Northern Quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus A matter of national environmental significance Listed as Endangered under EPBC Act on 12 April 2005 The species met the following criteria for listing: Criterion 1: The Northern Quoll has undergone a substantial reduction in numbers, and is likely to continue to undergo in the immediate future, an ongoing reduction in numbers. Controlling Provision: Threatened Species and Ecological Communities

Our Goal – Avoid Significant Impacts A person who proposes to take an action that will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance must refer that action to the minister for a decision on whether assessment and approval is required under the EPBC Act. EPBC Significant Impact Guidelines 1.1 Provides high level guidance to proponents on whether an action is likely to have a significant impact. The Northern Quoll is a key consideration in the majority of EPBC project assessments (Part 7 – 9) and two strategic assessments (Part 10) in the Pilbara Bioregion.

Documents supporting decision making National Recovery Plan for the Northern Quoll Northern Quoll Conservation advice Draft Referral guidelines for the Northern Quoll Including survey guidelines Threat Abatement Plans: Predation by the feral cats Predation by the European Red Fox Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened mammals. EPBC Act survey guidelines 6.5 (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC), 2011j) ALSO draft referral guidelines.

Northern Quoll National Recovery Plan Habitat critical for survival - rocky areas and offshore islands Key threats – cane toad, feral predators, inappropriate fire regimes, habitat degradation, habitat destruction, weeds, disease, hunting, population isolation Recovery actions relevant to Pilbara bioregion include: Protect habitat critical to survival and populations unaffected by cane toads Identify potential refuge habitat Research factors implicated in decline (e.g. grazing, fire, climate change) Translocation and captive breeding Public education Research related to cane toad/quoll interactions National Recovery Plan – http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/pubs/northern-quoll.pdf

EPBC Act Conservation Advice Key threats - inappropriate fire regimes, predation following fire and lethal ingestion of cane toad toxin Priority recovery and threat abatement actions are to: minimise impact of colonising cane toads by investigating use of physical barriers or other means to prevent colonisation of key habitat areas; translocation and management of Northern Quoll populations in safe havens where necessary; identify areas of critical habitat (e.g. island populations); Investigate need to establish captive breeding program; and Investigate status of species in Queensland, including the reasons for its survival following cane toad invasion.

EPBC Act referral guidelines for the Northern quoll Build on Significant Impact Guidelines 1.1 Provide specific guidance about the need to refer National distribution Define key terms, distribution modelling, surveys, mitigation, referral guidance/thresholds 4 key development phases: Workshop (x2) with species experts and state government Mapping review Internal consultation Referral decision reviews and analysis Public consultation

Approach to Draft Northern Quoll referral guidelines Emphasis around impacts to habitat critical to survival of species Pilbara (+ offshore islands) viewed as future stronghold as currently free from cane toads - which threatens 4 other regional populations Consideration to protect both occupied and unoccupied suitable habitat in the Pilbara to account for boom bust / following food resources Strong emphasis on surveys

Public comments and finalising Majority of comments from WA mining industry Lack of stakeholder consultation in development Survey methodology and effort i.e. include use of cameras and emphasis on reconnaissance surveys Refinement of habitat critical to the survival of the species in the Pilbara i.e. covered majority of Pilbara Finalise the guidelines before end of 2013

WA workshop outcomes Significant knowledge gaps with understanding of the northern quoll in the Pilbara These gaps are important in the context of assessment of significance under the EPBC Act Ecology potentially different to other regions i.e. NT Cross government collaboration and agreement-development of a research plan for species Address knowledge gaps and strategically guide offset money from EPBC CA decisions

Northern quoll Research Plan WA DPaW trust fund - consistent and transparent Research plan outlined 5 research projects Grey literature review (~10K) Development of a survey and monitoring program (~10K) Pilbara wide Northern quoll survey and landholder survey (~100K) Pilbara northern quoll monitoring program (~500k) Demographic study of Pilbara northern quoll populations (~500K)

In conclusion DSEWPaC will: continue outlining our regulatory responsibilities and policy objectives for the Northern Quoll finalise referral guidelines work with you to better understand what initiatives related to the species are underway or proposed in the Pilbara and what’s working work collaboratively to identify further research priorities including improved understanding of Northern Quoll ecology in the Pilbara update information including the Species Profile, Research and Threats Database (SPRAT)