Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153:body:0:p26
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 70971–74050

to retreat, where available, in the face of sea-level rise (Murphy et al., 2016).
Buffer areas are classified as those that experience inundation of moderate frequency (200-1000 year ARI) and are generally located behind the leading edge or other coastal vegetation such as mangroves. Buffer vegetation can provide connectivity between leading edge and refugial vegetation and help enhance the resilience of leading edges through the provision of a seed source for natural regeneration. Managers should seek to reduce pressures (e.g. invasive species and visitor disturbance) on buffer vegetation and, where necessary, restore degraded areas (Murphy et al., 2016). It should be noted that "buffer" vegetation as defined here refers to within-patch areas of Littoral Rainforest and differs from the "buffer zones" discussed in Section 3.6, which relate to development buffers that should be applied outside patches of Littoral Rainforest.
Refugial areas are classified as those that experience infrequent inundation (>10 000 year ARI) and thus have the greatest capacity to persist in the long-term in the face of potential sea-level rises and increased frequency of storm surges. Management should focus on the incorporation of these areas into National Parks or formal reserves, where not already occurring, and revegetation activities to increase patch size and decrease fragmentation, in addition to threat reduction measures and the restoration of degraded patches (Murphy et al., 2016).

3.4      Guidance for identification and assessment
Condition varies between patches of Littoral Rainforest owing to the previous and ongoing threats and pressures applying. The listed Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia ecological community comprises those patches that meet the key diagnostic characteristics and the condition thresholds described within the Commonwealth Listing Advice on Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vine Thickets of Eastern Australia (TSSC 2008a), with specific reference to Attachment A from the Listing Advice, the Flora Species of Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Vince Thickets of Eastern Australia by Bioregion (TSSC 2008b).The key diagnostic characteristics are described below.

Key Diagnostic Characteristics
      * The ecological community occurs in the following IBRA bioregions: Cape York Peninsula (from Princess Charlotte Bay southwards), Wet Tropics, Central Mackay Coast, South Eastern Queensland, New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner.

      * Patches of the ecological community occur within two kilometres of the east coast, including offshore islands, or adjacent to a large body of salt water, such as an estuary, where they are subject to maritime influence.

      * The structure of the ecological community typically is a closed canopy of trees that can be interspersed with canopy gaps that are common in exposed situations or with storm events. Usually, several vegetation strata are present. However, where there is extreme exposure to salt laden winds, these strata may merge