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Nyakala Frog (Litoria nyakalensis)

The Nyakala frog is a robust stream-dwelling treefrog of upland rainforest in north east Queensland. It is associated with fast-flowing streams, riffles and cascades, so clearing, earthworks, sediment runoff and changes to stream flow may affect its habitat. The species is listed as critically endangered under Commonwealth and Queensland legislation, and no individual has been recorded in the wild since November 1990.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The Nyakala frog is a critically endangered Queensland frog that may be extinct in the wild. Calling and mating were recorded from October to March, while tadpoles may remain in upland streams from December to September, so stream works need a precautionary approach throughout the year.

Breeding mode: Eggs are laid under rocks in riffles. Tadpoles develop in fast flowing rainforest streams, including torrents and highly oxygenated pools below waterfalls.

Calling and mating: Mating calls were recorded from October to March.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Tadpole period: Larval presence is recorded from December to September. Tadpoles commonly overwinter in upland streams.

Metamorphosis: Tadpoles hatching in early summer may metamorphose before the following autumn.

Age at maturity and breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may vary between years and locations with rainfall and stream flow, and the species remains poorly known, so critically endangered species survey and disease hygiene procedures should be applied before and during any work near suitable upland streams.

  • Adult calling and mating: Search adults near riffles, cascades, rocks and overhanging vegetation during the October to March calling period, using experienced personnel and suitable weather conditions.
  • Eggs under rocks in riffles: Eggs are laid under rocks in riffles, but the precise laying period and persistence of egg masses are poorly known.
  • Tadpoles in fast flowing streams: Inspect riffles, torrents, waterfall pools, rock surfaces and loose sand beneath rocks for tadpoles from December to September.
  • Adult streamside activity: Adults perch on rocks or vegetation beside fast flowing upland streams, with the greatest survey opportunity during the documented calling season.
  • Tadpole overwintering: Tadpoles may persist through winter in upland streams, including sheltered sand beneath rocks and highly oxygenated pools.
  • Highest clearing risk: Treat stream beds, riffles, banks and overhanging vegetation as potential habitat year round, with the highest risk from October to March when adults may be calling and eggs may be present.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Nyakala frog is a moderate-sized, robust treefrog. It is associated with upland streams and may be difficult to detect because no wild records have been confirmed since November 1990.

Adults measure 30 to 48 mm from the snout to the vent. The back is usually uniform olive-brown or grey-brown, sometimes with darker olive markings. The skin is smooth above, with scattered tubercles on the head and back.

The belly is granular and cream coloured. The limbs and pectoral region may have a reddish-pink flush, and the belly can be flecked or dotted with brown.

Look for large finger and toe disks. The fingers are slightly webbed and the toes are fully webbed. Males have a robust forearm and a large nuptial pad with coarse spinules.

Adult length: 30 to 48 mm snout to vent

Colour: Olive-brown or grey-brown above, cream below, sometimes with reddish-pink on the limbs and chest

  • The tympanum is small, indistinct and largely covered by skin.
  • The species has a compact, robust treefrog shape rather than a slender, long-limbed appearance.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The male call is a regularly repeated, rasping single note, or a soft, slow popping growl. Call playback and call detection can assist surveys during suitable conditions.

No reliable similar species are identified in the available species accounts. Treat any suspected record as significant and arrange confirmation by an experienced frog ecologist.

  • Record the call, exact location, date, time and weather conditions.
  • Take photographs without handling the animal where possible.
  • Do not rely on colour alone for identification, especially in wet or low-light conditions.

Identification: Field signs and survey approach

There are no distinctive droppings, nests, stains, odours or whitewash signs described for this species. Tadpoles may provide a useful supplementary detection opportunity in suitable stream habitat.

For a critically endangered species with a long absence of confirmed records, use a precautionary approach. Survey potentially suitable habitat before clearing or construction, and have an experienced person assess rocky stream margins, small waterfalls, riffles and overhanging vegetation.

  • Use spotlight surveys, call detection and call playback.
  • Survey during October to March, when calling has been recorded.
  • Avoid heavy rainfall and high stream flow. Where possible, survey about one week after heavy rainfall, when the forest substrate and leaf litter are wet.
  • A threatened frog survey guideline recommends at least four nights under ideal conditions and a minimum 200 m stream transect, covering a range of stream structures.

Distribution: Historical Queensland range

The Nyakala frog is endemic to Queensland. Its historical distribution covered a large part of the Wet Tropics Biogeographical Region, but targeted surveys have not located it since 1990 and its current distribution is unknown.

Historical records extended from Douglas Creek near Cardwell, through the Wet Tropics, to Kirrama State Forest and Alexandra Creek near Thornton Peak. Records were from sites above 300 m, with a historical altitude range of about 380 to 1020 m.

The species was formerly recorded across approximately two-thirds of the Wet Tropics Biogeographical Region.

  • The species is recorded only from Queensland in Australia.
  • Its historical extent of occurrence was estimated at about 6,600 to 11,600 km².
  • The historical distribution is within or associated with the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Distribution: Current records and site planning

The last confirmed wild record was in November 1990. Surveys from 1991 to 1992, in 1993, and from 2011 to 2014 did not locate the species at historic sites or other potentially suitable habitat.

The species may be extinct, but it has not been treated as extinct in the wild because some historic locations and potentially suitable areas have not been adequately searched.

  • Do not assume that a site is free of the species because previous searches were unsuccessful.
  • Map all upland rainforest streams, tributaries, riffles, cascades and suitable riparian vegetation within and downstream of the work area.
  • Escalate any suspected detection to the relevant Queensland environmental authority and a suitably experienced frog ecologist.

Distribution: Protection status

The Nyakala frog is listed as critically endangered under the Commonwealth EPBC Act and as critically endangered in Queensland. Work planning should therefore aim to avoid impacts to suitable stream habitat and prevent avoidable disturbance, even where no animal is detected.

  • Check whether the action requires assessment or approval under the EPBC Act and Queensland legislation.
  • Include the species in pre-clearance surveys and the site environmental management plan where suitable habitat is present.
  • Use the highest available level of fauna supervision and incident reporting for work near suitable streams.

Habitat: Stream and vegetation features

The Nyakala frog is a specialist of upland, fast-flowing rainforest streams. On a works site, focus on permanent and seasonal stream sections with riffles, cascades, torrents, rocky shelves and highly oxygenated pools.

Adults have been found on rocks or on vegetation overhanging water beside fast-flowing streams. Habitat is generally in upland rainforest, and may also include wet sclerophyll forest.

Tadpole habitat is restricted to swiftly flowing streams. Suitable areas include riffles, torrents and pools below waterfalls.

  • First to third order streams with rocky beds.
  • White-water rapids, riffles and small waterfalls.
  • Rocky shelves, exposed rocks and boulders beside flowing water.
  • Dense rainforest or wet sclerophyll vegetation overhanging the channel.
  • Highly oxygenated pools below cascades or waterfalls.

Habitat: Features to map before works

A habitat inspection should cover the full work footprint, access tracks, laydown areas, drainage lines and downstream receiving waters. Map both the channel and the adjacent vegetation that may provide adult perches.

The species depends on stream structure and water quality, not only on intact forest cover. Small alterations to flow, sediment load or bank stability may affect habitat suitability.

  • Riffles and cascades that could be buried, diverted or dewatered.
  • Loose sand beneath rocks, which may shelter tadpoles.
  • Overhanging vegetation that could be removed during clearing.
  • Upslope areas where runoff, spoil or sediment could enter the stream.
  • Downstream pools and stream sections that could receive construction water.

Habitat: Site controls

Avoid locating infrastructure, stockpiles, access routes and spoil within or beside suitable stream habitat where practicable. Retain stream banks, rocks, overhanging vegetation and natural flow paths.

Use erosion and sediment controls before soil disturbance begins. Inspect controls after rainfall and repair failures promptly.

  • Prevent sediment, concrete washout, fuels and other contaminants from entering streams.
  • Maintain natural stream flow and avoid unnecessary crossings, channel works or dewatering.
  • Keep machinery and vehicles out of the stream unless an approved method specifically requires access.
  • Use clean equipment and follow amphibian hygiene procedures between waterways.

Foraging habitat: Tadpole feeding habitat

The diet of adult Nyakala frogs is not described in the available species accounts. Tadpoles graze on algae growing on rocks in fast-flowing water, so maintaining clean, stable stream surfaces is a practical management priority.

Tadpoles cling to rocks in riffles and torrents and graze on algal-covered surfaces. They have adaptations for holding position in strong current, including a large suctorial oral disk and a robust tail muscle.

Avoid disturbing or coating the rock surfaces used by tadpoles. Fine sediment can reduce the quality of algal feeding surfaces and fill spaces beneath rocks.

  • Rocky riffles and torrents.
  • Fast water near waterfalls and cascades.
  • Stable rocks with attached algae.
  • Clear, well-oxygenated stream water.

Foraging habitat: Managing food and water quality

Protect the stream processes that support algal growth without encouraging excessive nutrient input. Keep sediment, oils, chemicals, concrete washout and other construction pollutants out of the waterway.

Do not remove rocks from riffles or use stream beds as temporary access, storage or washdown areas.

  • Install and maintain sediment controls upslope of streams.
  • Separate clean water from disturbed areas where practicable.
  • Use designated refuelling and washdown areas away from waterways.
  • Inspect downstream water quality after major rainfall or stream disturbance.

Foraging habitat: Adult activity areas

Adults perch on rocks and vegetation next to flowing water. Retaining shaded, vegetated stream margins provides the structure used for resting and may also support the insects and other small prey available to adult frogs.

  • Retain overhanging vegetation where it can be kept safely.
  • Limit night lighting directed at stream margins.
  • Minimise noise, vibration and trampling around rocky stream edges during survey and construction activities.

Breeding habitat: Egg laying and tadpole habitat

Breeding is associated with fast-flowing upland streams. Calling has been recorded from October to March, and breeding places may be present even when adult frogs are not detected.

Large, unpigmented eggs are laid under rocks in riffles. Tadpoles occupy fast water near riffles, torrents and waterfalls. They may cling to rocks or burrow into loose sand beneath rocks.

Tadpoles commonly overwinter in upland streams. Tadpoles hatching in early summer may metamorphose before the following autumn.

Calling period: October to March

Larval period: December to September

  • Inspect the undersides and spaces beneath stable rocks in riffles where authorised and safe.
  • Protect loose sand beneath rocks from excavation, compaction and excessive sediment deposition.
  • Retain flow through riffles, torrents and highly oxygenated pools below waterfalls.
  • Treat any tadpoles, egg masses or calling adults as a significant threatened species observation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season controls

Avoid in-stream works and vegetation removal beside suitable breeding habitat during October to March where practicable. If works cannot be avoided, use a project-specific threatened frog management plan and obtain advice from the relevant authority.

Do not assume that a dry or quiet stream section is unsuitable. Breeding habitat can be hidden beneath rocks or in fast water.

  • Schedule high-risk stream works outside the calling period where feasible.
  • Complete pre-work searches after suitable rainfall and before machinery enters the area.
  • Use fauna spotter catchers with threatened frog experience for works near suitable breeding habitat.
  • Stop work and protect the area if eggs, tadpoles or a suspected adult is found.

Breeding habitat: Breeding place protection

Eggs and tadpoles are closely tied to stream flow, rock structure and clean water. Protect the channel, stream bed, banks and immediate riparian vegetation from direct disturbance and indirect impacts such as sedimentation or altered drainage.

  • Do not place spoil, mulch, sediment fences, pumps or stockpiles in the channel.
  • Prevent sudden releases of turbid water into downstream breeding habitat.
  • Avoid removing rocks from riffles, torrents and waterfall pools.
  • Keep construction lighting away from breeding and adult activity areas where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Adult shelter and refuge

Adult Nyakala frogs perch on rocks or overhanging vegetation beside fast-flowing streams. Tadpoles shelter by clinging to rocks, occupying highly oxygenated pools and burrowing into loose sand beneath rocks.

Search rocks, boulders, rocky shelves and vegetation overhanging water, especially beside riffles, cascades and small waterfalls. Adults may be present on stream margins rather than in the water itself.

Retain shaded, humid conditions around the channel. Clearing, exposure to drying conditions and removal of overhanging plants can reduce the suitability of these refuges.

  • Rocks beside fast-flowing water.
  • Overhanging rainforest or wet sclerophyll vegetation.
  • Rocky shelves near first to third order streams.
  • Margins of riffles, torrents and cascades.

Sheltering habitat: Tadpole shelter

Tadpoles can cling to rocks in strong current and burrow into loose sand under rocks. Their shelter sites may be overlooked during routine fauna searches.

Avoid turning rocks, disturbing sand or entering the channel unless the activity is part of an approved survey or management action.

  • Inspect potential refuge habitat from the bank first.
  • Use non-destructive observation wherever possible.
  • If handling is required, use trained personnel and amphibian hygiene procedures.

Sheltering habitat: Works controls

Keep machinery, personnel and temporary works away from stream margins and refuge features. Where access near a stream cannot be avoided, define the work area clearly and use a spotter to prevent unplanned entry into the channel or riparian vegetation.

  • Fence or mark exclusion areas before clearing starts.
  • Keep night lighting low and directed away from stream margins.
  • Maintain humid riparian vegetation and natural shade.
  • Remove temporary structures and restore disturbed margins promptly after works.

Threats: Chytrid fungus and hygiene

The main conservation concern is the severe decline of the Nyakala frog, with chytridiomycosis strongly implicated. Development activities should also address direct stream damage, disease spread, feral animals, invasive ants and changes to rainfall or stream flow.

Chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is a suspected past and current threat. The fungus is present in the Wet Tropics and infection risk is reported to be higher in winter and at higher elevations.

Construction crews, survey teams and fauna handlers can reduce the risk of spreading pathogens between waterways by using approved amphibian hygiene procedures.

  • Clean and disinfect boots, waders, nets, buckets and other equipment between waterways.
  • Do not move water, mud, rocks, plants or aquatic material between catchments or stream sections.
  • Use dedicated equipment where practicable for high-risk sites.
  • Record and report sick, dead or abnormal frogs through the relevant wildlife reporting pathway.

Threats: Sediment, pollution and stream alteration

Earthworks, road crossings, drainage changes, dewatering and poorly controlled runoff can alter fast-flowing stream habitat. Sediment may cover rocks, fill sand refuges and reduce the quality of tadpole feeding areas.

Plan works to avoid direct channel disturbance and maintain natural flow. Protect downstream habitat as well as the immediate work footprint.

  • Use effective erosion and sediment controls before clearing or excavation.
  • Prevent concrete, fuels, chemicals and dirty water from entering streams.
  • Avoid unnecessary channel diversion, rock removal and bed compaction.
  • Inspect controls during and after rainfall.

Threats: Feral pigs and invasive ants

Feral pigs can damage riparian habitat and may kill frogs. Yellow crazy ants are a potential threat in the Wet Tropics and can cause skin and eye irritation to animals through formic acid.

Report signs of feral pig activity or yellow crazy ants to the land manager. Do not disturb or spread invasive ants through soil, vegetation, machinery or spoil movement.

  • Look for rooting, wallowing, trampled banks and damaged stream margins.
  • Keep spoil and machinery within approved areas.
  • Follow site biosecurity and pest control directions.
  • Use targeted pest management through the responsible land manager, rather than ad hoc treatment near streams.

Threats: Climate and cumulative impacts

Changes in rainfall may alter stream hydrology and breeding frequency. Because the species is critically endangered and its current persistence is uncertain, avoid adding cumulative pressure to upland stream systems.

Escalate changes in flow, drying, flooding, stream temperature or water quality that could affect suitable habitat.

  • Retain riparian shade and natural drainage patterns.
  • Avoid unnecessary water extraction from upland streams.
  • Include suitable habitat in cumulative impact assessments.
  • Use adaptive management if monitoring identifies unexpected stream or frog impacts.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Nyakala Frog has not been recorded in the wild since 1990 and may be extinct. A failed survey does not confirm absence, so use experienced amphibian ecologists and document the search carefully.

Map historic records, upland rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest above 300 m. Prioritise fast flowing streams, riffles, cascades, torrents and highly oxygenated pools below waterfalls.

Check whether the site lies within the former Wet Tropics range between Douglas Creek, Kirrama State Forest and Alexandra Creek. Review recent records, threatened species databases, aerial imagery, access tracks and previous survey reports.

Historical survey period: The last confirmed wild record was in November 1990. Some survey guidance records the last sighting as 1995.

Known elevation: Historical records are from above 300 m, with a reported historical range of 380 to 1020 m.

  • Treat all suitable habitat as potentially significant until a suitably qualified ecologist has assessed it.
  • Identify stream crossings, works near banks, upstream water quality risks and areas where sediment could enter fast flowing water.

Survey methodology: 2. Adult and call surveys

Survey from October to March, when calling has been recorded. Work under wet forest conditions, but do not survey during heavy rain or high stream flow. Where heavy rain has occurred, survey about one week later.

Use a combination of spotlighting, call detection and call playback. Search small waterfalls and rocky shelves along first to third order streams, including rocks and vegetation overhanging the water.

Use a minimum of four nights under suitable conditions and cover at least 200 m of stream transect. Extend the search across different stream structures and accessible sections of potentially suitable habitat.

Recommended season: October to March

Minimum effort: Four nights and at least 200 m of stream transect, under ideal conditions

  • Listen for the regularly repeated rasping single note and the softer, slow popping growl.
  • Search stream edges and adjacent vegetation slowly, with particular attention to rocks beside riffles and cascades.
  • Do not enter dangerous water or disturb unstable rocks simply to improve detection.

Survey methodology: 3. Tadpole and habitat searches

Search riffles, torrents and pools below waterfalls for tadpoles. Check algal covered rocks and sheltered areas where tadpoles may cling to rocks or burrow into loose sand beneath rocks.

Avoid turning or moving rocks unless this can be done safely and without damaging eggs, tadpoles or stream habitat. Replace any temporarily moved rock in its original position.

Larval period: December to September

Breeding habitat: Eggs are laid under rocks in riffles. Tadpoles use fast water near riffles, torrents and waterfalls.

  • Record eggs under rocks in riffles, tadpoles, adult frogs, calls and any signs of chytrid disease separately.
  • Record stream order, flow conditions, water clarity, substrate, riffles, cascades, waterfalls, overhanging vegetation and nearby disturbance.
  • Take location coordinates, date, time, weather, air and water conditions where measured, surveyors, methods, effort and photographs.

Survey methodology: 4. Hygiene and identification

Use current amphibian hygiene procedures between catchments, sites and equipment. Keep handling to the minimum needed for identification and authorised conservation work.

Confirm records with an experienced frog ecologist. Photograph the animal, its dorsal and ventral surfaces, the habitat and any tadpole features without causing unnecessary stress.

  • Record size, colour, markings, toe and finger disks, webbing, tympanum, sex where known and call characteristics.
  • Do not treat an unconfirmed call or an unverified photograph as a record. Retain original audio and image files.
  • Report a suspected record promptly to the project ecologist and relevant Queensland threatened species authorities.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan the work on the assumption that suitable upland stream habitat may support a highly significant population, even though the Nyakala Frog is rarely detected. Avoid stream impacts first, then obtain approvals and set controls before crews enter the site.

Have the project ecologist screen the action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Consider referral if the action may have a significant impact on this critically endangered species or its habitat.

Obtain any Queensland approvals required under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 before clearing, capture, handling or relocating frogs. Confirm whether a Queensland species management program is required before tampering with a breeding place.

Confirm all land access, protected area, waterway, vegetation clearing and construction approvals. Do not rely on the absence of a recent record as approval to disturb habitat.

Listing: Critically endangered under the EPBC Act and in Queensland

Queensland control: Tampering with a breeding place for protected wildlife may require a species management program

  • Keep copies of approvals, conditions, permits and the approved species management program on site.
  • Nominate the person responsible for compliance and the person authorised to stop work.
  • Update the approval review if the footprint, construction method, drainage design or stream crossing changes.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Keep works, compounds, access tracks, stockpiles and drainage infrastructure away from fast flowing streams, riffles, cascades, waterfalls, stream banks and overhanging vegetation wherever practicable.

Have the ecologist define site specific no go areas and buffers before mobilisation. Use visible fencing, flagging and mapped exclusion zones. Set the buffer width from the habitat, terrain, hydrology, construction risk and approval conditions rather than applying an untested generic distance.

  • Retain streamside rocks, bed material, bankside vegetation and natural flow paths.
  • Design crossings to avoid altering riffles, torrents, pools below waterfalls and sediment movement.
  • Install erosion and sediment controls before earthworks and inspect them after rainfall.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre clearance survey

Complete the targeted survey before disturbance, using the October to March survey window where the schedule allows. If works cannot avoid another period, obtain advice from the project ecologist and use the best available combination of habitat inspection, call detection and spotlighting.

Search all suitable stream sections within and adjacent to the disturbance area. Include upstream and downstream areas that could be affected by sediment, altered flow, noise, lighting or access.

  • Inspect rocks in riffles for eggs and tadpoles before any rock removal or stream entry.
  • Repeat the survey if the footprint changes, substantial rain alters the stream, or works are delayed into a different risk period.
  • Treat a suspected animal, egg mass or tadpole as a positive finding until identified by an authorised specialist.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and exclusion controls

Give every worker, operator and spotter catcher a site induction before work starts. Use photographs and a simple map showing the species, habitat, no go areas, hygiene controls and stop work process.

Fence and sign exclusion areas before clearing. Keep machinery, vehicles, materials, lighting and people outside those areas unless the approved method specifically allows access.

  • Explain that only authorised people may capture, handle, examine or relocate a frog.
  • Provide clean equipment and enforce amphibian hygiene between waterbodies.
  • Place the stop work contact number on the induction sheet and in plant cabins.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and supervision

Use a staged, supervised approach to all clearing and construction near suitable stream habitat. The spotter catcher or nominated fauna supervisor must have clear authority to stop work immediately.

Clear the lowest risk areas first and work progressively towards retained habitat and exclusion zones. Keep the site under active supervision during clearing, excavation, rock removal and stream works.

Use hand checks around stream edges, rocks, wet vegetation and debris before machinery enters. Do not rake, crush or remove rocks from riffles without an approved method and ecological supervision.

  • Stop work if an animal, egg mass, tadpole, suspected breeding place or unexpected suitable habitat is found.
  • Keep machinery stationary until the fauna supervisor confirms the next step.
  • Prevent sediment, fuel, concrete washout and contaminated water from entering the stream.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and breeding places

Allow only appropriately authorised and experienced personnel to capture or handle a frog. Use the least handling possible and follow current amphibian hygiene procedures.

If an active breeding place, eggs or tadpoles are found, stop the affected activity and protect the location. Do not move eggs, tadpoles, rocks or stream substrate unless the approval, species management program and authorised ecologist allow it.

  • Establish a temporary exclusion area around the find and control access.
  • Contact the project ecologist and approval holder before work resumes.
  • Record the location, habitat, life stage, photographs, stream condition, activity being undertaken and the decision made.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured, dead or distressed animals

Stop work around an injured, dead or distressed frog and keep people, vehicles and pets away. Contact the fauna supervisor and an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian through the project emergency pathway.

Do not apply unapproved treatments, wash a frog, release it into another waterway or transport it without the required authority.

  • Use a clean, ventilated container only where an authorised person directs capture and transport.
  • Keep the animal cool, shaded and quiet, with no direct contact between animals or with contaminated equipment.
  • Record the condition, time, location, suspected cause, photographs, handler and destination.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Daily records and stop work reporting

Maintain a daily fauna register for searches, observations, captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, breeding places, stop work events and releases. Submit suspected records to the project ecologist promptly.

Record the exact work area, coordinates, weather, stream flow, crew, machinery, activity, controls used and any approval condition applied.

  • Photograph habitat and evidence before it is altered, where safe and lawful.
  • Report any breach of an exclusion zone, sediment control or permit condition immediately.
  • Do not restart stopped work until the authorised decision maker documents the control and gives clearance.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance checks

Completion of clearing does not end the risk. Check the retained stream habitat, confirm that controls worked and use the results to improve the remaining works and future projects.

Inspect the disturbance footprint, exclusion zones and retained stream habitat after each work stage and after heavy rainfall. Check for stranded, injured or dead frogs, damaged breeding habitat, exposed eggs, altered flow and sediment entry.

Complete a final fauna sweep of disturbed areas before demobilisation, using an experienced ecologist where suitable habitat remains.

  • Remove temporary materials without entering or damaging retained stream habitat.
  • Repair failed erosion and sediment controls immediately.
  • Photograph the final condition of stream banks, riffles, cascades, overhanging vegetation and access points.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance close out

Prepare a completion report that matches the approval conditions and species management program. Include survey effort, weather, methods, records, incidents, photographs, maps, handling or relocation details and corrective actions.

Report any confirmed or suspected Nyakala Frog record through the required Queensland and Commonwealth pathways.

  • Keep raw call recordings, photographs, field sheets, coordinates and chain of custody details.
  • List all stop work events and explain how each was resolved.
  • Record any works that differed from the approved method and obtain formal advice before treating the project as complete.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated animals and follow up

Where an authorised relocation has occurred, confirm the release location, habitat condition, release time, method and receiving person. Do not assume that a relocated frog has survived or remained at the release site.

Arrange follow up monitoring where required by the approval, species management program or ecologist. Use the same site records and methods so results can be compared.

  • Check release sites for flow, shelter, predators, disturbance, water quality and chytrid hygiene risks.
  • Do not release animals into a different catchment or an unapproved location.
  • Report mortality, disappearance or repeat detection to the approval holder and ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every unexpected animal find, habitat impact, injury, death, sediment release or control failure with the supervisor, ecologist and contractor. Update the work method before the next stage.

Use the review to improve induction, exclusion mapping, weather triggers, equipment hygiene and communication between the spotter catcher and machine operators.

  • Keep a written corrective action register with an owner and due date for each action.
  • Brief the next work crew before they enter the site.
  • Escalate repeated failures to the project manager and relevant approval authority.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Stream and bank restoration

Rehabilitation should restore the fast flowing stream system rather than simply replace vegetation. The species is associated with upland rainforest streams, riffles, cascades, rocks and overhanging vegetation, and artificial nest or roost structures are not a suitable substitute for those features.

Reinstate natural stream flow, riffles, cascades, pools below waterfalls, stable banks and clean rocky substrate. Use designs prepared by an appropriately qualified aquatic or restoration specialist.

Replace disturbed rocks and stream bed material only where the approved design requires it. Do not create artificial barriers, smooth channels or deep sediment deposits in fast water.

  • Stabilise banks with locally appropriate native rainforest vegetation and natural materials.
  • Reconnect overhanging vegetation beside the water while maintaining safe access for approved maintenance.
  • Prevent sediment, nutrients, chemicals and dirty water from entering the stream during and after rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Water, weeds and lighting

Maintain clean, oxygenated water and natural wet and dry flow patterns. Monitor turbidity, sediment deposition, bank stability and any change in riffles, torrents or pools after rain.

Remove declared and invasive weeds using methods that protect frogs, tadpoles, eggs, banks and water quality. Keep herbicides and wash water out of the stream.

Use the lowest practical lighting near retained habitat. Shield lights away from streams and overhanging vegetation, and avoid unnecessary night lighting during the October to March calling period.

  • Inspect drainage and sediment controls after rainfall and repair them promptly.
  • Do not spray chemicals over water, wet rocks or occupied frog habitat.
  • Keep construction noise, access and maintenance activity outside exclusion areas wherever practicable.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Replacement habitat structures

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures as a substitute for Nyakala Frog habitat. The species lays eggs under rocks in riffles and its tadpoles use fast flowing water, rocks and loose sand beneath rocks.

If a specialist proposes an experimental replacement breeding feature, obtain approval first and design it around natural riffle and rock habitat. Test it under an approved monitoring plan before relying on it as mitigation.

  • Use natural stream habitat restoration as the primary replacement measure.
  • Do not move rocks, eggs or tadpoles into a constructed feature without specific authority and specialist direction.
  • Document the design, approval, location, construction method and maintenance requirements for any experimental feature.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long term monitoring

Set monitoring objectives with the project ecologist and approval authority. Repeat suitable call, spotlight and habitat surveys from October to March, under wet conditions and not during heavy rain or high stream flow.

Monitor restored stream sections and reference sections for frogs, calls, tadpoles, eggs, flow, substrate, vegetation, weeds, sediment and water quality.

  • Use experienced amphibian personnel and current hygiene procedures at every visit.
  • Retain consistent transects, search effort, timing and weather records so results can be compared.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by approvals and extend it if restoration is not stable or a suspected record is detected.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Ongoing site management

Protect restored and retained habitat from future clearing, vehicle access, feral pig damage, yellow crazy ants, pollution and altered drainage. Include the habitat in the site's environmental management plan and maintenance maps.

Review climate and rainfall risks when planning drainage, waterway crossings and rehabilitation maintenance. Changes to stream hydrology may affect breeding conditions.

  • Inspect fences, signs, drainage, weed control and stream condition during routine maintenance.
  • Keep feral animal and invasive ant control activities under an approved method that protects amphibians and water quality.
  • Update the site risk assessment when new records, disease information or management advice becomes available.

Sources