Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus)

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies with rainfall, food availability and location. The central-western Queensland subspecies has more births in autumn and spring, while species-level information indicates that breeding can occur throughout the year under favourable conditions.

Month values are January to December: 0 means not typical, 1 means occurs, and 2 means peak.

• Breeding: Births are reported to be more frequent in autumn and spring, approximately March to May and September to November.
• Young: A single young usually remains in the pouch for about 189 to 227 days, and dependent young may be present at any time because breeding can continue through the year in good conditions.
• Movement to water: Visits to water increase with higher temperatures and lower rainfall. Individuals have moved up to 1.5 km from core colony areas to water sources.
• Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest during the autumn and spring birth peaks because disturbance can affect females, pouch young and newly dependent young. Rocky refuges and colony habitat remain sensitive outside these periods.

Identification

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby is a stocky rock-wallaby with strongly contrasting grey, white, black, buff and orange-brown markings. Identification should be based on the whole colour pattern, rocky habitat and behaviour, rather than one marking alone.

Adults are fawn-grey to greyish above and white below. A black to dark-brown mid-dorsal stripe extends from the crown to the centre of the back. A distinct white cheek stripe and buff-white side stripe are present.

The ears, forearms, hindlegs and base of the tail are light orange-brown. The tail is orange-brown with irregular dark-brown rings and may have a dark-brown or white tip.

Head and body: 56 to 60 cm in the central-western Queensland subspecies; 48 to 65 cm across the species.

Tail: 56 to 67 cm in the central-western Queensland subspecies; 57 to 70 cm across the species.

Weight: 6 to 11 kg.

Identification: Separating the species in the field

The combination of orange-brown limbs and tail, white cheek and side stripes, dark dorsal stripe and rocky-range habitat is characteristic of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby.

The species has a discontinuous range. Geographic location is therefore important when separating it from other Petrogale species. Confirm records against local distribution data, especially where more than one rock-wallaby species may occur.

Males are slightly larger than females. A female may be recognised by the forward-opening pouch when the animal is close enough to observe safely.

• Do not rely on colour alone when the animal is distant, backlit or seen briefly.
• Use site location, photographs, habitat and any available genetic or expert confirmation where species-level identification is uncertain.

Identification: Signs and detection

Daytime searches should focus on caves, crevices, ledges, boulder piles and other rocky shelter features. Look for scats, tracks and signs of recent use around refuge entrances and movement routes.

Animals may be seen basking from the ground or during aerial searches, with dawn and dusk the preferred periods. Hot weather and summer conditions are unsuitable for basking surveys.

Infra-red camera traps can be placed at refuge exits, known shelter sites, water sources and runs. Baited cameras have also been used for rock-wallaby surveys. Surveys in rugged terrain should use at least two experienced investigators, with appropriate safety and climbing procedures where needed.

• Search all suitable rocky habitat, including mid-level ledges, holes, crevices and cave entrances.
• Record scats, tracks, shelter entrances, feeding signs, basking animals and camera detections.
• Avoid entering or blocking refuges, and avoid flushing animals from caves or crevices.

Distribution: Queensland

The species has a discontinuous distribution in semi-arid rocky country across Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. The supplied sources describe named ranges and localities rather than assigning the records to formal IBRA bioregion names.

The central-western Queensland subspecies occurs in the Gowan, Grey, Cheviot, Yangang, Macedon, Edinburgh and McGregor Ranges, and Mariala National Park. Historical surveys recorded animals at 44 sites north and north-west of Adavale, although many sites were clustered and represented fewer colonies.

• Important Queensland locations include Idalia, Welford, Hellhole and Mariala national parks, together with the Yanyang and Cheviot Ranges.
• Colonies are separated by unsuitable habitat and dispersal between colonies is very limited.

Distribution: South Australia and New South Wales

The species occurs in South Australia in the Flinders and Gawler Ranges and the Olary Hills. In New South Wales it occurs in the Gap and Coturaundee Ranges.

The species is associated with isolated rocky outcrops, cliffs, ridges and ramparts. South Australian records near Leigh Creek include the Aroona Sanctuary reintroduction, with the main population reported along the Flinders Ranges.

• The Aroona Sanctuary population was reintroduced in 1996 from about 12 zoo-bred animals and was estimated at about 40 individuals in the cited project material.
• The main Flinders Ranges population was reported approximately 30 km east of the Leigh Creek project area.

Distribution: Population size and trend

Population estimates vary between regions and surveys. The central-western Queensland population was estimated at about 4,000 mature individuals by Woinarski and colleagues, while a Queensland estimate was 4,000 to 6,000 mature individuals.

Numbers can vary with seasonal conditions. Some colonies have declined or disappeared, while others have increased under intensive management and some former colonies have been re-established by reintroduction.

Central-western Queensland extent of occurrence: Estimated at 11,912 km² from mapped records from 1995 to 2015.

Central-western Queensland area of occupancy: Estimated at 140 km² using a 2 by 2 km grid method for mapped records from 1995 to 2015.

Central-western Queensland locations: The conservation assessment identified six locations.

Estimated mature individuals: About 4,000 for central-western Queensland, with a Queensland estimate of 4,000 to 6,000.

Recorded colony decline: A monitored colony at Idalia declined by about 50 percent between 1991 and 1994; another account reports a 54 percent decline during the same study.

Habitat: Habitat structure

Yellow-footed rock-wallabies require rugged rocky country that provides shelter close to food and water. Suitable habitat is usually patchy and occurs along cliff lines, sandstone tablelands, hills, ridges and rocky outcrops.

The central-western Queensland subspecies is closely associated with rugged rocky areas along the edges of low sandstone tablelands and hills. It typically occurs with low Acacia woodland or shrubland.

Across the species range, habitat includes cliff faces, rocky ramparts, mountaintops, outcrops, cliffs and ridges in semi-arid country. Rocky areas can support more varied vegetation than the surrounding country.

• Retain cliff lines, boulder fields, caves, crevices, ledges and rocky ramps.
• Retain vegetation immediately around rocky refuges, particularly low Acacia woodland and shrubland.
• Treat apparently small rocky patches as potentially connected habitat where they contain shelter, food plants or movement routes.

Habitat: Climate and site context

The species occurs in semi-arid areas where rainfall is variable and summer conditions can be hot. Longer periods of low rainfall can reduce recruitment and population viability.

No elevation limits are provided in the supplied sources. Site assessment should therefore focus on rocky structure, nearby vegetation, water access and connectivity rather than applying an elevation threshold.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby is a herbivore that browses and grazes in and around rocky habitat. Food availability is closely linked to vegetation condition and seasonal rainfall.

Grasses are important during the wet season. As conditions dry, the wallabies rely more on fallen leaves from shrubs and trees. Acacia bushes are an important food resource during dry periods in central-western Queensland.

Animals feed in vegetation on rocky slopes, ledges and the edges of low woodland and shrubland. They may travel from core colony areas to water sources, with movements of up to 1.5 km recorded.

Recorded distance to water: Individuals regularly moved up to 1.5 km from core colony areas to water sources.

Dry-season food: Acacia leaves and other shrub and tree leaf fall are important when conditions are dry.

• Retain grasses, low Acacia woodland, shrubland and fallen leaf litter near rocky refuges.
• Avoid removing dry-season food plants around colony areas or between refuges and water.
• Assess grazing by cattle, goats, sheep and wallaroos because dietary overlap can reduce access to food.

Foraging habitat: Water dependence

Wallabies have been recorded visiting artificial water sources, with visitation increasing as temperatures rose and rainfall decreased. Closing or contaminating water sources can therefore affect access to drinking water in semi-arid Queensland.

Water points can also attract feral predators and herbivores. Any project water management should maintain safe access for wallabies while limiting access by competing livestock and feral animals.

• Do not remove, drain or contaminate a water source used by wallabies without an ecological assessment and an approved replacement or mitigation measure.
• Inspect tanks, dams and other water points for wallaby use before alteration or decommissioning.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in colonies that provide secure rocky shelter close to food and water. Births are semi-seasonal in the central-western Queensland subspecies, although species-level sources report the capacity to breed throughout the year when nutrition and conditions are favourable.

Females generally produce one young at a time. A female can mate and conceive soon after giving birth, with the next embryo remaining in a state of delayed development until the previous young leaves the pouch.

Good vegetation abundance supports fecundity. Breeding success is therefore linked to the condition of food plants around rocky colonies.

Typical litter size: One young; twins are reported but uncommon.

Breeding pattern: Semi-seasonal in central-western Queensland, with significantly more births in autumn and spring than in summer and winter. Other species-level information reports breeding throughout the year under good conditions.

Gestation: About 30 to 32 days.

Pouch period: About 189 to 227 days.

Female maturity: About 540 days after birth.

Male maturity: About 590 days after birth.

Lifespan: A reliable lifespan is not provided in the supplied sources. Generation length is estimated at 5 to 6 years.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding groups use colonies containing rocky shelters, feeding areas and access to water. A typical group includes one older male, several females and several younger males.

Because dispersal between colonies is limited, clearing or disturbance near a colony can affect both breeding animals and the local supply of replacement individuals.

• Protect connected rocky shelter, food vegetation and water around known or suspected colonies.
• Avoid disturbance at cave and crevice entrances during autumn and spring, when births are more frequent in central-western Queensland.
• Use cameras and indirect signs rather than entering refuges to check for dependent young.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge features

Daytime shelter is provided by caves, rock crevices and other rugged rocky features. These refuges are also important because wallabies cannot travel far through exposed country without increased predation risk.

The species shelters during the day in caves and rock crevices. Suitable habitat includes cliff faces, rocky ramparts, ledges, holes, boulder piles and sheltered areas along sandstone tablelands and hills.

The supplied sources do not provide minimum refuge dimensions. All apparently suitable cavities and ledges should therefore be retained until their use has been assessed.

• Inspect caves, crevices, ledges, holes and boulder piles before blasting, grading, rock removal or vegetation clearing.
• Retain refuge entrances and avoid placing fencing, spoil, equipment or access tracks across movement routes.
• Keep a safe buffer around occupied or recently used refuges in accordance with the project ecologist's risk assessment and relevant approval conditions.

Sheltering habitat: Colony use and movement

Colonies range from about 10 to more than 100 individuals and may contain several social groups. At a high-quality site, a home range of about 16 ha was recorded.

Dispersal between colonies is very limited where intervening habitat is unsuitable. Individuals may nevertheless make regular movements of up to 1.5 km to water.

Colony size: About 10 to more than 100 individuals.

Recorded home range: About 16 ha at one high-quality site.

Movement to water: Up to 1.5 km from core colony areas.

• Survey beyond the immediate construction footprint where rocky habitat, food plants or water could be connected to a colony.
• Maintain safe movement routes between core rocky habitat and regularly used water sources.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks are loss or degradation of rocky habitat, reduced food and water, fragmentation between colonies, introduced predators and competition from livestock and feral herbivores. Construction can increase these risks through direct clearing, rock removal, altered drainage, artificial access and fire.

Clearing vegetation near cliff lines can remove food and cover. Property development and other ground disturbance can reduce habitat and separate colonies.

Fragmented populations are vulnerable to local extinction because movement between colonies is limited, particularly where intervening habitat is unsuitable.

• Avoid clearing rocky outcrops, cliff lines, caves, crevices, ledges and associated Acacia woodland or shrubland.
• Map the full rocky habitat unit, not only the proposed disturbance footprint.
• Prevent new roads, tracks, fences and service corridors from isolating colonies or blocking access to water.

Threats: Grazing and resource depletion

Feral goats, cattle, sheep and wallaroos can compete for food and space. Feral goats overlap strongly with the wallabies' diet and can reduce access to Acacia bushes that sustain animals during dry periods.

Grazing pressure is of particular concern in the more intensively farmed parts of the range and can push other macropods into rock-wallaby habitat.

• Control stock and feral herbivore access around important colonies.
• Monitor vegetation condition, Acacia browse and feral herbivore abundance before and during works.
• Do not assume that rocky habitat is protected from grazing impacts.

Threats: Predators, fire and climate

Fox predation is assessed as severe across the central-western Queensland subspecies' range, with direct evidence of predation and substantial circumstantial evidence of population effects. Feral cats are also a potential threat.

Frequent, extensive or intense fire can reduce food resources and expose refuge-dependent animals to predators. Long periods of low rainfall can reduce recruitment and population viability.

Reduced access to water is a moderate threat in semi-arid Queensland. Artificial water sources may also increase feral predator and herbivore activity, so water management needs to address both access and pest control.

• Include fox and feral cat control in project pest management where these predators threaten a colony.
• Avoid extensive or intense burns near rocky colonies, especially before a long dry period.
• Maintain natural water sources and assess the effect of changes to tanks, dams, drainage and groundwater.
• Control dust, sediment, pollutants and contaminated runoff where they could degrade habitat or water used by wallabies.

Threats: Survey and construction controls

Rock-wallaby surveys require care in steep and unstable terrain. The Australian survey guidance recommends experienced investigators, a minimum of two people for rugged sites and methods that minimise harm, habitat damage and disturbance.

Use desktop records, community consultation, aerial imagery, daytime searches for habitat and signs, basking observations at dawn or dusk, and targeted camera traps at refuges, runs and water sources.

• Complete a pre-clearance habitat inspection before any rock removal, blasting, grading or vegetation clearing.
• Use two experienced field staff in rugged terrain and apply site-specific rock-climbing and rescue procedures where required.
• Do not use helicopters to detect animals where ground searches are practicable, because aircraft can frighten wallabies and may cause falls or injury.
• Stop work and seek ecological advice if a wallaby, pouch young, occupied refuge or fresh colony sign is found within or beside the work area.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop review and habitat search

Survey the full extent of suitable rocky habitat before clearing or construction. Yellow-footed rock-wallabies are mostly nocturnal, shelter in caves and rock crevices, and occur in isolated colonies, so daytime habitat and sign searches should be combined with targeted dawn, dusk and night detection methods.

Map rocky ranges, sandstone tablelands, hills, cliff lines, ledges, caves, boulder fields and nearby Acacia woodland or shrubland before selecting field sites.

Review state wildlife records, museum records, previous ecological reports, aerial imagery and local knowledge, then inspect all suitable rocky habitat on the project site and nearby retained areas.

Treat colonies separated by unsuitable habitat as potentially independent management units because dispersal between colonies is very limited.

Typical refuge habitat: Caves and rock crevices in rugged rocky areas, often along low sandstone tablelands and hills.

Typical colony size: About 10 to more than 100 individuals.

Typical home range at high-quality habitat: About 16 hectares, based on a 95 percent minimum convex polygon.

• Record all caves, rock crevices, ledges, boulder piles, tracks, scats, feeding signs, animals and access routes with a handheld GPS.
• Search mid-level ledges, holes, refuge exits and runs, not only the base of cliffs or easily accessible ground.
• Use at least two experienced investigators where terrain is rugged, and apply rock-climbing and site-safety procedures where required.

Survey methodology: 2. Daytime sign and refuge search

Inspect all suitable rocky habitat during daylight for fresh scats, tracks, feeding signs, worn runs and signs of use around caves, crevices, ledges and boulders.

Use the daytime search to confirm whether habitat is occupied and to identify safe observation points, camera locations and likely refuge exits.

Do not treat the absence of daytime sightings as evidence that the site is unoccupied, because the wallaby usually shelters during the day.

• Walk all accessible rocky habitat and record the searched area, route, search time, weather and visibility.
• Inspect habitat resources at multiple elevations where safe access is available.
• Photograph and GPS each suspected refuge, sign location and colony area before works are designed.

Survey methodology: 3. Dawn and dusk observation

Conduct quiet observations from the ground at dawn or dusk when animals may bask or move between refuges and feeding areas.

Use fixed observation points with views across cliff faces, ledges, boulder fields, water points and likely feeding areas.

Avoid summer or hot-weather observation conditions where possible, because the survey guidance identifies these as unsuitable for basking observations.

• Use ground observation as the preferred method for detecting animals in accessible areas.
• Use aircraft or helicopters only to inspect remote habitat or identify potential survey sites, because aircraft may frighten wallabies and can cause falls or injuries.
• Record the number of animals, age or sex where identifiable, behaviour, location, direction of movement and distance from the proposed disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Night spotlighting and cameras

Use night spotlighting along refuge exits, runs, ledges, boulder fields, water sources and feeding areas because the species is mostly nocturnal.

Use infrared camera traps at refuge exits, known shelter sites, runs and water sources, rather than relying only on a broad grid of cameras.

Where baiting is permitted, place lucerne in an elevated net bag so the camera can show the pouch area, and follow animal welfare, permit and biosecurity requirements.

Reported movement to water: Up to 1.5 kilometres from core colony areas.

• Record survey start and finish times, weather, moon or light conditions, route, observer effort and all detections.
• Leave cameras in place long enough to detect repeated use and report the deployment period, trigger settings, bait and camera locations.
• Use water points as targeted detection locations because individuals have been reported travelling up to 1.5 kilometres from core colony areas to reach water.

Survey methodology: 5. Scat and sign monitoring

Use cleared scat plots or repeatable sign stations where ongoing monitoring of an occupied colony is required.

Define the plot size, transect route, inspection interval and identification method before monitoring starts, and use the same method at each visit.

Have an experienced observer confirm wallaby scats where other macropods occur, particularly wallaroos and other herbivores.

• Clear and photograph each sign station before the first monitoring visit.
• Count and remove or mark new scats consistently at each repeat visit so counts are comparable.
• Use sign counts as an index of activity, not as a direct estimate of population size unless the monitoring design has been validated for the site.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

The supplied guidance does not prescribe a fixed number of nights, trap nights, transect length or camera days for yellow-footed rock-wallaby surveys, so set effort from the amount of suitable rocky habitat, terrain, colony structure and proposed impact area.

Survey every suitable rocky habitat patch that could be affected directly or indirectly, including retained habitat that may receive relocated animals or become isolated by works.

Repeat surveys when weather, access or visibility has limited detection, and document the reason for any departure from the planned effort.

• Record survey dates, start and finish times, personnel, qualifications, methods, GPS tracks, searched area, weather, temperature, wind, rainfall, moon or light conditions, cameras, spotlight routes and all detections.
• Map occupied colonies, suspected colonies, refuge features, water points, movement routes and the distance of each record from the disturbance footprint.
• Submit verified records and spatial data to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, and provide records to the project approvals authority where required.
• Retain photographs, field sheets, camera files, GPS data, permits, animal-handling records and negative-survey evidence with the project environmental records.
• Have a suitably experienced ecologist review the survey design and results before clearing proceeds.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid disturbing occupied colonies and the rocky habitat that supports them. Design the project around refuge areas, feeding resources, water access and movement routes before finalising the clearing boundary.

Retain caves, crevices, ledges, boulder fields, cliff lines, rocky tablelands and adjacent Acacia woodland or shrubland wherever practicable.

Retain links between colony areas and nearby feeding or water areas, because dispersal between colonies is limited and individuals may travel up to 1.5 kilometres to water.

Keep disturbance, lighting, noise, vibration, dust, drainage changes and vehicle access away from occupied refuges and movement routes where practicable.

• Use the survey map to shift the footprint away from occupied colonies and high-quality refuge habitat before construction approval.
• Do not isolate a colony by clearing vegetation or blocking access between rocky habitat patches.
• Protect natural water sources and assess any proposal to close, relocate or alter artificial water points before works begin.
• Do not rely on a generic fauna buffer where a site-specific rocky habitat and movement assessment can define a better exclusion area.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

Confirm whether the project may affect the EPBC Act listed taxon or a relevant subspecies and obtain advice on referral and approval requirements before works commence.

Check state and territory threatened-species listings, wildlife permits, animal ethics requirements and fauna-handling authorisations for the project location.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies occupied colonies, exclusion areas, survey triggers, stop-work rules, handling responsibilities, emergency contacts and reporting requirements.

National listing in the supplied conservation advice: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act for Petrogale xanthopus celeris.

• Include the approved survey results and habitat maps in the construction environmental management plan.
• Stage works so the smallest practical area is opened at one time and retained habitat remains connected and protected.
• Schedule noisy or high-risk works outside periods of known wallaby activity where the site assessment supports that approach.
• Brief supervisors, machinery operators and spotter catchers on the mapped refuges, access restrictions and stop-work procedure before each work stage.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance survey immediately before disturbance, focusing on caves, crevices, boulders, ledges, runs, scats, feeding signs and water points.

Mark exclusion areas, refuge features, access routes and no-go habitat on the ground and in machine control systems.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block movement between retained rocky habitat and essential feeding or water areas, and inspect it before and during works.

• Use low-impact marking methods that do not damage rock refuges or vegetation.
• Fence or flag retained habitat clearly enough for operators to identify it from the cab.
• Remove or relocate stored materials, spoil, waste and temporary lighting that could obstruct movement or attract predators near retained habitat.
• Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher has safe access, a communication link with the operator and authority to stop work.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and supervision

Use a stop-and-check system throughout clearing and construction. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to see the work face, communicate directly with operators and stop machinery before an animal or refuge feature is harmed.

Inspect exclusion fencing, refuge markers, access routes and retained habitat at the start of each shift and after storms, vehicle movements or changes to the work area.

Keep machinery, personnel, spoil, lighting and noise outside marked refuges and exclusion areas unless the approved method specifically allows access.

Use the fauna spotter catcher to check the work face, rock piles, crevices, ledges, caves and vegetation before machinery enters each new area.

• Maintain a clear exclusion zone around occupied or suspected refuges and expand it if fresh signs or animal movement are detected.
• Direct machinery from the edge of the approved clearing area towards previously checked ground, rather than trapping animals against the work face.
• Stop work immediately if the spotter catcher loses sight of the work area, communication with the operator fails or an exclusion control is damaged.
• Keep dogs, unauthorised people and unnecessary vehicles out of retained colony habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna spotter catcher response

The fauna spotter catcher must be appropriately authorised under the relevant state or territory requirements and must use the least stressful safe response.

Do not chase, corner, climb after or handle a wallaby unless the person is authorised, trained and the action is necessary to prevent harm or comply with an approved fauna management plan.

If an animal is found, stop machinery, secure the area, identify the animal and allow it to move to nearby retained habitat where safe to do so.

• Use a qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian for an injured, trapped, heat-stressed or unresponsive animal.
• Relocate an animal only to nearby suitable retained rocky habitat identified in the fauna management plan, and only by an authorised person using an approved method.
• Do not release an animal into an isolated rock patch, unfamiliar habitat or an area exposed to active machinery, predators or heavy human activity.
• Record the animal's location, condition, action taken, release location, time, personnel and any permit or incident number.

During habitat disturbance: Rock and refuge feature handling

Treat caves, crevices, ledges, boulder fields, rock piles and refuge entrances as potential habitat until the fauna spotter catcher has checked them.

Do not blast, crush, seal, fill or dismantle a suspected refuge without project approval, a documented inspection and a safe fauna response.

Retain rocks and boulders in their original arrangement where practicable, because the species shelters in rock crevices and rugged rocky habitat.

• Pause work before moving a large rock, boulder pile or spoil bank that could contain a refuge.
• Inspect both the feature and the surrounding ground after any approved movement of rocks or soil.
• Do not apply hollow-tree, log or wetland procedures as a substitute for rocky-habitat assessment, because the supplied species information identifies rocky refuges as the key shelter feature.
• Prevent runoff, sediment, pollutants and dust from entering retained rocky habitat or water sources.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

Stop work in the affected area when a wallaby is sighted, fresh sign indicates an occupied refuge, an animal is trapped or injured, or works threaten a mapped refuge or movement route.

Stop work after an unplanned collapse, rock fall, fire, spill, flood, barrier failure or other event that could affect a colony or its water access.

Restart only after the fauna spotter catcher, site environmental officer and relevant approval holder have assessed the area and recorded the control decision.

• Report any EPBC or state-listed fauna incident through the project incident system and to the relevant authority where required.
• Record daily searched areas, machinery used, personnel, animal observations, sign observations, injuries, relocations, mortality, stop-work events and corrective actions.
• Keep a current map of cleared areas, retained habitat, exclusion zones, incidents and any changes approved during construction.
• Escalate repeated detections or mortality to the project ecologist so the clearing method, timing or footprint can be reviewed.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Check the completed work area and retained habitat before demobilising fauna controls. Continue monitoring where a colony, water route or refuge has been disturbed or where indirect effects remain possible.

Complete a final ground inspection of the cleared area, adjacent retained rocky habitat, refuge entrances, movement routes and water points.

Check for trapped, injured or displaced animals, damaged exclusion fencing, blocked crevices, unstable rock, new barriers and sediment or pollution impacts.

Remove temporary barriers only after the ecologist confirms that they will not redirect animals into machinery areas, roads or unsafe ground.

• Search the edge of the disturbance and all retained habitat interfaces for fresh scats, tracks, feeding signs and animals.
• Reinspect any rock feature or refuge that was exposed, moved or partly damaged during works.
• Repair or isolate hazards before allowing normal access, vehicle movement or night lighting.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and adaptive controls

Monitor occupied or potentially affected colonies with repeatable sign checks, spotlighting and targeted camera traps at refuges, runs and water sources.

Compare post-work detections with the pre-work locations and effort, and interpret changes alongside rainfall, temperature, fire and grazing conditions.

Increase monitoring or reinstate exclusion controls if animals move into active work areas, if sign declines sharply or if access to water or refuge habitat has changed.

• Use the same routes, camera locations, observation points and sign definitions where the purpose is to compare activity over time.
• Record monitoring effort and conditions so a change in detections is not mistaken for a population change caused by the project.
• Monitor feral predators, feral herbivores, livestock access, vegetation condition and fire effects where these pressures occur near the affected colony.
• Maintain protection of retained habitat and water access for the period specified in the approval or fauna management plan.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and offsets

Submit verified records, incident reports, monitoring results and spatial data to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and approval authorities where required.

Report any injury, mortality, failed relocation, refuge damage or unapproved habitat disturbance under the project approval and fauna management plan.

Assess offsets only where required by the approval decision or applicable legislation, and ensure any offset protects suitable rocky habitat and addresses the same affected taxon or subspecies.

• Include methods, effort, dates, weather, maps, photographs, camera records, animal-handling details, outcomes and limitations in the final fauna report.
• State whether the project affected a colony, refuge, movement route, water source or habitat quality, rather than reporting only the number of animals seen.
• Keep monitoring and incident records available for audit and future surveys.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore rocky habitat and food resources

Rehabilitation should restore connected rocky habitat around retained colonies and remove the conditions that increase competition and predation. Set objectives from the pre-disturbance habitat map and measure whether wallabies can use the restored area safely.

Reinstate native Acacia woodland or shrubland and other locally appropriate native vegetation beside rocky refuges, cliff lines and movement routes.

Use local provenance species suited to the site and protect plantings from livestock, feral goats and other herbivores until vegetation is established.

Re-form or retain stable rock piles, boulder fields, ledges and crevice structure only where the design is safe and approved, and do not create unstable features that could collapse or trap animals.

• Reconnect retained rocky patches with native vegetation and avoid creating narrow cleared corridors that expose wallabies to predators.
• Do not place spoil, mulch, fencing or drainage structures across known runs, refuge entrances or routes to water.
• Use weed control methods that do not poison, smoke out or block occupied refuges.
• Reinstate natural drainage and protect natural water sources from sediment, pollutants and uncontrolled livestock access.

Rehabilitation actions: Predator, grazing and fire management

Control foxes and feral cats around priority colonies using methods approved for the site and minimise adverse effects on wallabies and other native fauna.

Reduce livestock, feral goat and other feral herbivore access around important subpopulations so food resources and vegetation condition can recover.

Manage fire to maintain vegetation heterogeneity and reduce frequent, extensive or intense fires across refuge-dependent habitat.

• Coordinate predator and herbivore control with neighbouring land managers where animals move beyond the project boundary.
• Monitor vegetation abundance, grazing pressure, predator activity and fire incidence at affected colonies.
• Do not close or remove a water source without assessing the reported reliance of semi-arid Queensland populations on free water and identifying an approved alternative.

Rehabilitation actions: Habitat features and monitoring success

Prioritise natural rocky refuges rather than relying on nest boxes, hollow-bearing trees or artificial shelters, because the supplied species advice identifies caves and rock crevices as its daytime shelter.

Use artificial refuges only where a qualified ecologist demonstrates that they address a documented habitat loss and the design, placement and monitoring are approved.

Monitor restored areas for wallaby presence, refuge use, movement between habitat patches, vegetation recovery, predator activity, grazing pressure and fire effects.

Suggested movement and water assessment distance: Assess access to water and connected habitat at least in relation to reported movements of up to 1.5 kilometres from core colony areas.

• Set success measures before rehabilitation starts, including survival of planted native vegetation, stable refuge structure, open movement routes, protected water access and repeated wallaby detections.
• Use targeted cameras, dawn or dusk observations and repeatable scat or sign stations at restored refuges and movement routes.
• Compare monitoring results with the pre-disturbance baseline and continue management until the agreed success measures are met.
• Record failed plantings, erosion, weed invasion, refuge instability, predator activity and any need for supplementary works.

Sources

• T, Australian Government DCCEEW: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/87608-conservation-advice-05052016.pdf
• FOI 25570, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/25570.pdf
• Petrogale xanthopus (yellow-footed rock wallaby), animaldiversity.org: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Petrogale_xanthopus/
• Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened mammals, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/survey-guidelines-mammals.pdf