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Ornamental Snake (Denisonia maculata)

The Ornamental Snake is a small, nocturnally active terrestrial snake restricted to Queensland's Brigalow Belt, particularly within the Fitzroy River drainage system. It uses gilgai and melon-hole country, wetland margins, open woodland and riparian vegetation, and is relevant to development sites because clearing, hydrology changes, loss of ground shelter and Cane Toad poisoning can affect habitat and individuals.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The Ornamental Snake is viviparous and gives birth to live young, but mating, pregnancy and birth months are not recorded. Activity is highest during the wet-season period, with sheltering snakes remaining at risk during dry and cool conditions, so clearing controls should apply year round.

Reproductive mode: Viviparous, giving birth to live young.

Litter size: 3 to 11 young. A separate study reported 4 to 7 young.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Size at birth: Approximately 12 cm snout to vent length.

Age at maturity: Not recorded. Minimum sexual maturity length is 24.7 cm for females and 23.0 cm for males.

Nest or egg sites: Not recorded. The species gives birth to live young, and no specific birth site has been documented.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Confirm timing locally using recent rainfall, temperature, wet-season onset, frog activity and approved survey advice before setting clearing controls.

  • Mating: Mating months are not recorded for this species. Treat mating as possible in any month when planning clearing, especially where moist frog habitat and ground shelter are present.
  • Gravid females: The timing of pregnancy is not recorded. Females may therefore be present in shelter or foraging habitat in any month, and absence of gravid females during a search should not be used to exclude breeding habitat.
  • Births: Birth months are not recorded. The species produces 3 to 11 young, so plan searches and clearing controls for newborns in any month rather than assuming a defined birthing season.
  • Newborns: The month when young emerge or are most abundant is not recorded. Newborns are approximately 12 cm snout to vent length and may use the same ground shelter and frog-rich habitat as adults.
  • Active period: In a typical year, peak activity is reported from November to March in the documented offset area. The period may start in October during La Niña or extend to April during El Niño, and local rainfall and frog activity should guide timing elsewhere in Australia.
  • Winter inactivity: Activity is reduced during cooler months, and snakes may remain inactive for many months in logs, vegetation debris, deep cracks and other ground shelters during dry periods. The exact months vary with local temperature, rainfall and habitat moisture.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from November to March when wet-season activity is greatest, with possible extension from October to April under ENSO-driven rainfall patterns. Clearing remains a risk in every month because snakes may be hidden in logs, litter, rocks, vegetation debris or deep soil cracks.

Identification

The Ornamental Snake is a small terrestrial elapid associated with moist clay habitats and frog-rich areas. The supplied documents provide habitat and behaviour information but do not provide a body length, weight, detailed colour description or a diagnostic comparison with similar Queensland snakes.

Field identification should be confirmed from clear photographs and, where needed, by an experienced reptile ecologist or the Queensland Museum. The threatened reptile survey guidance recommends photographing records and lodging copies with the Queensland conservation authority and Queensland Museum for confirmation.

The species is most likely to be encountered at night around suitable gilgai habitat, particularly after wet weather when frogs are active. It may also be found during daytime searches beneath rocks, logs or other large ground objects.

  • Treat any suspected record as significant until identification has been confirmed.
  • Record the date, location, number of individuals, habitat condition and photographs for each sighting.
  • Do not rely on absence from dry-weather searches, because detection can be poor during dry conditions and the snake may remain inactive in shelter for long periods.

Identification: Field behaviour and signs

The Ornamental Snake is nocturnal and shelters by day. Direct sightings are the main field record described in the supplied sources.

No species-specific tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine characteristics are provided. Snakes generally leave few reliable field signs, so habitat assessment, targeted searching and photographic confirmation are more useful than searching for indirect signs.

  • Search suitable gilgai, wetland margins and frog-rich depressions at night, especially following rainfall.
  • Undertake careful daytime searches beneath loose logs, rocks and other ground debris where this can be done safely and under an approved clearing protocol.
  • Use a fauna spotter-catcher during clearing in mapped habitat and inspect trenches so that trapped individuals can be removed safely.

Identification: Similar species and sex

The supplied documents do not provide a reliable field key to separate Ornamental Snakes from similar species, nor do they describe sex-specific external features. Identification should therefore be based on a clear photograph and expert confirmation rather than a single unverified field character.

Distribution: Range and bioregion

The Ornamental Snake has a narrow Queensland distribution. The available sources place it within the Brigalow Belt and the Fitzroy River drainage system, with project records from the Bowen Basin area.

The species is confined to the Brigalow Belt in mid-eastern Queensland, within the drainage system of the Fitzroy River. The Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project lies in the Brigalow Belt North Bioregion, approximately 25 km north-east of Dysart and 160 km south-west of Mackay.

No records from another Australian state are given in the supplied documents. The national range should therefore be treated as Queensland only on the evidence available here.

  • Consider the species where a project occurs in the Brigalow Belt, especially within the Fitzroy River drainage system.
  • Check state and Commonwealth databases for current records before finalising a site assessment, because the supplied documents do not provide a complete locality dataset.

Distribution: Known strongholds and population status

The supplied sources do not identify a formal stronghold, separate subpopulation structure or population estimate. At Lake Vermont Meadowbrook, three records were located within or adjacent to the project area, all in Brigalow regrowth with well-developed gilgai.

The Cane Toad assessment states that quantitative evidence was insufficient to determine whether Cane Toad ingestion had caused a population or species-level decline. It also identifies habitat clearance, grazing and development as threats.

Project records: Three records within or adjacent to the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook project area.

Population estimate: Not provided in the supplied documents.

Population trend: Not quantified in the supplied documents.

Habitat: Habitat types

Ornamental Snakes are associated with moist, frog-rich habitats that retain suitable shelter during dry periods. Gilgai and melon-hole country on deep cracking clay is the strongest habitat feature described in the supplied sources.

Important habitat includes gilgais or melon-hole country, often with a Brigalow overstorey. The species has also been recorded in open forest, woodland, open woodland, Coolabah, Poplar Box, Belah and fringing vegetation along watercourses.

It can occur in cleared areas where former suitable regional ecosystems remain capable of providing gilgais, logs, rocks, debris and adequate ground cover.

  • Map gilgai depressions, mounds and ephemeral creek lines before clearing.
  • Include wetland margins, lake margins and riparian vegetation in habitat assessments where frog activity and ground shelter are present.
  • Do not exclude cleared land solely because native canopy has been removed if suitable clay microrelief and ground cover remain.

Habitat: Soils and structure

The species is strongly associated with deep cracking clay soils that form gilgai microrelief. These soils can retain water and support frogs, while cracks provide dry-season shelter.

At the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project, high-amenity habitat was defined as gilgai microrelief 60 cm or deeper or ephemeral creek lines on dark clays. Moderate habitat had gilgai microrelief from 20 to 60 cm, while low habitat had microrelief less than 20 cm or a low likelihood of water pooling.

High amenity gilgai depth: 60 cm or deeper.

Moderate amenity gilgai depth: 20 to 60 cm.

Low amenity microrelief: Less than 20 cm.

  • Retain gilgai microrelief, deep clay cracks, logs, rocks, coarse woody debris, litter and other ground shelter wherever practicable.
  • Avoid treating large permanent dams as automatically suitable, because the project assessment noted that they are not typically frequented by abundant frogs.
  • Assess habitat quality after ploughing, blade clearing, grazing and drainage works, because these activities can remove microrelief or compact clay soils.

Habitat: Vegetation and climate

The species has most commonly been recorded in Queensland Regional Ecosystem 11.4.3, commonly in RE 11.4.6, RE 11.4.8 and RE 11.4.9, and less commonly in RE 11.3.3 and RE 11.5.6.

The sources do not provide a defined elevation limit. They describe a seasonal activity pattern, with reduced activity during cooler months and increased activity during early summer and the wet season.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding areas

The Ornamental Snake feeds mainly on frogs and selects areas where frogs are abundant. Foraging habitat is therefore linked to temporary water, gilgai depressions, wetland margins and other moist areas rather than to vegetation type alone.

The diet consists predominantly, and in one source almost exclusively, of frogs. The species has been observed consuming a variety of frog species, but the supplied documents do not identify particular prey species.

It forages at night in and around gilgais, melon holes, ephemeral creek lines, wetland margins and other moist depressions where frogs are active. Activity and detectability increase after wet weather.

Main prey: Frogs.

Foraging period: Mainly at night.

Foraging range: Not quantified in the supplied documents.

  • Prioritise night searches around frog breeding and shelter areas after rainfall.
  • Assess whether depressions hold water for long enough to support frogs, while retaining dry cracks and ground debris for snake shelter.
  • Protect water quality and prevent sediment, chemical and hydrocarbon pollution from entering wet areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The Ornamental Snake is viviparous, so females give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. The supplied documents do not provide confirmed mating dates, gestation length, age at maturity or lifespan.

Breeding habitat is expected to overlap with moist, frog-rich habitat that also provides secure daytime shelter. Gilgai depressions, deep clay cracks, logs, rocks, coarse woody debris and ground litter can provide the combination of prey and refuge described for the species.

The sources do not state a confirmed breeding season or identify a specific birthing site. Avoid assuming that a site is not breeding habitat simply because young or females are not detected during a survey.

Reproductive mode: Viviparous, giving birth to live young.

Typical litter size: 3 to 11 young.

Breeding season: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Gestation: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

  • Retain connected areas of frog habitat and shelter rather than clearing isolated patches around individual records only.
  • Schedule targeted searches when frogs are active and ensure fauna spotter-catchers inspect shelter features during clearing.
  • Record the size class and number of any young animals found, but do not infer a breeding population from a single sighting.

Sheltering habitat: Refuges

Daytime and dry-period shelter is provided by ground-level features rather than tree hollows. Shelter can remain important for months when conditions are dry.

Known shelter sites include deep soil cracks, fallen timber, logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris and ground litter. These features occur particularly in gilgai and deep cracking clay habitats.

During dry periods, an Ornamental Snake can remain inactive in a suitable shelter site for long periods, described in the survey guidance as months. Cooler months also have reduced activity.

Tree hollows: No reliance on tree hollows is identified in the supplied documents.

Burrows: Deep soil cracks are identified as important refuges; a separate burrow system is not described.

Dry-period inactivity: Individuals may remain inactive in suitable shelter for months.

  • Inspect logs, rocks, bark, litter and other large ground objects before they are moved or removed.
  • Retain and, where authorised, salvage suitable logs and other habitat features for placement in undisturbed Ornamental Snake habitat.
  • Keep salvaged features on the ground and place them near existing gilgai, cracks and frog habitat rather than in dry, exposed areas.
  • Inspect trenches regularly during construction and remove trapped snakes using an approved fauna handling procedure.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main development risks are loss and fragmentation of moist clay habitat, damage to gilgai structure, altered water regimes and mortality during clearing or construction. Cane Toad poisoning is an additional species-specific threat.

Clearing removes gilgai, ground shelter, frog habitat and vegetation associated with moist areas. Fragmentation can reduce the continuity of habitat and increase exposure to roads, machinery and altered drainage.

At the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project, the assessment identified 1,672.0 hectares of Ornamental Snake habitat in the study area and proposed direct disturbance to 211.1 hectares in the project footprint. The project assessment concluded that removal of approximately 207.1 hectares was likely to reduce habitat availability and could be critical to the species in the local area.

Habitat mapped at Lake Vermont Meadowbrook: 1,672.0 ha.

Proposed direct disturbance in the project footprint: 211.1 ha.

Habitat removal assessed as potentially significant: Approximately 207.1 ha.

  • Delineate approved disturbance limits before clearing and prevent machinery entry into adjacent habitat.
  • Use a fauna spotter-catcher during clearing in habitat and inspect shelter features, vegetation piles and trenches.
  • Salvage selected logs and other habitat features for enhancement of retained habitat where this is safe and authorised.
  • Stop work and report any suspected individual injury, mortality or clearing outside the approved area.

Threats: Hydrology, grazing and pollution

Altered hydrology can change the depth, duration and distribution of water in gilgai habitat. Subsidence, ponding, drainage works, flooding changes, erosion and sedimentation can therefore alter both frog prey habitat and snake shelter.

Overgrazing, especially by cattle during the wet season, can compact soil and damage gilgai structure. Chemical, sediment and hydrocarbon pollution can degrade wet areas.

  • Avoid drainage changes that remove water from gilgai or cause prolonged ponding outside the natural regime.
  • Manage subsidence ponding and monitor pond depth, duration, soil cracks and gilgai condition.
  • Use erosion and sediment controls during construction, operation, rehabilitation and decommissioning.
  • Keep fuels, chemicals and wastes contained and respond promptly to spills.
  • Restrict wet-season stock access where grazing could compact or damage gilgai soils.

Threats: Predators, Cane Toads and weeds

Cane Toads may poison Ornamental Snakes when ingested. The species' frog-based diet and the abundance of Cane Toads across its range make this a specific risk, although the supplied government assessment states that the population-level effect was not quantitatively established.

Other identified threats include feral predators, invasive weeds and pest population increases. The supplied sources do not quantify the effect of roads, fire or disease on this species, but vehicle access, fire management and construction activities should be managed to avoid removing shelter or causing direct mortality.

  • Manage Cane Toads and other pest animals under the project pest management plan.
  • Control invasive weeds without damaging gilgai, deep cracks, ground litter or other shelter features.
  • Apply site speed limits and record any snake injury or mortality associated with vehicles.
  • Manage fire so that high-risk activities, vegetation removal and burning do not remove all ground shelter from retained habitat.
  • Treat disease risk as a site management issue where frog habitat or water quality may be affected, while recognising that no species-specific disease information is provided here.

Survey methodology: 1. Night searches around gilgai habitat

Survey for the Ornamental Snake, Denisonia maculata, should target moist gilgai or melon-hole habitat when frogs are active. Detection is difficult in dry conditions, so survey timing and weather should be recorded and used when interpreting non-detection.

Search suitable gilgai, melon-hole, ephemeral creek and wetland-edge habitat at night, particularly after wet weather when frogs are active.

Prioritise areas with deep cracking clay soils, surface water, logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris and ground litter.

The species is nocturnal and is most likely to be encountered while foraging where frogs are abundant.

The survey guideline does not provide a standard number of nights, search hours, transect length or search area for this species. Set effort using the size and habitat diversity of the disturbance area, and document the rationale.

Best conditions: Wet weather or the period after wet weather, when frogs are active

Activity period: Peak activity is likely from early summer through the wet season

Dry conditions: No survey method is known to reliably detect the species during dry weather or dry seasons

  • Record the date, start and finish time, rainfall and recent weather, water presence, frog activity, habitat searched and the number of ecologists and spotter catchers involved.
  • Use safe vehicle-based searches on roads at night if wet conditions prevent access to gilgai habitat.

Survey methodology: 2. Diurnal shelter searches

Search beneath suitable daytime shelter, including fallen timber, rocks, bark and other large objects on the ground.

Inspect deep soil cracks and coarse ground debris where the species may shelter during the day or during dry periods.

Avoid unnecessary disturbance to shelter sites, and replace rocks, logs, bark and debris in their original position after inspection.

Day shelter: Fallen timber, rocks, bark and deep soil cracks

Dry-period behaviour: The species may remain inactive in suitable shelter sites for months

  • Search representative examples of each habitat type within the proposed disturbance area and in retained habitat nearby.
  • Record the location and type of every shelter feature searched, including whether it was associated with gilgai, cracking clay, wetland or frog habitat.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping and targeted wet-weather searches

Pitfall and funnel trap arrays may be trialled where authorised and where they can be installed, checked and removed safely.

Treat trapping as a supplementary method because the survey guideline states that all listed methods are likely to yield low returns.

Use active searching around suitable gilgai habitat when frogs are active, rather than relying on trapping alone.

Expected detection: Likely to be low for pitfall traps, funnel traps and other survey methods

Suitable timing: Wet conditions and periods when frogs are active

  • Obtain any required animal ethics, state wildlife and project approvals before installing traps or handling reptiles.
  • Check traps at a frequency that prevents captured animals from being exposed to heat, cold, dehydration, flooding or predators, and close or remove traps when conditions become unsafe.
  • Keep a record of trap locations, trap type, trap nights, checking times, weather, captures and by-catch, even though the species-specific guideline does not prescribe trap effort.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Do not treat a dry-weather non-detection as evidence that the species is absent.
  • Map the proposed disturbance area and identify gilgai, melon-hole, cracking clay, ephemeral creek, wetland-edge and frog-rich habitat before selecting survey routes and methods.
  • State the number of survey nights, search hours, people, transect or search areas, trap nights, weather conditions and habitat features inspected in the survey report.
  • Photograph every suspected or confirmed Ornamental Snake record and submit copies to the relevant Queensland state wildlife authority and the Queensland Museum for identification confirmation.
  • Submit accepted records to the relevant state wildlife database and retain the original coordinates, date, observer, photograph and identification decision.
  • Use the survey results with habitat assessment and the proposed impact, rather than using presence or absence alone, to assess the need for referral and further controls.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Before clearing or construction, treat suitable moist clay habitat as potential Ornamental Snake habitat even when no snake has been recorded. The species is restricted to the Fitzroy River drainage within the Brigalow Belt, and projects in this range need early habitat and approval checks.

Retain gilgai and melon-hole formations, deep cracking clay, ephemeral creek lines, wetland margins, logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris and ground litter wherever practicable.

Avoid clearing high-value habitat first, including deep gilgai or ephemeral creek lines on dark clays where surface water pools and frogs are abundant.

Keep retained habitat connected to nearby suitable habitat, because habitat fragmentation is a recognised threat.

Avoid changes to drainage, flooding and ponding that could alter gilgai hydrology, water quality or frog habitat.

Preferred habitat: Woodland and open forest associated with moist areas, especially gilgai on deep cracking clay soils

Recorded vegetation associations: Brigalow, coolabah, poplar box, belah, fringing watercourse vegetation and some grasslands

  • Do not use a fixed generic buffer where the project documents have not established one; define exclusion areas from the mapped habitat, hydrology, construction footprint and approval conditions.
  • Place access tracks, laydown areas, services and infrastructure outside suitable habitat where practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Check approvals and plan the works

Confirm whether the action may have a significant impact on this EPBC Act Vulnerable species and refer it under the EPBC Act where required.

Confirm Queensland Nature Conservation Act requirements, permits and handling authorities before survey, trapping, capture, relocation or clearing.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies authorised personnel, survey methods, handling arrangements, release areas, veterinary contacts, stop-work triggers and reporting lines.

Stage clearing so that retained habitat, fauna movement routes and wet areas remain available while disturbance is occurring.

Conservation status: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and Queensland Nature Conservation Act

Main project risks: Clearing, fragmentation, hydrology change, erosion, pollution, cane toads, feral predators and weeds

  • Schedule targeted searches for early summer through the wet season where practicable, and avoid relying on dry-season surveys to clear habitat.
  • Coordinate the Ornamental Snake plan with erosion and sediment, water management, weed and pest, fire, rehabilitation and subsidence plans where those risks apply.
  • Define the approved disturbance limit on project plans and on the ground before machinery enters the work area.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

Complete a pre-clearance survey using night searches after wet weather and diurnal searches of shelter features in suitable habitat.

Mark approved clearing limits and exclusion areas so machinery operators can identify them from the cab.

Mark gilgai, deep cracks, logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris, wet areas and other features that require retention or controlled handling.

Use exclusion fencing where it can be installed without damaging gilgai, cracking clay, wetland edges or other habitat, and inspect the fence before and during works.

Brief all workers on the species profile, identification, reporting procedure, speed limits, no-go areas and the fauna spotter catcher's authority to stop work.

  • Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher is authorised and has suitable equipment, secure containers, a torch, communication equipment, first-aid arrangements and a release protocol.
  • Inspect trenches and other excavations before work starts and include them in the daily fauna control plan.

During habitat disturbance: Daily clearing controls

The fauna spotter catcher should control the sequence of clearing, inspect habitat features and stop work when an Ornamental Snake or an unsafe fauna situation is found. The environmental officer should maintain the approved clearing boundary, records and corrective actions.

Recheck the clearing boundary, exclusion fencing, gilgai and wet areas before each shift and after heavy rain or other events that could damage controls.

Have the fauna spotter catcher present for clearing in Ornamental Snake habitat, and keep machinery outside marked exclusion areas.

Clear progressively and slowly, working from the disturbance edge towards retained habitat where this is consistent with the approved fauna management plan.

Inspect trenches, pits and other excavations during construction so trapped animals do not perish.

  • Stop or limit work if exclusion fencing fails, clearing exceeds the approved area, an animal is located, or an excavation cannot be safely inspected.
  • Use site speed limits on access roads and tracks to reduce the risk of vehicle strike.
  • Keep lighting directed and shielded in accordance with the project requirements and AS 4282:2019 where artificial lighting is used.

During habitat disturbance: Work with machinery and handle habitat features

The fauna spotter catcher should walk the active clearing edge and remain in direct communication with the operator before each tree, log, rock, debris or ground-disturbance action.

Stop machinery before the spotter catcher approaches a suspected shelter site or directs the operator to change the sequence.

Salvage selected logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris and other suitable shelter features carefully, and place them strategically in retained Ornamental Snake habitat.

Avoid disturbing deep cracks, gilgai microrelief and wetland edges unless the disturbance is authorised and the approved method requires it.

  • Do not drag or crush habitat features through retained habitat.
  • Control erosion, sediment and spills so muddy water, chemicals and other pollutants do not enter wet areas or frog habitat.
  • Where subsidence or ponding is part of the project, implement the approved drainage measures and monitor the resulting hydrological changes.

During habitat disturbance: If an Ornamental Snake is found

Stop work around the animal and keep workers, vehicles and machinery clear.

Allow the fauna spotter catcher to assess whether the animal can move into nearby retained habitat without capture.

Only an appropriately authorised and trained person should capture, handle or relocate the snake.

Relocate the animal only under the approved fauna management plan, to nearby suitable retained habitat with shelter and appropriate moisture conditions.

Place an injured animal with the nominated wildlife carer or veterinarian as soon as practicable.

Record the date, location, number of individuals, observer, action taken, condition and release or treatment outcome.

  • Do not handle the snake unnecessarily or allow untrained workers to attempt capture.
  • Use a secure, appropriate container and follow the project handling and transport procedure if capture is authorised.
  • Do not resume work until the fauna spotter catcher and environmental officer confirm that the animal is clear and the work method is safe.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

  • Stop work for any confirmed or suspected Ornamental Snake, fauna injury or mortality, uncontrolled excavation risk, damaged exclusion area or clearing outside the approved footprint.
  • Stop work when wet conditions, flooding, heat or access conditions prevent safe searching, trapping, inspection or animal release.
  • Record all sightings, mortalities, injuries, captures, relocations, excavations inspected, habitat features salvaged and incidents of non-conformance.
  • Report clearing outside the authorised area, investigate the cause and implement corrective actions before work recommences.
  • Maintain a register with the date, location or coordinates, observer, number of individuals, habitat condition, photographs and any other relevant details.

After habitat disturbance: Complete post-clearance checks

After clearing, confirm that the approved footprint was not exceeded and that retained habitat, hydrology and fauna controls remain functional. Monitoring should distinguish direct clearing effects from subsidence, ponding, weeds, pests and other project pressures.

Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat edge, exclusion fencing, salvage placements, trenches and other excavations after each clearing stage.

Check that no logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris or gilgai features were removed from retained habitat without approval.

Confirm that erosion and sediment controls, spill controls, drainage works and access restrictions are operating before construction continues.

Update the disturbance map and compare actual clearing with the approved disturbance limit.

  • Photograph retained and restored habitat features from fixed or repeatable locations.
  • Close, cover or otherwise manage excavations when they are no longer required, in accordance with the approved construction method.

After habitat disturbance: Monitor habitat and species use

Continue Ornamental Snake sightings monitoring through the project and record confirmed and suspected observations in the site register.

In subsidence areas, establish baseline transects, photographic points, depth gauges at key ponding locations and a baseline LiDAR survey before underground longwall mining where applicable.

Undertake annual inspections for changes in topography, vegetation, groundcover, coarse woody debris, soil cracks, gilgai or wetland condition, ponding depth and duration, and prey habitat.

Use active searching to assess Ornamental Snake utilisation of monitored habitat, particularly when frogs are active.

Annual habitat measures: Vegetation structure and health, groundcover, coarse woody debris, soil cracks, gilgai or wetland condition, ponding and prey habitat

Subsidence monitoring: Annual inspections, with LiDAR updated at intervals of no more than 2 years

  • Continue monitoring until subsidence movement has finalised where subsidence is the relevant impact.
  • Report whether habitat suitability or occupancy has been reduced and identify repair, drainage or rehabilitation actions.
  • Increase inspections or apply additional controls when monitoring identifies erosion, pollution, altered ponding, habitat degradation, weeds or pest increases.

After habitat disturbance: Report, maintain and offset residual impacts

Prepare incident, monitoring and annual subsidence reports as required by the project approvals and management plans.

Maintain fencing, drainage, erosion controls, spill controls, weed controls and pest controls for as long as they are needed to prevent impacts to retained habitat.

Review the management plan when monitoring shows that controls are ineffective or when the project footprint, timing or impact mechanism changes.

Consider an approved environmental offset for a significant residual impact only after impacts have been avoided and mitigated, and meet the applicable Commonwealth and Queensland offset conditions.

  • Use offsets that protect or improve habitat values similar to those affected, minimise the time between impact and delivery, and are legally secured for the required duration where applicable.
  • Keep records of corrective actions, responsible persons, completion dates and evidence that the action was effective.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild the moist, shelter-rich conditions used by the Ornamental Snake and its frog prey. Prioritise gilgai function, cracking-clay microhabitat, ground cover, woody shelter and water quality over simple vegetation cover.

Reinstate or protect gilgai microrelief, shallow wet areas and ephemeral drainage features where the approved rehabilitation design allows it.

Use locally appropriate vegetation communities associated with the site, including Brigalow, coolabah, poplar box, belah or fringing watercourse vegetation where those communities formed the pre-disturbance habitat.

Retain and place logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris and suitable ground litter in retained and rehabilitated habitat to provide daytime shelter.

Re-establish ground cover without creating dense non-native grass cover that is unsuitable for the species and its frog prey.

Shelter features: Logs, rocks, bark, coarse woody debris, ground litter and deep soil cracks

Prey habitat: Moist gilgai, wetland or ephemeral creek habitat that supports frogs

  • Do not fill, level or compact deep cracking clay or gilgai habitat unless required by an approved design and supported by monitoring.
  • Use salvaged habitat features from the disturbance area where they remain structurally suitable and can be placed without harming retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage water, weeds, pests and fire

Design rehabilitation drainage to retain suitable seasonal moisture without causing harmful permanent ponding, erosion or water-quality impacts.

Control weeds so rehabilitated areas can develop the native groundcover and vegetation structure used by the species and its prey.

Monitor and control feral predators and other pest animals in accordance with the project weed and pest plan.

Apply the approved fire management measures, including management of high-risk activities, appropriate vegetation management, vehicle and machinery checks and waste controls.

  • Inspect rehabilitated gilgai, creek lines and wetland edges after rainfall for erosion, sediment deposition, altered ponding and pollutant entry.
  • Repair failed erosion, drainage or sediment controls and reassess whether the rehabilitation design is maintaining suitable frog and snake habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor rehabilitation success

Establish repeatable transects and photographic points before or at the start of rehabilitation so changes in vegetation, groundcover, woody debris, soil cracks and wet areas can be measured.

Monitor Ornamental Snake utilisation through active searching during suitable wet conditions and when frogs are active.

Measure ponding depth and duration, the presence of gilgai or wetland vegetation, dry-season soil cracks and the availability of aquatic or gilgai vegetation for prey.

Record species sightings, frog activity, habitat condition, weeds, pests, erosion, fire effects and corrective actions in the rehabilitation reports.

  • Define success against the approved rehabilitation objectives, including stable gilgai or wetland function, suitable shelter features, effective ground cover, low weed pressure and continued use by frogs and Ornamental Snakes where occupancy is an objective.
  • Continue monitoring and corrective action until the approved performance criteria are met and the habitat is no longer declining because of project impacts.

Sources