{"id":"F2020L00889","name":"Amendment to the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EC145)","slug":"f2020l00889","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":318643,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2020L00889-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\nElderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nKey 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).\n\nIn some wetter sites the ecological community includes more elements associated with dry rainforest and riverflat forest. In these areas a subcanopy of coast banksia may be present or a subcanopy of Melaleuca decora (Paper Bark, White Feather Honey Myrtle) and Melaleuca linariifolia (Snow in Summer) may be prominent. Mid-layer species at these sites include Clerodendrum tomentosum (Hairy Clerodendrum), Duboisia myoporoides (Corkwood), Kunzea ambigua (Tick Bush), Ozothamnus diosmifolius (White Dogwood), Platysace lanceolata (Shrubby Platysace), Clematis spp., Cayratia clematidea (Native Grape), Parsonsia straminea (Hairy Silkpod), and Denhamia silvestris (syn. Maytenus silvestris) (Narrow-leaved Orangebark). Sites with taller forest tend to include understorey species that prefer wetter areas, such as Viola spp. (Violets), Centella asiatica (Indian Pennywort), Dichondra repens (Kidney Weed), and Pteris tremula (Tender Brake). In some sites such as those intergrading with River-Flat Eucalypt Forest, a grassy understorey may be apparent, with e.g. Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass) and Austrostipa ramosissima (Stout Bamboo Grass) and sedges such as Gahnia and Carex species.\n\nThe ecological community provides habitat for a variety of fauna, including nationally threatened species. The vertebrate fauna may include:\n\nAmphibians: Limnodynastes dumerilii (Eastern Banjo Frog), L. peronii (Brown-striped Frog), L. tasmaniensis (Spotted Marsh Frog), Litoria verreauxii (Verreaux's Tree Frog) and Crinia signifera (Common Eastern Froglet).\n\nReptiles: Ctenotus robustus (Striped Skink), Lampropholis guichenoti (Garden Skink), Pygopus lepidopodus (Common Scaly-foot), Pogona barbata (Bearded Dragon), and Pseudechis porphyriacus (Red-bellied Black Snake).\n\nBirds are likely to include: Anthochaera carunculata (Red Wattlebird), Cacatua galerita (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo), Cacatua sanguinea (Little Corella), Cracticus tibicen (Australian Magpie), Corvus coronoides (Australian Raven), Eolophus roseicapillus (Galah), Eopsaltria australis (Eastern Yellow Robin) Dacelo novaeguineae (Laughing Kookaburra), Malurus cyaneus (Superb Fairy-wren), Manorina melanocephala (Noisy Miner), Platycercus elegans (Crimson Rosella), Platycercus eximius (Eastern Rosella), Podargus strigoides (Tawny Frogmouth), Rhipidura leucophrys (Willie Wagtail), Strepera graculina (Pied Currawong). Less common birds are likely to include: Acanthiza pusilla (Brown Thornbill), Anthochaera phrygia (Regent Honeyeater), Artamus cyanopterus (Dusky Woodswallow), Botaurus poiciloptilus (Australasian Bittern), Colluricincla harmonica (Grey Shrike-thrush), Caligavis chrysops (Yellow-faced Honeyeater), Malurus lamberti (Variegated Fairy-wren), Melanodryas cucullata (Hooded Robin), Ninox novaeseelandiae (Southern Boobook Owl), Pachycephala pectoralis (Golden Whistler), Pardalotus striatus and P. punctatus (Striated and Spotted Pardalotes), Petroica rosea (Rose Robin), Rhipidura albiscapa (Grey Fantail), Sericornis frontalis (White-browed Scrubwren), Calyptorhynchus funereus (Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo) and Lathamus discolor (Swift Parrot).\n\nMammals: Tachyglossus aculeatus (Short-beaked Echidna), Petaurus breviceps (Sugar Glider), Trichosurus vulpecula (Common Brushtail Possum), Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Common Ringtail Possum) and Pteropus poliocephalus (Grey-headed Flying-fox).\n\nDisturbance may alter the structure and composition of some areas of the ecological community such that they do not contain all the characteristic features described above.","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":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The amendment expands the statutory list under section 181 by adding the Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest (Spring Farm / Elderslie Tertiary sand deposits). That broadens regulatory coverage to include those patches, meaning more land‑use activities in the described area may trigger assessment and compliance duties. The community's small, fragmented extent and overlap with other forest types create practical implementation and identification challenges for regulators and landholders."},"complexity_factors":["Technical ecological descriptions and species lists require specialist identification to determine whether a site qualifies as the listed community.","Very small, disjunct and partly mined/regrowth patches increase mapping and boundary‑setting uncertainty for compliance and approvals.","Potential intergradation with other communities (e.g. River‑Flat Eucalypt Forest, dry rainforest elements) creates classification ambiguity.","Reference to IBRA Version 7 for bioregional context requires cross‑referencing external mapping frameworks.","Instrument is descriptive with no procedural detail, shifting implementation burden (mapping, assessment guidance) onto regulators and practitioners."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument amends the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 by adding the Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. It records where the community occurs and describes its characteristic plants and animals.\n\nThat change affects landowners, developers and decision-makers whose actions may impact these patches because the community is now listed, creating assessment and compliance obligations under the Act."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by section 181 of the EPBC Act: listing a specific threatened ecological community. The detailed botanical and faunal description serves the statutory purpose of defining the ecological community's boundaries for identification and protection purposes. No scope creep is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Single-purpose instrument: only adds one ecological community to a statutory list","No defined terms section or interpretation provisions","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the parent Act citation (EPBC Act 1999)","Descriptive content is purely ecological/botanical — no conditional legal logic","No exceptions, exemptions, or procedural requirements embedded in the text","Straightforward administrative action under a pre-existing statutory framework (section 181)"],"plain_english_summary":"The Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest — a remnant woodland near the Nepean River in Sydney’s southwest — is now listed nationally as a threatened ecosystem, granting it legal protection under Australia’s environment law and meaning any federally significant damage (e.g., major clearing, development or mining) will require approval.\n\nThis rare sandplain scrub supports banksias, gums and dense shrubs and provides habitat for threatened birds and bats; the listing increases scrutiny of future proposals to help prevent further loss."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2020l00889","history":"/api/acts/f2020l00889/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2020l00889/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2020l00889/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2020l00889/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2020l00889/documents"}}