Caring for country - Northern and Yorke Natural Resources ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4biodiversity World class conservation planning An internationally acclaimed conservation strategy being applied across our region is allowing the Northern and Yorke NRM Board to implement priority projects based on accurate information about threats to natural resources. The Conservation Acting Planning (CAP) strategy embraces the Southern Flinders Ranges, Northern Mount Lofty Ranges, central Yorke Peninsula and the Mid North and southern Yorke Peninsula. Developed by The Nature Conservancy in the United States, the CAP program has been adopted around the world as a reliable framework for conservation planning and action. In the Northern and Yorke region, this collaborative landscape scale process involves key partners and stakeholders including Northern and Yorke NRM Board, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Commonwealth and Local Government, Greening Australia, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Rural Solutions of South Australia, Wilderness Society, Nature Conservation Society of South Australia, Aboriginal communities and local landholders. Within the CAP framework, detailed mapping and extensive threatened species records are used to identify key conservation areas. This process is supported by workshops involving key stakeholders. The NYNRM Board and Greening Australia have recently completed a draft summary of achievements to date in conservation action planning for the Southern Flinders Ranges. The region covers an area of about 1.3 million hectares from Port Pirie in the south, Hawker in the north, the Flinders-Olary Plains to the east and Spencer Gulf to the west. This document throws light on the detail and definitive approach to conservation assessment and action in a sub-region. Native vegetation covers around 76 per cent of the Southern Flinders Ranges and 58 fauna species of conservation significance have been recorded in the region. There are about 1,700 landholders in the region with potentially suitable land for conservation, including government-owned parks and reserves. By 2015: • Restoring and protecting more than 50 per cent of permanent watered sections of rivers, creeks and high priority water holes associated with gorges, springs and seeps; • Improving condition of coastal vegetation impacted by recreational activities with appropriate infrastructure and education; • Controlling all core weed infestations and eradicating any new or outlying infestations from high priority coastal dunes; • Controlling all core infestations and eradicating any new or outlying infestations of priority temperate weeds (for example, roses, olives, Desert Ash, Montpellier Broom and African Weed Orchid) from temperate forests and woodlands. The CAP process identified the viability of conservation assets and applied an assessment rating which showed coastal mangrove and samphire communities were assessed to be in a generally good condition. Sandy coasts and dune were rated fair, but the impact of weeds has been noted particularly near townships. Rivers, creeks and waterholes were considered to be in poor condition generally because they were in highly cleared or modified landscapes. Northern mallee systems were considered good overall, although areas in the Carrieton region were noted as fragmented and impacted by stock grazing. The viability of temperate grassy ecosystems was ranked in poor condition, particularly from inappropriate grazing regimes. Temperate forests and woodlands with a shrubby understorey were assessed to be fair overall, with areas on the steeper ranges in better condition due to inaccessibility for stock grazing. A good rating was applied to arid ecosystems, however grazing pressure was noted north of Quorn while an abundance of rabbits and goats are significant contributors to vegetation decline. Southern Flinders Ranges, site of an internationally acclaimed conservation strategy. Photo: Anne Brown Escarpments, gorges, rocky outcrops and scree slopes, the habitat for the yellow-footed rock wallaby, were assessed to be in good condition, but the threat of feral carnivores on fauna populations was noted. A series of threats to conservation assets were summarised including inappropriate livestock access and grazing, inappropriate cropping practices, an abundance of feral carnivores (foxes and cats), weeds, habitat fragmentation from historic land clearance, excessive water extraction and storage, unsustainable firewood collection and inappropriate off-road vehicle access. Key CAP objectives have been identified for the Southern Flinders Ranges. By 2020: • Eradicating outlying weeds of national significance and establishing effective containment lines around core infestations; • Controlling all recognised opuntiod cacti and African Boxthorn infestations and eradicating any significant outlying populations; • improving the viability of native fauna species, particularly the yellow-footed rock wallaby; and • Improving vegetation condition and increasing palatable native plant species in areas heavily impacted by rabbits, goats, deer and over-abundant kangaroos. Todd Berkinshaw, Greening Australia’s State conservation planner, said the CAP process was now being applied across many regions of Australia with the Northern and Yorke NRM Board one of the earliest adopters and strongest supporters of the process. He said in the Southern Flinders Ranges, the program was now moving out of the planning stages and focusing on large-scale investment into on-ground conservation. “Importantly, as CAP is a collaborative planning process between the key conservation groups of the region, all now share a common vision for conservation, and are working together to achieve real on-ground change,” Todd added. Wombats’ $38,500 rehabilitation The coastal habitats of Wallaroo’s hairy-nosed wombats will be upgraded. The degraded coastal habitat of around 80 hairy-nosed wombats will be rehabilitated and the wombats given health checks following a $38,500 grant from the State Government’s Community Grants program. Glenn Shimmin, coordinator of the Wallaroo Biodiversity Restoration Group was “very pleased” about the result of its funding application. He said the group was planning to involve the community in the project, located on an important piece of coastal habitat immediately south of Wallaroo. Besides local volunteers, project participants include the Narrunga Aboriginal Community, Northern and Yorke NRM Board, Copper Coast Council and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The works will take place on a 32 hectare, Viterra-owned site of largely intact coastal habitat on 3.7 km of coastline. This site contains the 80-strong wombat colony, the fourth largest of Yorke Peninsula’s 30 wombat populations. The project will stabilize eroding dunes through revegetation and improve the wombat’s habitat by re-establishing native grasses. It will also manage woody weeds and assess the wombats for mange. Mr Shimmin said native vegetation on Yorke Peninsula had been heavily cleared and new pressures were mounting on coastal habitats through development. “These pressures have resulted in the loss of species and the fragmentation of habitats,” Mr Shimmin said. 22 Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board
4pest control Teams tackle pests The Northern and Yorke NRM Board is driving a landscape scale control approach to protecting and restoring native habitat threatened by pest plants and animals. Across the Upper and Lower North and Yorke Peninsula, the effort to increase native habitat has involved landowners targeting infestations of rabbits, wheel cactus, gorse, blackberry, boneseed and bridal creeper. This coordinated program is supported by priority funding through the Australian Government’s Caring For Our Country initiative that aims to achieve and sustain an environment that is healthy, protected, wellmanaged and resilient. Natural biodiversity is dependent on the control of pests especially in and around areas of remnant native vegetation. In the Upper North, the program has particularly targeted rabbits and cactus infestations on public and private land. Kevin Teague, the Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management (NYNRM) Board’s Upper North team leader, said rabbits had been a major problem for some years around Hawker, north east of Orroroo and in the Peterborough Council area. “Landowners have done all they can to stop the spread of rabbits, and the Board control program with funding support from Caring For Our Country has been warmly welcomed,” Kevin said. “The landowners have signed agreements to participate in the fully-funded rabbit control program. For their part, the landowners provide warren spotters on motorbikes to identify sites to be ripped by contractors. This local knowledge also provides occupational health and safety support. “The agreements with landowners also include a commitment to undertake follow-up control measures bearing in mind that we estimate that only one in 500 burrows becomes active again after ripping.” Kevin said contractors using bulldozers destroyed warrens that were mostly empty after rabbit calicivirus disease greatly reduced populations in late Spring. “The few rabbits that remained after the effects of calicivirus were then unable to enter their warrens to breed,” he said. Over summer, contractors destroyed 7,895 warrens over 93,887 hectares of land. This $130,000 control program was funded by the NYNRM Board through the Australian Government’s Caring For Our Country program and State Complementary Funding. Meanwhile, wheel cactus has been a widespread problem emanating from a core infestation near Parnaroo east of Peterborough. The NYNRM Board has coordinated two chemical cactus control programs. Under the first program, the Board provided $22,000 to chemically control 18,383 plants over 26,500 hectares at no cost to landholders. Secondly, the Board received $11,000 funding under the State Opuntia Task Force program to work with landholders on the basis that they contribute 50 per cent of the cost either in time or money. More than 9,400 pest cactus plants were chemically injected over an area of 15,000 hectares to significantly reduce the density of the infestation. In future under this arrangement, participating landholders must commit to on-going controls, and contractors are providing training assistance on appropriate measures to eradicate the pest plant on their properties. Peter Mattey of Franklin Station near Terowie said there was a high level of cactus infestation in the region. With the NYNRM Board, he has invested in cactus control measures covering around 10,000 hectares and over 4,000 hectares with part funding from the Murray Darling Basin NRM Board. “We are working at the extremities to stop the spread,” he said. In the Lower North, the NYNRM Board has been working with Greening Australia and landholders to identify sites of rabbit infestation. Contractors have been engaged to carry out selective baiting programs and some warren ripping across an area encompassing Avon, Port Wakefield, Blyth, Lochiel, Halbury and Pinery. Some of this work has been carried out on private land with cooperation of landowners. Grant Roberts, the Board’s Lower North team leader, said the control work had been extended beyond the immediate perimeter of infestation sites as a further measure to protect endangered species. Outcomes have been successful, but the work will require on-going monitoring to measure positive effects on native habitat supporting plants such as the large club spider orchid, Halbury greenhorn orchid, spiny everlasting daisy, prickly speargrass, bottle fissure plant and New Holland daisy and birds including the Jacky Winter, yellow throated minor, common sandpiper and restless flycatcher. Nantawarra farmer, Alan Baker, said there had been good communication and interaction with NYNRM Board staff and contractors. “The baiting and ripping has been excellent in controlling rabbits,” he said. “Rabbits are destructive and any measure to control them will help into the future. Within our ecosystem, rabbits have no place.” Meanwhile, in the Gilbert Valley and beyond to Marrabel, Riverton and Clare, the native habitat program has also included spraying and excavating weeds of national significance such as gorse and blackberry. On Yorke Peninsula, the focus has been on bridal creeper rust spraying along 700 km of roadsides and in native vegetation corridors across an area extending from Port Broughton to Innes National Park. Bridal creeper rust spores rely on natural conditions to multiply and wind to spread. Small patches of bridal creeper sprayed with spore water can effectively spread rust spores over large areas of infested vegetation. In the past, the NYNRM Board has run workshops for landholders on how to identify and address the spread of bridal creeper. Rob Lincoln, the Board’s Yorke Peninsula team leader, said two contractors were engaged to harvest bridal creeper rust spores and prepare spore water for spraying under Caring For Our Country funding. Yorke Peninsula authorised officer Ken Rudd said early signs indicated the spread of rust had been extremely successful. However, more definitive results will not be known until the area is inspected later this year. The NYNRM Board has also facilitated rabbit control programs in both rural and urban areas across Yorke Peninsula. Meanwhile, a two-year fox control program organised by the Board has significantly reduced loss of native wildlife and lambs around the southern tip of Yorke Peninsula. At a property close to Innes National Park, a landowner reported an increase in lambing from 50 to 90 per cent. Ken Rudd said a reduction in fox breeding potential could be achieved by controls during Spring and in late summer when young, inexperienced foxes disperse from family groups. Above: The NYNRM Board’s team leaders tackle animal and plant control around region. From top left clockwise: Upper North’s Kevin Teague inspects pest plants near Orroroo; Lower North’s Grant Roberts surveys a rabbit warren in the Clare region; and Yorke Peninsula’s Rob Lincoln (centre) distributes fox bait to local farmers in Minlaton. Two six-week baiting periods were carried out each year in September – October and in February – March. Farmers on southern Yorke Peninsula were approached to participate while NYNRM Board authorised officers set up and managed bait stations at no charge to landholders. Around 24,000 hectares were baited on 24 properties using 370 bait stations that were checked and replaced each fortnight and destroyed at the completion of the six-week program. The program was particularly aimed at protecting endangered species including mallee fowl, western whipbird, hooded plover, sand goanna and little penguins. It was run in conjunction with National Parks rangers in Innes National Park and Warrenben Conservation Park. (See story page 8.) Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board 23
Page 1 and 2: A publication of the Northern and Y
Page 3 and 4: 4inside this issue 10 From the Pres
Page 5 and 6: 4acting local Freshwater network Co
Page 7 and 8: 4ground work yorke peninsula Once a
Page 9 and 10: 4feature Good breeding The Mallee f
Page 11 and 12: 4feature Northern and Yorke Natural
Page 13 and 14: 4feature Jackie O’Reilly at home
Page 15 and 16: 4feature All hands on Althorpe They
Page 17 and 18: 4feature Plan bee Bill Nicholas rep
Page 19 and 20: 4feature Participants considered a
Page 21: 4feature Northern and Yorke Natural
Page 25 and 26: 4coast lines Diving into marine edu
Page 27 and 28: 4board talk From left: Jackie O’R

Caring for country - Northern and Yorke Natural Resources ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?