{"id":"F2018L00312","name":"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 (EC141)","slug":"f2018l00312","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":317788,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2018L00312-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Assistant Minister for the Environment","sectionType":"part","heading":"Assistant Minister for the Environment","content":"# Assistant Minister for the Environment\n\n  \nSCHEDULE\n\nCoastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forest of New South Wales and South East Queensland\n\nThe Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forest of New South Wales and South East Queensland ecological community occurs from south-east Queensland to southern NSW, within the South Eastern Queensland, NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin, and South East Corner IBRA bioregions \\[Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia version 7\\].\n\nThe ecological community is found in coastal catchments at elevations typically less than 20 m above sea level (with some occurrences up to 50 m above sea level), and typically within 30km of the coast (but occasionally further inland, for instance within tidal river catchments). It is associated with coastal flats, floodplains, drainage lines, lake margins, wetlands and estuarine fringes where soils are, at least occasionally, water-logged or inundated. Minor occurrences extend onto coastal dune swales or flats, particularly deflated dunes and dune soaks.\n\nThe ecological community occurs on soils derived from unconsolidated sediments (including alluvium), typically hydrosols (grey-black clay-loam and/or sandy loam soils) and sometimes organosols (peaty soils). It may occur in transitional soils (or catenas) where shallow unconsolidated sediments border lithic substrates. The ecological community does not occur on rocky headlands, sea cliffs or other consolidated sediments.\n\nThe structure of the ecological community varies from open woodland, woodland, forest to closed forest, depending on its location in the landscape and disturbance history. A tree canopy is present with a minimal total crown cover of 10%. The tree canopy is dominated by Casuarina glauca (swamp oak, swamp she-oak). Other tree species that may occur in the canopy, but are not dominant, include various species of Melaleuca and Eucalyptus, sometimes present as emergents above the Casuarina canopy.\n\nThe understorey is variable. A mid\\-layer of various small trees and tall shrubs may be present but typically is sparse. It may include juvenile canopy trees. Climbing plants and epiphytes also may be present. The ground layer is a continuous to semi-continuous cover of various forbs, ferns, sedges, grasses and/or plant litter. The litter layer may be dense in some patches, leading to a more sparse ground vegetation.\n\nThe ecological community includes a variety of fauna species, including species that are listed as threatened at a national or state level.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function indicated by its title: amending the threatened species list. It does not expand beyond the statutory purpose of identifying and protecting threatened ecological communities under the EPBC Act."},"complexity_factors":["Single, discrete administrative action (adding one ecological community to a list)","No defined terms requiring interpretation — uses plain scientific and geographical descriptors","No conditional logic, exceptions, or cross-references to other legislative provisions","Descriptive content is ecological/scientific rather than legal in nature","Operative effect is achieved by simple reference to sections 178, 181 and 183 of the EPBC Act without elaborating their mechanics"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument lists the Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forest of NSW and SE Queensland as a threatened ecological community under the EPBC Act. It matters because it brings federal legal protection — projects likely to significantly impact these coastal, low‑lying swamp oak stands now need federal assessment and approval. Landholders, developers, state/local planners, conservation groups and Indigenous custodians will be directly affected; listing also triggers recovery planning and conservation priorities."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument adds the Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forest of New South Wales and South East Queensland to the EPBC Act threatened list and specifies its geographic and ecological characteristics. The listing brings actions affecting these habitats within Commonwealth assessment and approval processes under the EPBC Act, creating compliance obligations for landowners, developers and proponents subject to Commonwealth decision-making."},"complexity_factors":["Technical ecological definition: detailed descriptions of habitat, soils (hydrosols, organosols), vegetation structure and species composition increase interpretive complexity.","Spatial scope: range given across multiple IBRA bioregions and a flexible distance-from-coast criterion (typically <30 km, occasionally further inland) requires site-by-site determination.","Habitat variability: variation in canopy cover, understorey and disturbance history creates borderline cases for classification.","Overlap and boundaries: potential overlap with other wetland, estuarine and dune communities demands mapping and field verification.","Regulatory interaction: listing triggers EPBC Act assessment and approval processes, requiring administrative determinations on whether particular actions 'affect' the listed community."],"plain_english_summary":"This amendment adds the Coastal Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) Forest of New South Wales and South East Queensland to the list of threatened ecological communities under the EPBC Act. It defines where the community occurs, its typical soils, habitat types and vegetation structure.  \n\nThe listing brings actions affecting these habitats within Commonwealth assessment and approval processes under the EPBC Act, creating compliance obligations for landowners, developers and proponents subject to Commonwealth decision-making. The schedule also notes associated fauna and variable disturbance histories."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2018l00312","history":"/api/acts/f2018l00312/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2018l00312/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2018l00312/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2018l00312/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2018l00312/documents"}}