Endangered Ecological Forests

About this pattern

Many development sites have remnant indigenous vegetation. It is important to understand whether this vegetation is part of an Endangered Ecological Community. In the Sydney region there are twelve designated endangered ecological forests listed under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), of which six are critically endangered. NSW Government also has a new Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act). In the BC Act, threatened ecological communities are defined by the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee. The BC Act lists over 100 threatened ecological communities. All except four are primarily made up of plant species.

A threatened ecological community is listed as either a “Vulnerable Ecological Community”, “Endangered Ecological Community (EEC)” or “Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC)”. Maps of the Communities are available at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publiclookupcommunities.pl

Site Planning Stages

Existing forests and woodlands on a site need to be mapped and tree species identified. If it is a remnant stand of one of the EEC/CEEC, then protective ribbons need to encircle it. The extent of the particular EEC/CEEC can be verified through the NSW Dept of Environment.  An arboriculture assessment of tree health is then required.

Excavation, Hydrology, Drainage

The hydrology of the area adjoining the trees, particularly upslope, will need to be mapped. It is important that no earth works or changes to site drainage occur within the vicinity of the trees. Mature Eucalypts & Angophoras are particularly susceptible to altered drainage.

Endangered Ecological Forests in the Sydney Region

• Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (CEEC)
• Castlereagh Scribbly Gum and Agnes Banks Woodlands of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (CEEC)
• Coastal Upland Swamps in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (EEC)
• Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (CEEC)
• Cumberland Plain Shale Woodlands and Shale-Gravel Transition Forest (CEEC)
• Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub of the Sydney Region (EEC)
• Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest of Sydney Region (EEC)
• Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia (EEC)
• Pittwater & Wagstaffe Spotted Gum Forest (EEC)
• Shale Sandstone Transition Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (CEEC)
• Southern Highlands Shale Forest and Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (EEC)
• Turpentine-Ironbark Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (CEEC)
• Upland Basalt Eucalypt Forests of the Sydney Basin Bioregion (EEC)
• Western Sydney Dry Rainforest and Moist Woodland on Shale (EEC)

Listed under EPBC Act

Listed under BC Act (New South Wales)

CEEC Critically Endangered Ecological Community

EEC Endangered Ecological Community

Details of each community, including species, photos & maps of location & distribution can be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publiclookupcommunities.pl

Pattern Conditions

Enablers:

• All roads, infrastructure, buildings and playing fields that are intended to protect Endangered Ecological Communities
• Bushcare groups and other community activities that promote and facilitate ecological learning

Constraints:

• Local Government Local Environmental Plans and State Environmental Planning Policies will have mapped the extent of the EEC/CEEC and will have specific requirements for the protection of these trees.

Commoning Concerns

Access: limited pedestrian access and restricted vehicle access;

Use: environmental resource, wildlife habitat, education;

Benefit: ameliorating climate extremes, environmental heritage;

Care: State Department of Environment, Local Government, community;

Responsibility: State Department of Environment, Local Government;

Ownership: Body Corporate of Building Owners.