1.3.2.1 Description

1.3.2.1.1 Introduction to assets by subgroup, class and data source

The total number of ecological water-dependent assets in the PAE of the Galilee subregion is 3973 (from a total of 4122 ecological assets on the asset list). Of the water-dependent assets, 2383 assets are vegetation features, with the remainder surface water features (1439) and groundwater features (151) (Table 7). Most of the vegetation features are groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs). Most of the surface water features are waterholes, pools, rock pools or billabongs. Of the ecological assets, 3610 assets are assessed as dependent on surface water and 3178 assets are assessed as dependent on groundwater. Of these assets, 795 assets are assessed as dependent or possibly dependent on surface water alone, 363 assets are assessed as dependent or possibly dependent on groundwater alone, and 2815 assets are assessed as dependent or possibly dependent on both surface water and groundwater.

Table 8 summarises the assets and their water dependence according to database source. Maps of the distributions of the key data sources are shown in Figure 13 to Figure 22. Total assets cover a large proportion of the 611,000 km² area of the PAE, giving confidence that the asset register is a thorough basis for the assessment of potential impacts of coal resource developments during later stages of the BA. In some datasets, at least some large assets intersect with only a small part of the PAE and extend far beyond the boundaries of the PAE. This is most strongly the case for the World Heritage Areas dataset, in which the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area lies largely to the northeast of the PAE, and for the WAIT dataset, in which Great Artesian Basin groundwater aquifers and recharge beds extend far to the north, west and south of the PAE.

Table 7 Summary of ecological assets within the preliminary assessment extent (PAE) of the Galilee subregion, according to asset subgroup and class

Subgroup	Class	Number of water-dependent assets	Number of assets dependent on surface water	Number of assets dependent on groundwater
Groundwater features	Aquifer, geological feature, alluvium or stratum	151	19	151
Surface water features	Floodplain	5	5	1
	Lake, reservoir, lagoon or estuary	45	45	20
	Marsh, sedgeland, bog, spring or soak	109	109	0
	River or stream reach, tributary, anabranch or bend	152	152	8
	Waterhole, pool, rock pool or billabong	957	923	883
	Wetland, wetland complex or swamp	171	171	83
Vegetation	Groundwater-dependent ecosystem	2201	2032	1936
	Habitat (potential species distribution)	177	151	93
	Riparian vegetation	5	3	3
Total		3973	3610	3178

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Table 8 Summary of ecological assets in the preliminary assessment extent (PAE) of the Galilee subregion, according to asset data source

Dataset	Number of water-dependent assets	Number of assets dependent on surface water	Number of assets dependent on groundwater
Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD)	62	55	35
A directory of important wetlands in Australia (DIWA)	39	39	30
Environmental Assets Database (EAD)	3	3	3
Great Artesian Basin Groundwater Recharge	10	10	10
National atlas of groundwater dependent ecosystems (subsurface)	137	134	117
National atlas of groundwater dependent ecosystems (surface)	2064	1898	1819
Birds Australia Important Bird Areas (IBA)	13	13	13
Key Environmental Assets of the Murray-Darling Basin (KEA) – streams	138	138	0
Key Environmental Assets of the Murray-Darling Basin (KEA) – waterbodies	11	11	11
Queensland DERM waterbodies	812	778	755
Queensland DERM waterbodies – Indigenous	114	114	114
Threatened species listed under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)	19	13	15
Threatened regional ecosystems listed under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992	40	33	17
Threatened species listed under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992, excluding EPBC Act-listed species	24	23	7
Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance	1	1	1
Threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act	6	5	5
WAIT Burdekin	31	31	2
WAIT Desert Channels	214	145	112
WAIT ERIN	38	38	4
WAIT Fitzroy	34	30	5
WAIT Queensland Murray-Darling Committee	7	5	4
WAIT SA Arid Lands	35	34	24
WAIT Southern Gulf	113	51	73
WAIT Southwest Queensland	8	8	2
Total	3973	3610	3178

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

DERM = Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management

Figure 13 Map of Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 14 Map of A directory of important wetlands in Australia (DIWA) assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 15 Map of Environmental Assets Database (EAD) assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 16 Map of Great Artesian Basin Groundwater Recharge assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 17 Map of Birds Australia Important Bird Areas (IBA) assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 18 Map of key environmental assets (KEA) of the Murray-Darling Basin within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 19 Map of Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management Waterbodies Database assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 20 Map of threatened regional ecosystems listed under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992 within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 21 Map of threatened ecological communities listed under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE)

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

Figure 22 Map of Water Asset Information Tool (WAIT) database assets within the Galilee preliminary assessment extent (PAE), across all natural resource management regions

Data: Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 1)

1.3.2.1.2 Threatened ecological communities

Seven ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act occur in the Galilee subregion, and six are assessed as water dependent (Table 9). Management plans indicate only ‘The community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin threatened ecological community’ depends on groundwater and the ‘Coolibah – Black Box Woodlands of the Darling Riverine Plains’ and the ‘Brigalow Belt South Bioregions threatened ecological community’ depend on surface water. However, the assessment data based on satellite imagery shows that at least parts of the other four ecological communities are likely to be water dependent, and so these assets are also assessed as water dependent on the basis of the precautionary principle.

Table 9 Water-dependent threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act and within the preliminary assessment extent (PAE) of the Galilee subregion

Community^a	Dependence upon surface water	Dependence upon groundwater	Rationale for inclusion in water-dependent asset register
Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla dominant and co-dominant) threatened ecological community	Possible	Possible	Intersection with Queensland wetland mapping units; some riparian vegetation intercepting groundwater; and evapotranspiration greater than rainfall
Coolibah - Black Box Woodlands of the Darling Riverine Plains and the Brigalow Belt South Bioregions threatened ecological community	Yes	Possible	Associated with floodplains and drainage areas in which there is possible groundwater-surface water interaction
Natural Grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the northern Fitzroy Basin threatened ecological community	Unlikely	Possible	Some riparian vegetation intercepting groundwater; and evapotranspiration greater than rainfall
Semi-evergreen vine thickets of the Brigalow Belt (North and South) and Nandewar Bioregions threatened ecological community	Possible	Unlikely	Intersection with Queensland wetland mapping units
The community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin threatened ecological community	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this community.
Weeping Myall Woodlands threatened ecological community	Possible	Possible	Intersection with Queensland wetland mapping units; some riparian vegetation intercepting groundwater; and evapotranspiration greater than rainfall

Data: Australian Government Department of the Environment (Dataset 2), Bioregional Assessment Programme (Dataset 3, Dataset 4, Dataset 5)

^aTypology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.

1.3.2.1.3 Habitats of threatened species

Of the 39 species listed as threatened under the EPBC Act, 19 species are assessed to rely upon water-dependent habitats, with four species dependent on surface water, six species dependent on groundwater, and nine species dependent on both surface water and groundwater (Table 10). All six EPBC Act-listed species that are only dependent on groundwater are exclusively associated with the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin threatened ecological community (as listed under the EPBC Act). Evidence for dependence on surface water is often much less clear cut. The species occur across a wide range of community types that are more commonly ephemeral rivers, creeks, swamps and floodplains than permanent waterbodies. In such community types, determination of absolute dependence on water in excess of rainfall (i.e. flows down drainage lines and across floodplains) cannot be made with complete confidence, and in all cases the precautionary principle has been applied to assess these species’ habitats.

Of the 78 species listed as threatened under the Nature Conservation Act, excluding those also listed under the EPBC Act, 24 species are assessed to rely upon water-dependent habitats, with 17 species likely or possibly dependent on surface water, one species possibly dependent on groundwater, and six species possibly dependent on both surface water and groundwater (Table 11). Evidence for dependence on surface water or groundwater is not clear cut for most of these species. As for some of the species listed under the EPBC Act, species listed under the Nature Conservation Act occur across a wide range of community types that are more commonly ephemeral than permanent waterbodies. In such community types, determination of absolute dependence on water in excess of rainfall cannot be made with complete confidence, and again the precautionary principle has been applied to assess these species’ habitats.

Table 10 Water-dependent threatened species listed under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and within the preliminary assessment extent (PAE) of the Galilee subregion

Although examples of individual species are listed, bioregional assessments consider the potential impact to the habitat of species not individual species per se.

Scientific name^a	Common name	Dependence upon surface water	Dependence upon groundwater	Comments
Acacia ammophila	A wattle	Unlikely	Possible	Distribution overlaps with the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin EPBC Act-listed threatened ecological community
Amytornis barbatus barbatus	Grey Grasswren (Bulloo)	Yes	Unlikely	Occurs in lignum and canegrass on swampy floodplains in the drainage basin of the Bulloo River
Austrobryonia argillicola	Tobermorey Melon	Yes	Possible	Grows along ephemeral creeks and in poorly drained areas on cracking clay plains. Most abundant in seasonal swamps, clay pans and run-on areas
Chlamydogobius micropterus	Elizabeth Springs Goby	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this asset species.
Chlamydogobius squamigenus	Edgbaston Goby	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this asset species.
Denisonia maculata	Ornamental Snake	Yes	Possible	Found on floodplains, undulating clay pans and along the margins of swamps, lakes and watercourses
Eriocaulon carsonii	Salt Pipewort	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this asset species.
Eryngium fontanum	Blue Devil	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this asset species.
Geophaps scripta scripta	Squatter Pigeon (southern)	Yes	Possible	Usually sighted close to permanent water bodies
Lawrencia buchananensis	A shrub	Yes	Possible	Known from a single population in highly specific saline habitats along the shores of Lake Buchanan
Livistona lanuginosa	Waxy Cabbage Palm	Yes	Possible	Occurs only along sandy river and creek channels that flow only for part of the year, but with permanent pools or soaks
Neochmia ruficauda ruficauda	Star Finch (eastern)	Yes	Possible	Recorded from damp grasslands, sedgelands or grassy woodlands near permanent water or areas of regular inundation
Pezoporus occidentalis	Night Parrot	Possible	Possible	Likely on claypans, floodplains or the margins of salt lakes, and creeks or other water bodies
Poephila cincta cincta	Black-throated Finch (southern)	Yes	Possible	Prefers open grassy woodland habitats adjacent to water sources or riparian strips
Pristis pristis (Pristis microdon)	Largetooth Sawfish	Yes	No	Spawns in estuaries and young fish live in freshwater riverine habitats up to 500 km inland
Rostratula benghalensis (sensu lato)	Australian Painted Snipe	Yes	Possible	Occurs in shallow freshwater (occasionally brackish) wetlands, both ephemeral and permanent
Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis	Redfin Blue Eye	Unlikely	Yes	Great Artesian Basin springs are the only habitat of this asset species.
Sclerolaena blakei	A small shrub	Possible	No	Only been collected in depressions and channels on gravelly downs
Sclerolaena walkeri	A small shrub	Possible	No	Occurs on saline river flats and floodplains

Data: Australian Government Department of the Environment (Dataset 2)

^aTypology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.

Table 11 Water-dependent threatened species listed under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 (but not listed under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and within the preliminary assessment extent (PAE) of the Galilee subregion

Although examples of individual species are listed, bioregional assessments consider the potential impact to the habitat of species not individual species per se.

Scientific name^a	Common name	Dependence upon surface water	Dependence upon groundwater	Comments
Adelotus brevis	Tusked Frog	Yes	Possible	Found near creeks, ditches and ponds
Arthraxon hispidus	Hairy-joint Grass	Yes	Yes	In wet forest, often near creeks or swamps, and around freshwater springs and mound springs
Botaurus poiciloptilus	Australasian Bittern	Yes	Possible	Preferred habitat is wetlands with tall dense vegetation at the edges of pools or waterways
Bursaria reevesii	A shrub	Yes	Unlikely	Along drainage lines and in creek beds
Chalinolobus dwyeri	Large-eared Pied Bat	Possible	No	Requires forest or woodland near watercourses
Epthianura crocea crocea	Yellow Chat	Yes	Unlikely	At Curtis Island, Torilla Plain and the Fitzroy Delta
Epthianura crocea macgregori	Yellow Chat (Dawson)	Yes	Unlikely	Habitat restricted to channels, basins and/or depressions with wetlands of sedges, rushes and grasses
Erythrotriorchis radiates	Red Goshawk	Yes	No	Habitat must contain permanent water
Eucalyptus raveretiana	Black Ironbox	Yes	Possible	On the banks of watercourses
Fontainea venosa	Bahrs Scrub Fontainea	Possible	No	In vine forest along creeks
Furina dunmalli	Dunmall's Snake	Possible	No	In open forest on floodplains
Grevillea hockingsii	A shrub	No	Possible	Occasionally found on the edge of soaks containing Melaleuca
Haloragis exalata subsp velutina	Tall Velvet Sea-berry	Possible	No	Formerly known from swamp vegetation
Huperzia phlegmarioides	Layered Tassel Fern	Yes	Unlikely	Occurs in lowland swamps and along watercourses
Hypochrysops apollo apollo	Apollo Jewel Butterfly	Yes	No	Dependent on water-dependent Ant Plant (Myrmecodia beccarii)
Lophochroa leadbeateri	Major Mitchell's Cockatoo	Yes	Possible	Inhabits habitats within easy reach of water
Macrotis lagotis	Greater Bilby	Possible	No	Favourable parts of range now include drainage systems, salt lake systems and other alluvial areas
Malurus coronatus	Purple-crowned Fairy Wren	Yes	Possible	Inhabits dense riparian vegetation with trees, shrubs, rushes and/or sedges
Myrmecodia beccarii	Ant Plant	Yes	No	In open woodlands of Melaleuca viridiflora or mangroves
Neoroepera buxifolia	A shrub	Yes	No	Occurs along creek banks or in creek beds with riparian vine thicket or vine forest
Ninox rufa queenslandica	Rufous Owl (southern subspecies)	Possible	No	Wet, forested gullies
Picris barbarorum	A daisy	Yes	No	A plant of river banks and floodplains
Pimelea leptospermoides	A small shrub	Possible	No	Partly found in woodlands where prolonged flooding occurs
Samadera bidwillii		Possible	No	Commonly found adjacent to temporary and permanent watercourses

Data: Australian Government Department of the Environment (Dataset 2)

^aTypology and punctuation are given as they are used in the legislation.

Last updated:

9 January 2019