Amendment to the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC145) (Cth)

Commonwealth of Australia

Amendment to the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC145)

I, SUSSAN LEY, Minister for the Environment, pursuant to paragraph 184(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 of threatened ecological communities in the critically endangered category:

Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

as described in the Schedule to this instrument.

Dated this 26th day of June 2020

SUSSAN LEY

Minister for the Environment

SCHEDULE

Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion

The Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion occurs in proximity to the Nepean River in the Cumberland subregion of the Sydney Basin Bioregion under the Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) Version 7. Known patches occur on an extensively cleared and largely mined Tertiary sand deposit at the once-rural locality of Spring Farm adjacent to the suburb of Elderslie. Additional very small patches may have been present on Tertiary sands upstream of the Warragamba River confluence with the Nepean River.

The ecological community occurs at low elevations, of around 60 to 100 metres above sea level. It is normally above the 100 year flood level, though it is possible that some regrowth on mined sand deposits is now artificially within the present floodplain.

Key elements of the canopy include Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia (Coast Banksia), Angophora subvelutina (Broad-leaved Apple), Eucalyptus botryoides x E. saligna (a natural hybrid of Bangalay and Sydney Blue Gum) and various other species of Eucalyptus over a mostly shrubby understorey. Characteristic mid layer species include: Acacia decurrens (Black Wattle), A. implexa (Hickory Wattle), A. ulicifolia (Prickly Moses), Aotus ericoides (Common Aotus), Brachyloma daphnoides (Daphne Heath), Breynia oblongifolia (Coffee Bush), Dillwynia glaberrima (Smooth-leaved Dillwynia), Persoonia linearis (Narrow-leaved Geebung), Pimelea linifolia subsp. linifolia (Slender Rice-flower), and Ricinocarpos pinifolius (Wedding Bush). The ground layer often includes Dianella caerulea and D. revoluta (flax-lilies), Gahnia clarkei (Tall Saw-sedge), Gleichenia dicarpa (Pouched Coral Fern), Hibbertia diffusa (Wedge Guinea Flower), Lomandra spp. (mat-rushes) and Pteridium esculentum (Common Bracken).