{"id":"F2019L00952","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 (EC142)","slug":"f2019l00952","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":318366,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2019L00952-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Minister for the Environment","sectionType":"part","heading":"Minister for the Environment","content":"# Minister for the Environment\n\n  \nSCHEDULE\n\nPoplar Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial Plains\n\nThe Poplar Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial Plains ecological community occurs inland of the Great Dividing Range from southern New South Wales to central Queensland. It is known to occur within the Brigalow Belt North, Brigalow Belt South, Cobar Peneplain, Darling Riverine Plains, NSW South Western Slopes and Riverina IBRA bioregions (Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia version 7, at the time of listing).\n\nThe ecological community typically occurs on palaeo and recent depositional soils in flat terrain, and occasionally along watercourses in undulating country. The woodland is mainly associated with active and relictual depositional plains and flats including back plains, higher terraces, levees along rivers and stagnant alluvial plain landscapes. It is sometimes found in close proximity to ephemeral watercourses and depressions.\n\nThe structure of the ecological community varies from grassy open woodland to grassy woodland and, occasionally as open forest.\n\nThe canopy is dominated by Eucalyptus populnea (poplar box or bimble box). Other tree species may occasionally occur in the tree canopy, including Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress Pine), Casuarina cristata (Belah), Eucalyptus coolibah (Coolibah), E. largiflorens (Black Box) and E. melanophloia (Silver-leaved Ironbark). Emergent taller trees may occasionally include E. microcarpa (Inland Grey Box) and E. woollsiana (Narrow-leaved Grey Box).\n\nTall shrubs and small trees are mostly absent to sparse in the understorey. When present, they may include scattered occurrences of Acacia aneura (Mulga), Alectryon oleifolius subsp. canescens (Western Rosewood), Apophyllum anomalum (Warrior Bush), Atalaya hemiglauca (Whitewood), Capparis mitchellii (Wild Orange), Eremophila mitchellii (Budda) and Geijera parviflora (Wilga).\n\nThe ground layer is typically open, low and dominated by a variety of grasses and other herbs. Grasses typically present include: Aristida spp. (Wiregrass), Bothriochloa spp. (Red Grass), Dichanthium spp. (Bluegrass), Heteropogon sp. and Themeda sp. (Kangaroo Grass). At sites prone to occasional inundation, sedges and rushes such as Carex inversa (Knob Grass), Eleocharis plana (Flat Spike-sedge) and Juncus spp. may be more abundant, and the fern, Marsilea drummondii (Nardoo), may occur.\n\nSeasonal herbs that may be present include: Bulbine alata (bulbine lily), Brachyscome dentata (Lobed-seed Daisy), Einadia nutans (Climbing Saltbush), Erodium crinitum (Blue Crowfoot), Oxalis chnoodes (Wood-sorrell) and Wahlenbergia spp. (Bluebells). Low shrubs may also be present, sometimes as localised patches, and typically include the chenopods: Enchylaena tomentosa (Ruby Saltbush), Maireana spp. (fissure weeds), Rhagodia spinescens (Thorny Saltbush), Sclerolaena birchii (Galvanized Burr) and Sclerolaena muricata (Black Roly Poly). During drought, the cover of grasses and herbs may decline, leaving low chenopod shrubs as the most conspicuous ground layer plants.\n\nThe ecological community includes a variety of fauna species, including nationally threatened species such as Anthochaera phrygia (Regent Honeyeater), Grantiella picta (Painted Honeyeater), Nyctophilus geoffroyi (Lesser Long-eared Bat), Onychogalea fraenata (Bridled Nailtail Wallaby) and Phascolarctos cinereus (Koala).","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument's scope is limited to listing and describing the Poplar Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial Plains as a threatened ecological community. It sets out occurrence, typical soils, structure and representative species but does not expand or otherwise amend the EPBC Act’s substantive powers beyond adding this community to the list."},"complexity_factors":["Technical ecological description: detailed species lists (trees, shrubs, grasses, herbs, fauna) and habitat elements require specialist assessment to determine presence/condition.","Geographic scope: occurrence across multiple IBRA bioregions (Brigalow Belt North/South, Cobar Peneplain, Darling Riverine Plains, NSW South Western Slopes, Riverina) requiring region-specific mapping.","Habitat variability: community ranges from grassy open woodland to open forest and occurs on varied depositional landforms, complicating field identification and boundary delineation.","Regulatory linkage: listing interacts with EPBC Act approval triggers and sections 178, 181 and 183, creating new compliance and permitting requirements for proposed actions.","Assessment burden: landowners and proponents may need ecological surveys, mapping and specialist reports to demonstrate impacts or exemptions.","Potential overlap with other listed communities or species habitats, producing cumulative-impact and attribution challenges for decision-makers.","Enforcement and discretionary decision-making: administrative agencies must interpret the schedule’s descriptive criteria when deciding if an area qualifies as the listed community."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument adds the “Poplar Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial Plains” to the list of ecological communities recognised under the EPBC Act, recording its typical location, soils, structure and characteristic plants and animals.  It affects landholders, developers and environmental agencies in the listed IBRA bioregions by creating national-level assessment and approval triggers for actions that may significantly impact this community."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by sections 178, 181 and 183 of the EPBC Act: listing a specific ecological community as threatened. The detailed botanical and zoological description serves the statutory purpose of defining the ecological community's boundaries for legal protection, which is the core function of these provisions."},"complexity_factors":["Single ecological community listing with no conditional provisions or cross-references","No defined terms requiring interpretation sections","Straightforward descriptive content covering geographic range, vegetation structure, and species composition","No procedural requirements, offences, or enforcement mechanisms in the instrument itself (these are inherited from the parent Act)","Scientific nomenclature included but as descriptive content rather than legal definitions"],"plain_english_summary":"Poplar Box Grassy Woodland on Alluvial Plains is now listed as a threatened ecological community under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, recognising it as endangered across parts of NSW and Queensland. \n\nThe listing brings federal protections—projects that could significantly harm the woodland require approval, penalties apply for unauthorised damage, and recovery planning can guide restoration. Landholders, developers and state planning authorities in the affected regions are most directly impacted."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2019l00952","history":"/api/acts/f2019l00952/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2019l00952/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2019l00952/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2019l00952/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2019l00952/documents"}}