A creek in northern Tasmanian known to be home to the endangered giant freshwater crayfish has sustained “serious environmental harm” from land clearing and earthworks, the Environment Protection Agency has advised.<\/p>\n
The crayfish is endemic to northern Tasmania and, along with a burrowing crayfish and a species of snail, was threatened by works conducted by Cement Australia at Eastern Creek and Caroline Creek near Railton last year.<\/p>\n
In September last year, Tasmania’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued a stop work order to Cement Australia for land clearing and earthworks on land owned by a private forestry company a kilometre north of its Railton facility.<\/p>\n
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Tasmania’s giant freshwater crayfish is endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. (Supplied: Todd Walsh)<\/p>\n
The order, an Environment Protection Notice, was published 13 months ago on the state government’s land information system website and first reported on by the Tasmanian Inquirer.<\/p>\n
The EPA has said it was in the final stages of its investigation, but no announcement about the order or any investigation was made at the time.<\/p>\n
In the order, the EPA’s environment regulation director Cindy Ong said Cement Australia had undertaken “unauthorised vegetation clearing and earthworks” and must “immediately cease”.<\/p>\n
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A section of Caroline Creek in northern Tasmania, but not the area Cement Australia is said to have damaged with earthworks. (ABC News: Sandy Powell)<\/p>\n
Area of global significance threatened<\/p>\n
Ms Ong said the unauthorised works were “extensive” and affected approximately 400 metres of waterways as well as areas downstream.<\/p>\n
“The activity has caused, or is likely to cause, serious or material environmental harm to threatened flora and fauna, and watercourses in Eastern Creek and Caroline Creek, and to the karst system in the wider area,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It is necessary to require the person responsible to immediately cease the activity and to take measures to prevent and remediate the environmental harm.”<\/p>\n
Todd Walsh measuring a Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish in a creek. (Supplied: Todd Walsh)<\/p>\n
As well as the giant freshwater crayfish, the notice said the central north burrowing crayfish and the hydrobiid snail species were known to be present in the area.<\/p>\n
“The area is also listed as a site of Global Significance in the Tasmanian Geoconservation Database, for its glacial deposits,” the notice said.<\/p>\n
In a statement this week, a spokesperson for the EPA said monitoring of the area was ongoing and Cement Australia was complying with the conditions of the notice.<\/p>\n
“The EPA is in the final stages of its investigation into earthwork activities undertaken by Cement Australia. As the matter remains under active review, the EPA is unable to comment further at this time,” they said.<\/p>\n
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Greg Taylor says the giant freshwater crayfish is an iconic northern Tasmanian species. (ABC Northern Tasmania: Rick Eaves)<\/p>\n
Landcare group at work<\/p>\n
Mount Roland Land Care president Greg Taylor said his group had been working to improve creeks near Railton for the giant freshwater crayfish.<\/p>\n
“It’s an icon and it’s an internationally listed threatened species and it lives only in northern Tasmania,” he said.<\/p>\n
“For us, it’s one of those creatures that we want to do what we can to protect it.”<\/p>\n