Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082:reg:1:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 10/30)
Character Range: 30808–42964

Distribution                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Tenure                                           Threats
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Small population

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      National Parks                                   Inappropriate habitat management

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Travelling stock routes                          Prolonged drought
                 Riverina region of south-western NSW, in the area bounded by the Cobb Highway between Deniliquin and Willandra National Park to the west, Narrandera and Urana to the east, and Billabong Creek to the south. Known, scattered records from and to the south of Deniliquin.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Privately-owned lands                            Wildfire
New South Wales  Occasional sighting in grasslands and other veg types in western NSW.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Commonwealth Defence Land                        Habitat loss

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      RailCorp land                                    Feral predators

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Pesticide use

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Small population

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Habitat loss

                 Northern Plains in north-central Victoria, which surrounds Terrick Terrick National Park, Bael Bael Nature Conservation Reserve and Trust for Nature's Wanderers Plain, bounded by the Murray Valley Highway to the north, the Northern Highway to the east, Birchip in the west, and the wooded foothills to the south.             National Parks and Nature Conservation Reserves  Inappropriate habitat management

Victoria         Victorian Volcanic Plain.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Trust for Nature managed lands                   Flooding

                 Western Grassland Reserve immediately west of Melbourne.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Privately-owned lands                            Quail hunting

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Feral predators

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Pesticide use

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Small population
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      National Parks

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Inappropriate habitat management
Queensland       Channel country in the far west of the state, with records concentrated in the northern reaches of Astrebla Downs National Park, the southern reaches of Diamantina Lakes National Park, and on Sandringham Station, and with scattered records of the species in native grasslands extending east and south-west from this region.  Privately-owned lands

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Feral predators
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Leasehold land

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Lack of knowledge of distribution of key populations and habitat

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Small population

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Bush Heritage Australia  managed  land           Inappropriate habitat management
South Australia  Willochra Plain north-east of Quorn, and in some adjacent areas of the southern Flinders Ranges, and north of the Barrier Highway (and west of Broken Hill) on Kalabity, Boolcoomatta, Bundera and Mulyungarie Stations, also irregularly occurs in the arid regions of northern South Australia.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Privately-owned lands                            Feral predators

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Lack of knowledge of distribution of key populations and habitat

Figure 2: Modelled distribution of the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus)

4 Threats

4.1 Historical causes of decline
Historically, the major factor contributing to the decline of the plains-wanderer was habitat loss as a result of the widespread conversion of lowland native grasslands to crops and dense introduced pastures (Baker-Gabb, 1998; Bennett, 1983). The loss of habitat has been widespread and extensive, and has caused the distribution of the species to contract markedly. The plains-wanderer is now locally-extinct or near extinct in coastal and sub-coastal areas in all four states in which it is known to occur, and is mainly confined to small inland areas that are subject to grazing (Baker-Gabb, 1998, 2002b; Bennett, 1983; Blakers et al., 1984; Llewellyn, 1975).

4.2 Current threatening processes

4.2.1 Habitat loss
Habitat loss is an ongoing threat for