Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858:body:0:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 40019–43075

habitats may provide a temporary refugia when more preferred habitat is no longer available and should also be considered habitat critical to the survival.

Detrimental actions in areas supporting recovery are likely to interfere with the long-term persistence of the Black-breasted Button-quail.

Habitat critical to the survival of Black-breasted Button-quail occurs across a wide range of land tenures, including freehold land and reserves, publicly owned forests, state reserves and national parks (including K'gari World Heritage Area). It is essential that the locations where the species regularly occurs is given the highest protection and conservation measures target these productive habitats.

In order to increase the Black-breasted Button-quail area of occupancy and population size all currently occupied areas should be protected (not cleared); areas that could potentially be occupied should not be cleared and should be restored; and areas that will be needed in the future should not be cleared and should possibly be restored.

No Critical Habitat as defined under section 207A of the EPBC Act has been identified or included in the Register of Critical Habitat.

Key considerations in environmental impact assessments

When considering habitat loss, alteration or likely degradation to habitat in any part of the Black-breasted Button-quail range, including in areas where the species 'may occur', surveys for occupancy at the appropriate times of the year and identifying preferred habitat remain an important tool in refining understanding of the area's relative importance for the species. The species' pattern of habitat use means that both recent survey data and historical records need to be considered when assessing the relative importance of a local area or region for Black-breasted Button-quail. Surveys should be designed to take account of the cryptic nature of the species (e.g., camera traps).

Black-breasted Button-quail also utilise patches of introduced weeds (Lantana and sometimes Privet; particularly when associated with the above vegetation types), and Hoop Pine plantations with dense understorey (generally adjacent to the above-listed forest types). These disturbed habitats are quite important for the species in some areas. For the purposes of this recovery plan, these modified habitats are not considered 'habitat critical to the survival' of Black-breasted Button-quail. However, logging, clearing or weeding of these areas may pose a risk to small populations of button-quail and should be carried out sensitively. Land managers need to ensure that weed control measures include strategic, staged replacement of weed thickets with native plant species that form similarly dense patches of habitat.

Habitat critical to the survival of the species should not be destroyed or modified. Actions that have indirect impacts on habitat critical to the survival should be minimised and adequately mitigated (e.g. noise). Actions that compromise adult and juvenile survival should also be avoided, for example,