A CENTRE OF ENDEMISM ON CLARENCE VALLEY COUNCIL LAND

It’s no secret that the area around the Shannon Creek dam supports very high levels of biodiversity, thanks to a variety of geological forms and habitats that occur there. This was confirmed over 20 years ago by the numerous environmental impact surveys conducted before the dam’s construction.

More recently, a significant project to regenerate rainforest remnants in the area, funded by the Environmental Trust, has added significantly to that body of knowledge. Surveys conducted as part of that project found the Shannon Creek – Chambigne area supports more than 1000 native plant species, many of which are endemic to the Clarence Valley, leading to its being recognised as a centre of endemism, with new discoveries still occurring. 

These include a never-before recorded Donkey Orchid spotted by a keen-eyed visitor last month. As well, several trees that have defied botanists who have tried to identify them for the past two years, have finally flowered. This has further deepened the mystery as they appear to be an undescribed form of White Beech, and flowering specimens are currently being examined at the Mount Annan National Herbarium to determine if they are a new species.

High diversity of plant life generally correlates to a high diversity of fauna, and the Shannon Creek area is proving that point. For example, the current state-wide “bats in backyards” program, being conducted by the Environment Department’s Saving our Species team, proudly announced that the program had so far identified 20 microbat species including 8 listed as threatened across some 300 properties.

Microbats were also separately monitored at Shannon creek as part of the rainforest regeneration project, and in the three years that monitoring was carried out, no less than 17 species were recorded each year, with 23 different species identified over that period. Those records were recorded from just four sites across Council’s “Rockview” property.

The regeneration project has now ended, and follow-up work is crucial, but with only 2 bush regenerators on council’s staff, that appears unlikely and all that good work will be undone.

 -        John Edwards

 Originally published under the title "A centre of endemism on council land" in the Voices for the Earth column in The Clarence Valley Independent , 8 January, 2025.

LOCALS ACT TO SAVE IMPORTANT HABITAT TREES

The way potential impacts on threatened species are assessed when compiling an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), has always been a concern. This was highlighted recently when Essential Energy decided to move a transmission line in Lawrence, east of Grafton.

Despite assuring concerned citizens that they always minimise environmental impacts, their plan would arguably have had the greatest possible impact. 

That choice required the removal of twelve old-growth eucalypts, including one Forest Red Gum where Koalas are regularly sighted. The ecologist's report also made the patently erroneous claim that the 200 year old trees had “few if any hollows”, and a legal requirement that an EIS must contain“a description of any feasible alternatives”, was ignored.

A mandatory search of wildlife atlas records was undertaken to determine what threatened species have been recorded in the vicinity. However, no survey was undertaken to determine if any of those species were actually present.

The EIS concluded that “The proposal will not have a significant impact on any threatened species that may use the trees”, and “With the implementation of mitigation measures described in this report, risk to threatened species that may periodically use the trees, is considered low”.

A search for those “mitigation measures”, found only an assurance that tree removal would not occur during their breeding season. For the 6 identified micro-bat species, that period was identified as spring. However, where micro-bats are involved, there is a well-recognised season when clearing should not occur, that is winter when they go into a type of hibernation known as “torpor'. Unsurprisingly, that fact received no consideration.

When that anomaly was raised, the response further highlighted their knowledge gaps, claiming bats live under loose bark on trees, and as the trees in question were smooth barked, they were unlikely to be used as habitat. The fact is that, while there are bat species that live under loose bark, none of the 6 identified species do that, with most known to use tree hollows.

Fortunately, locals have done their homework, and identified a route option which required virtually no tree removal, and that option is now under consideration.

            - John Edwards

 This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on April 15, 2019