2018-08-07 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    7 AUGUST 2018


The Swamp Crayfish is depicted in the following image:




             Figure 11: Tenuibranchiurus glypticus (Swamp Crayfish) (Queensland Museum)



Advice from experts (Dr. Kat Dawkins and Dr. Tim Howell 2018, July, pers. comm.) have verified
the importance of maintenance of water quality and habitat values as being essential for the
survival of the Swamp Crayfish. Furthermore, due to the cryptic nature, nocturnal habits and size
(25mm), the likelihood of additional specimens being found in the area is high with only 2
specimens identified by the applicant’s fauna survey. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
states site protection for this species is urgently needed as this species faces an extremely high
risk of extinction.
Furthermore, recent discussions with Dr. Kat Dawkins has indicated the Tewantin clade
represent a new species. It is grouped with two other known populations, of which one is extinct
and the other from samples donated from a private property. As such, unless more populations
are identified and analysed, this could potentially be the only remaining population for this
species. Based on this expert’s experience with these Swamp Crayfish, ‘construction almost
inevitably results in extirpation of the local population’.
Dr. Kat Dawkins advises that the Swamp Crayfish habitat is likely to extend further into wetland
habitat and the Q100 flood line is a suitable habitat delineation than the contour line that has
been identified by the applicant.




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