1.3.2 Ecological assets

Summary

A total of 4139 ecological assets are listed in the water-dependent asset register for the Gippsland Basin bioregion preliminary assessment extent (PAE). There are 3187 assets within the ‘Vegetation’ subgroup of which 962 are classified as groundwater-dependent ecosystems by the National Atlas of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDE Atlas) (Bureau of Meteorology, Dataset 1). The asset register includes the potential spatial habitat distribution of 115 species listed under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Of these, the habitat of 83 of the species was considered water dependent. Twenty-four wetlands are listed in A directory of important wetlands in Australia (DIWA) (Australian Government Department of the Environment, Dataset 2): two are listed as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance (Gippsland Lakes and Corner Inlet) and there are four Important Bird Areas – all of which are considered water dependent. Four threatened ecological communities and 31 aquifers also occur within the Gippsland Basin bioregion, which are all considered water dependent.

Last updated:
28 September 2018