Two important habitat areas for the endangered spotted-tail quolls and gang-gang cockatoos have now been listed as Threatened Ecological Communities under NSW's environment legislation.
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Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest and Brogo West Vine Forest are now listed as TECs, which provides these two historically cleared and at-risk habitats, as well as the animals that live within them, legal protection against further decline.
Humane Society International made the case for the endangered listings in 2020 as the "two critical habitats face significant threats from land clearing, habitat fragmentation, overgrazing, and the impacts of introduced pest species such as prickly pear" according to a HSI spokesperson.
"Increased frequency of bushfires and severe droughts have further strained these ecological communities," they said.
"Koalas, spotted-tailed quolls, powerful owls, gang-gang cockatoos, flame robins, regent honeyeaters, swift parrots, brush-tailed rock wallabies, and a host of native frogs will all benefit from the increased protection and recovery prioritisation afforded to these two critical habitats."
Helen Church, Program Officer for Humane Society International, praised the decision to list the two habitats as TECs.
"The Araluen Scarp Grassy Forest and Brogo Wet Vine Forest have both been under immense pressure from agricultural activities and heavy cattle grazing being undertaken within the region," she said.
"It is a relief to see such a large region of habitat gain legal protection."
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage as an "open forest or grassy woodland dominated by Maiden's Gum, Yellow Box, and Forest Red Gum in the canopy", and Brogo West Vine Forest as "tall forest with a sparse small tree layer, open shrub layer and grassy ground layer" with Forest Red Gum as the dominant tree species.
