

Dated this…..........24th............................day of….............June...............................2019

SUSSAN LEY

Minister for the Environment

SCHEDULE

Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) Woodlands and Forests of the Swan Coastal Plain

Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) Woodlands and Forests of the Swan Coastal Plain ecological community occurs in south west Western Australia.  It occurs in the Swan Coastal Plain (SWA) bioregion (Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia, IBRA, Version 7).  

The ecological community is known to occur from near Jurien in the north of the Swan Coastal Plain, to the Sabina River, near Busselton in the south. The ecological community is strongly associated with calcareous soils of the western part of the plain, including those very close to the coast. While it mainly occurs where soils are sandy and well drained, particularly on the Spearwood and Quindalup dune systems, it can also occur in other areas such as on protected swales, saline and freshwater wetlands, close to river banks and on limestone slopes.

The primary defining feature of the ecological community is the presence of Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Tuart), or hybrids of Tuart, in the uppermost canopy. Various other tree species may co-occur with Tuart. The ecological community varies in structure, with variable height and canopy closure across its range. Thus it can occur in a variety of forms, most commonly open forest, woodland and open woodland, but can also include other forms such as various mallee structural formations. Amongst the other tree species commonly found in the ecological community are Agonis flexuosa (Peppermint) and Banksia grandis (Bull Banksia) (both in the southern part of the range), Banksia attenuata (Candlestick Banksia), Eucalyptus marginata (Jarrah); and less commonly, Corymbia calophylla (Marri), Banksia menziesii (Firewood Banksia) and Banksia prionotes (Acorn Banksia).

An understorey of native plants, which may include grasses, herbs and shrubs is typically present, although this varies substantially with location and is often modified by disturbance. The ecological community co-exists and sometimes overlaps with some other listed threatened ecological communities.

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