Significant Residual Impact criteria Interfere substantially with the recovery of the species; and
Assessment
Unlikely
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 yellow-bellied gliders 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. As such, the project is considered unlikely to cause disruption to ecologically significant locations (breeding, feeding, nesting, migration or resting sites) of a species.
Cause disruption to ecologically significant locations (breeding, feeding, nesting, migration or resting sites) of a species.
Unlikely
6.9.1.6. White-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus)
The white-throated needletail ( Hirundapus caudacutus ) is listed as vulnerable and migratory under the
EPBC Act and vulnerable under the NC Act.
This species is a trans-equatorial migrant that breeds in the Northern Hemisphere during the boreal
summer and migrates south during the boreal winter. This species is widespread in eastern and south-
eastern Australia and is recorded in all coastal regions of Queensland and NSW, extending inland to
the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range and occasionally onto the adjacent inland plains. The
species is also widespread in Victoria and Tasmania and occurs in south-eastern South Australia
(TSSC, 2019).
Whilst in Australia the species is almost exclusively aerial, occurring from heights of less than 1 m up
to more than 1,000 m above the ground (TSSC, 2019). The species forages at heights up to cloud
height over a range of habitat types including woodland, open forest, rainforest, heathland and partly
cleared pasture and agricultural land (TSSC, 2019).
In Australia, confirmed and high confidence records of white-throated needletail roosting indicate the
species roosts in dense foliage of canopy trees in large tracts of treed remnant vegetation along or
contiguous with mountain ranges. The species is also reported to roost in tree hollows (TSSC, 2019a),
bark on trees or rock faces and is likely to have traditional roost sites (DoE, 2015b). Research has
shown that roosts are typically located in tall woodland on ridgelines and clifftops, where the birds can
easily alight (Tarburton, 2021).
The white-throated needletail was not detected during field surveys, nor was any suitable roosting
habitat, and the nearest historical records are 27 km north of the project area (from 1994). Based on
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Wulguru Technical Services Pty Ltd – Supporting Information to Amend an Environmental Authority
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