Significant Residual Impact criteria Interfere substantially with the
Assessment
While potential foraging habitat will be removed, similar quality habitat remains widely available throughout the region. Ecological surveys did not identify any potential breeding or denning habitat within the project area. Whilst there is the potential for the project area to be used by ghost bats for foraging and/or dispersal, it is unlikely a population will occur within the project area and therefore it is unlikely any project related impact could interfere with the recovery of the species. As such, the project is considered unlikely to interfere with the recovery of the species. While potential foraging habitat will be removed, similar quality habitat remains widely available throughout the region. Ecological surveys did not identify any potential breeding or denning habitat within the project area. The Mt Etna colony likely fulfils the regions breeding requirements making it unlikely that the tunnel within the project area functions as a maternity roost. As such, the project is considered unlikely to cause disruption to ecologically significant locations (breeding, feeding, nesting, migration or resting sites) of a species.
Unlikely
recovery of the species; and
Cause disruption to ecologically significant locations (breeding,
Unlikely
feeding, nesting,
migration or resting sites) of a species.
7.10.1.4 Greater glider (southern and central) (Petauroides volans) The greater glider (southern and central) ( Petauroides volans ) is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act and NC Act. The species is restricted to mature eucalypt forests and woodlands with an abundance of mature, hollow bearing trees (Andrews et al., 1994; Kavanagh, 2000; Eyre, 2004; Van der Ree et al., 2004; Vanderduys et al., 2012). The species has a specialist folivorous diet and displays seasonal food preferences (Kehl and Borsboom, 1984; Kavanagh and Lambert, 1990). As a result, the species requires access to forests with a diversity of tree species to provide a consistent food source throughout the year (Kavanagh, 1984). The species dens in large hollows in mature trees (Henry, 1984; Lindenmayer et al., 1991; Goldingay, 2012). The availability of mature, hollow-bearing trees is a limiting factor. The species has been found to be absent from forests with fewer than six hollow- bearing trees per hectare (Smith et al., 1994). The species has a relatively small home range, typically 1 – 4 ha (Henry 1984; Comport et al. 1996; Gibbons and Lindenmayer, 2002). Given the species’ limited capacity for dispersal, and reluctance to cross vegetation gaps, it is sensitive to habitat fragmentation (McCarthy and Lindenmayer, 1999). The nearest historical record of a greater glider (from 1881) is located approximately 5 km south of the project area (DETSI, 2025). Given that the project area is connected to a large, continuous tract of potential habitat, with unknown availability of tree hollows, the species has the potential to occur within the project area. In the Brigalow Belt Bioregion, greater gliders typically require between 4 and 20 den trees per individual and are most commonly observed denning in Eucalyptus fibrosa , followed by E. moluccana and Corymbia citriodora (Eyre et al., 2022). Within the project area, C. citriodora is present in RE 11.10.1. Field surveys identified one hollow bearing Eucalypt in RE 11.10.4, featuring an opening approximately 10 cm in diameter and another hollow bearing C citriodora in the non- remnant area, featuring an opening of around 15 cm in diameter. This hollow density falls far short of the threshold required to support greater gliders. However, REs 11.10.1, 11.10.2, 11.10.3 11.10.4 within the project area do support tree species associated with potentially suitable foraging habitat for
Project number: 25B061
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