{"id":"F2022L00191","name":"List of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC172) Instrument 2022","slug":"list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":102284,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2022L00191-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"List of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC172) Instrument 2022","content":"![Commonwealth of Australia coat of arms](image.001.png)\n\nCommonwealth of Australia\n\nList of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC172) Instrument 2022\n\nI, SUSSAN LEY, Minister for the Environment, pursuant to paragraph 184(a) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, 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:\n\nDrooping sheoak grassy woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion\n\nas described in the Schedule to this instrument.\n\nThis instrument commences the day after registration.\n\nSussan Ley\n\n...................................................................................\n\nSussan Ley\n\nMinister for the Environment\n\nDated ...........16th February 2022.................................\n\n  \nSCHEDULE 1\n\nDrooping sheoak grassy woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion\n\nThe Drooping sheoak grassy woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion ecological community is the assemblage of native plants, animals and other organisms that comprise a type of grassy woodland associated with shallow soils over calcrete.\n\nThe ecological community occurs in South Australia, within the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion. Known occurrences are on the western Eyre Peninsula and the southern Yorke Peninsula. The woodland is typically distributed on low relief undulating hilly plains, local rises and occasional steep-sided hills with soils ranging from low to moderately fertile calcareous loam to Aeolian sandy loam and calcrete pans at various depths.\n\nThe vegetation structure varies from a low to mid height open woodland to open forest. The canopy is dominated by Allocasuarina verticillata (drooping sheoak). Other species that may occur in the overstorey include Callitris gracilis (southern cypress-pine), Eucalyptus diversifolia (coastal white mallee), E. porosa (mallee box), Melaleuca lanceolata (dryland tea tree) and Pittosporum angustifolium (native apricot).\n\nThe understorey is typically scattered and variable in composition. It is generally grassy although shrubs are often present. Common shrub species on the Eyre Peninsula include: Dodonaea baueri (crinkled hop bush), Leucopogon parviflorus (coastal beard-heath), Olearia axillaris (coast daisy-bush) and O. ramulosa (twiggy daisy-bush). Common shrub species on the Yorke Peninsula include: Acrotriche patula (prickly ground-berry), Acacia rupicola (rock wattle), Beyeria lechenaultii (pale turpentine bush), Bursaria spinosa subsp. spinosa (sweetb), Exocarpos aphyllus (leafless cherry) and Pimelea serpyllifolia ssp. serpyllifolia (thyme riceflower). Acacia brachybotrya (grey mulga), A. cupularis (coastal umbrella bush), A. triquetra (gold dust wattle) and Dodonaea viscosa subsp. spatulata (sticky hop-bush) are present on both Peninsulas. The understorey may also include juvenile trees of canopy species.\n\nThe majority of plant diversity occurs in the ground layer and is typically dominated by perennial native grasses such as Austrostipa spp. (speargrasses), Rytidosperma spp. (wallaby Grasses) and Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass); sedges such as Gahnia lanigera (black-grass, saw-sedge), Lepidosperma congestum (clustered sword-sedge), Lepidosperma viscidum (sticky sword-sedge) and / or other tussocky plants e.g. Lomandra effusa (scented mat-rush). Prostrate or low shrubs are also present in the ground layer.\n\nThe ground layer may also contain ferns such as Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia (annual rock-fern) and C. lasiophylla (woolly cloak-fern), sundews such as Drosera glanduligera (scarlet sundew) and orchids such as Caladenia brumalis (winter spider orchid), Caladenia conferta (coast spider orchid), Caladenia intuta (ghost spider orchid), Cyrtostylis robusta (robust gnat-orchid) and Prasophyllum goldsackii (Goldsack’s orchid). Plants with a climbing or creeping habit may occasionally be present, and parasitic species such as the twining Cassytha melantha (dodder-laurel) and Lysiana exocarpi (harlequin mistletoe) can also be present on tree or shrub species.\n\nThe ecological community includes a variety of fauna species, including several species that are listed as threatened at a national or state level.","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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument performs exactly the function intended by its enabling provision (section 184 of the EPBC Act) — adding a specific ecological community to the threatened list. The detailed ecological description in the Schedule serves the statutory purpose of defining the boundaries of what is being protected, which is necessary for legal certainty. The scope has not expanded beyond the original legislative intent."},"complexity_factors":["Single, straightforward amendment adding one ecological community to an existing list","No defined terms section — relies on external definitions in the parent Act (EPBC Act 1999)","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Descriptive Schedule provides ecological detail but has no legal operative effect beyond identification","Operative provision is one sentence: 'amend the list... by including...'","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling provision (paragraph 184(a) and section 181 of the EPBC Act)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument formally lists \"Drooping sheoak grassy woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion\" as a critically endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, recognising its imminent risk of collapse.  \n\nLocated on calcrete-derived soils in western Eyre Peninsula and southern Yorke Peninsula (South Australia), the listing brings strong legal protection and federal assessment triggers for developments, directly affecting landholders, farmers, developers and conservation groups working in the region."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument expands the statutory coverage of the EPBC Act by adding the named ecological community to the section 181 list in the 'critically endangered' category, thereby bringing its known occurrences in the specified Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas within Commonwealth consideration and protections."},"complexity_factors":["Legal mechanism is straightforward: a statutory amendment under paragraph 184(a) of the EPBC Act that alters the list in section 181 (instrumental change is simple).","Technical ecological description: detailed species lists, vegetation structure and soil/habitat descriptions increase interpretive complexity for defining exact community boundaries and triggers for protection.","Geographic specificity: limited to occurrences in the Eyre Yorke Block bioregion (western Eyre Peninsula and southern Yorke Peninsula), so mapping and site-level surveys are necessary to determine applicability.","Regulatory implications: listing triggers EPBC Act referral, assessment and approval requirements for actions with significant impacts, creating compliance obligations and potential costs for landowners and developers.","Commencement timing is immediate (day after registration), which shortens lead time for affected parties to adapt.","Enforcement and administrative discretion: identifying where the community occurs and whether particular activities significantly affect it will require expert assessment and regulatory decisions, creating uncertainty and potential dispute."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument adds 'Drooping sheoak grassy woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion' to the Commonwealth list of threatened ecological communities as \"critically endangered\" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It takes effect the day after registration.\n\nThe change brings known occurrences on western Eyre Peninsula and southern Yorke Peninsula (South Australia) under Commonwealth protections and permitting requirements, affecting landowners, developers and regulators by imposing assessment and approval obligations for actions that could significantly impact the community."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022","history":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022/history","analysis":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec172-instrument-2022/documents"}}