Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713:body:0:p42
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 184943–190472

progresses (Ward et al. 2020; State of Queensland 2021). Fire is unlikely to impact mangrove habitat (Woinarski & Winderlich 2014).
Figure 24: Burnt water mouse mud mound and surrounding habitat.
Source: © Ian Gynther (Donnybrook in the Pumicestone Passage).

4.10            Weeds
Weeds have the potential to degrade water mouse habitat, particularly mimosa (Mimosa pigra) and olive hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) in the Northern Territory, and lantana (Lantana camara) and groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia) in southeast Queensland (Woinarski et al. 2003; Kaluza 2016c; ASRAC 2017). Introduced pasture grasses in northern Australia fuel intense and unmanageable seasonal fires (Setterfield et al. 2010) that can spread into water mouse habitat. Invasion of northern Australia by Gamba Grass and other introduced grasses, including olive hymenachne, is a recognised Key Threatening Process for threatened species in Australia.

4.11            Distribution of threats
The presence and relative impact of threats to the water mouse vary significantly across this species' broad distribution. Each of the threats has been assessed to determine the risk posed to the regional water mouse population using a risk matrix (Table 2). The risk matrix considers the likelihood of an incident occurring and the consequences of that incident. Table 3 provides an indicative summary of relative threat risk for each of five regions across the water mouse distribution.
Table 2: Risk matrix
Likelihood of occurrence  Consequences
Not significant           Minor         Moderate  Major      Catastrophic
Almost certain            Low           Moderate  Very High  Very High     Very High
Likely                    Low           Moderate  High       Very High     Very High
Possible                  Low           Moderate  High       Very High     Very High
Unlikely                  Low           Low       Moderate   High          Very High
Rare or Unknown           Low           Low       Moderate   High          Very High

Table 3: Indicative summary of threat impacts across the water mouse distribution.
Region                                                                                Risk level                                                                                                          Threats
South-east Qld: Coomera to Noosa                                                      Very high                                                                                                           Coastal development, rapid sea-level rise, European red fox, chemical pollution.
High                                                                                  Feral pig, cat, oil spill, cropping.
Moderate                                                                              Prolonged and/or extreme inundation, cattle, fire, aquaculture.
Low                                                                                   Mangrove dieback, weeds, horse.
Unknown                                                                               Plastic pollution.
Not relevant                                                                          Saltwater intrusion, water buffalo.
South-central Qld: Noosa to Gladstone                                                 Very high                                                                                                           European red fox, feral pig.
High                                                                                  Coastal development, rapid sea-level rise, chemical pollution, cat, cattle, oil spill.
Moderate                                                                              Aquaculture, prolonged and/or extreme inundation, fire.
Low                                                                                   Cropping, weeds, horse.
Unknown                                                                               Plastic pollution, saltwater intrusion, mangrove dieback.
Not relevant                                                                          Water buffalo.
Central Qld: Gladstone to Cannonvale, including Mackay                                Very high                                                                                                           Coastal development, rapid sea-level rise, feral pig, chemical pollution.
High                                                                                  Prolonged and/or extreme inundation, cropping, European red fox, cat, oil spill.
Moderate                                                                              Cattle, aquaculture.
Low                                                                                   Fire.
Unknown                                                                               Horse, plastic pollution, weeds, mangrove dieback.
Not relevant                                                                          Saltwater intrusion, water buffalo.
North Qld: Cannonvale to Cooktown                                                     Very high                                                                                                           Feral pig.
High                                                                                  Coastal development, rapid sea-level rise, cat, prolonged and/or extreme inundation, cropping, chemical pollution.
Moderate                                                                              Oil