Recommendation to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) on a public nomination for an ecological community listing on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act)
1. Generally accepted name
Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) associations
2. International/National Context
Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) associations occur in New South Wales (where the ecological community is listed as endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) and Queensland (where, under the Vegetation Management Act 1999, two of the three regional ecosystems in which the species is present are recognised as endangered).
3. How judged by TSSC in relation to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 criteria.
The TSSC judges the nomination to be ineligible for listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The justification against the criteria is as follows:
Criterion 1 – Decline in geographic distribution
The nomination does not provide sufficient information on the national distribution of Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) associations as it refers to the occurrence of the species in New South Wales only. In addition, information for New South Wales refers to the distribution of the species rather than the distribution of the ecological community.
Advice from experts regarding the extent of Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) associations in Queensland and their similarity with those in New South Wales remains inconclusive.
Therefore, the nomination provides insufficient information upon which to make an assessment against this criterion.
Criterion 2 – Small geographic distribution coupled with demonstrable threat
The nomination provides insufficient information on which to determine the national extent of the ecological community. Therefore, the TSSC is unable to assess the ecological community against this criterion.
Criterion 3 – Loss or decline of functionally important species
The species, Cadellia pentastylis, is currently listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, vulnerable under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and vulnerable under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
The processes of interaction between C. pentastylis and other components of the C. pentastylis associations is unknown, and it is therefore unclear how functionally important the species may be.
Criterion 4 – Reduction in community integrity
The nomination provides no information under this criterion.
Criterion 5 – Rate of continuing detrimental change
The nomination provides no information under this criterion.
Criterion 6 – Quantitative analysis showing probability of extinction
The nomination provides no information under this criterion.
4. Conclusion
The nomination was insufficiently definitive and in particular lacked information on the national extent of the ecological community such that the TSSC was unable to assess the community against the criteria.
5. Recommendation
The TSSC recommends that the nomination for the ecological community Cadellia pentastylis (Ooline) associations be rejected as there is insufficient information provided upon which to assess the nomination against the criteria and thus it is not eligible for listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.