Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153:body:0:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2019L00153
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 17698–20616

palms (Livistona spp.) and large-leaved epiphytes tend to be rare, except in the Wet Tropics where they are abundant (Worboys 2006), while strangler figs are common across the range of the ecological community with the exception of Victoria.

1.2      Distribution
Littoral Rainforest occurs primarily within two kilometres of the coast or adjacent to a large salt water body, such as an estuary. The listed portion of the ecological community is distributed as a series of scattered and fragmented patches from Princess Charlotte Bay on southern Cape York, Queensland to East Gippsland in Victoria, including on estuarine and offshore islands (Figure 1). However, the actual extent of littoral rainforest is known to extend beyond these boundaries. Based on available mapping data, the historical, pre-clearing extent (circa 1750) of the ecological community is estimated to have been between approximately 35 000 ha and 67 000 ha (BAAM 2013). At the time of listing, the extent of Littoral Rainforest was estimated to be approximately 18 000 ha (TSSC 2008). More recent mapping data indicate that the current extent of Littoral Rainforest may be larger than the 2008 estimate (BAAM 2013).
The total area of Littoral Rainforest in Victoria is under 300 ha (TSSC 2008). It occurs in the East Gippsland region from the Nicholson River to the west along the coastal strip to the eastern shore of Mallacoota Inlet near the New South Wales border (DEPI 2014). The total area in New South Wales is approximately 1600 ha (TSSC 2008). Many, but not all, stands of Littoral Rainforest in New South Wales have been included in mapping within the State Environmental Planning Policy No 26—Littoral Rainforests. The total area in Queensland is approximately 16 000 ha (TSSC 2008). In parts of Queensland, Littoral Rainforest is also referred to as 'beach scrub'. Area estimates vary depending on whether only vegetation units that wholly correspond with the ecological community definition are included or whether those that partially correspond are also included.

1.3      Objective and strategies
The overarching objective of the Recovery Plan is to:
      * Provide for the management and research actions necessary to stop the decline, and support the recovery, of Littoral Rainforest so that its chances of long term survival are maximised.

The primary threats to Littoral Rainforest are human mediated as they are either a direct result of human activity (e.g. habitat clearing, degradation from human activity) or an indirect consequence of human actions (e.g. feral animals and weeds, climate change).

The following strategies are designed to achieve the Recovery Plan objective:
Strategy 1: Implement planning, regulatory policies and actions to protect Littoral Rainforest
Relevant for: Australian, state and local government, Indigenous land managers, NRM bodies, private land owners/managers and industry bodies.