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Eastern Pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus)

The Eastern Pygmy-possum is a tiny nocturnal marsupial of south-eastern Australia. On works sites, it may persist in small patches of woodland, heath or forest, especially where dense shrubs, flowering plants and nest hollows remain. It is Vulnerable in New South Wales and South Australia, with additional near threatened equivalent listings applying in some other jurisdictions, so clearing and breeding-place disturbance require careful assessment.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Eastern Pygmy-possums can breed when food is available. In locally studied populations, breeding activity has been recorded from late summer through winter, with additional breeding in June to September and November to February. Timing varies with flowering, habitat and region.

Breeding mode: Marsupial. Females build leafy nests and raise dependent young in sheltered sites.

Litter size: Not recorded.

Gestation and incubation: Not recorded. Incubation does not apply to this marsupial.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding places: Tree hollows, rotten stumps, ground holes, abandoned bird nests, ringtail possum dreys, bark nests, crannies and dense vegetation such as grass-tree skirts. Artificial nest boxes may provide supplementary shelter.

Breeding frequency: Young may be born whenever food is available. Two local breeding periods have been recorded, June to September and November to February.

Breeding timing can shift between years and regions because food availability and flowering vary, and spring detectability may be low after dispersal or during periods of torpor.

  • Breeding and births: Breeding has been recorded from late summer through winter, with births appearing to peak in autumn and local breeding events in June to September and November to February.
  • Dependent young with mothers: Dependent young are most likely during autumn and winter, and mothers with young have been recorded in nest boxes during winter.
  • Nest building: Active nest building has been observed frequently during summer, with nest construction also associated with breeding periods.
  • Dispersal of adults and subadults: Dispersal appears to follow the breeding season, and subadults are most often detected in spring and summer as they become independent.
  • Nocturnal foraging and general activity: The species is nocturnal and feeds throughout the year, with activity detection highest in summer and around flowering periods.
  • Winter torpor: Torpor can occur particularly in winter, so apparently inactive animals should not be assumed to be absent.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction have the highest risk from late summer through winter, when breeding females, dependent young and active nests may be present, but suitable hollows, stumps and dense shelter should be checked year round.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Eastern Pygmy-possum is a very small, active climber. It is nocturnal and can be difficult to detect during routine site inspections, particularly when it is sheltering or torpid.

Adults have light brown upperparts and white underparts. The tail is almost bare and prehensile, with a thicker base. The ears are large and forward facing, and the eyes are large and prominent.

Typical posture: Small, agile climber with a long gripping tail and large ears.

  • Head and body length: 70 to 110 mm.
  • Tail length: 75 to 105 mm.
  • Weight: 15 to 43 g.

Identification: Calls and similar species

There is no reliable field call description to use for this species. Do not rely on acoustic detection alone, and do not expect echolocation calls.

Brown Antechinus can use similar low nesting sites and may compete for nest boxes. Sugar Gliders and other small arboreal mammals may also be recorded at the same sites. Confirm animals from clear photographs, direct views or suitably experienced handling.

  • Check the tail shape, large forward-facing ears, pale underside and very small body size.
  • A Brown Antechinus has a shorter, non-prehensile tail and a more robust ground-dwelling appearance.
  • A Sugar Glider is generally larger and has a furry tail and gliding membrane.

Identification: Field signs

Signs are subtle because the animal is small, nocturnal and mainly solitary. A nest in a hollow, nest box or dense vegetation is more useful evidence than droppings alone.

  • Spherical nests made from leaves, bark or shredded bark.
  • Fresh leaves carried into a nest box may indicate recent nest building.
  • Small entrances in nest boxes, particularly entrances less than 30 mm, may be favoured.
  • Tracks and droppings are unlikely to provide a confident identification without supporting evidence.
  • Use remote cameras at nest boxes, hollows and flowering Banksia where direct observation is unlikely.

Distribution: Range in Australia

The Eastern Pygmy-possum occurs across south-eastern Australia. Its distribution is patchy at the local scale, and a small or isolated vegetation patch can still support animals at low density.

The known range extends from southern Queensland through New South Wales to eastern South Australia and Tasmania. Tasmania includes Flinders Island and King Island. The species also occurs in Victoria, including eastern and south-eastern areas.

  • In New South Wales, it ranges from the coast inland to areas around the Pilliga, Dubbo, Parkes and Wagga Wagga on the western slopes.
  • It is recorded in coastal, tableland, western slope and alpine landscapes.
  • State and territory mapping also identifies the species in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, with project records requiring local verification.

Distribution: Distribution on development sites

A lack of recent records does not exclude presence. Survey coverage can be low, and detection varies with flowering, breeding activity, weather and seasonal movement.

  • Give particular attention to remnants connected to larger bushland areas.
  • Retain habitat links between patches where practicable.
  • Treat suitable habitat as potentially occupied until targeted surveys and impact assessment are complete.

Distribution: Conservation status and approvals

The species is Vulnerable under New South Wales legislation and Vulnerable in South Australia. Victoria recognises it as Near Threatened, and equivalent rare or near threatened categories may apply in other jurisdictions, including Tasmania and Western Australia.

Commonwealth status: No Commonwealth EPBC Act listing is identified in the available profile information. Confirm current EPBC requirements for the specific action.

  • Confirm the current state or territory listing before works begin.
  • In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife, and disturbance to a breeding place may require a species management program.
  • Check whether the proposed action affects a listed ecological community, hollow-bearing trees or other protected habitat as well as the possum itself.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Look for habitat with a continuous or dense shrub layer, flowering Proteaceae and Myrtaceae, and a supply of small hollows or other sheltered nest sites. The species can use fragmented vegetation, including small patches within developed landscapes.

The Eastern Pygmy-possum occurs in rainforest, temperate rainforest, sclerophyll forest, woodland, heath and grassy woodland. Woodlands and heath are often preferred, while rainforest records are more frequent in north-eastern New South Wales.

  • Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland and Sydney Sandstone Gully Forest.
  • Coastal upland swamp and heathland.
  • Box-Ironbark forest and other eucalypt woodlands.
  • Wet forest and rainforest with a suitable shrub layer.
  • Grassy woodland with flowering shrubs.

Habitat: Site features to retain

The best indicators on a clearing site are dense mid-storey vegetation, heathy structure and flowering shrubs. Eucalypts alone can support populations at low density, so do not dismiss open or simplified woodland without checking for hollows and nearby food resources.

  • Banksia, bottlebrush and other nectar-producing shrubs.
  • Dense shrubs, grass-tree skirts and thickets.
  • Old trees with hollows, loose bark, forks and cavities.
  • Logs, rotten stumps and ground-level shelter.
  • Connected remnants, roadside vegetation and small patches near larger reserves.

Habitat: Landscape context

The species may occupy isolated patches, but fragmentation reduces dispersal opportunities and can leave local populations vulnerable. A site that appears small may still provide a nest, feeding patch or movement step between larger remnants.

  • Map nearby reserves, riparian vegetation and remnant woodland or heath.
  • Avoid creating gaps between occupied or suitable patches.
  • Assess the whole vegetation mosaic, not just the footprint of the proposed clearing.

Foraging habitat: Food plants

Eastern Pygmy-possums feed mainly in flowering shrubs and small trees. Their food supply can change quickly, so survey timing should consider local flowering and not just vegetation type.

The main food sources are nectar and pollen from banksias, eucalypts and bottlebrushes. Soft fruit is eaten when flowers are scarce, and insects are eaten throughout the year.

  • Flowering Banksia, especially Banksia ericifolia and Banksia serrata where present.
  • Flowering eucalypts and bottlebrushes.
  • Proteaceous and myrtaceous shrubs in heath, woodland and forest.
  • Shrub-rich edges and patches with a range of flowering times.

Foraging habitat: Foraging features on site

Inspect flowering spikes, dense shrub cover and the vegetation around nest boxes or hollow-bearing trees. Remote cameras aimed at flowering Banksia spikes have detected activity when animals were otherwise hard to find.

  • Record the plant species flowering, the extent of flowering and the condition of the shrub layer.
  • Retain flowering shrubs wherever possible, including those outside the immediate clearing footprint if they support movement or feeding.
  • Avoid separating nest trees from nearby shrub and flowering resources.

Foraging habitat: Survey implications

Activity is often easier to detect from late summer to early winter, when nest building, flowering and breeding can overlap. Spring detection can be consistently low, so a negative spring result should be interpreted cautiously.

  • Use targeted cameras and nest-box inspections where appropriate.
  • Repeat surveys if the first survey occurs outside a period of local flowering or expected activity.
  • Do not use hair tubes as the sole survey method, as they have failed to detect this species in past work.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Breeding females build nests and may use several nest sites. Breeding can occur when food is available, with local observations indicating activity from late summer through winter and additional breeding activity from November to February in some areas.

Breeding habitat includes tree hollows, cavities and crannies, as well as suitable artificial nest boxes. Nests may be made from leaves, bark and shredded bark, and breeding females have been associated with nest building.

  • Hollow-bearing trees and trees with loose bark or forks.
  • Rotten stumps, logs and sheltered ground cavities.
  • Dense thickets and grass-tree skirts.
  • Artificial nest boxes where they are already installed or form part of an approved management program.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing

Births are linked to food availability. In monitored New South Wales sites, breeding evidence has extended from late summer through winter, with births often peaking in autumn and dependent young observed in winter.

  • Late summer to early winter is a high-risk period for disturbing active nests.
  • Local breeding may also occur from June to September and from November to February.
  • Spring may include dispersal of adults and subadults, but detectability can be low.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearing checks

Before clearing, inspect hollow-bearing trees, logs, stumps, nest boxes and dense ground vegetation. Use a suitably qualified fauna ecologist or spotter catcher where a breeding place may be affected.

  • Check nest boxes and accessible cavities carefully, without blocking entrances.
  • Use cameras or other non-invasive methods where direct inspection is unsafe or unsuitable.
  • If a female with young, an active nest or an occupied cavity is found, stop work in that area and obtain species-specific advice before proceeding.

Sheltering habitat: Natural shelters

The species uses a wide range of sheltered sites, often close to the ground. It can enter torpor, especially in winter, so inactive animals may be present even when no movement is visible.

Shelters include tree hollows, rotten stumps, holes in the ground, abandoned bird nests and Ringtail Possum dreys. Nests have also been found under eucalypt bark and in shredded bark in tree forks.

  • Retain hollow-bearing and rough-barked trees.
  • Check fallen timber, stumps, bark slabs and dense litter before removal.
  • Inspect grass-tree skirts and thick shrub patches before slashing or clearing.
  • Avoid disturbing connected shelter features around known records.

Sheltering habitat: Artificial nest boxes

Nest boxes can provide supplementary habitat where natural hollows are scarce and can also support monitoring. Occupancy is associated with small entrances, with entrances less than 30 mm preferred in one monitoring program.

  • Use nest boxes only where they are appropriate to the local habitat and supported by a management plan.
  • Inspect boxes under an agreed protocol and avoid unnecessary handling.
  • Record occupancy, nesting material, evidence of young and any use by competitors such as Brown Antechinus.

Sheltering habitat: Torpor and handling

A torpid animal may be curled with folded ears and a cool body. It can be easily overlooked during tree, log or vegetation removal.

  • Use slow, staged clearing around potential shelter sites.
  • Keep removed logs, bark and vegetation intact until checked where practicable.
  • If an animal is found, minimise handling, heat loss, noise and exposure, and follow the direction of the licensed fauna handler or wildlife authority.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

Most development risks arise from removing habitat, breaking connections between remnants and disturbing nests or shelter sites. Plan the work around habitat retention first, then use targeted controls for unavoidable impacts.

Land clearing removes feeding shrubs, nest sites and movement cover. Small remnants may support low-density populations, while roads and other hard barriers can isolate otherwise suitable habitat.

  • Avoid clearing occupied or suitable woodland, heath, swamp and shrub-rich forest where alternatives exist.
  • Retain hollow trees, logs, stumps, bark, grass-tree skirts and dense understorey.
  • Maintain links between remnants and avoid widening existing gaps unnecessarily.
  • Include retained habitat outside the construction footprint in the site protection plan.

Threats: Fire and vegetation management

Frequent, infrequent or poorly timed fire can remove understorey cover and flowering plants. Slashing and fuel reduction can also remove nests and low shelter.

  • Use an ecological fire regime suited to the vegetation community and local conservation objectives.
  • Protect flowering shrubs, dense mid-storey and grass-tree skirts from unnecessary disturbance.
  • Do not burn, slash or mechanically clear likely shelter areas without a pre-work inspection.

Threats: Predation and introduced animals

Foxes and cats are recognised predators. Dogs may also present a risk, while horses, deer and rabbits can browse, trample or reduce shrub cover.

  • Control feral predators where part of the approved site management program.
  • Keep domestic dogs away from retained habitat and active work areas.
  • Manage feral herbivores to protect flowering shrubs, ground cover and regeneration.
  • Avoid leaving waste, food or construction materials that could attract predators.

Threats: Construction disturbance

Noise, vibration, lighting, vehicle movement and repeated access can disturb animals using nest boxes, hollows or low vegetation. Risk is higher when females have dependent young or animals are torpid.

  • Schedule high-disturbance work away from confirmed active nests where practicable.
  • Use exclusion zones around active breeding places and retain safe access to adjacent habitat.
  • Brief all workers on the animal's appearance, likely shelters, stop-work triggers and the fauna handling procedure.
  • Document sightings, nest checks, injuries, relocations and any changes to the retained habitat.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Eastern Pygmy-possums are small, nocturnal and difficult to detect. Use more than one method, especially where clearing may remove shrub cover, hollows, logs or other nest sites.

Map woodland, heath, rainforest, wet forest, grassy woodland, swamp and fragmented vegetation. Give particular attention to dense shrub layers, banksias, bottlebrushes, flowering eucalypts, tree hollows, rotten stumps, fallen timber, grass-tree skirts and connected vegetation.

Review previous records, local vegetation mapping, recent fire history and planned clearing. Treat areas with no records as potential habitat where suitable vegetation remains.

  • Identify flowering resources and likely nest sites before finalising the construction footprint.
  • Check whether the site is within a stronghold, reserve connection or known local population area.
  • Confirm the current threatened species status and approval requirements for each state or territory.

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal camera surveys

Use remote cameras at flowering banksias, particularly Banksia ericifolia where present, and at likely nest sites. Cameras can detect animals that are missed by daytime searches and are useful in dense vegetation.

Survey during active periods. Summer and late summer to early winter can provide useful detections, while spring detectability may be low. Where the risk is high, repeat surveys across more than one season rather than relying on a single visit.

  • Place cameras low enough to view the ground, shrub layer and nest box entrances.
  • Target flowering periods, which may extend from January to June for Banksia ericifolia in some coastal areas.
  • Use a consistent camera arrangement and sampling period across impact and comparison areas.
  • Record camera model, placement, dates, operating hours, bait or attractant if used, vegetation, flowering condition and weather.

Survey methodology: 3. Nest and shelter inspections

Search carefully for spherical nests made from leaves or bark in hollows, crannies, rotten stumps, fallen timber, abandoned bird nests, ringtail possum dreys and dense vegetation. Inspect likely nest boxes where they already occur.

Do not open or disturb a nest during a casual search. A nest may be occupied even when no animal is visible, and females may be carrying or sheltering dependent young.

  • Use a qualified person to inspect hollows, nest boxes and other potential breeding places.
  • Look for fresh leaves being carried into a nest box, nesting material, droppings and repeated use.
  • Record the structure type, height, entrance size, condition, evidence of use and surrounding food and shelter resources.
  • Treat nest boxes with entrances smaller than 30 mm as potentially suitable, while recognising that internal dimensions and local conditions also affect use.

Survey methodology: 4. Targeted trapping and supplementary methods

Use trapping only where it is justified, approved and supervised by appropriately experienced personnel. Eastern Pygmy-possums can be difficult to trap, so a negative trapping result does not demonstrate absence.

Do not rely on hair tubes as the sole method. Hair tubes have failed to detect this species in previous small mammal surveys.

  • Use cameras, nest inspections and habitat assessment alongside any trapping program.
  • Schedule trapping and handling around animal welfare requirements, weather and heat exposure.
  • Record captures, sex, age class where possible, breeding condition, release location, effort and any non target captures.
  • Stop trapping if conditions become unsafe or animals show signs of heat stress, cold stress or other distress.

Survey methodology: 5. Survey records and interpretation

Record both positive and negative results with enough detail for another ecologist to assess the finding. A camera record at a flowering shrub, nest box or shelter can be as useful as a capture record.

Interpret absence cautiously. The species may occur at low density in small patches and may disperse after breeding.

  • Record date, time, observer, coordinates, method, effort, habitat, flowering condition, fire history and weather.
  • Photograph animals, nests, hollows and habitat where this can be done without disturbance.
  • Map all records and potential breeding places in the construction environmental management system.
  • State the limitations of the survey, including season, access, camera failure and low detectability.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoid habitat loss first, then reduce the chance of harming animals and breeding places. Confirm approvals early, because requirements differ between jurisdictions and may change with the final footprint.

Confirm the species listing that applies at the site. It is vulnerable in New South Wales and South Australia. It is listed as near threatened in Victoria, and near threatened equivalents apply in relevant listings for Tasmania and Western Australia. In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife.

The species is not listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act in the cited conservation material. An EPBC referral may still be needed where the action affects another listed matter or where the Commonwealth status has changed. Obtain current advice before work starts.

  • Seek a Queensland species management program where the activity tampers with a breeding place of protected near threatened wildlife.
  • Obtain the relevant state or territory wildlife, scientific, damage mitigation, clearing and animal ethics approvals.
  • Ensure the fauna spotter catcher has the authority, experience and permits required for the jurisdiction and task.
  • Keep approval conditions, fauna procedures and contact details on site.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Retain connected woodland, heath, shrub layers and flowering plants wherever practicable. Protect hollows, rotten stumps, fallen timber, dense thickets, grass-tree skirts and existing nest boxes.

Small vegetation patches can support the species, particularly where they retain food and shelter. Do not dismiss isolated habitat without assessment.

  • Redesign the footprint to retain banksias, bottlebrushes, flowering eucalypts and dense mid-storey vegetation.
  • Maintain links to larger remnants and nearby reserves where practicable.
  • Fence and sign retained habitat, nest sites and no go areas before machinery arrives.
  • Keep vehicle movement, stockpiling, lighting and sediment controls out of retained habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a pre-clearance inspection close enough to the start of works to reflect current conditions. Search during the day for nests, hollows, logs, dreys and dense shelter, then use nocturnal cameras or other approved methods where the risk remains high.

Breeding can occur when food is available. Local breeding activity has been recorded from late summer through winter, with reported breeding periods of June to September and November to February. Schedule clearing outside periods of likely breeding where practicable.

  • Inspect all trees, stumps, logs, nest boxes and dense vegetation within the impact area.
  • Check flowering resources and identify areas where nectar and pollen are currently abundant.
  • Use a staged inspection and clearance plan for each work area.
  • Brief the fauna team on known records, potential breeding places and the stop work process.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Exclusion and work controls

Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and any breeding place that can remain in place. Set the exclusion area according to the habitat, approval conditions, tree risk and advice from the project ecologist, rather than applying an unsupported universal distance.

Avoid night clearing where this would increase the risk of encountering active animals. Avoid clearing during extreme heat, heavy rain, high winds or other conditions that increase animal welfare risks.

  • Mark all trees and structures requiring inspection before felling or removal.
  • Use low noise lighting directed away from retained habitat and avoid unnecessary night lighting.
  • Keep cats, dogs and other domestic animals out of work areas.
  • Include a clear stop work number and escalation pathway in the site induction.

Before habitat disturbance: 5. Crew induction

Tell all workers how to recognise an Eastern Pygmy-possum, its nests and likely shelter. Explain that it is a small nocturnal possum with a prehensile tail, large ears, light brown upperparts and white underparts.

Workers must understand that only authorised fauna personnel may handle the animal or disturb a breeding place.

  • Show photographs of the species, nests, nest boxes and likely habitat.
  • Explain the no go areas, exclusion fencing, clearing sequence and stop work authority.
  • Require immediate reporting of animals, nests, hollows, injured wildlife and unusual noises or movement.
  • Record induction attendance before each crew enters the work area.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear habitat in a controlled sequence and keep a fauna spotter catcher present whenever there is a reasonable risk of encountering wildlife. The spotter catcher must be able to stop work without delay.

Clear from the least disturbed edge towards retained habitat, allowing animals an opportunity to move into safe vegetation. Use small work areas and pause between stages where the fauna team requires time to inspect and respond.

Retain flowering shrubs, dense understorey, logs and hollows until they have been assessed and the approved clearing method is ready.

  • Remove non habitat vegetation first where practicable.
  • Inspect each tree, stump, log, nest box and dense patch before removal.
  • Lower hollow bearing limbs and trees carefully where approved, rather than dropping them.
  • Keep machinery outside exclusion areas until the fauna spotter catcher releases the area.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work and animal handling

The fauna spotter catcher has authority to stop work whenever an animal, nest, hollow or other potential breeding place is found. Handling is restricted to authorised and suitably experienced personnel.

Do not chase, corner, feed or pick up an animal unless this is necessary for approved rescue or welfare reasons.

  • Stop machinery and isolate the immediate work area.
  • Keep workers, vehicles and dogs away from the animal.
  • Allow an uninjured animal to move to retained habitat where safe and where directed by the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Use a secure, ventilated container and suitable nesting material only when capture is authorised.
  • Record the animal before release, including photographs, sex or age class if known, condition, location and destination.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active nest or breeding place

Treat a nest containing an animal, dependent young, fresh nesting material or repeated use as an active breeding place until assessed by the project ecologist and relevant authority. Eastern Pygmy-possums are mainly solitary, but several animals may use a nest box and multiple animals can be present during breeding.

Do not remove, fell or relocate an active breeding place without the required approval and a species specific method.

  • Stop work and establish an exclusion area.
  • Contact the project ecologist, fauna spotter catcher and approval holder.
  • Leave the breeding place in place wherever practicable.
  • If removal is approved, inspect the structure, nest material and surrounding vegetation under the approved method.
  • Provide a suitable replacement nest box or artificial cavity only where directed by the ecologist and approval conditions.
  • Resume work only after the breeding place has been cleared in writing or the approved mitigation has been completed.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or distressed animals

Treat an injured, cold, overheated or distressed possum as a wildlife emergency. Minimise handling, noise and exposure to people.

Do not offer food or water unless directed by a wildlife carer or veterinarian.

  • Stop nearby work and keep the area quiet and shaded.
  • Place the animal in a secure, ventilated container if the authorised fauna handler considers this safe.
  • Contact the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority immediately.
  • Record the time, location, apparent injury, photographs, people involved and transfer destination.
  • Do not release an injured animal without advice from the responsible carer or veterinarian.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records and release decisions

Keep a fauna register for every work shift. Use the register to confirm that each animal, nest and stop work event has been resolved before the area is signed off.

Release uninjured animals into suitable retained habitat as soon as practicable, at a location and time selected by the authorised fauna professional.

  • Record search effort, cleared area, weather, animals found, nests, hollows, handling, release points and mortalities.
  • Record all breaches of exclusion fencing, unexpected clearing and equipment strikes.
  • Photograph replacement structures and retained breeding places.
  • Escalate any mortality, repeated animal encounter or approval breach immediately.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post clearance check

Post clearance checks confirm that animals have not been trapped in the work area and that controls have worked. Follow up findings through the project environmental reporting system and adjust the work method when needed.

Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat edges, tree bases, logs, nest boxes and exclusion fencing after each stage. Check for trapped, injured or displaced animals before machinery leaves the area.

A second check is especially useful after hollow bearing trees, dense shrub patches or known nest sites have been removed.

  • Search quiet areas, material storage zones, trenches, pipes and open pits.
  • Cover or barricade pits, trenches and pipes at the end of each shift.
  • Remove fauna hazards such as open containers, mesh, unsecured netting and deep vertical holes.
  • Record the time, personnel, area checked and result.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals and replacement sites

Check that any released animal has access to shelter, food plants and connected vegetation. Do not assume that a single release record demonstrates successful relocation.

Inspect approved nest boxes or artificial cavities after installation and during the agreed monitoring period.

  • Map each release point and replacement structure.
  • Record whether the release site retained shrub cover, flowering plants and nearby shelter.
  • Do not repeatedly move an animal unless directed by the fauna professional.
  • Inspect replacement structures without opening or disturbing occupied nests.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Use cameras and nest box checks to assess whether retained habitat and replacement structures are being used. Monitoring is most useful when it continues across relevant seasons, because activity and detectability vary through the year.

Where a project requires population measurement, use density or occupancy methods designed by a qualified ecologist. Occupancy can be a useful surrogate when animals are too difficult to trap.

  • Monitor during active seasons from spring to autumn where consistent with the approval or offset plan.
  • Include summer and late summer to early winter when activity may be higher.
  • Report detections, non detections, breeding evidence, habitat condition, fire effects, predation signs and weed cover.
  • Compare results with baseline records and nearby reference areas where available.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every mortality, injury, breeding place disturbance, escape, unexpected record and approval breach. Use the findings to improve the next work stage.

A review should consider whether the survey timing, clearance sequence, exclusion controls and supervision were adequate.

  • Hold a short review with the project manager, ecologist, spotter catcher and supervisor.
  • Identify the immediate cause and any underlying planning or training issue.
  • Update the clearing plan, induction and risk assessment before work resumes where required.
  • Notify the relevant authority and approval holder within the required timeframe.

After habitat disturbance: 5. Completion report

Prepare a clear completion report that can be audited. Include maps, photographs, registers, permits, monitoring results and unresolved risks.

Keep the report with the project environmental records and provide it to the relevant authority when required.

  • Summarise cleared and retained habitat areas.
  • List all animals found, handled, released, transferred, injured or deceased.
  • Document active breeding places, replacement structures and monitoring outcomes.
  • State any follow up actions, responsible person and due date.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore food, shelter and movement links, not just ground cover. Protect recovering sites from fire, weeds, predators, trampling and excessive lighting while shrubs and nest resources develop.

Replant or regenerate a layered mix of local woodland, heath, rainforest or wet forest species that matches the site. Retain a dense shrub understorey and reconnect small patches with nearby native vegetation.

Include nectar and pollen plants such as suitable banksias, bottlebrushes and eucalypts. Provide soft fruit and insect habitat through diverse native planting rather than a simplified canopy.

  • Use local provenance plants where suitable and approved.
  • Protect planted shrubs from browsing, trampling and mowing.
  • Retain safe logs, bark, stumps and natural litter where they do not create a fire or safety hazard.
  • Maintain flowering resources across more than one season where practicable.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replace nest resources

Use nest boxes or artificial cavities where natural hollows and other shelter are scarce and the ecological assessment supports their use. Eastern Pygmy-possums have used nest boxes, and entrances smaller than 30 mm may reduce access by larger animals.

Nest boxes are supplementary habitat, not a substitute for retaining mature trees, hollows and natural shelter.

  • Design, place and maintain boxes under advice from a qualified ecologist familiar with the species.
  • Use entrance, internal dimensions, height, orientation and materials suited to local conditions rather than copying a generic box design.
  • Place boxes near dense shrub cover and food plants, while avoiding locations exposed to excessive heat, flooding or predators.
  • Inspect boxes with minimal disturbance and never open a box containing a nest without an approved reason.
  • Do not install bat boxes as a default replacement. Use a bat box only where it has also been assessed as suitable for this species and approved for the site.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Manage weeds, fire and grazing

Control weeds without removing the shrub layer or flowering plants used for food and shelter. Stage weed work so that large areas are not left exposed at once.

Use a fire regime that maintains understorey structure and nectar producing plants. Frequent or overly intense fire can remove food and shelter, while long exclusion can also alter habitat condition.

  • Prioritise weeds that replace native shrubs, smother nest sites or increase access for predators.
  • Use hand removal or targeted treatment near nests, boxes and dense shelter.
  • Plan burns with the fire ecologist and land manager, considering breeding places, seasonal food supply and nearby refuges.
  • Manage horses, deer, rabbits and other herbivores where browsing, trampling or shrub loss threatens rehabilitation.
  • Inspect sites after fire, flood and major storms.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage predators, water and lighting

Reduce access by foxes, feral cats and roaming dogs, particularly around low nest sites and replacement boxes. Nesting close to the ground can increase exposure to predators.

Provide natural water retention and damp shelter where appropriate to the vegetation community. Avoid creating artificial water points that attract predators or spread disease.

  • Keep domestic animals out of rehabilitation areas.
  • Use predator control only under an approved, humane program.
  • Direct security and construction lighting away from retained and rehabilitated habitat.
  • Use the lowest practical light level, shield lights and switch them off when not required.
  • Prevent erosion, sediment movement and chemical runoff into recovering habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor habitat recovery and Eastern Pygmy-possum use for long enough to capture seasonal variation. Camera detections, nest box use, flowering condition and vegetation structure should be assessed together.

Use results to maintain or change the rehabilitation treatment. A lack of detections may reflect low detectability, poor timing or temporary food shortage, not necessarily habitat failure.

  • Set measurable objectives for shrub cover, flowering plants, retained hollows, nest box condition and connectivity.
  • Repeat camera monitoring during comparable seasons and record survey effort.
  • Inspect replacement structures after severe weather, fire and vandalism.
  • Review outcomes with the land manager and ecologist, then revise weed, fire, predator and lighting controls as needed.
  • Retain monitoring records and maps for future clearing, maintenance and offset decisions.

Sources