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Broad-toothed Mouse (Mastacomys fuscus)

The Broad-toothed Mouse is a stocky, mostly nocturnal native rodent of cool, moist grasslands, heathlands, sedgelands, swamps and coastal grassy habitats in south-eastern Australia. It is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and in the ACT, NSW and Victoria. Clearing, fire, loss of dense ground cover, feral herbivores and introduced predators can remove occupied habitat or isolate small subpopulations on development sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Endangered.

Breeding season

Timing varies with elevation, snow cover and local climate. The breeding pattern below is based on the documented October to March season, with births concentrated in late spring and early summer in the Australian Alps.

Avoid assuming that absence of animals confirms absence from a site. Scats can persist for up to five years in some environments, and animals may be below dense cover or snow.

  • Breeding and births: Breeding begins in October. Births are most concentrated from late November through January, although breeding can continue to March.
  • Dependent young: Young are dependent in nests for about the first month after birth and are usually weaned at about 33 to 40 days. Later litters can remain dependent into March or April.
  • Dispersal and recolonisation: The subspecies can recolonise suitable patches after local extinction, but the documents do not identify a distinct seasonal dispersal peak. Movement depends on connected, suitable vegetation and nearby source populations.
  • Winter refuge and under-snow activity: In alpine areas, individuals use communal shredded-grass nests during the day and can move and forage beneath snow during winter.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and ground disturbance are most likely to harm the species from October to March because females are breeding and young may be in nests or recently weaned. Dense winter refuges also require protection in alpine areas.

Identification

This is a compact, broad-faced rodent with a short tail and dense brown to rufous fur. Live trapping, fresh scats and active tunnels are the most useful field evidence in suitable habitat.

The body is stocky, with a broad face, rounded head, well-developed cheeks and large jaw muscles. Fur is fine and dense, brown with a rufous tinge above and paler grey underneath. It can have a green tinge from algae.

The ears are small and round, with hair tufts inside. The feet are brown above and below. The lightly haired tail is dark above and slightly paler underneath.

Head and body: 14 to 17 cm

Tail: 10 to 13 cm

Adult female weight: 130 to 150 g in the Kosciuszko National Park study

Identification: Distinguishing features

Large cream-coloured molars, dark brown feet and the stocky body help distinguish this species from other small mammals in the Alps.

Fresh scats are distinctive olive-green and fibrous, with small pieces of undigested grass. Swamp Rat scats can also be grassy and fibrous, so check the outer coating and other evidence before confirming identification. Swamp Rat scats generally have a dark outer coating and look different when dry.

  • Do not rely on scat colour alone where Swamp Rats occur.
  • Record the location of scats, active tunnels, nests and nearby dense grass cover.
  • Use trapping or detection dogs only under the relevant wildlife permits and approved survey methods.

Identification: Field signs

The species builds tunnels through dense ground vegetation. Tunnels can be a focal point for feral cat predation and may be the most useful sign during a habitat inspection.

In summer it uses soil burrows. In alpine winter conditions it uses communal nests made from shredded grass, usually in dense undergrowth or beneath logs and snow. The documents do not provide a reliable diagnostic track, call or eyeshine description.

  • Treat fresh olive-green fibrous scats, active grass tunnels and dense grass nests as potential evidence of occupancy.
  • Inspect beneath logs, dense shrubs, boulder edges and along drainage lines without dismantling nests or collapsing tunnels.
  • Map all signs and retain a buffer around occupied or potentially occupied ground-cover habitat until an ecologist has assessed the site.

Distribution: States and regions

The mainland subspecies has a highly fragmented distribution in south-eastern Australia. Current records are concentrated in alpine and subalpine areas, with disjunct coastal, foothill and northern populations.

In Victoria, records extend from the Otway Ranges and Port Campbell National Park through alpine areas near Healesville and the Yarra Ranges to the Victorian Alps, with additional records from central and far eastern coastal areas. Relevant areas include the Otways, Alpine National Park, Baw Baw, Mount Buller, Mount Buffalo, Bunyip State Park, Wilsons Promontory and far East Gippsland.

In New South Wales, the main range includes Kosciuszko National Park and associated alpine reserves, with disjunct populations at Barrington Tops and Gloucester Tops. Records also occur in Bago, Buccleuch, Bondo and Maragle State Forests, and there are less certain coastal records inferred from predator scats.

In the ACT, the species is known mainly from Namadgi National Park and the Brindabella area. South Australia is part of the historical range based on subfossil deposits, but no current South Australian population is described in the supplied documents.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Kosciuszko National Park is the stronghold in NSW. Barrington Tops is a disjunct northern population and is considered important because of its isolation. Namadgi National Park supports a patchy ACT population.

In Victoria, known areas include the Yarra Ranges, Alpine National Park, the Otways, Port Campbell National Park, Baw Baw, Mount Buller, Wilsons Promontory, far East Gippsland and forests east of the Hume Highway. The Dandenong Ranges population may be locally extinct, and the Wilsons Promontory population is at risk of extinction in the near future.

Distribution: Population and range indicators

Current extent of occurrence: 52,290 km² based on records from 2017 to 2022; 52,290 to 60,149 km² using records from 2012 to 2022.

Current area of occupancy: 912 km² based on records from 2017 to 2022; 912 to 1,152 km² using records from 2012 to 2022.

Mature individuals: No reliable total estimate is available.

Estimated population trend: The 2023 assessment reported an overall decline exceeding 50% over 10 years. The NSW assessment cited an estimated overall occupancy reduction of 74% when repeated local surveys were extrapolated to 2012 to 2022.

Known state survey decline: In Victoria, 32 of 68 sites occupied before 1990 still had detections in 2014 to 2015, indicating a decline of more than 50% in occupied sites.

Fire-related examples: Post-fire occupancy declined by 75% in surveyed burnt sites in eastern Alpine National Park, by more than 80% at burnt ACT sites, and by 57% at fire-affected Kosciuszko sites two years after fire.

Habitat: Habitat types

Habitat is usually cool, moist and structurally dense at ground level. The species may occur at high elevation, but it also persists in selected foothill and coastal sites where dense grass, shrubs and reliable moisture remain.

Preferred habitats include alpine and subalpine heathland, grassland beside boulder outcrops, swamps, sedgelands, coastal grassy or shrubby dunes and, occasionally, forest with a grassy understorey.

Important sites generally have plentiful grass, dense ground cover, a cool climate, significant rainfall and limited disturbance. Most current records are from elevations above 1,500 m, although the species is also recorded from coastal and foothill areas.

Typical current elevation: Most suitable current sites are above 1,500 m, but records range from foothill and coastal areas to alpine sites.

Annual rainfall: Current habitat is generally associated with more than 1,000 mm annual rainfall.

Post-fire structure: Unburnt vegetation older than 15 years is associated with occupancy, and abundance was greatest at sites that had not burnt for 80 years in one study.

  • Treat dense grassland, heathland, sedgeland, swamp margins and grassy forest floors as potential habitat.
  • Include apparently suitable unoccupied patches in the assessment because the species may be absent from suitable habitat where connectivity or recent disturbance is limiting recolonisation.

Habitat: Structural features

Habitat suitability is strongly related to dense cover and grass availability. Rocks, shrubs and tussock grasses are important in mainland alpine areas, including Poa, Phebalium and Prostanthera species.

Drainage lines are important because they support more complex vegetation and more grass. Detection likelihood decreases with increasing distance from a drainage line.

  • Map drainage lines, wet depressions, swamp edges, tussock fields, boulder margins and dense shrub patches before clearing.
  • Avoid treating short, open or recently burnt vegetation as the full habitat unit. Retain connected unburnt patches and the dense ground layer around them.
  • Assess habitat beyond the project footprint because isolated patches can function as a metapopulation when they are close enough for dispersal.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The Broad-toothed Mouse is a grass-eating rodent that forages close to dense ground cover. Food and shelter are closely linked, so removal of the grass layer can make otherwise suitable habitat unusable.

The species is herbivorous, with grasses forming the major component of its diet. In mainland alpine areas it uses grassy heathland, grassland beside rocks, sedgelands, swamp margins and forest with a grassy understorey.

It is mostly nocturnal. In alpine and subalpine areas it can move and feed within the vegetation layer beneath snow cover.

Main food: Grasses, including Poa in mainland alpine habitat.

Foraging period: Mostly nocturnal.

Foraging area: Home range varies seasonally from approximately 0.1 to 0.3 ha.

  • Retain dense Poa tussocks and other grass-rich ground cover around drainage lines, boulders, shrubs and swamp margins.
  • Inspect the ground layer for clipped or shredded grass, tunnels and scats rather than looking only for animals.
  • Avoid stripping vegetation, stockpiling materials or compacting soil over grass tunnels and burrow areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding is seasonal and is tied to the short warmer period in alpine areas. Females need dense grass for nest construction and nearby cover for rearing young.

Females construct dense spherical grass nests and may produce one or two litters in a season. In the alpine study, births were concentrated from late November to late January, although the broader breeding period extends from October to March.

Young remain dependent on the mother during early development and are generally weaned at about 33 to 40 days. Young do not normally breed in the season of their birth.

Breeding season: October to March, with most alpine births from late November to late January.

Litters: One or two litters per female per season.

Litter size: 1 to 4 young; mean 2.3 in 27 captive litters.

Gestation: Approximately 35 days; the shortest observed interval between litters was 33 days.

Weaning: Usually about 33 days, with reported weaning at approximately 35 to 40 days.

Age at maturity: 6 to 12 months.

Longevity: Estimated at 2 to 3 years.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Females build spherical nests from Poa grass stems. Nests may be under boulders, beneath dense shrubs or fallen trunks, and can be up to about 30 cm in diameter.

The same type of nest can provide winter refuge and a summer nest for young. Dense, mature ground cover is therefore important during both breeding and non-breeding periods.

  • Avoid clearing or burning dense grass, shrubs, fallen timber and boulder margins during October to March where occupancy is possible.
  • Treat grass nests, burrows and active tunnels as breeding habitat even if no animal is seen.
  • Retain connected cover between breeding patches because recolonisation depends on the distance and connectivity between suitable patches.

Sheltering habitat: Burrows and tunnels

Shelter is provided by soil burrows, grass tunnels, dense vegetation, fallen timber, boulders and insulated grass nests. Fire, slashing, grading, trampling and stockpiling can remove several shelter types at once.

In summer, individuals nest in burrows in the soil. The species also builds above-ground tunnels through dense vegetation for travel and foraging.

Tunnels provide cover but can expose animals to predators when vegetation is removed. Feral cats use these structures as a focus for hunting.

  • Mark and protect active tunnels, burrow entrances and dense tunnel networks before machinery enters the site.
  • Do not fill burrows, collapse tunnels or place spoil, vehicles or materials over the ground layer.
  • Inspect adjacent habitat because tunnels may extend beyond the immediate area where scats are found.

Sheltering habitat: Winter and nesting refuges

In alpine areas, individuals den communally during the day in nests made from shredded grass. These nests occur in dense undergrowth or under logs beneath snow.

Breeding nests are dense spherical grass structures, up to about 30 cm across, commonly built under boulders, beneath dense shrubs or under fallen tree trunks.

Known nest size: Up to approximately 30 cm in diameter.

Winter shelter: Shredded grass nests in dense undergrowth or beneath logs and snow.

  • Retain fallen logs, boulders, dense shrubs and mature grass tussocks in and beside the work area.
  • Do not disturb suspected nests during winter or the October to March breeding period.
  • Where removal cannot be avoided, stop work and obtain species-specific advice before moving cover or excavating soil.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks are loss of dense ground cover, intense or repeated fire, introduced predators and grazing or trampling by livestock and feral herbivores. These pressures can act together, leaving isolated populations exposed to further decline.

Habitat loss and fragmentation reduce the area of suitable grass and shrub cover and can isolate subpopulations. Development associated with ski resorts has already caused habitat destruction in parts of the range.

Some remaining Victorian populations occur in marginal or roadside habitat and are susceptible to disturbance. Suitable habitat may be unoccupied because the species has limited ability to cross unfavourable ground.

  • Survey dense grass, heath, swamp, sedgeland, boulder margins and drainage-line vegetation before clearing.
  • Keep habitat patches connected and avoid creating narrow isolated remnants.
  • Control access, plant movement, spoil placement and temporary works around occupied or potential habitat.
  • Treat roadside habitat as potentially important rather than assuming it is degraded or unoccupied.

Threats: Fire and vegetation loss

High-severity fire can kill animals directly and remove food, tunnels and shelter. Repeated fire can leave vegetation structurally similar to recently burnt habitat, and recovery can take a long time.

After fire, predators hunt more effectively where cover is reduced. Feral herbivores can concentrate in unburnt areas and delay recovery in burnt areas.

  • Avoid planned burning in occupied or potential habitat unless it is supported by species-specific fire planning.
  • Protect unburnt refuges and retain mature ground cover around burnt areas.
  • Do not assume that early regrowth is suitable habitat. The supplied evidence associates occupancy with vegetation more than 15 years post-fire, and higher abundance with sites unburnt for 80 years.
  • Monitor recolonisation after fire and keep surviving habitat connected to recovering patches.

Threats: Predators, herbivores and disease

European Red Foxes and feral cats selectively prey on the species. Predation can contract the species' range and prevent expansion into otherwise suitable habitat.

Feral horses are a major herbivore threat in the Australian Alps. Deer, cattle, pigs, rabbits and hares can graze or trample food, nests and shelter, increase erosion and delay post-fire regeneration.

Weeds and Phytophthora dieback can change habitat quality at some sites. Climate change can increase drought, fire frequency, drying of drainage lines and early snow thaw, while forestry operations may affect some populations.

  • Keep domestic animals and construction waste away from occupied habitat and do not create food or shelter for feral predators.
  • Use approved predator and feral herbivore controls around priority populations where authorised.
  • Prevent weed spread and follow hygiene procedures where Phytophthora is a risk.
  • Protect drainage lines, wet depressions and peatland vegetation from diversion, filling, compaction and altered runoff.
  • Manage erosion and sediment so that dense grass, wetland edges and tunnel systems are not buried or dried.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and targeted searches

Survey for the mainland broad-toothed rat should focus on dense, grassy ground cover near drainage lines, wetlands, swamps, sedgelands, alpine and subalpine heathlands, and coastal grassy or shrubby dunes. Use several detection methods because the subspecies is patchy, mostly nocturnal and may leave persistent scats after local occupancy has changed.

Map all suitable and connected habitat within and adjoining the project area before selecting survey sites.

Prioritise cool, wet sites with dense ground cover, abundant grasses, shrubs, rocks, logs and drainage lines. Include retained habitat within at least 5 kilometres where it is connected to the subject site, because the species can disperse between suitable patches and its presence may need to be interpreted at a broader site scale.

Give priority to unburnt habitat and habitat more than 15 years after fire, where available. Recently burnt areas may still contain animals in unburnt refuges, but vegetation can take many years to become suitable again.

Preferred habitat: Alpine and subalpine heathlands, grassland beside boulder outcrops, swamps, sedgelands, coastal grassy or shrubby dunes, and some forests with grassy understorey.

Important microhabitat: Dense ground cover, grasses, shrubs, rocks, logs and drainage lines.

Typical elevation: Often above 1500 metres, but also recorded in coastal and foothill habitat.

  • Walk all suitable habitat and record the area searched, search time, weather, recent fire history, ground-cover condition, drainage lines and signs of feral herbivore disturbance.
  • Search under logs, dense shrubs, rocks and along grass tunnels for fresh or aged olive-green, fibrous scats containing grass fragments. Record the location and condition of every scat group.
  • Treat scat detection cautiously because scats can persist for up to 5 years in some environments and therefore do not necessarily prove current occupancy.

Survey methodology: 2. Scat detection and detection dogs

Use timed scat searches as the primary low impact method where dense cover, fire sensitivity or access constraints make trapping unsuitable. Detection dogs have also been used successfully for targeted searches, including recent surveys in Victoria.

Scat characteristics: Fresh scats are olive-green, fibrous and contain small fragments of undigested grass.

Persistence: Scats may remain detectable for up to 5 years in some environments.

  • Use an experienced detection dog team where available, and record the dog, handler, search duration, route, weather and all alerts.
  • Collect representative scats only when authorised, using contamination controls and a chain of custody if genetic or dietary analysis is proposed.
  • Photograph and map scat groups before removal, and distinguish broad-toothed rat scats from similar fibrous swamp rat scats using an appropriately experienced ecologist.
  • Repeat searches in retained, unburnt habitat when a single negative search would determine whether works proceed, because detection probability varies with cover, fire history and scat persistence.

Survey methodology: 3. Live trapping and nocturnal searches

Use live trapping or other disturbance-sensitive methods only under an approved species survey design and by suitably experienced personnel. The supplied documents confirm trapping, capture and release surveys, but do not prescribe a universal trap number, trap spacing or night count for this subspecies.

Activity: Mostly nocturnal.

Home range: Approximately 0.1 to 0.3 hectares, varying seasonally.

Breeding season: October to March.

  • Obtain all required wildlife research and animal ethics approvals before trapping or handling animals.
  • Design trapping around the species' small home range, approximately 0.1 to 0.3 hectares, and place traps in dense grass cover, tunnels, beside logs or shrubs, and near drainage lines rather than in open burnt ground.
  • Use weather-safe traps, suitable grass-based food and frequent checks, with a clear heat, cold, rain and predator-risk shutdown procedure.
  • Where spotlighting is used, conduct it at night along mapped drainage lines, dense grass cover and tunnel systems, and record the number of observers, search hours, route length and conditions. The documents do not provide a fixed spotlighting effort for this subspecies.
  • Release animals at their capture point unless an approved conservation translocation or fauna management plan provides another location.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Have a suitably qualified ecologist set the final survey effort from habitat area, connectivity, fire history, project risk and approval conditions; do not treat one negative search as evidence of absence in suitable habitat.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, search area or transect length, nights, trap nights where applicable, weather, recent fire, searchers, detection method, habitat condition and all positive and negative results.
  • Map every record with a coordinate, date, evidence type and confidence level, and state whether the record is fresh, aged or based only on persistent sign.
  • Submit confirmed records and survey results to the relevant state wildlife database and the Australian Government Species Profile and Threats Database where required by approval conditions.
  • Report any suspected occurrence to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority before clearing proceeds.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat all suitable habitat as potentially important because the subspecies is highly fragmented, has continuing declines and has no reliable total population estimate. Avoid clearing occupied habitat and retain connected, sheltered ground cover wherever practicable.

Critical habitat principle: All habitat where the subspecies occurs, or could occur, is considered critical to its survival in the 2023 conservation advice.

Connectivity: The subspecies may disperse between nearby habitat patches, but has limited ability to cross unfavourable habitat.

  • Redesign the footprint to retain dense grassy and shrubby ground cover, drainage lines, swamps, sedgelands, alpine and subalpine heathlands, coastal grassy habitat, logs, rocks and other tunnel and nesting structures.
  • Retain unburnt habitat and maintain connections between habitat patches, especially around known records, drainage lines and surviving refuges after fire.
  • Do not place access tracks, compounds, spoil, stockpiles or drainage outlets through suitable ground cover or across likely movement routes.
  • Keep clearing to the approved footprint and use no-go fencing to protect retained habitat from machinery, vehicles, workers, grazing and sediment movement.
  • Avoid works that dry wetlands, bogs or drainage lines, and prevent trampling or compaction of grassy ground cover.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Check whether the action may have a significant impact on the EPBC Act listed endangered subspecies and obtain advice on referral requirements before finalising the design.
  • Check state and territory threatened species, wildlife handling, survey, clearing and rehabilitation requirements for the project location, including any site-specific conditions for endangered populations.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey results, exclusion zones, handling authority, release habitat, stop-work triggers, emergency contacts and reporting requirements.
  • Stage works so that retained habitat and unburnt refuge areas remain connected while clearing occurs.
  • Avoid clearing during the October to March breeding season where practicable, and obtain ecologist and approval-holder advice before proceeding if breeding females, nests or dependent young may be present.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete the approved pre-clearance survey immediately before works, with additional searches after fire, flooding or any substantial change in ground cover.
  • Mark all records, active tunnels, dense grass nests, drainage lines, wetlands, logs, rocks and retained habitat on the construction plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and sensitive features before machinery enters the site, and inspect the fencing daily.
  • Brief machinery operators and fauna spotter catchers on the species' appearance, olive-green fibrous scats, nocturnal behaviour, likely habitat and stop-work procedure.
  • Confirm where animals will be released, who may handle them, and which wildlife carer or veterinarian will receive injured animals.

During habitat disturbance: Daily site controls

Use a controlled clearing sequence that keeps the fauna spotter catcher ahead of machinery and protects retained habitat. Stop work whenever an animal, active tunnel system or unexpected suitable refuge is found.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, no-go areas, drainage controls and retained habitat before starting work each day.
  • Keep machinery, vehicles, workers, dogs and stockpiles outside marked habitat and maintain the approved access route.
  • Clear progressively in small stages towards retained habitat, at a speed that allows animals to move away and allows the fauna spotter catcher to inspect the work area.
  • Search dense grass, tunnels, logs, rocks, shrubs, burrows and wet ground before removing vegetation or disturbing soil.
  • Suspend work during extreme heat, heavy rain, flooding, smoke or other conditions that increase handling or exposure risk, unless the fauna management plan provides a safe alternative.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna spotter catcher and machinery

The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to direct machinery and must remain close enough to inspect the next clearing area before disturbance. The operator must stop immediately on the spotter catcher's direction.

  • Use a slow, staged clearing sequence and inspect each disturbed section before moving machinery forward.
  • Do not chase, corner or handle an animal unless the person is authorised, trained and the action is necessary under the approved fauna management plan.
  • Keep noise, lighting and vehicle movements away from retained habitat at night, because the subspecies is mostly nocturnal.
  • Photograph and map the location of every animal, tunnel system, scat group and injury before the site is altered, where this can be done safely.

During habitat disturbance: Finds, handling and stop-work triggers

  • Stop work immediately if a broad-toothed rat is found, if fresh scats or an active tunnel system are uncovered, or if clearing enters an unmarked wetland, drainage line, dense grass refuge or other suitable habitat.
  • Allow an uninjured animal to move into nearby retained habitat where safe, or relocate it only under the approved plan and by an authorised person familiar with the species.
  • Use a ventilated, secure container with suitable bedding and minimise handling time, noise, heat and exposure to predators.
  • Take an injured animal promptly to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, and notify the relevant authority if required by the permit or approval.
  • Do not release an animal into burnt, exposed, isolated or unsuitable habitat. Release it into nearby retained habitat approved by the project ecologist, preferably close to the capture location and with cover, grass and shelter.
  • Resume work only after the ecologist has inspected the area, updated controls and confirmed that the stop-work trigger has been resolved.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and records

  • Retain logs, rocks, dense grass, shrubs, drainage-line vegetation, wetland margins and tunnel systems wherever possible.
  • If a log or rock must be moved, inspect it first, move it slowly under supervision and replace it in nearby retained habitat with ground cover intact.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury habitat material that may provide shelter until it has been inspected and cleared under the fauna management plan.
  • Maintain a daily register of cleared area, personnel, machinery, weather, inspections, animals found, handling, release or veterinary outcomes, injuries, mortalities, stop-work events and corrective actions.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work must confirm that animals were not left in isolated habitat and that retained areas remain suitable and connected. Continue controls until rehabilitation and monitoring show that the project is not causing avoidable loss of habitat or occupancy.

  • Inspect the cleared footprint, retained habitat edges, access routes and exclusion fencing at the end of each clearing stage and after heavy rain, fire or earthworks changes.
  • Search retained habitat for fresh scats, active tunnels, carcasses, injured animals, exposed animals and damage from machinery or feral herbivores.
  • Repair damaged fencing, drainage controls and habitat edges immediately, and remove spoil, rubbish and unused materials from retained habitat.
  • Confirm that no animal has been isolated by a trench, road, fence, stockpile or newly created open area.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Documented fire response example: After the 2019 to 2020 fires, occupancy declined by 75% at burnt sites in eastern Alpine National Park and by 83% at burnt sites surveyed in Namadgi National Park.

  • Monitor retained and rehabilitated habitat using the same mapped search areas and detection methods used before disturbance, so changes in detection are interpretable.
  • Include repeat scat searches, detection dog searches or approved trapping where the project risk, approval or conservation advice requires them.
  • Interpret aged scats cautiously because sign can persist for up to 5 years and may overstate current occupancy.
  • Compare occupancy, habitat cover, fire history, weed cover, feral herbivore disturbance and connectivity through time, rather than relying only on a single detection.
  • Provide the approval holder, relevant wildlife authority and state wildlife database with the final clearing map, survey data, incidents, mortalities, relocations, rehabilitation results and monitoring results.
  • Implement any required offset, compensatory habitat or additional conservation action under the EPBC approval, state approval or project conditions.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls

  • Keep no-go fencing and habitat protection measures in place until construction traffic, weeds, drainage changes, grazing and fire risks are controlled.
  • Prevent feral horses, deer, pigs, rabbits, hares, livestock, foxes and cats from degrading retained and recovering habitat where the project has control or an agreed management role.
  • Manage weeds and erosion before they reduce grass cover, shelter or drainage-line vegetation.
  • Review the fauna management plan after every detection, injury, mortality, fire or unplanned habitat disturbance.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild the dense, connected ground cover and wet habitat used for feeding, tunnels, nests and shelter. Recovery will take time, particularly after high-severity or repeated fire, so protect recovering areas from predators, feral herbivores, weeds and further disturbance.

Habitat features: Dense grasses and shrubs, rocks, logs, drainage lines, swamps, sedgelands and grassy or shrubby coastal dunes.

Fire recovery: Vegetation may take many years to recover to a condition suitable for recolonisation after severe fire.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate grasses and shrubs that provide dense ground cover, including suitable Poa, Phebalium and Prostanthera species where they occur naturally at the site.
  • Restore drainage lines, wetland margins, swamps and sedgelands without creating erosion, sediment deposition or artificial drying.
  • Replace salvaged logs and rocks in stable positions beside dense grass and shrubs, and retain natural litter and tunnel-forming vegetation.
  • Reconnect retained habitat patches with continuous or closely spaced ground cover, avoiding wide open gaps created by roads, compounds or drainage works.
  • Use locally suitable hollow logs, nest structures or nest boxes only where an ecologist identifies a need, because the supplied documents describe grass nests, logs and dense vegetation rather than a standard nest-box requirement.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats during recovery

Fire condition associated with occupancy: Studies cited in the conservation advice found greater suitability in vegetation unburnt for more than 15 years, with abundance highest at sites unburnt for 80 years in one study.

Fire planning context: A low-intensity fire frequency of 10 to 40 years is identified in the advice as potentially appropriate for maintaining or improving some heath habitat, but site-specific ecological and fire-management advice is required.

  • Exclude feral horses, deer, pigs, rabbits, hares and livestock from recovering habitat where practicable, and repair trampling or grazing damage promptly.
  • Control foxes and feral cats around important retained and rehabilitated habitat under an approved predator-control programme.
  • Control weeds before they replace grasses, shrubs or sedgeland cover, using methods that do not disturb occupied tunnels or wetland soils.
  • Protect Sphagnum peatlands and surrounding woodland from fire, and use fire planning that avoids frequent or extensive high-severity burns in occupied or recovering habitat.
  • Retain unburnt refuge areas and maintain links to them during any authorised fire management.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor rehabilitation success

  • Set success measures for ground-cover density, grass and shrub establishment, drainage-line function, weed cover, feral herbivore damage, predator activity, fire exposure and connectivity.
  • Inspect rehabilitation after establishment, after major rainfall and during the October to March breeding season, and record fresh scats, active tunnels or other evidence of use.
  • Use repeat searches at the same locations and record search effort, because scat persistence and changing vegetation can otherwise make apparent occupancy changes misleading.
  • Continue maintenance until habitat has dense, connected cover and is protected from grazing, weeds, predators and avoidable fire.
  • Report failed establishment, erosion, drying wetlands, repeated fire or continuing absence of suitable cover to the project ecologist and approval authority, with corrective actions and timeframes.

Sources