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Manning River Saw-shelled Turtle (Myuchelys purvisi)

The Manning River saw-shelled turtle is an Endangered, short-necked freshwater turtle found only in the Manning River drainage of New South Wales. On development sites, clearing, bank disturbance, altered water flows, sediment runoff and damage to nesting banks can affect adults, eggs, juveniles and the deep pools used for refuge and foraging.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Breeding season

Manning River Saw-shelled Turtles have two documented seasonal patterns that do not align: mating and breeding are reported from February to April, while gravid females and nesting have also been recorded from September to December, with one nest found in January. Plan clearing around both periods, and treat deep pools and river banks as habitat throughout the year.

Reproductive mode: Egg-laying

Clutch size: Up to 23 eggs; 12 eggs were recorded from one wild nest

Incubation: Not recorded; one species account states that eggs incubate for a few months

Size at hatching: Not recorded

Age at maturity: Likely about 11 years for females and 8 to 9 years for males

Nest or egg sites: Soft sandy gravel, gravel or sandy loam banks and beach shorelines beside rivers, usually above or close to the waterline; one nest was 4 to 5 m from the water

Breeding frequency: Single clutch per year is reported

Confirm timing locally before works by checking recent records, rainfall and river levels, because first good spring rains and local temperature conditions may shift mating, nesting and activity periods.

  • Mating: Mating is reported from February to April, with pairs observed underwater at about 2 m on 28 and 29 March 2019. March is the best supported peak month because several pairs were observed then.
  • Gravid females: Females were reported as gravid from September to November. Other supplied species accounts do not give a gravid period, so this window may not apply across all sites.
  • Nesting: Nesting is documented from October to December, with one female nesting in January. Another species account reports breeding from February to April and nests after the first good spring rains, so local nesting may shift with rainfall and water conditions.
  • Incubation: Incubation length and hatching months are not recorded. One species account states that eggs hatch after a few months, so assume nests may contain eggs for several months after laying and inspect known or suspected nests year round.
  • Hatchlings: Hatchling emergence months are not recorded. Juveniles are present in the population, but the supplied documents do not support a reliable seasonal emergence window.
  • Active period: The species is reported as mainly active outside winter, with feeding and surveys recorded in late spring, early summer and autumn. Activity is mainly diurnal, with nocturnal foraging also recorded in shallow water.
  • Winter inactivity: The species is reported as probably inactive and hibernating in deep pools during winter. Animals in deep pools may not escape machinery, dewatering or changes to flow.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from September to April because females may be gravid, nesting or moving over land, and nests may contain eggs. Winter clearing also risks animals sheltering in deep pools, so avoid treating June to August as low risk; May has the least documented seasonal exposure.

Identification

This is a medium-sized, predominantly aquatic turtle with a short neck and a brown, oval shell. Identification is most reliable from a combination of shell, head and neck features, particularly when the animal is handled briefly and released promptly.

Adults have a mid-brown, oval carapace with an even margin and longitudinal striations on the central and lateral shields. The plastron is golden yellow with distinct black markings.

The head has a shield extending to the tympanum and two barbels beneath the lower jaw. The neck is steel grey dorsally, with rounded tubercles and a golden-yellow line from the corner of the mouth along the neck. The iris is dull gold.

Adult male maximum carapace length: 19 cm

Adult female maximum carapace length: 22.9 cm

Juvenile shell: Brown carapace, yellow-flushed plastron, raised central ridge and serrated outer margins on the marginal scutes.

Identification: Sex and similar turtles

Males have a deeper, longer and more developed precloacal section of the tail than females.

The species is closely similar to the Bellinger River saw-shelled turtle, and reliable separation may require expert examination or genetic methods. The introduced Macquarie River short-neck turtle also occurs within the Manning catchment and may be confused with native short-necked turtles. Do not identify a turtle from shell colour alone.

  • Photograph the carapace, plastron, head, neck markings and tail before release.
  • Record the exact waterway, location, date, habitat and any distinctive markings.
  • Use an experienced herpetologist or approved identification key where the species or a possible hybrid cannot be confirmed in the field.

Identification: Field signs

Females leave the water to excavate nests in gravel or sandy loam banks. One female was recorded nesting 4 to 5 m from the water's edge in January during drought conditions and laid 12 eggs.

The species is mainly aquatic and leaves the water to bask or for nesting. Tracks may therefore occur on accessible banks near suitable waterholes, but the supplied documents do not provide a reliable track description or track dimensions.

No reliable species-specific information is provided on calls, scats, sloughs or eyeshine.

  • Inspect gravel and sandy loam banks beside occupied or potentially suitable waterholes for fresh excavation, loose spoil or an open nest chamber.
  • Treat suspected turtle nests as active until assessed by a suitably qualified person.
  • Search basking structures such as logs, snags and exposed boulders without entering the water or disturbing the animal.

Distribution: National range

The species is endemic to New South Wales and has a very restricted distribution. Its entire known range is within the Manning River drainage, east of the Great Dividing Range on the mid-north coast.

The Manning River saw-shelled turtle is known only from New South Wales. The range includes the Manning River and tributaries in a catchment of about 8,420 km2, extending from upper catchment areas near Barrington Tops and the headwaters of the Nowendoc River to the lower Manning system.

In bioregional terms, the documented distribution is the Manning River drainage on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. The supplied documents do not define a more precise Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia boundary.

States: New South Wales only

Catchment: Manning River drainage

Catchment area: Approximately 8,420 km2

Geographic setting: East of the Great Dividing Range, about 310 km north of Sydney

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

All populations are important because the species occurs in only one catchment. Records and captures have been reported from upper and lower Dingo Creek and from other parts of the Manning system.

The midsection of Dingo Creek near Bobin Creek School contains good quality habitat, but no recent animals were recorded there despite substantial survey effort. Several turtles were captured from upper and lower Dingo Creek in 2020. Low capture rates in the eastern and southern Manning system may reflect either lower abundance or lower willingness to enter baited traps.

Distribution: Population and trend

Population size was previously uncertain because systematic surveys before 2018 were limited. The 2023 research summary reports the species as common and widely distributed in the Manning River system, with a balanced size structure and a substantial juvenile component. This does not remove the need for site-based surveys because abundance and habitat quality vary between waterways.

Between 2018 and 2020, 28 percent of captured turtles were immature or maturing, indicating recruitment. The conservation assessment identifies a continuing decline in habitat quality, but a catchment-wide population trend has not been firmly established.

Immature or maturing animals in captures, 2018 to 2020: 28 percent

Population estimate cited in the conservation assessment: 17,600 to 36,000 individuals

Generation length: Approximately 23 years

Habitat: Waterway habitat

The Manning River saw-shelled turtle is predominantly aquatic and is associated with flowing rivers and tributaries in the Manning catchment. Its habitat depends on a linked set of deep pools, shallower flowing areas, vegetated banks and accessible nesting substrates.

The species is most often encountered in deep, slow-flowing waterholes about 1.5 to 2 m deep. These pools commonly contain benthic aquatic macrophytes, filamentous algae, large boulders and leaf litter.

Deep pools are separated by gravel-based riffles and rapids. Adults occupy deeper water during the day and may use shallower water at night. Connectivity between pools and along each waterway must be maintained.

The species occurs in upper catchment areas with low rolling hills and plateaus as well as more disturbed lower catchment areas. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific elevation range.

Preferred daytime water depth: About 1.5 to 2 m

Key aquatic features: Benthic macrophytes, filamentous algae, large boulders, leaf litter, pools, riffles and rapids

Elevation limit: Not specified in the supplied documents

Habitat: Riparian structure

Riparian vegetation provides shade that helps buffer high water temperatures and supplies leaves, bark, twigs and terrestrial invertebrates to the stream. It also provides snags and other structures for basking and refuge, and helps protect banks from erosion and sediment input.

Gravel and sandy loam banks beside rivers and streams are important because they provide likely nesting sites and access for females moving between water and nest locations.

  • Retain riparian vegetation beside deep pools, riffles and potential nesting banks.
  • Avoid stockpiling soil, plant, mulch or construction material on banks or within flood-prone areas.
  • Prevent sediment, ash and contaminated runoff from entering pools and riffles.

Habitat: Climate and disturbance setting

The species occurs in the mid-north coast climate region of New South Wales. Drought, intense rainfall and fire can alter water depth, water temperature, turbidity, sediment loads and riparian cover.

After the 2019 to 2020 fires, ash and silt washed into streams and caused major turbidity spikes. Increased sedimentation can smother stream beds, restrict aquatic macrophytes and alter benthic invertebrate communities.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The species is an omnivore that feeds within rivers and streams. Food is available in deep pools, pool margins, riffles and beneath riparian vegetation that supplies insects and plant material to the water.

The diet includes insect larvae, especially caddisfly larvae in the family Leptoceridae, as well as other aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Butterfly and moth larvae and insects blown into the water from riparian vegetation are also eaten.

Plant foods include figs, algae and ribbon weed, Vallisneria. Seeds and fruit, including possible contributions from weeping lilly pilly, Syzygium australe, may also be important.

Feeding mode: Omnivorous

Aquatic prey: Caddisfly larvae, especially Leptoceridae, and other invertebrates

Plant foods: Algae, ribbon weed, figs, seeds and fallen fruit

Foraging habitat: Foraging locations

Turtles forage in aquatic habitat, including shallow pool areas and riffles at night. Deep pools provide the main daytime habitat, while riffles and shallow margins provide access to flowing-water prey and other food resources.

There is no documented home-range size or foraging-distance estimate for this species. Movement between pools, riffles and tributary sections depends on continuous aquatic connectivity.

  • Protect deep pools, riffles, shallow margins and the riparian vegetation that supplies food to the stream.
  • Keep machinery, sediment and chemical contaminants out of the channel and pool margins.
  • Maintain passage between pools and tributaries during works and avoid isolating remnant pools during low flows.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding depends on access from the river to suitable banks. Females travel over land to lay eggs, so work areas must include both the waterway and adjacent gravel or sandy loam banks in breeding assessments.

Females are gravid from September to November and excavate nests on river banks from October to December. A female was recorded nesting in the evening at 5 pm, 4 to 5 m from the water's edge, during low river levels in January 2020.

Wild clutch size is not known. One captive female with a 22.9 cm carapace laid 23 eggs, while the recorded wild female laid 12 eggs. Incubation duration and hatchling emergence dates are not provided in the supplied documents.

Gravid females: September to November

Typical nesting period: October to December

Recorded nest distance from water: 4 to 5 m

Recorded wild clutch: 12 eggs

Captive clutch record: 23 eggs from a female with a 22.9 cm carapace

Likely age at maturity: About 11 years for females and 8 to 9 years for males

Likely lifespan: Greater than 40 years

Incubation period: Not specified in the supplied documents

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

Likely nesting habitat consists of gravel and sandy loam banks beside rivers and streams. Females need an unobstructed route between the water and the nesting bank.

Nests may be exposed to foxes and feral pigs. Bank erosion, cattle trampling, weed invasion, construction traffic and changes in water level can damage nesting areas or reduce successful recruitment.

  • Survey gravel and sandy loam banks within at least the immediate bank zone beside suitable pools and flowing sections before clearing or earthworks.
  • Keep access routes between the channel and potential nesting banks free of fencing, spoil, trenches and machinery during the nesting season.
  • Do not disturb suspected nests. Establish an exclusion area under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist.

Sheltering habitat: Aquatic refuges

Shelter is mainly aquatic. Deep pools, submerged boulders, leaf litter, snags and connected stream sections provide refuge from heat, low flows, predators and disturbance.

During the day, turtles are most often found in deep, slow-flowing waterholes about 1.5 to 2 m deep. These pools contain boulders, aquatic plants, filamentous algae and leaf litter that provide cover and structure.

During drought, turtles may remain in isolated refuge holes as water levels fall. Poor water quality, mud and loss of pool volume can increase mortality when flow stops or water is extracted.

Typical refuge depth: About 1.5 to 2 m

  • Treat all deep pools and permanent-looking refuge holes in the Manning catchment as potential turtle habitat, even when turtles are not visible.
  • Avoid draining, filling, isolating or diverting pools during construction and maintenance.
  • Retain submerged boulders, snags, leaf litter and aquatic vegetation where they do not create a separate safety hazard.

Sheltering habitat: Basking and bank cover

The species leaves the water to bask and may use river snags and other exposed structures. Riparian vegetation provides shade and additional cover along the channel.

The supplied documents do not provide dimensions for basking logs, shelter cavities, burrows or overland refuge areas. No evidence is provided that this turtle uses dens, tree hollows or burrows.

  • Inspect logs, snags, boulder margins and vegetated banks before removing them from or beside the channel.
  • Keep temporary access tracks and laydown areas away from pool margins, snags and riparian cover.
  • Use aquatic hygiene procedures for equipment moved between waterways to reduce the risk of spreading turtle pathogens.

Threats: Clearing, construction and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss or degradation of deep pools and riparian habitat, damage to nesting banks, altered flow, sediment runoff, fire-related impacts and introduced predators or turtles. Disease is also a serious potential risk because the species is closely related to turtles affected by mass mortality events.

Removal of riparian vegetation can increase water temperature, reduce organic food inputs, remove snags and refuges, and expose banks to erosion. Earthworks can directly damage gravel or sandy loam nesting banks and increase sediment delivery to pools.

Fragmentation of waterways or loss of connectivity can prevent movement between deep pools, riffles and tributaries. Dams, weirs, channel changes and other structures can restrict movement and alter habitat.

  • Avoid clearing riparian vegetation beside deep pools, riffles, potential nesting banks and connected tributaries.
  • Keep construction plant, vehicle crossings, spoil and trenching out of the channel and bank zone wherever practicable.
  • Design crossings and temporary works to maintain aquatic passage and avoid isolating pools.
  • Control turbid water, sediment, concrete washout, fuels and other pollutants before they reach the waterway.
  • Inspect banks for nesting activity before clearing, grading, stabilisation or access works.

Threats: Hydrology and water quality

Water extraction can reduce pool depth and volume, increase the frequency and duration of low flows, reduce riffle habitat and limit movement. These effects are most serious during drought when remnant pools may be few and water quality may be poor.

Floods can displace juveniles and increase turbidity and sedimentation, especially where riparian vegetation is degraded. Changes in flow can also affect temperature, dissolved oxygen, food resources, reproduction and recruitment.

  • Maintain water in deep pools and avoid pumping from occupied or potentially suitable pools during low-flow periods.
  • Use water management triggers that prevent cease-to-flow conditions in habitat occupied by the species.
  • Stabilise disturbed banks and revegetate riparian areas with locally appropriate native species.
  • Inspect downstream pools and banks after floods, dewatering or major sediment releases.

Threats: Fire and invasive plants

The 2019 to 2020 fires affected 72 percent of the Manning catchment. Burned banks, loss of mature riparian trees and post-fire ash and silt runoff reduced habitat quality and increased turbidity.

Small-leaved privet, lantana and camphor laurel can smother riparian vegetation and limit nesting locations. Weed removal should not destabilise banks or remove shade without a staged restoration plan.

Manning catchment burned in 2019 to 2020: 72 percent, about 4,765 km2

Catchment area with moderate to high burns: 57 percent, about 463 km2

  • Avoid damaging unburnt riparian refuge areas during fire management or post-fire works.
  • Plan weed removal to retain bank stability, shade and nesting access.
  • Monitor pools and downstream habitat after fire, intense rain and sediment runoff.

Threats: Predators and introduced turtles

Red foxes destroy turtle nests and can kill nesting females. Feral pigs occur in the north and west of the catchment and may kill turtles or prey on nests, particularly when drought concentrates animals around water.

Introduced Macquarie River short-neck turtles have been recorded within the Manning catchment. They may compete for food and could hybridise with Manning River saw-shelled turtles, although hybridisation in this species has not yet been confirmed.

Introduced Macquarie River short-neck turtles detected in the catchment, 2018 to 2020: 81 individuals

  • Record fox and feral pig activity, nest damage, diggings and carcasses around project sites.
  • Protect confirmed nests only under an approved turtle conservation protocol and with advice from the relevant New South Wales authority.
  • Do not release, relocate or transport freshwater turtles between waterways without appropriate authorisation.

Threats: Disease and roads

The species may be susceptible to novel diseases, including the Bellinger River Virus, because it is closely related to the Bellinger River saw-shelled turtle. A novel nidovirus caused mass mortality in the Bellinger River population in 2015.

General threats to freshwater turtles in New South Wales include road mortality, drowning in fishing nets and other human structures. The supplied documents do not provide a Manning-specific road mortality rate, but vehicle crossings and access tracks should be managed as potential risks.

  • Use washdown, disinfection and equipment hygiene procedures between waterways and between separate sites.
  • Do not move turtles, water, sediment, aquatic plants or wet equipment between catchments without disease-control procedures.
  • Check roads, culverts, temporary crossings and work areas near water for turtles before vehicle movements and earthworks.

Survey methodology: 1. Nocturnal spotlighting and visual searches

Survey the Manning River saw-shelled turtle in waterways and waterholes within the Manning River catchment, with particular attention to deep, slow-flowing pools, riffles and nesting banks. Use a qualified freshwater turtle ecologist to set effort, because the supplied documents do not specify a fixed project survey effort for this species.

Search clear river reaches, deep pools and riffles at night, when the species may use shallower water to forage. During the day, focus visual searches on deep waterholes of about 1.5 to 2 metres, where turtles are most often encountered.

Record the number of observers, search hours, river length or waterhole area searched, water depth, flow, visibility, water temperature if measured, weather, turbidity and all turtle detections.

Give priority to surveys during the active period and include the nesting period from September to December where works may affect banks or access routes. Females may travel over land to nest, and nesting has been recorded 4 to 5 metres from the water's edge.

Preferred daytime habitat: Deep, slow-flowing waterholes, about 1.5 to 2 metres deep, with aquatic macrophytes, filamentous algae, boulders and leaf litter.

Known nesting period: Females are gravid from September to November and nest excavation is reported from October to December.

  • Search both banks and shallow margins for basking turtles, tracks, nests and disturbed nesting substrate without entering or damaging likely nest sites.
  • Treat a night with poor visibility, high turbidity, unsafe flow or heavy rain as a reduced detection survey and record the limitation.

Survey methodology: 2. Aquatic trapping and netting

Use baited traps and fyke nets in suitable pools and slow-flowing reaches where safe and authorised. The supplied records document baited traps and fyke nets as survey methods used for this species, including fyke nets suited to slow-moving water less than 1 metre deep.

Place traps to sample different habitat types, including deep pools, pool margins and connected reaches, rather than relying on a single waterhole.

Record trap locations, trap type, deployment and retrieval times, number of trap nights, water depth, weather, bycatch and the identity, sex, size class and condition of every turtle captured.

Fyke-net setting noted in the source: Slow-moving water less than 1 metre deep, with cylindrical funnel and wings about 10 metres long.

Recent survey context: Surveys between 2018 and 2020 used baited traps, fyke nets and snorkelling.

  • Check traps at a frequency set by the permit, animal ethics approval and project turtle protocol, and do not leave equipment unattended if conditions could expose turtles to drowning, overheating or injury.
  • Use clean and disinfected equipment between waterways to reduce the risk of transferring pathogens.

Survey methodology: 3. Snorkelling, remote video and supplementary methods

Use trained snorkel observers in clear, safe water to inspect deep pools, boulder habitat, leaf litter and pool margins, subject to site safety and approvals.

Use baited remote underwater video where trapping or snorkelling is unsafe, ineffective or likely to disturb turtles. Record camera deployment time, location, field of view, water visibility and effective observation time.

Use environmental DNA as a supplementary distribution method where suitable laboratory support and state guidance are available, not as the sole basis for clearing decisions.

  • Combine methods because capture rates can under-represent abundance, including where turtles have a lower propensity to enter baited traps than other freshwater turtles.
  • Survey connected waterholes, riffles and tributaries because connectivity allows movement along and between waterways.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Prepare a site-specific survey design that states the number of nights, search hours, trap nights, snorkelling or video deployments, river length or waterhole area surveyed, detection conditions and reasons for any reduced effort.
  • Survey all suitable habitat that could be disturbed, including the waterway, banks, riparian vegetation, gravel or sandy loam nesting banks and access routes between water and nesting areas.
  • Repeat surveys where detection conditions are poor or where the first survey does not adequately cover deep pools, nocturnal shallows and likely nesting banks.
  • Record positive and negative results, coordinates, photographs, survey method, effort, habitat condition, turtle measurements, age class, sex where possible, handling details and any disease or injury signs.
  • Submit records to NSW BioNet and report sightings through TurtleSAT where appropriate, while following project, permit and landholder requirements for sensitive location data.
  • Escalate a suspected Manning River saw-shelled turtle record to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority before clearing or in-water works proceed.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat all suitable habitat in the Manning River catchment as potentially important because the species is restricted to that catchment and all populations are considered important. Avoid disturbance first, then reduce the area, duration and intensity of any unavoidable works.

Retain deep, slow-flowing waterholes, connected pools, riffles, boulders, leaf litter, aquatic macrophytes and filamentous algae where practicable.

Retain gravel and sandy loam banks adjacent to waterways, including access between water and likely nesting areas. A documented nesting observation occurred 4 to 5 metres from the water's edge.

Retain riparian vegetation to provide shade, organic matter, snags, basking sites, refuges and nesting habitat.

Maintain longitudinal connectivity between waterholes and avoid temporary crossings, sediment dams, culverts or dewatering arrangements that block turtle movement.

  • Set no-go areas around waterways, nesting banks, riparian vegetation and identified habitat before finalising the construction footprint.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, fuels, concrete washout, stockpiles and access tracks out of retained waterway and nesting habitat.
  • Do not assume a bank is unused because no nest is visible, particularly from September to December.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project planning

Check whether the proposed action requires referral or approval under the EPBC Act because the species is listed as Endangered nationally.

Check NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act requirements, wildlife permits, scientific licences, animal ethics requirements and any waterway, fish passage or aquatic animal approvals that apply to the site and methods.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey results, exclusion zones, in-water controls, dewatering procedures, authorised handlers, stop-work triggers, incident reporting and rehabilitation requirements.

National status: Endangered under the EPBC Act, effective from 15 March 2023.

NSW status: Endangered.

  • Engage the project ecologist and fauna spotter catcher early enough to alter the design, timing or staging of works.
  • Stage works so that the smallest practicable area is open at any one time and retained habitat remains connected.
  • Schedule bank disturbance outside the September to December nesting period where practicable, and obtain project-specific ecological advice if this cannot be achieved.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection and targeted turtle survey before works start, including the waterway, deep pools, shallow margins, banks, riparian vegetation and overland routes to likely nesting areas.

Clearly mark exclusion zones, retained vegetation, nesting banks, access routes and approved machinery limits on plans and on the ground.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block movement between retained waterholes and nesting habitat or funnel turtles into unsafe areas.

Brief all workers on species identification, the no-go areas, hygiene controls, stop-work triggers and the requirement to call the fauna spotter catcher before touching a turtle.

  • Inspect fencing, signage, sediment controls and waterway barriers immediately before daily works.
  • Clean and disinfect aquatic equipment before it enters the catchment and between waterways.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with machinery operators and the site supervisor. Stop work whenever a turtle, nest, injured animal or unexpected suitable habitat is found in the work area.

Conduct a daily pre-start inspection of the work zone, exclusion fencing, waterway controls, banks, pools and access routes before machinery moves.

Use a fauna spotter catcher to inspect each active work area immediately ahead of clearing, excavation, bank access, dewatering and machinery movement.

Maintain a clear stop signal between the fauna spotter catcher, machine operator and supervisor, and stop machinery immediately when the spotter identifies a turtle, nest, animal refuge or unsafe change in water conditions.

  • Keep machinery out of retained riparian vegetation, waterholes, nesting banks and marked connectivity corridors.
  • Prevent sediment, ash, fuel, concrete, rubbish and contaminated water from entering pools or riffles.
  • Do not wash aquatic equipment, vehicles or tools in the waterway.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling and in-water works

Treat pools, riffles, boulders, leaf litter, aquatic plants, snags, gravel banks and sandy loam banks as habitat features that require approval before removal or disturbance.

Avoid dewatering where possible. If dewatering is approved, use a staged, supervised process that maintains a safe escape route and allows the fauna spotter catcher to inspect isolated pools, margins and wet sediment.

Maintain water quality and flow connectivity during crossings, diversions and bank works, because reduced pool depth, altered flow, turbidity and sedimentation can reduce habitat suitability and food resources.

Do not relocate aquatic habitat material, rocks, logs or spoil into another waterway unless the method has been approved and the material is free of contamination and disease risk.

  • Stop work if unexpected deep habitat, a turtle nest, a trapped turtle or a new connection to retained water is exposed.
  • Use sediment and erosion controls that remain effective during rain and high flows, and inspect them after rainfall.

During habitat disturbance: Turtle encounters, incidents and records

Only an appropriately authorised and trained person may capture, handle or relocate a turtle, and handling must follow the permit, animal ethics approval and project fauna management plan.

Keep handling to the minimum needed for safety, identification, measurement, release or veterinary assessment, and never hold a turtle by the tail or limbs.

Release an uninjured turtle into nearby retained habitat of the same waterway, outside the work zone, only where this is authorised and the release location preserves access to suitable water and habitat.

Place an injured or ill turtle in a secure, ventilated container and arrange prompt assessment by an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian; report suspected disease or unusual mortality to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority.

Record the date, time, coordinates, habitat, direction of movement, photographs, size, sex or age class where possible, condition, handler, action taken, release location and any machinery or work involved.

  • Stop work and establish a no-go area around a nest, turtle or injured animal until the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist approve the next step.
  • Stop work and review controls if a turtle is found repeatedly, if more than one turtle is found, if a nest is exposed, or if dewatering strands animals.
  • Report any mortality, injury, nest destruction, disease sign, spill, sediment release or breach of an exclusion zone under the incident procedure.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Do not remove fauna controls when machinery leaves. Confirm that disturbed waterway and bank areas are safe, connected and free of trapped animals before demobilisation.

Complete a final inspection of the work area, isolated pools, excavations, trenches, sediment basins, stockpile edges, access tracks and fencing before each area is signed off.

Search disturbed banks and retained habitat for turtles, nests, tracks, exposed eggs, stranded animals and barriers to movement.

Check that crossings, culverts, temporary dams and bank treatments do not strand turtles or prevent movement between connected waterholes.

  • Leave exclusion fencing in place until the site is stable and the fauna spotter catcher confirms that animals cannot enter hazardous work areas.
  • Remove temporary barriers, pipes, pumps, spoil and debris that could trap or divert turtles once they are no longer needed.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and maintenance

Monitor retained and rehabilitated pools, riffles, nesting banks, riparian vegetation and connectivity after works, with timing and duration set in the fauna management plan and approval conditions.

Inspect for increased turbidity, sediment deposition, reduced pool depth, bank erosion, weed invasion, loss of shade, damaged snags and changes in access to nesting habitat.

Continue hygiene, erosion, sediment, weed and predator controls while the site remains under project control.

  • Use repeat turtle surveys where works altered flow, pool depth, water quality, nesting banks or riparian vegetation.
  • Review monitoring results with the project ecologist and change controls if turtles are displaced, injured, absent from previously occupied habitat or found using unsafe areas.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and offsets

Provide the regulator, approval holder and land manager with a completion report covering survey effort, encounters, relocations, injuries, mortalities, nests, habitat cleared, retained habitat, incidents, rehabilitation and monitoring results.

Submit verified records to NSW BioNet and retain location data in the approved sensitive-species format.

Complete any offset, compensatory habitat, restoration or environmental management commitments required by the EPBC Act, NSW approvals or project conditions.

  • Keep fauna records, photographs, permits, spotter catcher qualifications, daily checklists and incident reports with the project environmental records.
  • Report any failure to meet approval conditions immediately through the project's environmental incident process.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore waterway and nesting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore connected river habitat, not just revegetate the construction footprint. Set objectives around deep pools, night foraging habitat, nesting banks, riparian shade, water quality and safe movement.

Reinstate or protect deep, slow-flowing pools with suitable depth, boulders, leaf litter, aquatic macrophytes and filamentous algae where the approved design allows.

Restore gravel and sandy loam banks with stable access from the water and avoid compacting, armouring or shading out suitable nesting surfaces.

Re-establish native riparian vegetation to provide shade, organic matter, snags, basking sites, refuges and nesting habitat.

Remove or redesign temporary barriers so that turtles can move between connected waterholes, riffles and tributaries.

  • Use local native riparian species selected for the site by the restoration ecologist, rather than planting an unsupported species list.
  • Do not introduce aquatic plants, turtles or other fauna from outside the catchment.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage weeds, predators, fire and disease risk

Control small-leaved privet, lantana and camphor laurel where they smother riparian vegetation or reduce nesting habitat, and dispose of plant material without spreading weeds.

Manage red fox and feral pig impacts on nesting banks where monitoring shows predation is limiting recruitment, using approved methods and relevant permits.

Prepare fire management actions that protect riparian habitat, retain unburnt refuge areas and avoid physical damage to turtle habitat during fire operations.

Apply aquatic equipment hygiene protocols during all rehabilitation, monitoring and maintenance work, and monitor for disease signs.

  • Engage Biripi knowledge custodians and landholders in riparian restoration, fire management and monitoring in accordance with agreed cultural knowledge protocols.
  • Inspect rehabilitated banks after fire, flood and heavy rain for ash, sediment, erosion, nest exposure and loss of riparian cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Define success measures before rehabilitation starts, including stable banks, functioning connectivity, suitable pool depth and water quality, recovering riparian shade, retained nesting substrate, reduced weed cover and no turtle entrapment.

Monitor turtle occupancy, abundance indicators, size classes and recruitment using repeat methods that record effort and conditions. The conservation advice recommends population surveys at 5-year intervals for broader population assessment.

Use repeat inspections and targeted surveys after construction, then adjust water, erosion, weed, predator and fire controls when monitoring shows declining habitat condition or unsafe turtle use.

Broader population monitoring interval: The conservation advice recommends repeat population sampling at 5-year intervals with suitable precision to assess trends.

  • Record and report turtle sightings, nests, injuries, mortalities and changes in habitat to the project ecologist, NSW BioNet and relevant approval authorities.
  • Keep rehabilitation and monitoring records for the period required by approvals, including photographs from fixed points, maps, maintenance actions and corrective actions.

Sources