Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00432:reg:3:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00432
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 10/14)
Character Range: 44765–47789

Bilby (Bradley et al. 2015). The Greater Bilby largely now occurs as small groups which are fragments of the former distribution across which gene flow occurred. Each of these groups is important and under pressure.
As the Greater Bilby is intended to be managed as a metapopulation, the local cultural significance of each occurrence, and the lack of information of population structure, the concept of 'important populations' (where one occurrence of the Greater Bilby is deemed to be of more value than another) is not relevant to the overall conservation of the Greater Bilby. However, this does not preclude particular populations being considered more important for the purpose of meeting specific conservation objectives or being identified as priorities for investment by individual conservation managers. A metapopulation is a group of populations that are separated by space but consist of the same species. These spatially separated populations interact as individual members move from one population to another, noting that movement between fenced populations or isolated or widely separated populations will require translocation - human assisted movement - of bilbies.

3.9                 Habitat summary
The information presented here is a small subset of the extensive information available on the habitat of the Greater Bilby. It is provided as an introductory summary for those unfamiliar with the species. For a fuller understanding of bilbies habitat, please refer to both the published literature and consult those with expertise in the species, including Indigenous experts.
Historically, bilbies occurred in a wide range of climatic zones, soil, vegetation types, and landforms across much of Australia. Vegetation types used by bilbies included eucalypt open forest and woodland in south-western WA; the South Western Slopes bioregion and the Southern Tablelands of NSW (Fleming pers. comm.); around Adelaide, SA; tall shrublands and open woodlands in semi-arid regions; and hummock grasslands across arid Australia (Abbott 2001; Southgate 1990b). The habitats used by the remaining wild bilbies vary between both sites and regions in which bilbies persist. They now occupy a range of habitats including: open tussock grassland on uplands and hills; mulga (Acacia aneura sens. lat.) woodland/shrubland growing on ridges and rises; and hummock grassland on plains and in alluvial areas (Woinarski et al. 2014, Skroblin et al. 2017). Bilby distribution is limited by the availability of soils suitable for burrowing, such as sandy areas, where burrow excavation is easier (Southgate 1990b; Moseby & O'Donnell 2003).
Habitats in the central desert area include salt lake margins (especially those supporting Bush onion (Cyperus bulbosus), areas with laterite (concreted, iron-rich rock layers), areas of rock features, and sandplains dominated by spinifex or mulga (Southgate et al. 2007; Paltridge 2016). In the Tanami Desert, bilby occurrence is strongly associated with substrate type (less abundant