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Heath Coolskink (Carinascincus orocryptus)

The Heath Coolskink is a small, diurnal skink restricted to alpine habitats above about 1,000 m in western and south-western Tasmania. It uses dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath, and in some areas boulder fields, so clearing, access tracks and construction disturbance within these isolated alpine sites may affect habitat that is not readily recolonised after local loss.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Breeding season

This live-bearing alpine skink is believed to give birth in late summer, with mating soon afterwards from late summer to early autumn. Births and mating are the clearest seasonal constraints, but clearing can also harm animals sheltering in rock, heath and woodland at other times of year.

Reproductive mode: Viviparous, giving birth to live young.

Litter size: 3 to 4 young, with a mean of 3.1 in a sample of 6.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Size at birth: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not stated directly for this species; 3 to 4 years is reported for alpine Carinascincus species.

Nest or egg sites: Not applicable for live birth; no birthing site is recorded.

Breeding frequency: 0.5 to 0.67 litters per year is reported, but the available source also identifies reproductive frequency information as limited.

Confirm timing locally before works, particularly where altitude, temperature or rainfall shifts the onset of seasonal activity or late summer breeding.

  • Mating: Mating is believed to occur soon after birth, from late summer to early autumn. February and March represent those seasons in Tasmania, but exact months are not recorded.
  • Gravid females: The period when females carry embryos is not recorded. February and March are shown as a general planning period around the documented late summer births, not as confirmed gravid-female timing.
  • Births: Females are believed to give birth in late summer. February is used as an indicative Tasmanian month because the sources do not provide exact months.
  • Newborns: Newborns are expected after the documented late summer births and may still be present during the following early autumn mating period. The duration of dependence and abundance of young are not recorded.
  • Active period: The species is diurnal, but its shortest and longest active seasons are not recorded. October to April is a general temperate alpine reptile planning window, with activity expected to be reduced during colder months.
  • Winter inactivity: Brumation, hibernation and the precise winter shelter period are not recorded for this species. May to October is shown as general guidance for a cold alpine reptile, when animals may remain in boulders, rock gaps, heath, tree bases or ground cover and be less able to avoid machinery.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest around late summer to early autumn births, mating and newborns, and during the general winter low-activity period when animals may shelter in rocks and vegetation. Habitat remains occupied outside these periods, so this row does not replace year round protection of boulder fields, heath and woodland cover.

Identification

The Heath Coolskink is a small, long-limbed skink with a distinctive striped pattern. Identification can be difficult where it overlaps or hybridises with the Southern Snow Skink, so locality and habitat should be considered with field characters.

Adults have a brown upper surface, usually with a ragged or broken black vertebral stripe. Dark flecks or dark scale edges tend to form longitudinal lines. Pale dorsolateral stripes and a broad black upper lateral stripe are also present.

A prominent greyish white midlateral stripe extends from the upper lips towards the hindlimbs. The lower flanks may have grey or black flecks, and the underside ranges from pale grey to bright red. Adults reach up to 65 mm snout to vent length and have long limbs.

Adult snout to vent length: Up to 65 mm

Greatest reported snout to vent length: 66.5 mm

Colour: Brown above, with black, pale and greyish white stripes; underside pale grey to bright red

Identification: Similar species

The main identification difficulty is separation from the Southern Snow Skink, Carinascincus microlepidotus. The Heath Coolskink usually has a vertebral stripe and a white midlateral stripe, which help distinguish it.

The two species may interbreed on some southern Tasmanian mountain ranges. In those areas, morphology may not provide a reliable identification and locality is an important part of the assessment.

  • Record the exact locality, elevation and habitat when identifying an alpine Carinascincus.
  • Seek specialist confirmation where the animal occurs in an area of known or possible overlap with the Southern Snow Skink.

Identification: Field signs and sex

The species is diurnal and may be encountered around tree bases, on shrub foliage, among boulders or basking above ground in trees. No species-specific information is provided in the supplied sources for tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine.

The species gives birth to live young. The smallest observed sexually mature male was 47 mm snout to vent length and the smallest observed mature female was 52 mm. These size thresholds should not be treated as a field method for sexing individuals.

Smallest observed mature male: 47 mm snout to vent length

Smallest observed mature female: 52 mm snout to vent length

  • Do not rely on tracks, scats or other indirect signs to clear habitat where the species may occur; use targeted reptile survey methods and habitat assessment.
  • Photograph dorsal and lateral markings, record locality and retain habitat context for any uncertain identification.

Distribution

The Heath Coolskink is endemic to Tasmania and has a highly fragmented, sky island distribution in alpine areas of the state's west and south-west. Its restricted distribution and limited dispersal mean that all known populations are important for conservation.

The species is restricted to alpine areas, generally above 1,000 m elevation, in south-western and western Tasmania. Known localities include Mt Eliza, Algonkian Mountain, Mt Hartz and Lake Seal.

Most of the known range occurs within protected areas, including Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Southwest National Park and other national parks and reserves.

  • State: Tasmania.
  • Known areas: Mt Eliza, Algonkian Mountain, Mt Hartz and Lake Seal.
  • The supplied sources do not assign a formal IBRA bioregion; they describe the range as alpine areas of western and south-western Tasmania.

Distribution: Subpopulations and trend

The species occurs as separated alpine populations or subpopulations. The sources identify tree-dwelling habitat use at Mt Eliza and rock-associated habitat use at Mt Hartz, but do not provide abundance estimates for individual sites.

All populations are considered important because limited dispersal and the separation of alpine habitat into sky islands mean that local extinctions are not readily recolonised.

Number of mature individuals: Unknown.

Population trend: Not quantified, but projected to decline under climate change.

Generation time: Approximately 7 years.

Locations: The EPBC assessment states that the species occurs at fewer than five locations.

Distribution: Project screening

For projects in Tasmania, habitat screening should focus on alpine eucalypt woodland and heath above about 1,000 m, including suitable habitat near known mountain localities. A lack of a previous record does not exclude the species because the conservation advice identifies unsurveyed suitable sites as a survey priority.

  • Check whether the works area overlaps the modelled distribution and any known population or subpopulation.
  • Treat connected and nearby alpine habitat as relevant to the assessment because local populations have limited capacity for recolonisation.

Habitat

The species occupies dense alpine eucalypt woodland with a heath understorey. Habitat structure varies between subpopulations, from tree-associated habitat to boulder fields and adjacent heath.

Habitat critical to survival is described as dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath understorey in alpine areas above 1,000 m in western and south-western Tasmania.

At Mt Eliza, the species occupies a narrow band of suitable habitat at about 1,000 m and has not been found above the treeline. At Mt Hartz, it occurs in boulder fields and adjacent heath.

Typical elevation: Above 1,000 m

Mt Eliza habitat band: About 1,000 m, below the treeline

Key vegetation: Dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath understorey

Structural variation: Tree-associated habitat at Mt Eliza; boulder fields and adjacent heath at Mt Hartz

  • Retain mature and regenerating alpine eucalypt woodland, heath understorey, boulder fields and the vegetation linking these features.
  • Map the elevation, treeline position, woodland canopy, heath cover and exposed rock or boulder habitat across the work area.
  • Avoid assuming that only ground habitat is relevant, because some subpopulations use trees and the species may bask more than 1 m above ground.

Habitat: Climate limits

The species is a high-elevation skink with limited capacity to move upslope. Climate change is expected to shift suitable habitat towards higher elevations and further fragment alpine habitat into isolated sky islands.

Increasing temperatures may also allow lowland skinks to move into areas currently occupied by alpine Carinascincus species.

  • Consider both current habitat and potential higher-elevation climate refuge areas in project planning.
  • Do not treat the present upper or lower habitat boundary as fixed, because the conservation advice expects the suitable climate envelope to change.

Foraging habitat

The Heath Coolskink is a diurnal insectivorous skink that forages in both vegetation and ground-associated habitat. The supplied sources provide no quantified home range or foraging distance.

The species forages around the bases of trees and on the foliage of shrubs. This matches its recorded use of alpine eucalypt woodland, heath and, at some sites, semi-arboreal habitat.

Arthropods are the principal documented food group. Arthropods and nectar are also reported in the supplied species account. No particular prey plant or prey species is identified.

Diet: Invertebrates and other arthropods; nectar is also reported

Foraging sites: Tree bases and shrub foliage

Foraging time: Daytime

Foraging range: Not documented in the supplied sources

  • Retain shrub foliage, tree bases, heath cover and the ground surface beneath woodland when assessing foraging habitat.
  • Avoid clearing or heavily disturbing the full vegetation profile, including low heath and foliage above ground.
  • Use direct observation and habitat assessment rather than assuming that open ground alone represents foraging habitat.

Breeding habitat

The species gives birth to live young and appears to breed in the same alpine woodland, heath and rock-associated habitat used by adults. The supplied sources do not describe a nest or a separate birthing site.

Females are believed to give birth in late summer. Mating occurs soon afterwards, from late summer to early autumn.

Breeding habitat should be assessed within the occupied woodland, heath, boulder and tree-associated habitat because the sources do not identify a distinct breeding structure or breeding refuge.

Reproduction: Viviparous, giving birth to live young

Birth period: Late summer, believed

Mating period: Soon after birth, from late summer to early autumn

Litter size: 3 to 4 young; mean 3.1 in a sample of 6

Gestation: Not reported in the supplied sources

Age at maturity: Not stated directly; alpine Carinascincus species are reported to mature at 3 to 4 years

Lifespan: About 10 years is reported for alpine Carinascincus species

Generation time: Approximately 7 years

  • Retain dense heath, woodland structure and boulder habitat during the late summer to early autumn breeding period.
  • Where clearing cannot be avoided, obtain species-specific advice on survey timing and impact controls before works begin.

Sheltering habitat

No dedicated nest, burrow, den or hollow has been described for this species in the supplied sources. Shelter and cover are likely to be associated with the vegetation and rock structure used by each subpopulation.

At Mt Hartz, the species lives in boulder fields and adjacent heath. At Mt Eliza, it is tree-dwelling or semi-arboreal and has been observed basking above 1 m.

The available evidence supports retaining boulders, rock gaps, heath cover, tree bases, shrubs and the lower parts of alpine eucalypts. No shelter size, burrow dimensions or preferred hollow size is provided.

Rock-associated habitat: Boulder fields and adjacent heath at Mt Hartz

Tree-associated habitat: Tree dwelling or semi-arboreal habitat at Mt Eliza

Recorded basking height: Above 1 m at Mt Eliza

Burrow, den or hollow dimensions: Not documented

  • Do not remove or stockpile boulders, rock piles or heath within potential habitat without first assessing their use by alpine skinks.
  • Protect tree bases, shrub foliage and the ground beneath woodland, not just tree trunks and canopy.
  • Keep temporary works areas, machinery movements and spoil placement out of boulder fields and adjacent heath where practicable.
  • If individuals are found, stop work locally and obtain fauna handling and relocation advice from an appropriately authorised person.

Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation

Climate change is the primary documented threat. For development projects, the main direct concern is loss, fragmentation or degradation of the small amount of alpine woodland, heath and boulder habitat available to isolated populations.

Climate change is projected to cause habitat loss, shifting and alteration across the species' range. Modelling cited in the conservation advice projects about 45 percent loss of current climatically suitable habitat by 2050 under an A2 emissions scenario.

Because populations occupy separated sky islands and have limited dispersal, clearing or breaking connections between suitable patches may have effects beyond the immediate footprint. Local extinctions are not readily recolonised.

  • Avoid clearing dense alpine eucalypt woodland, heath, boulder fields and habitat around known records.
  • Minimise the permanent footprint of roads, tracks, compounds, utilities and drainage works in alpine habitat.
  • Keep construction traffic within defined routes and prevent informal track widening through heath and rock habitat.
  • Retain habitat links between occupied or potentially occupied patches where avoidance is not possible.

Threats: Climate, drought and competition

Increasing temperatures are expected to move suitable habitat upslope, but the species has a hard upper elevation limit. More frequent and severe drought is also expected, and high-elevation Carinascincus species have a high rate of evaporative water loss.

Lowland Metallic Cool-skinks and Ocellated Skinks are encroaching into higher elevations and are projected to increase their overlap with alpine Carinascincus species. Competition may reduce habitat quality and restrict the species' range.

Projected suitable habitat loss: About 45 percent by 2050 under the cited A2 scenario

Projected upslope movement of alpine plants elsewhere in Australia: About 4 to 10 m per year, cited as evidence relevant to climate-driven movement

Drought: Expected to become more frequent and severe in alpine Tasmania

  • Retain humid heath, woodland and rock-associated habitat and avoid unnecessary changes to local drainage or water retention.
  • Do not deliberately introduce or translocate other skinks into the work area.
  • Record observations of lowland Carinascincus species during fauna surveys and report apparent range changes to the relevant authorities or project ecologist.

Threats: Fire, roads, predators and disease

The supplied conservation advice does not identify roads, introduced predators or disease as specific documented threats to this species. It also does not quantify the species' response to fire, although alpine bushfire recovery and fire management are identified as relevant planning matters.

Any project fire, vegetation removal or access activity should therefore be assessed against the mapped habitat and the risk of damaging small, isolated populations rather than relying on an assumed tolerance.

  • Prevent machinery, hot works and temporary facilities from starting fire in alpine heath or woodland.
  • Use project fire controls that are consistent with the land manager's requirements and avoid unplanned burns in occupied or potential habitat.
  • Treat new roads and tracks as potential sources of habitat loss, fragmentation and vehicle disturbance, even though a species-specific road mortality rate is not available.
  • Do not claim that predators or disease are absent; record evidence if encountered and refer it for species-specific assessment.

Threats: Construction controls

The conservation advice prioritises targeted surveys, monitoring of climate change and lowland species encroachment, and identification of climate refuge habitat. These priorities are relevant where a project occurs within or near suitable alpine habitat, including sites without recent records.

  • Complete desktop screening and field validation before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Use an appropriately experienced reptile ecologist for targeted surveys where suitable habitat is present.
  • Mark no-go areas around boulder fields, heath, tree bases and dense alpine woodland before machinery enters the site.
  • Maintain an incident and observation register for Heath Coolskinks, Southern Snow Skinks and lowland skinks, including photographs and exact coordinates.
  • Coordinate controls with the land manager and relevant Tasmanian and Australian Government environment agencies.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal visual searches

No species-specific survey effort or survey guideline is provided in the supplied documents. The Heath Coolskink is a diurnal, insectivorous alpine skink that uses dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath, tree foliage, tree bases, boulder fields and adjacent rocky habitat, so surveys should target these features above about 1000 m in south-western and western Tasmania.

Search during daylight when the species is active, concentrating on heath foliage, tree bases, low tree trunks, rock margins and boulder fields.

Search the full area proposed for disturbance and retained habitat that could support movement between occupied sites.

Record search date, start and finish times, weather, temperature if measured, cloud cover, wind, observer numbers, area searched and habitat searched.

The species is uncommon where it occurs, so absence from a single visual search does not demonstrate absence.

Activity period: Diurnal

Typical elevation: Alpine areas above 1000 m

Adult size: Up to 65 mm snout to vent length

  • Move slowly and quietly through dense alpine eucalypt woodland, heath and rocky habitat.
  • Inspect foliage above ground level because individuals at Mt Eliza have been observed basking more than 1 m above ground.
  • Inspect rocks and boulder-field edges because some subpopulations, including Mt Hartz, are saxicolous.
  • Use locality and habitat to support identification where the species could be confused with the Southern Snow Skink.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted searches of rocks, heath and trees

Search refuges and basking sites in dense heath, beneath or beside suitable rocks, around boulder fields, and in the lower foliage and bases of alpine eucalypts.

Do not dismantle stable boulder fields or remove vegetation during the initial search unless the approved survey method and fauna management plan allow it.

Where a skink is observed, photograph it in place where practicable and record the precise location, elevation, habitat feature and identification characters.

Useful identification features: Vertebral stripe and white midlateral stripe

Foraging location: Tree bases and shrub foliage

Known habitat forms: Tree dwelling at Mt Eliza and rock associated at Mt Hartz

  • Look for a brown skink with a ragged or broken black vertebral stripe, pale dorsolateral stripes and a prominent greyish white midlateral stripe.
  • Treat records from areas where Heath Coolskinks and Southern Snow Skinks may interbreed as requiring careful identification.
  • Use locality, genetic or morphological advice where field characters do not reliably separate the two species.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping and repeated survey effort

The supplied documents do not prescribe trap types, trap numbers, trap nights, transect lengths, search hours or minimum repeat visits for this species.

Use trapping only under an approved species survey design and fauna management plan, with methods selected for a small alpine skink that can occur in trees, heath and rocky habitat.

If trapping is used, inspect traps at the frequency required by the approval and animal welfare procedures, provide appropriate shelter and temperature protection, and release animals at the capture point unless an authorised relocation is required.

Repeat searches across suitable weather and activity conditions where the first survey does not detect the species, because the species is uncommon and has a restricted, fragmented distribution.

Published minimum effort: Not specified in the supplied documents

Published trap-night requirement: Not specified in the supplied documents

Survey priority: Known range, suitable unsurveyed sites and historic sites

  • Document the method, effort, weather, trap locations, inspection times, captures, bycatch and release locations.
  • Avoid methods that could injure animals or expose them to overheating, chilling, dehydration or predation.
  • Obtain any required permits before trapping, handling or collecting genetic material.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Prepare a project-specific survey design because the supplied conservation advice does not set a species-specific minimum effort.
  • Survey all dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath, boulder fields, rocky margins and connected suitable habitat within the disturbance footprint.
  • Include suitable habitat immediately outside the footprint where it may be used for dispersal or relocation.
  • Record all observations, including photographs, coordinates, elevation, habitat, survey effort and identification confidence.
  • Have records checked by a suitably experienced herpetologist where identification from the Southern Snow Skink is uncertain.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant Tasmanian wildlife or biodiversity database and provide records to the project approval authority where required.
  • Report a confirmed record promptly to the approval holder, environmental representative and fauna spotter catcher supervisor before works continue in the affected area.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat all suitable alpine habitat as potentially occupied because the species has limited dispersal, a sky island distribution and fewer than five locations identified in the listing assessment. Most of the known range is in protected areas, but protected status does not remove project approval or fauna handling obligations.

Habitat to retain: Dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath understorey, above about 1000 m

Dispersal context: Sky island distribution with limited dispersal

  • Avoid clearing dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath understorey, boulder fields, rocky margins and connected habitat above about 1000 m.
  • Retain habitat at known records and retain links between occupied or potentially occupied sky island habitat wherever practicable.
  • Keep disturbance footprints, access tracks, laydown areas and spoil storage out of heath, boulder fields and tree bases used by the species.
  • Avoid fragmenting small habitat patches because local extinctions are not readily recolonised by this low-dispersal species.
  • Do not assume that a site is unoccupied because no animal was found during one search.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

Commonwealth status: Endangered under the EPBC Act, effective 21 December 2023

Listing basis: Restricted area of occupancy, fewer than five locations and projected declines in range, habitat and mature individuals

  • Check whether the proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on this EPBC Act listed Endangered species and refer the action under the EPBC Act where required.
  • Confirm Tasmanian permits and approvals for native animal survey, trapping, handling, relocation, collection of tissue and vegetation or rock disturbance.
  • Obtain current advice from the relevant Commonwealth and Tasmanian environment agencies because the supplied material does not identify a separate state listing.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey methods, authorised handlers, exclusion zones, stop-work triggers, relocation procedures and reporting requirements.
  • Plan works to avoid periods when animals are most exposed to heat, drought or other adverse conditions, and obtain project-specific seasonal advice because the documents do not define a construction exclusion season.
  • Stage works so that habitat is cleared in small sections only after the fauna spotter catcher has checked the section and confirmed that controls are in place.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete the approved pre-clearance survey before machinery enters suitable habitat.
  • Mark the approved disturbance boundary, retained habitat, boulder fields, heath patches, alpine eucalypts and any confirmed or suspected animal locations.
  • Install exclusion fencing or equivalent barriers where they can prevent machinery, vehicles and workers entering retained habitat without creating a barrier to required animal movement.
  • Brief all operators on the species appearance, its habitat, the no-go areas and the stop-work procedure.
  • Provide the fauna spotter catcher with current drawings, access to the work area and authority to stop work.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery

Use a controlled clearing sequence with the fauna spotter catcher present whenever works could affect alpine woodland, heath, rocks or connected habitat. The spotter catcher should use the approved handling and relocation method, not ad hoc capture or release.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, access controls and retained habitat before work starts each day.
  • Keep machinery within the marked footprint and stop operators from pushing vegetation, rocks or spoil into retained habitat.
  • Maintain a slow, staged clearing sequence that allows the fauna spotter catcher to inspect each section before and during disturbance.
  • Keep the spotter catcher in direct communication with machinery operators and ensure the operator can stop the machine immediately.
  • Suspend work during conditions that increase the risk of heat stress, dehydration, crushing or loss of visibility, unless the fauna management plan provides a safe alternative.
  • Do not allow workers to chase, corner, handle or relocate a skink unless they are authorised under the project plan.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Known habitat use: Tree bases, shrub foliage, alpine eucalypt woodland, heath, boulder fields and adjacent rocks

Semi-arboreal behaviour: Basking recorded above 1 m at Mt Eliza

  • Treat alpine eucalypts, heath clumps, boulder fields, loose rocks, rock crevices, fallen timber and ground cover as potential shelter, basking or movement features.
  • Have the fauna spotter catcher inspect rocks, boulder margins, tree bases and heath before they are moved, removed or crushed.
  • Move habitat features only when authorised, using a method that avoids crushing animals and retains the original shelter arrangement where practicable.
  • Do not create new access routes through connected heath or rocky habitat.
  • Apply the project fauna management plan to any hollow-bearing tree, log, burrow or other fauna feature encountered, even though the supplied documents do not identify a feature-specific requirement for this species.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounter, stop work and records

  • Stop work immediately within the animal's likely refuge and movement area when a Heath Coolskink is found.
  • Keep people, vehicles and machinery away from the animal and allow the authorised fauna spotter catcher to assess it.
  • Do not handle the animal unless the handler is authorised and the action is permitted by the relevant approval and permit.
  • Release a healthy animal into nearby retained habitat that matches the occupied habitat only when relocation is approved and directed by the fauna management plan.
  • Do not move an animal across roads, cleared gaps, lowland areas or other barriers that could increase separation between alpine habitat patches.
  • Place an injured or distressed animal in an appropriate secure container and transfer it to an approved wildlife carer or veterinarian as soon as practicable.
  • Stop work and obtain ecological advice if the species is found outside the surveyed area, if more animals are found than expected, or if clearing would affect connected habitat or a confirmed location.
  • Record the animal's coordinates, condition, photographs, habitat feature, action taken, release location, handler and time of release.
  • Notify the project environmental officer, approval holder and relevant authority of a confirmed record or injury as required by the approval.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should confirm that no animals or suitable refuge features remain within the disturbed area and that retained alpine habitat is protected from indirect impacts. Continue controls because the species may use connected habitat outside the immediate clearing footprint.

  • Have the fauna spotter catcher inspect the completed clearing area, rock margins, tree bases, heath edges and retained habitat before the area is handed back to the construction team.
  • Check exclusion fencing and no-go markers after clearing, excavation, blasting, vehicle movements and reinstatement works.
  • Remove temporary materials, spoil and waste from retained habitat and prevent them from covering rocks, heath or movement links.
  • Document cleared area, retained habitat, animal encounters, injuries, relocations, incidents, weather and any departures from the fauna management plan.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Priority monitoring pressures: Climate change, lowland skink encroachment and drought

  • Monitor retained and rehabilitated habitat for the species, encroaching lowland skinks, drought effects and changes in habitat condition.
  • Use repeat monitoring at known records and affected habitat because the conservation advice identifies monitoring of population change, climate change, lowland species encroachment and drought as priorities.
  • Compare monitoring observations with the approved impact assessment and any modelled predictions used for the project.
  • Submit confirmed records and monitoring data to the relevant Tasmanian biodiversity database and report them to Commonwealth or state agencies where required.
  • Retain photographs, spatial data, survey effort, handling records, permits and incident reports in the project environmental record.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

  • Maintain fencing, vehicle restrictions, weed controls and no-go areas until the environmental officer confirms that the site is stable.
  • Manage any approved offset or conservation measure in accordance with the EPBC Act approval and its conditions.
  • Use offsets only after avoidance and minimisation measures have been applied and do not use them as a reason to clear occupied or suitable habitat.
  • Review the management plan if monitoring identifies a new population, habitat decline, unexpected mortality or increased overlap with lowland skinks.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the habitat structure used by the Heath Coolskink, not just provide general ground cover. Prioritise alpine eucalypt woodland, heath, rocky shelter and connected habitat in the species' south-western and western Tasmanian range.

Target vegetation: Dense alpine eucalypt woodland with heath understorey

Target habitat features: Rocky habitat, boulder fields, tree bases, shrub foliage and ground cover

  • Re-establish locally appropriate alpine eucalypt woodland with a dense heath understorey in disturbed areas where that vegetation community occurred before construction.
  • Use local provenance plants where practicable and select species and forms suited to the site's elevation, soils, exposure and alpine conditions.
  • Retain or reinstate stable rocks, boulder margins, coarse woody debris and ground cover that can provide shelter and basking sites.
  • Re-form habitat links between retained patches and avoid creating abrupt cleared gaps between alpine sky islands or suitable habitat areas.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for the species' documented habitat unless a qualified ecologist identifies a specific need, because the supplied documents do not identify nest-box use.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats during recovery

  • Control weeds and prevent establishment of vegetation that changes the structure of alpine heath or woodland.
  • Prevent introduced predators and domestic animals from entering rehabilitation areas where project controls allow it.
  • Manage fire in accordance with the reserve or land manager's approved fire plan, Traditional Custodian knowledge and species-specific ecological advice.
  • Avoid rehabilitation actions that dry the site, remove humid refuges or increase exposure to heat and drought.
  • Monitor and manage encroachment by lowland skinks where it is identified, while recognising that the conservation advice does not provide a tested control method.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Recommended monitoring focus: Population distribution, habitat condition, climate response, lowland species encroachment and drought

  • Inspect rehabilitation after construction and during the approved monitoring period for plant establishment, heath cover, rock stability, erosion, weeds, predator activity and connectivity.
  • Use repeat diurnal searches in suitable weather and record search effort, habitat condition and all Heath Coolskink or other alpine skink observations.
  • Treat successful rehabilitation as restoration of alpine eucalypt woodland, heath, rocks and connected refuge habitat, not simply revegetation of the disturbed footprint.
  • Set measurable project targets for vegetation establishment, retained or reinstated rocky shelter, weed cover, erosion and access control before works begin.
  • Adapt rehabilitation if monitoring shows drying, habitat fragmentation, drought damage, lowland skink encroachment or failure of the heath and woodland structure to establish.
  • Share monitoring results with the relevant land manager, Tasmanian environment agency and biodiversity database where required.

Sources