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Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus)

The northern quoll is a small, solitary, mostly nocturnal carnivorous marsupial found in fragmented populations across northern Australia. It uses rocky country, open forests, woodlands and other habitats with secure dens, and is sensitive to clearing, fire, predation, Cane Toad poisoning and vehicle strike on development sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

Timing varies between Queensland, the Northern Territory, the Kimberley and the Pilbara. The pattern below is a practical northern Australian guide, not a substitute for local survey results and project approvals.

Regional breeding timing differs: June to July in Queensland, May to June in the Northern Territory, June to October in the Kimberley and July to September in the Pilbara.

  • Breeding: Mating generally begins from May. Peak breeding is usually May to July, with births occurring after a gestation of about 21 to 26 days. Some Kimberley populations may breed into October.
  • Young: Young are born from about June to September, remain dependent in dens and on the mother, and are generally weaned by about November to December. The exact timing varies between regions.
  • Movement and dispersal: Males expand their home ranges during breeding and may travel between females. Young begin independent foraging at about four months and disperse after weaning, with movement continuing into the wet season.
  • Wet season foraging: Frogs and other wet season prey can become important from late in the dry season into the wet season. Fruit use also increases from the late dry season into the early wet season in some populations.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species from May to October because mating, births, dependent young and natal den use overlap this period. Occupied dens and connected foraging habitat can still be affected outside these months.

Identification

Northern quolls are the smallest Australian quolls. They are compact, spotted marsupials with a pointed face, a sparsely furred unspotted tail and strongly ridged pads on the hindfeet.

The coat ranges from grey brown to reddish brown. The underside is cream to white, and the back and rump carry large white spots. The tail is generally unspotted, with a dark tip, and is sparsely furred. The face is pointed, with prominent eyes and ears.

The hindfeet have five toes and striated pads that assist climbing. Males are larger than females, and the species may appear aggressive when disturbed.

Head and body: Males about 270 to 370 mm; females about 249 to 310 mm.

Tail: Males about 222 to 345 mm; females about 202 to 300 mm.

Weight: Males about 340 to 1120 g; females about 240 to 690 g.

Identification: Telling it from similar species

The combination of white dorsal spots, a cream underside, pointed snout, unspotted sparsely furred tail and small size helps separate the northern quoll from other quolls. It is smaller than the spotted tailed quoll and other larger Australian quolls, although size alone should not be used where animals are young or poorly seen.

The northern quoll has five toes and ridged pads on the hindfeet. A clear photograph, calibrated measurement or genetic identification may be needed where the animal is seen briefly or where other Dasyurus species occur.

Identification: Field signs

Look for tracks with five hind toes and visible pad ridges around rocky shelters, creek lines, tracks and tree bases. Tracks may be difficult to distinguish from other small to medium mammals without scale and a clear print.

Scats can contain insect remains, vertebrate hair or bone, scales, feathers, frog remains and plant material. Northern quolls also use prominent locations for scent marking and scat deposition.

Young may produce short isolation calls, while adults use hisses and scent marks. At night, eyeshine may reveal an animal in rocky habitat, under logs, in tree hollows or around other den sites. There is no reliable evidence in the supplied documents for a distinctive nest or slough.

  • Record photographs of tracks, scats and den entrances with a scale object.
  • Do not handle or block a suspected den. Stop work nearby and seek advice from the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist.
  • Treat a quoll seen in daylight as a possible sign of disturbance, injury, breeding activity or loss of secure shelter.

Distribution: States and regions

The northern quoll is endemic to northern Australia. Its former range was broadly continuous from the Pilbara in Western Australia to near Brisbane in Queensland, but it is now divided into mainland and island populations.

Current mainland populations occur in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The historical range extended into coastal northern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland, although the species is now highly fragmented in the southern part of its former range.

In Western Australia, populations occur in the Pilbara and Kimberley, including the Central and North Kimberley, Dampierland, Pilbara, Great Sandy Desert and Little Sandy Desert bioregions. In the Northern Territory, populations occur in the Arnhem Plateau, Darwin Coastal Plain, Daly Basin, Pine Creek and Groote Eylandt areas. In Queensland, remaining populations occur in the Central Mackay coast, Wet Tropics, Einasleigh Uplands and Cape York Peninsula bioregions.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Important mainland areas include the Pilbara, the wetter coastal Kimberley, rugged parts of the Northern Territory, Groote Eylandt, the Wet Tropics, Atherton Tablelands, Central Mackay coast, Einasleigh Uplands and Cape York Peninsula.

The species also occurs on numerous islands off the Northern Territory and Kimberley coast, including Groote Eylandt, Marchinbar, Vanderlin, Inglis and several Kimberley islands. Some island populations lack Cane Toads or introduced predators, but island status does not remove the need to assess local risks.

Distribution: Population trend

The species has undergone a major range contraction and local population losses. Older assessments estimated a 75 percent range reduction between 1900 and 1990. A later review estimated at least a 45.2 percent decline in geographic range since European colonisation, using a different assessment period and method.

There is no reliable national estimate of current abundance. Kakadu National Park was estimated to support about 80,000 individuals before Cane Toad invasion, with substantial subsequent declines. In one Kakadu area, numbers fell from 45 individuals to four within about three months of Cane Toad arrival.

Estimated Kakadu population before Cane Toad invasion: About 80,000 individuals.

Estimated historical range reduction: 75 percent between 1900 and 1990 in one assessment.

Later estimated range contraction: At least 45.2 percent since European colonisation in a systematic review.

Kakadu local decline: 45 individuals to four individuals within about three months of Cane Toad arrival at one monitored area.

Habitat: Habitat types

Northern quolls occupy a wide range of northern Australian habitats, but remaining populations are most consistently associated with rugged, rocky country, permanent water and secure den sites.

Recorded habitats include tropical and monsoonal rainforest, Eucalyptus open forest and woodland, lowland savanna, vine thicket, riparian woodland, mangroves, sandy lowlands, beaches, shrubland, grassland, desert, agricultural land and some urban areas.

Quolls are generally more abundant in hilly or rocky areas near permanent water. In Queensland, persistence is associated with higher relief, shallower soils, greater boulder cover, less fire impact and closer proximity to permanent water.

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Suitable sites commonly contain boulder fields, rocky creek lines, gorges, escarpments, rock overhangs, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds or other enclosed shelter. Eucalypt forest and woodland with structural diversity can provide both food and denning resources.

Habitat connectivity matters. In Queensland, quolls are likely to disappear where less than 50 to 70 percent of woodland remains within a 4 km radius.

Woodland threshold reported for Queensland: Quolls are likely to disappear where less than 50 to 70 percent of woodland remains within a 4 km radius.

Climate span across the former range: Average annual rainfall ranges from about 220 mm in the Pilbara to nearly 4500 mm in the Wet Tropics.

Temperature span across the former range: Average maximum temperature in the warmest months ranges from about 25.5°C in southern Queensland to 42.1°C in the Pilbara.

Habitat: Site assessment

Search rocky slopes, boulder piles, creek lines, gorges, escarpment bases, mature trees, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows before clearing. Map these features even where no quoll is detected.

The supplied documents do not provide a general elevation limit. Assess topography, rainfall, permanent water, fire history, shelter availability and vegetation connectivity rather than relying on elevation alone.

  • Retain rocky shelter, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs and connected vegetation wherever practicable.
  • Avoid placing stockpiles, access tracks, compounds or drainage works across rocky denning areas and creek lines.
  • Complete a pre-clearing habitat assessment across the entire disturbance footprint, not only in vegetation mapped as forest.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Northern quolls are opportunistic predators and scavengers. They forage mostly at night across ground, trees, rocky country, woodland, creek lines and disturbed areas where prey or carrion is available.

Invertebrates commonly include beetles, grasshoppers, ants, termites, spiders, scorpions, centipedes and other arthropods. Vertebrate prey includes rodents, bandicoots, possums, gliders, bats, birds, eggs, lizards, snakes and frogs.

Fruit, seeds, flowers and nectar are also eaten. Carrion, road-killed animals, garbage and other human refuse may be used. Cane Toads are also eaten, but ingestion of their toxin can be fatal.

Frog prey: At least seven frog species have been recorded in the diet, including the Green Tree Frog and Giant Frog.

Foraging mode: Opportunistic hunting, scavenging and consumption of plant material.

Foraging habitat: Where and how it feeds

Northern quolls forage on the ground and in trees. They may move between rocky shelters, woodland, creek lines, tree hollows, grassland and disturbed areas during a night.

Invertebrates are important across the range. In Kakadu, invertebrate consumption peaks in the early dry season when juveniles enter the population. Fruit consumption in the Northern Territory increases from the late dry season into the early wet season.

  • Inspect road verges, culverts, creek crossings, refuse areas and construction compounds for food attractants and quoll activity.
  • Keep food waste, carcasses and refuse secured because these can draw quolls into vehicle and machinery areas.
  • Do not provide water or food that could attract Cane Toads or quolls to active work areas.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range

Female home ranges in savanna are about 35 ha. Male ranges are generally larger and expand during breeding when males travel to locate females. Published estimates vary between regions and methods, so local radio tracking or trapping data should be preferred for project decisions.

Typical female home range: About 35 ha in savanna.

Male movement: Male ranges are larger than female ranges and can expand substantially during the breeding season.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Northern quolls breed once each year during the dry season. Breeding success depends on secure dens, nearby food and cover, and the survival of young through the wet season and early dry season.

Mating generally occurs from May to August, with regional variation. Reported breeding periods are June to July in Queensland, May to June in the Northern Territory, June to October in the Kimberley and July to September in the Pilbara.

Females give birth after a short gestation and raise the young alone. Young are carried on the teats, then left in dens while the mother forages. Most males die soon after mating, and females commonly survive for two to three years.

Breeding season: Usually May to August, with regional timing from May to October.

Litter size: Usually 6 to 8 young, with an average of about 6 to 7. Reported maximum is 17, although only available teats can be occupied.

Gestation: About 21 to 26 days.

Sexual maturity: About 11 to 12 months.

Weaning: About 4 to 6 months, depending on the source and population.

Lifespan: Males usually live about one year. Females may live up to three years, with one to two years more common.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Females use enclosed dens for parturition and rearing. Suitable sites include rock crevices, boulder piles, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows. Females may use woodland near creeks when young first detach from the mother, then move the young back towards rockier areas after weaning.

Breeding habitat should include secure shelter, connected vegetation, nearby permanent or reliable water and sufficient prey. Clearing or vibration near a den can expose dependent young even when the female is temporarily absent.

  • Treat any suspected natal den as occupied until a qualified ecologist confirms otherwise.
  • Retain denning features and the vegetation linking them to feeding areas and water.
  • Schedule unavoidable clearing outside the breeding and dependent-young period where practicable, subject to project approvals and local survey results.

Sheltering habitat: Den types

Northern quolls shelter during the day in small enclosed spaces. Dens are used as temporary refuges, regular resting sites and natal dens, so apparently minor habitat features can be important.

Known shelter sites include rock crevices, boulder piles, caves, rock overhangs, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows. In the Pilbara, rocky dens can buffer quolls from external temperatures above the species' reported safe temperature of 36.5°C.

Females may select rocky habitat even where tree hollows and logs are available. Rocky refuges can also reduce exposure to feral cats and other predators.

Reported safe external temperature threshold: Rocky dens can provide thermal refuge when external temperatures exceed about 36.5°C.

Known shelter structures: Rock crevices, boulder piles, caves, overhangs, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows.

Sheltering habitat: Construction controls

Before clearing, inspect rocky areas, hollow-bearing trees, logs, termite mounds, burrows, timber piles and stacked materials. A den may not be obvious and the animal may be absent during a daytime inspection.

Retain shelter features in place where possible. If a hollow must be removed, the project plan should be prepared with a qualified ecologist and should include a suitable relocation and monitoring method. The supplied project plan describes relocation of natural hollows at least 400 to 1000 mm long, mounted at a similar height and orientation, but this is a project-specific method rather than a confirmed northern quoll den requirement.

  • Use a fauna spotter catcher during clearing and stop work in the immediate area if a quoll or dependent young is found.
  • Clear progressively towards retained habitat so animals can move away from the footprint without being forced into open ground.
  • Do not seal, fill or disturb a suspected den, burrow, hollow or rock crevice until it has been assessed by a qualified person.
  • Keep temporary timber, rock and vegetation stockpiles away from drainage lines and manage them so they do not become traps or uncontrolled shelter for pests.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks to northern quolls on development sites are loss of denning and foraging habitat, fragmentation, fire, Cane Toad poisoning, predation, weeds, disease, vehicle strike and disturbance during breeding.

Clearing removes rocky shelter, hollow trees, logs, ground cover and food resources. Fragmentation can separate dens from feeding areas and water, increase movement through exposed areas and make recolonisation less likely.

In Queensland, quolls are likely to disappear where less than 50 to 70 percent of woodland remains within a 4 km radius. Roads, compounds, transmission corridors and access tracks can contribute to this loss even where the cleared area is small.

  • Minimise the footprint and consolidate infrastructure.
  • Mark the approved clearing boundary before works and prevent unauthorised widening of tracks or compounds.
  • Retain connected vegetation, rocky habitat, creek lines, hollow-bearing trees and logs.
  • Rehabilitate temporary disturbance promptly with local native material and stable drainage.

Threats: Fire and predators

Extensive or frequent fire can remove ground cover and food resources and increase predation after fire. Feral cats, dogs, dingoes and, in some areas, foxes can prey on quolls. Predation risk can increase when animals are forced into recently burnt or cleared areas.

Gamba Grass and other weeds can alter fuel loads, fire behaviour and habitat structure. Fire planning should consider retained rocky refuges, movement routes and the timing of clearing.

  • Prevent escaped construction fires and maintain fire controls around retained habitat.
  • Avoid creating continuous fine fuel or dense weed growth around compounds, roads and easements.
  • Keep domestic dogs out of work areas and manage food waste that can attract feral predators.
  • Record and report any quoll mortality, predation or fire impact.

Threats: Cane Toads, roads and contaminants

Northern quolls may mouth or eat Cane Toads and rapidly die from the toxin. Population crashes and local extinctions have followed Cane Toad invasion. Water-holding pits, drains, containers and construction materials can provide breeding or shelter opportunities for Cane Toads.

Vehicle strike is a recognised threat, particularly where quolls move between dens and feeding areas or where males travel further during breeding. Fuel, chemicals, waste and open pits can cause injury, poisoning or entrapment.

  • Design out or cover water-holding pits, voids and containers where practicable.
  • Inspect equipment and materials for Cane Toads and other pests before transport to site, and use an agreed quarantine and washdown procedure.
  • Control construction waste, food scraps, carcasses and refuse.
  • Use speed controls, night-driving procedures and fauna crossing measures where project risk assessment identifies quoll movement.
  • Keep chemicals, fuels and contaminated water away from habitat and drainage lines.
  • Train all personnel to stop work and contact the fauna spotter catcher when a quoll or Cane Toad is found.

Threats: Disease and hydrology change

Parasites occur on northern quolls, but the supplied Queensland profile states that parasitism is not considered a major cause of decline. Disease, including possible toxoplasmosis associated with feral cats, remains a management consideration.

Changes to drainage, creek flows, water availability or water quality can affect prey, refuge conditions and breeding habitat. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific hydrological threshold, so assess permanent water, creek lines, drainage paths and den sites before altering hydrology.

  • Keep natural drainage lines functioning and prevent sediment, fuel or chemical discharges into creek lines and pools.
  • Do not dewater or fill pools, rocky creek lines or adjacent shelter without a site-specific ecological assessment and required approvals.
  • Use hygiene controls when moving machinery between sites to reduce weed, pathogen and pest transfer.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal habitat and sign searches

Survey the Northern Quoll as a nocturnal, mostly solitary dasyurid that uses rocky habitat, tree hollows, logs, termite mounds and other enclosed shelters. Combine habitat searches with night detection methods and target rugged areas near permanent water, where the species is more likely to occur.

Search the whole disturbance footprint and representative retained habitat for rocky crevices, boulder piles, caves, overhangs, hollow trees, hollow logs, termite mounds, goanna burrows, timber piles and other enclosed den sites.

Record food and water resources, including permanent or semi-permanent water, dense ground cover and habitat that connects rocky areas, woodland and riparian vegetation.

Use vegetation maps, aerial photographs, topographic maps and satellite imagery to plan transects, then ground-truth the mapped habitat.

Search for tracks, scats, den use and other signs at the same time as the habitat search. Northern Quolls are difficult to detect during the day because they shelter in dens.

Activity period: Primarily nocturnal, with activity also recorded at dusk and twilight.

Common den features: Rock crevices, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows.

Preferred habitat indicators: Rugged or rocky areas, often near permanent water, with suitable den sites.

  • For a small site, use transects spaced 50 to 100 metres apart, or quadrats in representative habitats.
  • For a 5 hectare area, use the guideline effort of 2 hours for every 1 hectare of stratified survey site, with habitat and sign searches conducted together.
  • Stratify searches across all habitat types that may be used by the species, rather than sampling only the proposed clearing footprint.

Survey methodology: 2. Spotlighting and nocturnal searches

Conduct spotlighting after dark along the proposed clearing boundary, access tracks, rocky habitat, creek lines and retained habitat adjoining the works.

Include dusk and early-night searching because Northern Quolls are nocturnal to crepuscular and may move between dens and foraging areas at these times.

Search trees, rock faces, boulder piles, logs, drainage lines and ground cover. The species can forage on the ground and climb trees.

Record the survey date, start and finish times, weather, rainfall, moon conditions, route, habitat searched, observers, spotlight type and all sightings or signs.

Night activity: Northern Quolls are predominantly nocturnal and may be active at twilight.

Typical female territory: About 35 hectares in savanna habitats.

Male range: About 150 hectares estimated in savanna habitats, with larger movements during breeding.

  • Use spotlighting as a targeted detection method where the site contains suitable habitat, but do not treat a negative spotlighting result as evidence that the species is absent.
  • Repeat searches where access, weather or visibility limits detection, and explain those limitations in the report.
  • Avoid surveying immediately after heavy rainfall where the work involves clearing or animal movement, because the project management plan identifies this as an unsuitable time for clearing.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping and other targeted detection

Use live trapping or camera based detection only under an approved survey design and by appropriately authorised personnel. Select trap or camera locations around rocky denning habitat, creek lines, movement routes and habitat edges.

If trapping is used, obtain the required animal ethics, wildlife research and state approvals before deployment, and specify trap type, checking frequency, weather limits, bait, welfare measures, release locations and contingency actions in the survey plan.

Use cameras or other non-capture methods where they provide a safer way to confirm use of den sites or movement routes.

Interpret trap results in the context of the species' short life span, seasonal breeding, annual male die-off and patchy distribution. Absence from a short survey does not demonstrate absence from suitable habitat.

Breeding season: Generally during the dry season, with timing varying by region, including May to June in the Northern Territory and June to July in Queensland.

Gestation: About 21 to 25 days.

Young: Usually 6 to 7 young per litter, with females weaning only 1 to 2 litters in their lifetime.

  • Use the survey guideline's habitat classification and detection approach for threatened non-flying mammals, which places the Northern Quoll with quolls as large-sized ground-dwelling species for survey purposes despite its lower average body mass.
  • Report the number of trap nights, camera nights, survey nights and detector hours when those methods are used.
  • Do not handle, mark, sample or translocate an animal unless the operator holds the relevant authorisation and the action is covered by the approved method.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Survey every habitat type within the disturbance footprint and relevant adjoining retained habitat before finalising the clearing boundary.
  • Use transects at 50 to 100 metre spacing for small sites and apply the guideline effort of 2 hours per hectare for a 5 hectare stratified survey site where a diurnal habitat search is appropriate.
  • Include nocturnal searches and targeted detection of rocky denning areas, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and creek lines where those features occur.
  • Document the area searched, dates, nights, hours, methods, weather, observer qualifications, detection conditions, records and limitations.
  • Submit confirmed records and any evidence of death, injury, capture or relocation to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and the project regulator where required.
  • Report nationally significant records and potential impacts through the project's EPBC Act compliance and approval processes.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Plan the works around the Northern Quoll's denning, movement and breeding ecology. Avoid removing rocky refuges, hollow-bearing trees and connected habitat, particularly where the site is near permanent water or contains rugged terrain.

Habitat association: Northern Quolls occur in many habitats but are often most abundant in rugged or rocky areas near permanent water.

Habitat loss threshold reported for Queensland: Quolls are likely to disappear where less than 50 to 70 percent of woodland remains within a 4 kilometre radius.

  • Redesign or consolidate infrastructure to reduce the clearing footprint and fragmentation of rocky, woodland and riparian habitat.
  • Retain rocky hills, boulder piles, rock crevices, caves, overhangs, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, termite mounds, goanna burrows and dense ground cover wherever practicable.
  • Retain connections between den sites, foraging habitat, permanent water and adjoining vegetation so that animals can move away from the work area.
  • Avoid clearing known or likely denning habitat where practicable, and protect retained habitat from machinery access, spoil, stockpiles, lighting, fire and weed spread.
  • Avoid creating new access routes or disturbed edges that could increase access by feral cats, dogs, foxes, cane toads or other predators.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Approvals and timing

Commonwealth status: Endangered under the EPBC Act.

Queensland project document status: The 2015 project plan records the species as least concern under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act, while noting that all native animals remain protected.

  • Check whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on the EPBC Act listed Endangered Northern Quoll and obtain an EPBC Act decision before works begin where referral or approval is required.
  • Check the current threatened species status, wildlife handling rules, clearing controls, research permits and translocation requirements in the relevant state or territory.
  • Do not rely on an older state listing or project document, because the documents contain differing jurisdictional status information and state requirements can change.
  • Schedule clearing outside the local breeding and young-rearing period where practicable, and obtain species-specific advice if den sites or females with young may be affected.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat features, survey methods, clearing limits, fauna roles, stop-work triggers, release sites, incident reporting and emergency contacts.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete a suitably qualified ecologist's pre-clearance survey of the final disturbance footprint before vegetation removal, earthworks or access track construction.
  • Mark the approved clearing boundary with durable paint, flagging or fencing, and identify no-go areas around retained habitat and denning features.
  • Map and photograph all potential den sites, hollow-bearing trees, large logs, boulder piles, rock crevices, termite mounds, goanna burrows, drainage lines and permanent water.
  • Locate stockpiles, laydown areas, washdown areas and vehicle routes in already disturbed areas where possible, outside retained habitat and natural drainage lines.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it will direct animals towards retained habitat and will not trap animals inside the work area or block important movement routes.
  • Induct all workers on the species, its nocturnal behaviour, habitat features, legal protection, vehicle risks, stop-work procedure and the requirement that only trained and authorised personnel handle fauna.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Daily controls and machinery interface

Use a controlled, supervised clearing sequence. The fauna spotter catcher must work ahead of machinery, maintain a clear view of the active work area and have authority to stop work when a Northern Quoll or its habitat is at risk.

Clearing supervision: The project management plan requires clearing in the presence of a spotter catcher and sequential clearing to allow fauna to move away.

Reported project risks: Injury or death, habitat loss, fragmentation, vehicle strike, fire, weeds, dust, noise, vibration and waste can affect Northern Quolls.

  • Check the marked clearing limits, exclusion fencing, weather, access tracks, machinery and fauna equipment before work starts each day.
  • Have a qualified fauna spotter catcher present for all vegetation clearing, tree felling, rock removal and disturbance of logs, termite mounds or burrows.
  • Clear progressively and sequentially towards retained habitat so animals have time and space to leave without being chased or forced into machinery paths.
  • Keep machinery stopped while the spotter catcher inspects the next section and confirms that no animal, den or high-value habitat feature will be disturbed.
  • Use low speed vehicle movements on access tracks and around retained habitat, and require drivers to report any animal strike or injured fauna immediately.
  • Do not clear immediately after heavy rainfall, and suspend work when visibility, access or animal welfare cannot be managed safely.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Habitat feature handling

Relocated hollow guidance in the project plan: A relocated natural hollow is to be at least 400 millimetres and no more than 1,000 millimetres long, mounted at about 5 metres or the original height where suitable.

Equipment quarantine in the project plan: Equipment and materials are to be free of pests, with a minimum 48 hour quarantine in a designated weed-free area before delivery.

  • Retain tree hollows in place wherever possible, because Northern Quolls use tree hollows as dens.
  • If a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, stop and have the ecologist or qualified fauna officer assess the hollow before felling and prepare an approved relocation or replacement plan.
  • Retain hollow logs, termite mounds, rock piles, boulders, rock crevices and goanna burrows unless their removal is authorised and the fauna management plan specifies how denning capacity will be replaced.
  • Inspect logs, hollows, rock piles, burrows and dense vegetation immediately before disturbance, and use a staged method that allows an animal to leave naturally.
  • Do not place spoil, fuel, chemicals, waste, stockpiles or machinery against retained den sites or in natural drainage lines.
  • Keep cleared vegetation that is free of weeds for approved rehabilitation, and prevent imported materials and equipment from introducing weeds, rodents or cane toads.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Animal encounters, stop work and records

  • Stop work immediately in the vicinity if a Northern Quoll is seen, trapped, injured, dead or found inside a den or habitat feature being disturbed.
  • Keep workers, vehicles and machinery away from the animal and do not chase, corner, feed or handle it unless handling is necessary for welfare and is permitted by the relevant authorisation.
  • Allow an uninjured animal to move to nearby retained habitat on its own wherever possible, while the spotter catcher protects its escape route and records the event.
  • Use only trained and authorised personnel to capture or relocate an animal, and release it into suitable nearby retained habitat specified in the fauna management plan and approved by the regulator where required.
  • Transport an injured or distressed animal promptly to a veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer, using an appropriately ventilated container and minimising noise, heat and handling.
  • Record the date, time, location, animal condition, sex and age class where safely determined, action taken, release or treatment location, personnel, photographs and any habitat feature affected.
  • Report every fauna impact to the project environmental manager or proponent within 24 hours, and notify the regulator where required by an approval or permit.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Do not treat completion of clearing as the end of fauna management. Check the disturbed area, maintain exclusion and pest controls, and use monitoring to confirm that retained habitat remains functional.

  • Complete a final inspection of the cleared footprint, retained habitat edge, access tracks, stockpiles, pits, drains, fences and rehabilitation areas after each clearing stage.
  • Search for injured, dead or trapped fauna, damaged dens, exposed hollows, displaced logs, unstable rocks and openings where animals could become trapped.
  • Remove or cover artificial pits, pipes, tanks, voids and other structures that could retain water or trap Northern Quolls or cane toads.
  • Check that no waste, food, water containers, chemicals or construction materials are attracting fauna, cane toads, feral predators or rodents.
  • Keep the clearing boundary and no-go markers in place until the environmental officer confirms that the area is stable and no further disturbance is authorised.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Project performance indicator: No loss of threatened species, individuals or populations, as a consequence of project works.

Project reporting requirement: Fauna impacts are to be reported to Airservices within 24 hours in the cited project plan.

  • Monitor retained rocky habitat, den features, movement connections and rehabilitation areas using repeat searches, cameras or other approved methods suited to the site.
  • Compare monitoring results with the project performance indicators, including no loss of threatened species or populations caused by the works and no long-term detrimental impact to Northern Quoll habitat.
  • Record sightings, signs, den use, mortalities, injuries, vehicle strikes, pest incursions, weed spread, fire and non-compliances in the project fauna register.
  • Submit required records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and provide reports to the proponent, approval authority and land manager according to the approval and fauna management plan.
  • Review controls after every incident, failed exclusion measure, unexpected habitat impact or confirmed Northern Quoll record.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Ongoing site controls and offsets

  • Maintain weed hygiene, erosion controls, waste controls, predator exclusion and cane toad controls through construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.
  • Keep retained habitat connected and prevent later widening of access tracks, informal clearing, lighting or storage areas into Northern Quoll habitat.
  • Assess unavoidable residual impacts against the EPBC Act approval, state approval and offset requirements, and implement any approved offset or conservation measure before the relevant work stage.
  • Do not use an offset as a reason to remove avoidable denning habitat or connected vegetation at the project site.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore denning and movement habitat

Rehabilitation should restore denning cover, movement routes, food resources and protection from fire, weeds and predators. Design it around the habitat features recorded before clearing, with priority given to rocky and riparian connections near permanent water.

Northern Quoll den sites: Rock crevices, tree hollows, hollow logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows.

Relocated hollow dimensions in the project plan: 400 to 1,000 millimetres long, mounted vertically or close to the original orientation, generally at least 5 metres above ground or at the original height.

  • Reinstate natural contours, drainage lines, topsoil, rock and weed-free vegetation in the original sequence where this is practicable.
  • Replace salvaged logs, rocks, boulders and other natural shelter features in or beside retained habitat, with locations selected by the ecologist.
  • Retain mature trees and replace unavoidable hollow loss with suitable salvaged hollows or nest boxes only where an ecologist confirms that the design, height, orientation and location are suitable.
  • Reconnect cleared edges to retained woodland, rocky habitat, creek lines and permanent water, avoiding narrow isolated strips that do not provide usable movement cover.
  • Do not create open pits, water-retaining voids or unsecured pipes that can trap fauna or provide breeding sites for cane toads.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Revegetation, weeds, predators and fire

Documented threats: Inappropriate fire regimes, predation following fire, habitat loss and fragmentation, weeds including gamba grass, feral predators and lethal ingestion of cane toad toxin.

Cane toad controls in the project plan: Avoid water-retaining voids where practicable, cover or fence unavoidable voids, and use cane toad traps where exclusion is not practicable.

  • Use locally appropriate native eucalypt woodland, open forest, riparian and rocky-habitat species identified from the pre-clearing vegetation assessment, rather than planting a generic mix.
  • Re-establish native ground cover and shrub structure that provides cover for prey and reduces exposure to predators.
  • Control gamba grass and other weeds during establishment, because weeds can alter habitat structure, fire behaviour and pest access.
  • Prevent feral cats, dogs, foxes, pigs, rats and cane toads from entering or establishing around infrastructure, stockpiles, drains and water-holding features.
  • Manage fire to avoid extensive, frequent or intense burns that remove ground cover, denning resources and refuges, and increase predation after fire.
  • Maintain safe refuge areas, including rocky habitat and other unburnt cover, when fire management activities are planned.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Rehabilitation monitoring and success measures

Recommended management objective in the project plan: Maintain abundance, diversity, geographic distribution and productivity of the Northern Quoll in the project region.

Priority recovery actions identified nationally: Protect key habitat from cane toads, manage safe havens, identify critical habitat, assess captive breeding needs and investigate the status of surviving Queensland populations.

  • Inspect rehabilitation after establishment, heavy rain, fire and maintenance works, and repair erosion, failed plantings, damaged shelters, weed incursions and gaps in exclusion fencing.
  • Monitor survival and use of planted vegetation, restored logs and rocks, hollows or nest boxes, movement connections and nearby denning habitat using repeat habitat searches, cameras or other approved methods.
  • Use species records, signs, den use and absence of fauna deaths or injuries as indicators, but interpret non-detection cautiously because Northern Quolls are nocturnal and populations can be patchy.
  • Measure success against the project objective of maintaining Northern Quoll abundance, diversity, geographic distribution and productivity in the project area, with no long-term detrimental impact from the works.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval or fauna management plan, and adapt fire, weed, predator, cane toad and habitat measures when results show that rehabilitation is not functioning.

Sources