Attachment 6a - Ecological Assessment Part 1 · MCU18/0015

                           Ecological Assessment – Attunga Heights



and more densely vegetated habitats. Understory vegetation on the site is likely to provide
habitat for disturbance adapted small mammals, such as introduced and native rat species.

Arboreal mammals occurring in the region (with the exception of the koala) utilise tree
hollows for nesting and shelter. Smith and Lindenmeyer (1988) consider that shortage of
nest hollows is likely to limit arboreal mammal populations where density of hollow bearing
trees is less than two (2) to eight (8) trees per hectare. The site does not contain hollow
bearing trees, therefore arboreal mammals are likely to be restricted to common urbanised
species such as the ringtail possum.

Assessment of possible Koala habitat revealed an absence of Koala feed tree species (i.e.
no Eucalypt species were recorded on the site). One (1) Brush box (Lophostemon confertus)
was present at the entrance of the subject site. Koala activity was surveyed using the SAT
analysis (Phillips and Callaghan 2011) at two (2) “A” sampling sites (FIGURE 9). No Koala
pellets were found during the SAT analysis, therefore no “B” sites were required to be
surveyed. No Koala activity was recorded on the Subject site.


4.3.6 Habitat Suitability Assessment for Threatened Fauna Species
Habitat suitability assessments of threatened fauna and migratory species that are known
to occur or considered possible occurrences in the locality (TABLE 3 and TABLE 4)
determined that two (2) threatened and five (5) migratory species have reasonable
potential to be present within the subject site. These species are:

Threatened species:
   • Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)(KNOWN); and
   • Glossy black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami).

Migratory species:
   • Fork-tailed swift (Apus pacificus);
   • White-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus);
   • Black-faced monarch (Monarcha melanopsis);
   • Spectacled monarch (Monarcha trivirgatus); and
   • Rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons).

APPENDIX 2 lists the threatened and migratory fauna species that are known or considered
to possibly occur in the locality and discusses the likelihood of occurrence of each species
within the subject area. Species that will clearly not occur on the site, e.g. marine and
wetland species, have been omitted from the assessment.


4.3.7 Essential Habitat
4.3.7.1 Introduction
Essential Habitat for Wallum rocket frog (Litoria freycineti), Wallum froglet (Crinia
tinnula), Wallum sedgefrog (Litoria olongburensis) and Glossy black-cockatoo




Job No: Q12038/RW3                       JWA Pty Ltd                                     32