Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346:reg:5:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 1/2)
Character Range: 73767–76818

5               Guidance for decision makers
Under the EPBC Act, an action will require approval from the Minister if the action has, will have, or is likely to have a 'significant impact' on a matter of national environmental significance, such as a listed threatened species. An action is likely to have a significant impact where it may adversely affect the long-term recovery of the Spiny Rice-flower. The Spiny Rice-flower is sensitive to drastic environmental changes often resulting from development action and is sensitive to certain development activities due to its: isolated, fragmented and restricted distribution, small and declining populations, degraded habitat, and low level of recruitment.
All development proposals and activities within the current (Map 1) and future modelled Spiny Rice-flower distribution that will, or are likely, to result in a decline in the national population should be referred to the Commonwealth government for assessment under the EPPBC Act (see Recovery Actions Table 2). Actions that may require approval under the EPBC Act include but are not limited to actions that result in the loss or reduction of a population or individuals, further clearance, fragmentation or degradation of known or likely and habitat critical to the survival of the species.
The Commonwealth Significant impact guidelines for the critically endangered Spiny Rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens) (DEWHA 2009) have been developed to support stakeholders including decision makers, developers, and assessors, to determine whether a proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on the Spiny Rice-flower across its range. These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Significant impact guidelines 1.1 - Matters of National Environmental Significance (DEWHA 2013).
Significant impact thresholds for the Spiny Rice-flower are found in the Significant impact guidelines for the Spiny Rice-flower, and include the following:
    * Any loss of individuals from any population which occurs on the edge of the Spiny Rice-flower's current known distribution is likely to represent a significant impact.
    * Recruitment in Spiny Rice-flower appears to be the overriding limiting factor. Therefore, the following cases are likely to represent a significant impact:
              the loss of more than 5 individuals from a population
              removal of between 40% and 60% of the male plants from a population
    * Any fragmentation of a population. Fragmentation may include but is not limited to partial clearing that leads to isolated smaller patches and/or the introduction of a physical barrier to plant dispersal (for example solid fences, transport corridors, walking tracks, easements).
    * The limited dispersal ability of Spiny Rice-flower pollinators (<100m) will limit its genetic influence and movement between non-habitat to habitat areas.
    * Avoidance measures should be the primary strategies for managing the potential impact of a proposed action, followed by mitigation of