A DAM proposed for the East Coast is likely to have a significant impact on endangered swift parrots, documents lodged with the Federal Government show.

The Glamorgan Spring Bay Council referred plans for the dam at Buckland to the Federal Department of Environment and Energy earlier this year.

The department determined the project would require full assessment and approval as a “controlled action” under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act before it could proceed.

Documents lodged by the council show the dam project would include the loss of 21.65ha of pre- and early breeding season foraging habitat and potential nest hollows in the Wielangta Swift Parrot Important Breeding Area.

The dam would supply Tassal’s Okehampton Bay salmon farm, along with the proposed Solis Golf Club development, TasWater and possibly farmers.

The documents show there is a likelihood the project will:

LEAD to a long-term decrease in the swift parrot population.

REDUCE the area of occupancy of the species.

ADVERSELY affect habitat critical to the survival of the species.

MODIFY, destroy, remove, isolate or decrease the availability or quality of habitat to the extent that the species is likely to decline.

Swift parrot researcher Dejan Stojanovic said there was only a small and declining population of swift parrots left in the wild. “The Wielangta area and surrounds are some of the most important swift parrot habitat that we know of,” Dr Stojanovic said.

The migratory swift parrot is listed as endangered in Tasmania, but is critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List.

The documents show the development would also result in the loss of 52 hectares of Tasmanian devil hunting and denning habitat and spotted-tail quoll foraging habitat.

The council wrote the loss of that habitat was unlikely to result in the deaths of any devils, but the response of the quolls was not certain.

A spokeswoman for the Department of the Environment and Energy said the dam project was under assessment.

She said the council had not yet indicated when it would complete its assessment documentation, and the documentation would need to be published for public comment before a decision was made.

Glamorgan Spring Bay Council general manager David Metcalf said the council was developing further information to assist in the assessment of the proposed dam which would minimise construction impacts and address “ any local swift parrot habitat and that of the other nominated species”.