Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00106:body:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00106
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 26865–29732

The maximum age potential for Macquarie perch is at least 30 years (Tonkin/Vic DELWP unpub. data, cited in ARI pers. comm., 2017) and could potentially be older. The species is relatively long-lived, recent reports of fish from Victoria aged up to 28 and 30 years for males and females respectively (Tonkin/Vic DELWP unpub. data, cited in ARI pers. comm., 2017).
Age and growth studies of Macquarie perch from Lake Dartmouth were undertaken by Cadwallader (1984), Douglas et al. (2002) and Tonkin et al. (2014). The initial research by Cadwallader (1984) found after eggs hatch, growth can be rapid, with a five-year-old fish being 380 mm.

    4.2 Habitat

Historically, using the altitudinal zonation definitions of the 'Sustainable Rivers Audit' (Davies et al., 2008; 2012; MDBA 2017), which were utilised by Trueman (2011), across the Murray-Darling Basin the Macquarie perch was abundant in the upland zones of rivers (400–700 m a.s.l.), sometimes extending into the montane zone (>700 m a.s.l.). The species was usually abundant in slope zones (200–400 m a.s.l.); and occurred sporadically in lowland habitats (<200 m a.s.l.), generally at higher altitudes of the lowland zone (Trueman 2011).
The species was historically locally abundant in the Barmah Lakes and the Edward River, on the New South Wales/Victoria border, showing that it could inhabit lowland areas (Trueman 2011). However, evidence indicates it was rare in the Murray River, downstream of Barmah Lakes, and almost unknown in the South Australian reaches of the Murray River (Cadwallader 1979; Lintermans 2007; Trueman 2011). Overall, the historical evidence and the breeding biology of the Macquarie perch indicate it was a species primarily of the upland and slope zones in New South Wales, but in Victoria the species did extend in high abundances into lowland zones of the major tributaries of the Murray River Trueman 2011). The Victorian tributaries of the Murray River do not have the relatively long stretches of river length in the lowland zone as do the New South Wales Murray-Darling Basin rivers such as the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and Macquarie.
In Seven Creeks, Victoria, Cadwallader (1979) noted that Macquarie perch were found where aquatic vegetation was usually present with additional cover provided by large boulders, debris and overhanging banks; and where steep rock faces, well vegetated banks and open eucalypt woodland typically provided shade. Brumley et al. (1987) found that Macquarie perch habitat sites in rivers consisted of a rubble substrate of small boulders, pebbles and gravel. Additionally, water depth was between 0.2–0.9 m (usually 0.4–0.6 m) and water velocity was between 0.3–0.6 m/sec. Brumley et al. (1987) also found that habitat areas often have a pool (usually 15–30 m long and at least 1.5 m deep) immediately upstream and fast-flowing broken water