Revised Northern Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) Habitat Models 2008

This is a collection of 62 fauna species habitat quality models for North-Eastern NSW. They are a mixture of 100m and 25m grids stored in MGA Zone 56 projection. These revised models (2007-08) are derived from data prepared for the Upper and Lower North East regions (UNE, LNE) during the Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) in 1998-99 (see https://iar.environment.nsw.gov.au/dataset/habitat-models-for-the-northern-comprehensive-regional-assessment-cra-1999). Data updated by this project were provided at a scale appropriate for regional planning and extended the CRA ‘public land only’ models across all tenures.

Important note: the final report accompanying this data is not available. This asset description has been generated based on the recommendations made in the "Finalisation of the RACAC Project: Updating UNE and LNE ecosystems data for planning, 2004" report.

The new fauna habitat models were produced as part of the finalisation of the Resource and Conservation Assessment Council (RACAC) project. The objective of this project was to provide the best possible data as a basis for conservation planning and management across all land tenures by updating the data layers from the CRA (1999). It was recognised in the CRA outcomes that some work was not completed, and some of the fauna models could be greatly improved. It was recommended that the revised models were developed with input from experts with knowledge of the species habitat in NE NSW.

A subset of the CRA fauna models were selected for remodelling. The report recommended that candidate species for remodelling be selected by application of the following criteria: • forested and non-forested habitats • conservation status of species • tenure covered by CRA model • quality of CRA model • contribution to species assemblages important for conservation planning • adequacy of existing data • availability, quality, and distribution of new data • type of new data (presence/absence, presence only) • potential for model improvement (role of new environmental data) • available budget

The focus of the original CRA modelling was on species vulnerable to habitat disturbance. In selecting species for remodelling, it was recommended that priority be given to species formally listed as ‘endangered' or ‘vulnerable’ under the TSC Act (1995) or those species with regional populations considered at risk. The report also recommended that consideration be given to modelling some species under various scenarios for predicted climate change, as well as species with models originally confined to public land (approximately 25%). The report states that the aim of modelling a subset of species would be to guide effort on the development of high-quality models as opposed to spreading effort across all species.

See Appendix 2 (pg.29-35) in report for a full summary of fauna habitat models developed for the CRA process and comments regarding recommendations for prioritisation of species for remodelling.

The report outlining options for the completion of the RACAC project (Finalisation of the RACAC Project: Updating UNE and LNE ecosystems data for planning, 2004) expands on the recommendations for updating the CRA fauna habitat models. The report is stored for internal access under P:\Corporate\Products\Biodiversity\Habitat\HabitatModels_CRA_Nthn

Finalisation of the RACAC Project: Updating UNE and LNE ecosystems data for planning, 2004. Prepared by North East EPRD CADU October 2004.

Please see the associated data and official report (1999) for description of initial model development: https://iar.environment.nsw.gov.au/dataset/habitat-models-for-the-northern-comprehensive-regional-assessment-cra-1999

The following 51 fauna habitats were modelled in both the CRA project (1999) and in the finalisation of the RACAC project (2008): • 0021 Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove • 0023 Superb Fruit-Dove • 0183 Black-necked Stork • 0196 Black Bittern • 0248 Powerful Owl • 0250 Masked Owl • 0253 Sooty Owl • 0351 Albert's Lyrebird • 0355 Rufous Scrub-bird • 0376 White-eared Monarch • 0610 Mangrove Honeyeater • 1008 Tiger Quoll (spotted-tailed quoll in data) • 1150 Eastern Pygmy-possum • 1175 Long-nosed Potoroo • 1245 Parma Wallaby • 1280 Pteropus poliocephalus (Grey-headed flying-fox in data) • 1282 Pteropus Alecto (Black flying-fox in data) • 1290 Nyctimene robinsoni (Eastern tube-nosed bat in data) • 1294 Syconycteris australis (Eastern Blossom-bat in data) • 1336 Nyctophilus bifax (Eastern long-eared bat in data) • 2124 Eulamprus tryoni • 2294 Ophioscincus truncatus • 3007 Assa darlingtoni • 3008 Mixophyes fleayi • 3075 Mixophyes iteratus • 3107 Philoria kundagungan • 3109 Philoria sphagnicolus • 3166 Litoria aurea • 3168 Litoria booroolongensis 3186 Litoria subglandulosa • 3202 Litoria olongburensis • 3217 Litoria piperata • 9006 Philoria pughi • 9007 Philoria richmondensis • 0017 Black-breasted Button-quail • 0025 Wompoo Fruit-Dove • 0405 Olive Whistler • 0428 Barred Cuckoo-shrike • 0519 Eastern Bristlebird • 1234 Red-legged Pademelon • 1260 Black-striped Wallaby • 1341 Miniopterus schreibersii (Eastern Bent-wing bat in data) • 1346 Miniopterus australis (Little Bentwing-bat in data) • 1438 Broad-toothed Rat • 1464 Hastings River Mouse • 2293 Coeranoscincus reticulatus • 2677 Hoplocephalus stephensii (Stephens Banded Snake in data) • 3108 Philoria loveridgei • 3137 Crinia tinnula • 1369 Golden-tipped Bat • 0314 Marbled Frogmouth

The following 11 species habitats were modelled only for the RACAC project (2008): • 3001 Adelotus brevis • 3172 Litoria castanea • 3303 Litoria daviesae • 2039 Anomalopus mackayi • 0008 Australian Brush Turkey • 0261 Coxen’s Fig-parrot • 0311 Eastern Ground Parrot • 0001 Emu • 0327 Collared Kingfisher • 0667 Black-throated finch • I023 Black Grass-dart Butterfly (1m grid)