Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01376:reg:6969080:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01376
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 6969080 (pt 2/3)
Character Range: 70625–73703

to fire, however, the known sensitivity of commercial Macadamias (O'Hare 2004), suggests application of the precautionary principle.

Distribution
Macadamia tetraphylla is endemic to eastern Australia, with a known national distribution of scattered populations extending from Mt Cotton south of Brisbane to the Richmond River in northern NSW at an altitudinal range of 30–800 m ASL. Much of the habitat in which it naturally occurs has been almost entirely cleared, significantly altering the original pattern of distribution of the species.
In NSW, the extant distribution of M. tetraphylla is:
    * in the Tweed Valley, on the slopes and along tributaries draining Wollumbin (Mount Warning) and in the Border Ranges from the coast to Numinbah
    * within the area of the former Big Scrub, including the western and southern foot slopes of the Nightcap Ranges and Whian Whian State Forest, extending north along the east facing slopes and foothills and adjacent lowland areas of Mt Jerusalem National Park to Mooball
    * a cluster of populations occurs on the southern scarp of the Alstonville Plateau near Dalwood.
In Queensland, the range of M. tetraphylla extends north from the border with NSW along the coastal ranges and valleys to Mt Cotton south east of Brisbane; a distance of approximately 40 km.
Across its range a relatively large number of M. tetraphylla individuals are located in or adjacent to road reserves in disturbed landscapes dominated by the weed tree species camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora); these individuals are potentially important in maintaining connectivity among populations. In addition, M. tetraphylla was frequently inter-planted with banana trees in early banana plantations and survive in the recovering landscape where agricultural activities have long been abandoned.
The occupied habitat is approximately 750 ha, and the modelled extent of available habitat is approximately 48,000 ha within an area of 2,400 km2. Total population size is estimated to be between 1,500–3,000 mature individuals within approximately 60 key populations with 10–100 mature specimens at each locality. Further surveys will improve knowledge of population size and distribution.

Habitat critical to the survival of the species
Macadamia tetraphylla is found in several vegetation communities, including complex notophyll vine forest, littoral rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests. In Queensland, M. tetraphylla is identified in the Queensland Herbarium REDD as occurring in three Least Concern (VMA 1999) rainforest regional ecosystems (RE 12.8.3, 12.11.10 and 12.12.16). In NSW, M. tetraphylla is categorised as a site-managed species under the DPIE Saving our Species Program and occurs in the following seven vegetation classes and four Endangered Ecological Communities (BCA 2016):
    * NSW Vegetation Class
          Coastal Floodplain Wetlands
          Coastal Swamp Forests
          Dry Rainforests
          Littoral Rainforests
          North Coast Wet Sclerophyll Forests
          Northern Escarpment Wet Sclerophyll Forests
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