Endangered ecological communities

Overview

A healthy Ecological Community is a naturally occurring group of diverse native plants, animals and other organisms living in a unique habitat whose natural interactions and relationships, combined with the natural elements, maintain healthy ecosystems.

An Endangered Ecological Community (EEC):

This high risk of extinction can occur because of a significant reduction in its distribution across regions or a decline in ecological function.

Shoalhaven Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs)

Shoalhaven local government area (LGA) has 16 Endangered Ecological Communities listed under the NSW BC Act and 11 Endangered Ecological Communities listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.

Shoalhaven’s 16 known EECs

This list of our EECs includes links to their NSW threatened species profiles.

  1. Bangalay Sand Forest in the Sydney Basin and the South East Corner Bioregions
  2. Coastal Saltmarsh in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and the South East Corner Bioregions
  3. Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Bioregions
  4. Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Bioregion
  5. Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest in the Sydney Bioregion
  6. Littoral Rainforest in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
  7. Lowland Grassy Woodland in the South East Corner Bioregion
  8. Milton Ulladulla Subtropical Rainforest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
  9. River-flat Eucalypt Forest on the Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
  10. Robertson Basalt Tall Open Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
  11. Robertson Rainforest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
  12. Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
  13. Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on the Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
  14. Tablelands Basalt Forest on the Coastal Floodplains in the Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
  15. Tablelands Snow Gum, Black Mallee, Candlebark and Ribbon Gum in the South East Highlands, Sydney Basin, South East Corner, South Western Slopes Bioregions
  16. White Box, Yellow and Blakely's Red Gum Woodland

Find out more

This report is based on an extensive mapping and ground truthing (information gained by direct observation) project conducted between 2007-2010 where 11 EECs were identified on Council Managed Land.

Programs to protect our EECs

Council supports Parkcare and Bushcare programs that provide opportunities for members of the community to participate in the maintenance, repair, protection and enhancement of reserves.

The 2010 Endangered Ecological Community mapping shows the occurrence of EECs and provides guidance to staff and volunteers when developing and implementing work plans within Council reserves.