Biodiversity - Priority species and habitats

Biodiversity - Priority species and habitats

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An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with one another and their environment.
South East Queensland (SEQ) is home to an amazing array of species and habitats. Unfortunately, many habitats and species have declined significantly since non-indigenous settlement. There are several pieces of legislation designed to halt this decline.
Both individual plants and animals, as well as whole ecosystems can be identified as priority ‘species’ or ‘ecosystems’ and protected under varying bits of legislation.

Nearly 400 plant and animal species recorded within south-east Queensland (SEQ) are considered priority species, e.g. threatened under legislation (such as the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), or significant regionally, e.g. Southeast Queensland Biodiversity Planning Assessment (DERM, 2007), South East Queensland Natural Resource Management Region Back on Track Actions for Biodiversity (DERM, 2011).

Priority ecosystems are vulnerable regional ecosystems (refer definition in our SIP) and those identified as an Endangered Ecological Community or having vegetation identified as habitat for priority species.

Engaging planners, land managers and building community capacity to undertake fire, weed and pest management together with addressing other specific threats to priority species and ecosystems is critical to protecting and restoring priority species and habitat.

SEQ Catchments is involved in a range of activities to protect priority species and habitat such as:

Glossy black-cockatoos only feed on she-oak seeds. Loss of food trees and nesting hollows, combined with a long breeding cycle, has made them a threatened species (photo courtesy of Guy Castley)

  • Macadamias - Macadamias are found only in Australia (endemic), and all four species are threatened with extinction in the wild. Through the “Wild About Macadamias” project, SEQ Catchments, members of the Macadamia Conservation Trust and other project partners are working hard to improve the future for these iconic species.
  • Glossy Black-Cockatoo - SEQ Catchments has been a member of the  Glossy Black Conservancy since 2005, supporting cross-regional initiatives for Glossy Black-Cockatoo conservation,including development of the Glossy Black Conservation Guidelines. Find out what else SEQ Catchments has been doing to support bird conservation in SEQ.
  • Koala habitat - At Whiteside, Murrumba Downs and Tamborine, Koala habitat is being replanted through projects with Energex, Seqwater and Scenic Rim Regional Council, contributing to implementation of the Koala Conservation Plan.
  • Back on Track Species Habitat Mapping project - supported by the Queensland Government Q2 Coasts and Country program and in partnership with Burnett-Mary Regional Group, this project is developing habitat mapping for priority species, which will be used to identify target areas for habitat improvement in conjunction with community groups and landholders.

Endangered Community Conservation

SEQ Catchments is assisting landholders with the management of endangered ecological communities. Read more…

Flying-fox project to improve SEQ landscape resilience to climate change

Through this project, SEQ Catchments and project partners aim to protect, restore and enhance roost sites and surrounding habitat for flying-foxes in SEQ, as well as undertake targeted community engagement and awareness activities. Read more…

Richmond Birdwing conservation

Richmond Birdwing vines are being propagated on the Gold Coast and will be used in habitat restoration projects across the region. Read more…

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