{"id":"F2022L00630","name":"List of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC175) Instrument 2022","slug":"list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":102425,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2022L00630-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 (EC175) Instrument 2022","content":"![Commonwealth of Australia coat of arms](image.001.png)\n\nCommonwealth of Australia\n\nList of Threatened Ecological Communities Amendment (EC175) 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 endangered category:\n\nAraluen Scarp Grassy Forest\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 .................31 / 3 / 22......................................................\n\n  \nSCHEDULE 1\n\nAraluen Scarp Grassy Forest\n\nThe Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest is an assemblage of native plants, animals and other organisms that comprise a type of temperate open eucalypt forest or woodland with mesic elements associated with steep slopes and coastal rainshadow areas.\n\nThe ecological community occurs in New South Wales within South East Corner and South Eastern Highlands bioregions, primarily within the Moruya River catchment. Known occurrences are mainly in the Araluen Valley region. The ecological community is typically distributed on steep scarp slopes, ridges, spurs and foothills on sandy loam soils derived from granitoid substrates.\n\nThe vegetation structure is typically a medium-height open forest or woodland with sparse to moderate canopy cover dominated by Eucalyptus or Angophora species. Characteristic canopy species include Eucalyptus maidenii (Maiden’s blue gum), E. melliodora (yellow box), E. tereticornis (forest red gum), and Angophora floribunda (rough-barked apple). Other Eucalyptus species may also be common in the canopy, including E. kartzoffiana (Araluen gum) which is found in more sheltered sites.\n\nThe understorey is typically a sparse stratum of small trees and shrubs such as Acacia mearnsii (black wattle), Melicytus dentatus (tree violet), Pittosporum undulatum (sweet pittosporum) and occasionally Port Jackson fig. Bursaria spinosa (blackthorn). Characteristic climbing species include Pandorea pandorana (wonga wonga vine), Geitonoplesium cymosum (scrambling lily) and Clematis glycinoides var. glycinoides (headache vine). The understorey may also include juvenile trees of canopy species.\n\nThe ground layer may vary from sparse in drier periods or to almost complete coverage following wetter than average periods. Rock outcrops may break up the continuity of the ground layer. The ground layer consists of a variety of forbs, such as Grona varians (slender tick-trefoil), Dichondra spp., Oxalis perennans (grassland wood-sorrel) and Sigesbeckia orientalis subsp. orientalis, with grass species such as Microlaena stipoides (weeping grass), Oplismenus imbecillis (creeping beard grass), and fern species such as Pellaea falcata (sickle fern), Cheilanthes sieberi (poison rock fern) usually present.\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":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by section 184 of the EPBC Act: adding a specific ecological community to the threatened list. The descriptive Schedule provides scientific context but does not expand the legal scope beyond the core listing function."},"complexity_factors":["Single, straightforward operative provision: adding one named item to an existing list","No defined terms section — relies entirely on external definitions in the parent Act (EPBC Act 1999)","No conditional logic, exceptions, or cross-references within the instrument itself","Descriptive Schedule provides ecological detail but has no legal operative effect","Extremely short: approximately 350 words of substantive content","Standard template structure for EPBC Act listing instruments"],"plain_english_summary":"The Minister for the Environment has declared the Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest an endangered ecological community under Australia’s national environmental law, giving this temperate eucalypt forest formal legal protection.  \n\nThe listing affects landholders, developers, conservationists and researchers in the Araluen Valley region and means activities likely to significantly impact the forest now require federal assessment and approval under the EPBC Act."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument expands the statutory scope of the EPBC Act’s list of threatened ecological communities by adding the Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest to the endangered category, thereby changing which communities are formally listed under section 181."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow, single-purpose amendment — adds one ecological community to the endangered list (Instrument text: operative clause).","Direct statutory linkage to the EPBC Act via paragraph 184(a) and section 181, requiring cross-reference to primary legislation for full legal effect (Instrument preamble).","Technical ecological description in the Schedule (species lists, bioregions, soils, and habitat) means applying the listing requires ecological expertise to identify qualifying occurrences.","Immediate commencement (day after registration) leaves minimal transition time for stakeholders (Instrument: commencement clause).","Instrument contains no procedural or compliance detail for implementation; administrative action and regulatory consequences are determined under the EPBC Act and its administrators (absence of implementation provisions in the instrument)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument adds the “Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest” to the Commonwealth list of threatened ecological communities in the endangered category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; it commences the day after registration. It covers occurrences in New South Wales (mainly the Araluen Valley and Moruya River catchment) and is made by the Minister under paragraph 184(a), thereby changing the community’s statutory listing."},"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"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022","history":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022/history","analysis":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/list-of-threatened-ecological-communities-amendment-ec175-instrument-2022/documents"}}