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Inland Forest Bat (Vespadelus baverstocki)

The Inland Forest Bat, Vespadelus baverstocki, is a small nocturnal microbat of inland semi-arid and arid Australia. It uses small tree hollows and abandoned buildings for roosting, and clearing, forestry, grazing and land degradation can remove both roosts and feeding habitat on development sites.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The following cycle is based on the reported reproductive timing for inland populations. No regular migration is reported, so the seasonal risk period is driven mainly by maternity colonies and dependent young.

Months are January to December. Timing is based on the available inland Australian records and may vary between sites.

  • Breeding preparation and mating: Females are pregnant by November, and male testes become enlarged from December.
  • Maternity colonies and births: Maternity colonies form in early summer. Females are lactating by December and give birth to one young.
  • Dependent young: The young is carried for about the first week, then remains in the roost while the female feeds. Young are flying and independent in January.
  • Young dispersal and adult activity: Young are independent in January. Young males may breed in April of their first year. No regular migration is reported.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species from November to February, when maternity colonies, births and dependent young may be present in tree hollows or buildings.

Identification

This is a very small forest bat with a poorly known distribution and difficult identification, particularly in New South Wales. Identification should rely on an experienced bat ecologist, suitable measurements and, where needed, genetic testing rather than habitat alone.

Adults have a head and body length of 36 to 43 mm, a tail length of 26 to 34 mm and a weight of 3 to 6 g.

The species is nocturnal and feeds on arthropods. It has a fast, manoeuvrable flight and may fly low over dams, tanks and waterholes.

Typical body size: Head and body 36 to 43 mm; tail 26 to 34 mm

Weight: 3 to 6 g

Identification: Similar species

The Inland Forest Bat can be confused with the Southern Forest Bat, Vespadelus regulus. Adult males can be separated by the shape of the glans penis: the Inland Forest Bat lacks the lateral folds present in the Southern Forest Bat.

Females may sometimes be separated using head measurements, but the two species can require genetic testing. This is particularly important where both species may occur or where records will inform a clearing decision.

  • Have captured bats examined by a person experienced in Vespadelus identification.
  • Retain suitable voucher material, photographs and call data where permitted and necessary for confirmation.

Identification: Field signs

The most useful field evidence is a confirmed capture or detector record associated with a suitable roost or feeding area. The species may occupy very small hollows in trees only a few metres high, so a lack of large hollow-bearing trees does not exclude it.

The supplied sources do not provide diagnostic tracks, scats, nests, eyeshine or species-specific call characteristics. Acoustic records should therefore be treated cautiously where species-level separation from other small Vespadelus bats is uncertain.

  • Inspect small hollow-bearing trees, dead limbs, stumps and abandoned buildings before removal.
  • Record roost observations, emergence activity and detector locations with the habitat and structure in which the bat was found.

Distribution: National range

The species is believed to occur across most inland semi-arid and arid parts of mainland Australia. Its distribution is poorly known because it is difficult to identify, especially in New South Wales.

The Inland Forest Bat is believed to occur in all mainland states. The documented range includes New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, but not Tasmania.

It is generally associated with areas receiving less than 400 mm of annual rainfall. Broad habitat zones include inland Mallee, Mulga, Acacia, Callitris and Casuarina woodland, open eucalypt woodland, shrubland and grassland.

Mainland states: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory

Tasmania: Not included in the reported range

Typical rainfall setting: Generally less than 400 mm annual rainfall

Distribution: Records and population knowledge

The species has been recorded in Queensland, including a Queensland Government wildlife records extract, and in the Avon Region of Western Australia. The available material does not identify a national stronghold, discrete subpopulation or population estimate.

The sources do not provide a reliable population trend. The species is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales and is not listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act in the supplied project information.

Known strongholds: Not identified in the supplied documents

Population estimate: Not reported

Population trend: Not reported

Conservation listing: Vulnerable in New South Wales; not listed under the EPBC Act

Habitat: Vegetation communities

The Inland Forest Bat uses a broad range of inland vegetation types, including open woodland and sparsely treed country. Habitat can remain suitable where trees are small, provided that roost hollows and nearby insect-producing areas are retained.

Records come from Mallee, Mulga and River Red Gum settings, as well as low woodlands of Acacia, Callitris and Casuarina. The species also occurs in open eucalypt woodland, shrubland and grassland.

It is found across semi-arid and arid inland Australia, from savannah and woodland to sparsely treed areas.

Recorded or reported vegetation: Mallee, Mulga, River Red Gum, Acacia, Callitris and Casuarina woodland, open eucalypt woodland, shrubland and grassland

Habitat: Structural features

Small hollow-bearing trees and dead limbs can provide roosts. The species has been found in trees only a few metres high, where the hollows and crevices may be extremely small.

Abandoned buildings can also provide roosts. Waterholes, dams and tanks may be used for drinking or feeding, particularly where they occur near woodland or other insect-producing habitat.

  • Retain small live and dead trees with hollows, fissures, loose bark or small cavities.
  • Map abandoned buildings and other structures that could contain roosts before demolition or refurbishment.
  • Retain connected woodland, riparian River Red Gum and other vegetated areas around water points where practicable.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The supplied sources describe the species by rainfall and broad inland habitat rather than by elevation. No elevation limit is reported.

The reported climate setting is semi-arid to arid, with the species generally associated with annual rainfall below 400 mm.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Inland Forest Bat is an aerial insectivore. It feeds mainly on moths and probably takes a range of small flying invertebrates around its roost.

The diet is poorly known, but flying insects, mainly moths, are reported. The species probably takes a range of small invertebrates.

Documented pest prey includes cutworms, beet armyworm, cotton bollworms, sugarcane armyworm, lucerne seed web moth, turf pests and peanut pests.

Main prey: Flying insects, mainly moths

Recorded pest prey: Cutworms, beet armyworm, cotton bollworms, sugarcane armyworm, lucerne seed web moth, turf pests and peanut pests

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas and behaviour

The species hunts over a wide area around its roost. It has been captured flying low over dams, tanks and waterholes, where it may drink or catch food.

Suitable feeding habitat is likely to include open woodland edges, gaps between trees, low vegetation and water points with insect activity. The sources do not provide a measured home range or standard foraging distance.

Foraging range: A wide area around the roost; no measured distance is reported

Typical flight height noted in the sources: Low over dams, tanks and waterholes

  • Survey water points and open woodland edges as well as the proposed clearing footprint.
  • Avoid treating grassland or sparsely treed areas as unsuitable without considering nearby roosts and water points.
  • Keep lighting, dust and construction activity away from known roost exits and key water points where practicable.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in early summer, with females using maternity colonies in suitable tree hollows or built structures. The available information indicates one young per female and rapid development through summer.

Males have enlarged testes from December to April. Maternity colonies form in early summer, females are pregnant by November and lactating by December.

Each female gives birth to one young. The young is carried for about the first week, then left in the roost while the female feeds. Young are flying and independent in January. Young males may breed in April of their first year.

Mating or reproductive condition: Male testes enlarged from December to April

Maternity colonies: Form in early summer

Pregnancy: Females are pregnant by November; duration is not reported

Litter size: One young

Young carried by mother: About the first week

Young independent: January

Age at first breeding: Young males may breed in April of their first year

Lifespan: Not reported

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Maternity colonies need secure roosts in small tree hollows, crevices or abandoned buildings. A colony of more than 60 bats has been recorded in the crack around an old door frame in an abandoned railway building.

Roosts need to remain close to feeding areas and water points used by adults. The sources do not provide a minimum hollow diameter, entrance size or maternity colony density.

  • Complete roost checks before clearing or demolition, with particular attention to small hollows and building cracks.
  • Avoid removing occupied or potentially occupied roost structures during the maternity period unless authorised controls are in place.
  • Retain nearby woodland and water points so adults can continue to forage while young are dependent.

Sheltering habitat: Tree roosts

The species shelters in very small cavities that may be overlooked during tree inspections. It also uses abandoned buildings and other narrow structural spaces.

Roosts occur in hollows of old trees, including trees only a few metres high. The hollows can be extremely small, and the species can fit into narrow crevices and cavities.

The available material does not provide a minimum hollow size or preferred tree diameter.

Known roost tree height: Trees may be only a few metres high

Known colony size: Colonies range from a few individuals to more than 50; one colony of more than 60 was recorded in an abandoned building

  • Inspect small trees, dead limbs, stumps and hollow branches, not only large mature trees.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees and dead limbs where they are safe to retain.
  • Use staged or supervised removal procedures where a tree with potential roost cavities must be removed.

Sheltering habitat: Buildings and other refuges

Abandoned buildings can be used as roosts. A colony of more than 60 bats was found in a crack around an old door frame in an abandoned railway building.

No evidence is provided for use of burrows, caves, bird nests or culverts by this species.

  • Inspect abandoned railway buildings, sheds, roof spaces, door frames and wall cracks before demolition or refurbishment.
  • Where bats are present, obtain species-specific advice on timing, exclusion and replacement roost measures before works begin.

Threats: Clearing and development

The main documented risks are removal of roost trees and loss or degradation of feeding habitat. Risk is likely to be highest where clearing removes small hollow-bearing trees, woodland around water points or abandoned structures used by colonies.

Clearing can remove small hollow-bearing trees that provide roosts, even where the trees are only a few metres high. Demolition of abandoned buildings can also remove roosts.

Forestry, extensive vegetation clearing and agricultural land degradation are identified risks. Fragmentation can reduce the area of connected woodland and increase the separation between roosts, feeding areas and water points.

  • Survey all trees and abandoned buildings within the disturbance footprint before works.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees, dead limbs and suitable buildings where safe and practicable.
  • Plan clearing outside the period when maternity colonies contain dependent young, or use an approved species-specific method where timing cannot be avoided.

Threats: Grazing and land degradation

Land degradation from agriculture and grazing is identified as a potential threat. It can reduce woodland structure, ground vegetation and insect-producing habitat around roosts and water points.

  • Prevent unnecessary vehicle movement and soil disturbance around retained woodland and water points.
  • Protect retained vegetation from stock access where grazing is reducing habitat condition.

Threats: Other project risks

The supplied documents do not identify species-specific effects from roads, fire, introduced predators, disease or hydrology change. These matters should still be assessed where a project removes roost trees, changes water points, increases night lighting or alters insect habitat.

There is no documented migration pattern for this species in the supplied material. Construction timing should instead focus on maternity colonies and the period when young are dependent.

  • Check whether road widening, night lighting, drainage works or water removal will affect known roosts and nearby feeding areas.
  • Record and report any mortality, injured bats, unusual roost behaviour or disease signs found during works.
  • Use fauna spotter catchers with microbat experience for tree and building inspections.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat and roost inspection

Survey effort should reflect a small, nocturnal microbat that is difficult to identify in the field and may roost in very small hollows or abandoned buildings. Confirm the current survey requirements for the project area against the Australian Government bat survey guidelines and relevant state guidance before fieldwork.

Before night surveys, inspect the proposed disturbance area and nearby retained habitat for low woodland, sparse mallee, Acacia, Callitris, Casuarina, River Red Gum and open eucalypt woodland.

Map old trees, dead trees, small hollow-bearing trees, loose bark, abandoned buildings, roof spaces, bridges, culverts, dams, tanks, waterholes and tree-lined drainage lines.

Record the condition, dimensions and location of each potential roost feature, including hollows that may be only a few centimetres across and trees only a few metres high.

Inspect abandoned buildings and other structures only where it is safe and authorised to do so, and avoid entering confined spaces without an appropriate risk assessment.

Typical habitat: Semi-arid and arid woodland, mallee, shrubland, grassland and savannah to woodland habitats.

Known roosts: Very small hollows in old trees, small trees, abandoned buildings and other small crevices.

Survey methodology: 2. Evening acoustic survey

Use ultrasonic detectors at representative habitat types, potential roosts, water points and proposed clearing edges during the period when bats are active after dusk.

Sample both retained habitat and the area proposed for disturbance so that activity can be compared across the site.

Deploy detectors where vegetation, buildings or terrain will not block calls, and retain the original recordings and analysis files.

Treat a call identification as provisional where call structure overlaps with other Vespadelus species, and obtain expert review where the record may affect project approvals or clearing limits.

Schedule surveys in suitable weather, avoiding strong wind, heavy rain and other conditions that suppress bat activity or reduce detector performance.

Use the current Australian Government survey guideline and state guidance to set the number of nights, detector locations and seasonal replication for the project risk and habitat present.

Activity period: Nocturnal.

Identification issue: The species is difficult to identify, and its distribution in New South Wales is poorly known.

Survey methodology: 3. Spotlighting and roost emergence checks

Conduct dusk emergence observations at hollow-bearing trees, abandoned buildings and other structures that could support a colony when those features are at risk of removal.

Begin observations before sunset and continue through the main emergence period, recording the time, feature used, direction of departure and approximate number of bats.

Use red-filtered or low-intensity lights where practicable, keep observers quiet and avoid blocking the entrance to a roost.

Spotlight water points, dams, tanks and waterholes after dusk because the species may fly low over these features to drink or catch food.

Repeat observations across the nights and seasons required by the current survey guideline where the first survey produces no detection but suitable habitat remains.

Colony size: Colonies range from a few individuals to more than 50, with one recorded colony of more than 60 bats in an abandoned railway building.

Foraging behaviour: Fast, manoeuvrable flight, including low flight over dams, tanks and waterholes.

Survey methodology: 4. Capture and identification, where justified

Use harp traps, mist nets or other approved microbat capture methods only where the survey design requires them, the method is permitted, and personnel hold the required wildlife authorisations.

Place traps or nets along flyways, beside water points or near likely roost exits only after assessing risks to the animals, staff and other fauna.

Check equipment at the frequency required by the permit and method statement, and release bats promptly at the point of capture unless an authorised person directs otherwise.

Record sex, age class, reproductive condition, forearm or other required measurements, weight, photographs and identification features without delaying release.

Do not rely on female morphology alone where separation from Southern Forest Bat or other similar Vespadelus species is uncertain, because genetic testing may be required.

Adult size: Head and body length 36 to 43 mm, tail 26 to 34 mm, and weight 3 to 6 g.

Identification limitation: Females can be difficult to separate from Southern Forest Bat and may require genetic testing.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Set survey nights, detector deployment, emergence observations and any capture effort using the current Australian Government survey guideline, state requirements, project risk and the extent of suitable habitat, rather than applying an unsupported fixed effort level.

Survey in more than one suitable period where required by the guideline, particularly when the first survey is negative but hollow-bearing trees, abandoned buildings or inland woodland habitat will be cleared.

Record dates, start and finish times, weather, wind, rainfall, moon conditions, detector locations, equipment settings, observers, habitat, roost features, call files, captures, releases and limitations.

Have uncertain records reviewed by a suitably experienced bat ecologist and retain the evidence supporting the identification.

Submit confirmed records, including negative results where required, to the relevant state wildlife database and the Atlas of Living Australia where appropriate.

Report any threatened species detection to the relevant state authority and include it in the project fauna report, approvals documentation and fauna management records.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

The main project risks are removal of small roost hollows, loss of feeding habitat and fragmentation of inland woodland, mallee and drainage-line habitat. Plan around the species' poorly known distribution and its dependence on small roost features.

  • Retain old trees, dead trees and small hollow-bearing trees wherever practicable, including trees only a few metres high.
  • Retain abandoned buildings, railway structures and other known or potential roosts unless removal is approved and no reasonable alternative exists.
  • Keep connected woodland, mallee, shrubland, grassland and River Red Gum habitat around retained roosts and along drainage lines.
  • Avoid removing vegetation around dams, tanks and waterholes where bats may forage or drink.
  • Use the smallest practicable clearing footprint and keep machinery, spoil, compounds and access tracks outside retained habitat and mapped roost features.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project planning

Breeding timing: Maternity colonies form in early summer. Females are pregnant by November, lactating by December, and young are independent in January.

  • Confirm the current Commonwealth and state conservation status before works, and refer the action under the EPBC Act if the species is nationally listed or another protected matter may be affected.
  • Obtain the required state wildlife permits for survey, capture, handling, relocation, tree removal and treatment of injured fauna.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies roost features, clearing limits, survey results, authorised personnel, stop-work triggers, release sites, incident contacts and reporting duties.
  • Plan staged clearing outside the period when maternity colonies are most likely to contain dependent young, noting that maternity colonies form in early summer, females are pregnant by November and lactating by December.
  • Where seasonal avoidance is not possible, increase pre-clearance checks and use staged removal under direct supervision by the fauna spotter catcher.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete a pre-clearance inspection of every tree, building, structure and ground feature within the approved disturbance area.
  • Mark retained hollow-bearing trees, potential roost structures, water points, drainage lines, exclusion areas and access routes before machinery arrives.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can keep machinery and personnel away from retained roosts, woodland patches, water points and other sensitive features.
  • Brief all supervisors, operators and subcontractors on the species, the marked exclusion areas, the stop-work procedure and the contact details for the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher has authority to stop work and that an appropriately licensed replacement is available for all clearing shifts.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and supervision

Clearing must proceed slowly enough for the fauna spotter catcher to inspect features before removal and respond to any bat found. The spotter catcher should remain able to communicate directly with the machine operator and site supervisor.

  • Inspect the work area each day before machinery starts, including trees, buildings, structures, ground debris, access routes and exclusion fencing.
  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher within effective viewing and communication range of the active clearing face.
  • Clear in stages from the disturbed edge towards retained habitat so that animals have an opportunity to move into safe areas.
  • Use low-impact equipment and reduce speed when approaching hollow-bearing trees, abandoned buildings, dense vegetation, drainage lines, water points and marked exclusion zones.
  • Stop work immediately when the fauna spotter catcher gives the agreed stop signal, when an unmarked habitat feature is found or when equipment damages a retained feature.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

  • Do not fell a hollow-bearing tree until the spotter catcher has inspected the tree and the approved method statement allows its removal.
  • Where an approved tree removal must proceed, use a controlled fall direction and inspect the trunk, limbs, hollows and ground immediately after the fall.
  • Leave fallen hollow-bearing timber on site where safe and suitable, or relocate it intact to nearby retained habitat under ecological supervision.
  • Inspect logs, bark, rocks, dense vegetation, buildings and other shelters before moving or crushing them.
  • Protect dams, tanks, waterholes and drainage lines from sediment, spills, infilling and unnecessary vehicle access.
  • Do not seal, smoke, flood or otherwise force bats from a roost unless this is specifically authorised and directed by a qualified wildlife professional.

During habitat disturbance: Animal response and stop-work triggers

  • Stop work and notify the fauna spotter catcher if a bat is seen, heard, injured, trapped, exposed in a roost or found inside a felled tree or building.
  • Do not allow untrained workers to handle the bat, and use only an authorised person with the required wildlife permit and handling competency.
  • Keep the animal in a quiet, dark, temperature-appropriate container only for the minimum time needed for assessment and release or transfer.
  • Release a healthy bat at dusk into nearby retained habitat that provides suitable shelter and is away from machinery, roads and active works, unless the permit or wildlife authority requires another action.
  • Transfer an injured, weak or grounded bat to a veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer as soon as practicable, and record the transfer.
  • Stop work across the relevant area if a maternity colony, multiple bats, an occupied roost or a species identification concern is detected, and obtain direction from the project ecologist and relevant authority before restarting.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incidents

  • Record the date, time, location, habitat feature, species identification, number of bats, condition, action taken, release location and personnel involved for every detection or handling event.
  • Photograph the roost feature and animal only where this can be done without causing additional stress or delay.
  • Record all cleared trees, retained trees, relocated timber, damaged exclusion areas, fauna injuries, mortalities, near misses and stop-work events.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and relevant regulator of incidents within the timeframe set by the approval, permit or fauna management plan.
  • Update the clearing map daily so that the completed area, retained habitat and outstanding exclusion zones remain clear to the construction team.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Post-clearance checks confirm that no bat has been trapped in a remaining structure or injured during works. Monitoring should test whether retained habitat continues to provide roosting and feeding opportunities.

  • Inspect the cleared area, felled trees, buildings, structures, machinery exclusion zones and retained habitat immediately after each clearing stage.
  • Search felled hollow-bearing trees, hollow limbs and abandoned buildings for live or dead bats before material is removed, chipped or burnt.
  • Complete a final sweep of the work area before demobilisation, including drains, pits, pipes, tanks, trenches and other places where a small bat could become trapped.
  • Close or modify artificial pits, pipes and tanks that could trap fauna, using fauna-safe covers or escape devices approved by the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and controls

  • Maintain exclusion fencing, roost protection zones, fauna-safe drainage controls and access restrictions until the project ecologist confirms that they are no longer needed.
  • Monitor retained roost trees, abandoned buildings and nearby water points where construction noise, vibration or lighting could affect use.
  • Repeat acoustic monitoring or emergence observations where approved conditions require it, where a known roost was disturbed, or where clearing removed a substantial part of the available habitat.
  • Investigate a failure to detect bats after works if suitable roosts remain, because absence from a single survey does not resolve the species' identification and distribution limitations.

After habitat disturbance: Close-out reporting

  • Provide the landholder, project environmental officer and regulator with a clearing summary, fauna incident register, survey results, retained habitat map and rehabilitation commitments.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant monitoring data to the relevant state wildlife database and other databases required by the approval.
  • Document any residual impact and complete approved offsets or other compensatory measures where required by Commonwealth, state or local approval conditions.
  • Keep permits, call files, photographs, laboratory results, release details and fauna records for the retention period specified by the approval or permit.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore inland woodland structure, small roost opportunities and insect-rich feeding areas. Protecting existing habitat remains more reliable than attempting to replace old hollows in the short term.

Habitat association: Low woodlands of Acacia, Callitris and Casuarina, mallee, open eucalypt woodland, shrubland and grassland.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate Acacia, Callitris, Casuarina, mallee and eucalypt communities suited to the site's soil, rainfall and pre-clearing vegetation type.
  • Restore a connected vegetation strip between retained woodland, drainage lines and water points where construction has severed movement routes.
  • Retain natural regeneration, fallen timber and leaf litter where they do not create a safety or fire hazard.
  • Reinstate hollow-bearing timber in stable locations within retained habitat when it has been approved as safe and ecologically suitable.
  • Install appropriately designed nest boxes or artificial roosts only where the project ecologist confirms a shortage of natural roost features and can specify suitable placement, materials and maintenance.

Rehabilitation actions: Protect feeding and drinking areas

  • Retain or restore dams, tanks, waterholes and drainage-line vegetation where they are part of the approved rehabilitation design.
  • Design water infrastructure with fauna-safe covers, escape ramps or other measures that prevent bats and other fauna from becoming trapped.
  • Control weeds so that planted and regenerating native vegetation can develop a varied understorey and open flight paths.
  • Limit night lighting near retained woodland, roosts and water points, using shielded, low-spill lighting where lighting cannot be avoided.
  • Avoid broad-spectrum insecticide use in rehabilitated habitat unless specifically approved, because the species feeds mainly on flying insects, particularly moths.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, predators and success measures

Known threats: Loss of tree hollows and feeding grounds, forestry activities, extensive clearing and agricultural land degradation.

Management emphasis: Protection of remnant habitat is the documented management action for this species.

  • Develop fire management with the land manager so that hollow-bearing trees, retained fallen timber and regenerating woodland are not unnecessarily removed or repeatedly burnt.
  • Manage feral predators and domestic animals where they can affect roost structures, ground shelters or released fauna, using methods approved for the site.
  • Inspect plant survival, weed cover, retained and installed roost features, water infrastructure and connectivity at the intervals set by the rehabilitation plan.
  • Use acoustic monitoring and, where suitable, emergence observations to assess bat activity at rehabilitated areas and retained roosts after vegetation has established.
  • Treat rehabilitation as successful only when the approved plant establishment targets, roost feature protection, fauna-safe water infrastructure, weed controls and monitoring obligations have been met and documented.

Sources