Commonwealth of Australia
 
Inclusion of ecological communities in the list of threatened ecological communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
 
 
I, PETER ROBERT GARRETT, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, pursuant to section 184(1)(a) and (b) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, hereby amend the list referred to in section 181 of that Act by:
 
including in the list in the critically endangered category
Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland
as described in the Schedule 1 to this instrument;
including in the list in the endangered category
Natural grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and northern Fitzroy Basin
as described in the Schedule 2 to this instrument; and
deleting from the list in the endangered category
Bluegrass (Dichanthium spp.) dominant grasslands of the Brigalow Belt Bioregions (north and south).
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dated this…Fifteenth....day of…December....2008
 
 
Peter Garrett
 
 
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
 
SCHEDULE 1
Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland
 
Key diagnostic characteristics:
The Natural Grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern NSW and southern Queensland ecological community may be recognised by the following diagnostic features:
·      Distribution mainly in the Darling Downs of southern Queensland and the Liverpool Plains and Moree Plains of northern NSW. Occurrence is mainly associated with fine textured, often cracking clay soils derived from either basalt or alluvium.
·      Occurrence on landforms that are typically flat to very low slopes (less than 5 percent/1 degree).
·      Tree canopy usually absent to sparse, comprising less than 10% projective crown cover.
·      The ground layer is typically dominated by perennial native grasses and contains 3 or more of the indicator native species listed below.
Aristida leptopoda                                             White Speargrass
Astrebla elymoides                                     Hoop Mitchell Grass

Astrebla lappacea                                       Curley Mitchell Grass
Austrodanthonia bipartita                                 Wallaby Grass, Bandicoot Grass
Austrostipa aristiglumis                                    Plains Grass
Bothriochloa biloba                                           Lobed Bluegrass
Bothriochloa erianthoides                                 Satin Top Grass
Dichanthium sericeum                                       Queensland Bluegrass
Digitaria divaricatissima                                   Umbrella Grass
Elymus plurinervis                                             Wheat Grass
Eriochloa crebra                                               Cup Grass
Eulalia aurea                                                     Silky Brown Top
Panicum decompositum                                                Native Millett
Panicum queenslandicum                                  Yabila Grass
Thellungia advena                                             Coolibah Grass
Themeda avenacea                                            Native Oat Grass
Themeda triandra (synonym. T. australis)         Kangaroo Grass
Walwhalleya proluta                                         Rigid Panic
 
Note that in a poor season, as in a hot summer or drought, the only visible evidence of natural grassland may be scattered tussocks that are difficult to identify as any particular species. It is therefore, highly desirable to identify and assess the condition of the ecological community during a good season.
 
SCHEDULE 2
Natural grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and northern Fitzroy Basin
 
Key diagnostic characteristics
The Natural grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the northern Fitzroy Basin ecological community may be recognised by the following diagnostic features:
Distribution: It occurs within the Brigalow Belt North and South subregions which are largely within the Central Highlands and northern Fitzroy River Basin regions of Queensland; Tree canopy absent or sparse (less than 10% projective crown cover); and, The ground layer is typically dominated by perennial native grasses and contains at least 3 of the indicator native species listed below:
Aristida latifolia                                  Feather-top Wiregrass
Aristida leptopoda                              White Speargrass
Astrebla elymoides                              Hoop Mitchell Grass
Astrebla lappacea                               Curly Mitchell Grass
Astrebla squarrosa                              Bull Mitchell Grass
Bothriochloa erianthoides                   Satin-top Grass
Dichanthium queenslandicum             King Bluegrass
Dichanthium sericeum                        Queensland Bluegrass
Eriochloa crebra                                 Cup Grass
Panicum decompositum                      Native Millet
Panicum queenslandicum                   Yabila Grass
Paspalidium globoideum                    Shot Grass
Thellungia advena                              Coolibah Grass
Note that in a poor season, as in a hot summer or drought, the only visible evidence of natural grassland may be scattered tussocks that are difficult to identify as any particular species. It is therefore highly desirable to identify and assess the condition of the ecological community during a good season.