Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713:body:0:p34
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 163706–166698

degrades, and fragments habitat and areas supporting recovery (Woinarski & Burbidge 2016; CITES 2019). Coastal development includes – but is not limited to – urban and industrial estates, mining, sea- and air-ports, and infrastructure to support the built environment. Land clearance, including for houses, buildings, roads and mines, is a recognised Key Threatening Process for threatened species in Australia.
Most proposed development activities in coastal Queensland and the Northern Territory – including urban, commercial, infrastructure, and agricultural development – must consider the water mouse as part of an impact assessment and approvals process. The extent to which the water mouse is, and may continue to be, affected by coastal development was highlighted in 2015 by the development of species-specific guidelines to assist with preparing referrals and impact assessments that may affect the water mouse.
Canal housing estates and other significant changes to the banks and flow of coastal waterways for coastal development are of particular concern for the water mouse (Van Dyck et al. 2006; Benfer et al. 2011; Kaluza 2013; 2016a; 2016e).
There is some indication that the water mouse has the capacity to persist in habitats where adjacent areas are converted for agriculture (Kaluza et al. 2016), but not where there has been rapid and extensive change to adjacent areas for urban and commercial development (Ball 2004; Van Dyck et al. 2006).
Compounding threats
Coastal development creates additional threats to water mouse persistence that compound the impacts of direct habitat loss. These include:
    * Significant fragmentation due to the loss of linear coastal habitat strips and intrusive development into mangrove habitat over the last 100-200 years. The loss of connectivity between the Coomera River and other water mouse locations resulted in recent restrictions to gene flow and reduced fitness (Benfer et al. 2011). Coastal development also creates barriers to recolonisation after natural or human disturbance. There is a real risk of water mouse locations becoming isolated and genetically compromised on the central and southern Queensland coast (Benfer et al. 2011). The degree of water mouse population fragmentation from coastal development is unknown.
    * Increased potential for habitat and water quality degradation due to stagnation of water, disturbance of acid sulfate soils, chemical leaching and waterway pollution, waste-water treatment, and increased use of insecticides for mosquito control (Ball 2004; Van Dyck et al. 2006; Gynther & Janetzki 2008; Gynther 2011; Duke et al. 2015; Kaluza 2019).
    * Food resource depletion due to stormwater runoff changing water quality and flow (Ball et al. 2004; 2013; Kaluza & Bolzenius 2015), and to narrowing of the intertidal mangrove and saltmarsh zone (Kaluza 2013). In the Mackay region, an increase in common point stormwater discharge from urban development resulted in a significant decline