Boondero NCR Management Statement (PDF File ... - Parks Victoria

Boonderoo Nature Conservation Reserve- Re-establish native grass cover on the denuded banks of Windmill Dam andensure Spear Thistles are sprayed prior to seeding.- Increase cover of native grasses by controlling and reducing the extent of exoticpasture grasses through grazing or burning (see ‘Ecological Management ofWestern (Basalt) Plains Grasslands’).- Liaise with Golden Plains Shire to ensure the control of the environmental weedToowoomba Canary-grass, which occurs along Tall Tree Road adjoiningBoonderoo NCR, to prevent its spread into the reserve.Pest animalsFoxes and cats are likely to use the reserve, but the impact of predation on nativefauna in the reserve is unknown. However, they may pose a significant threat tosmall mammals (including Fat-tailed Dunnart), ground nesting or feeding birds andreptiles. Rabbits and hares are considered to be present in low densities based onscats, nests and tracks (Barlow 2001).Management objectives and targets (short-long term)- Control foxes and cats in order to maintain habitat values of the reserve for smallmammals and ground-dwelling birds.- Maintain rabbit and hare numbers at less than 5 per spotlight km.Physical Assets and BoundariesThree dams occur on the reserve - on the southwestern side of northern paddock(‘Bluestone Dam’), a large dam in the southern central section of the southernpaddock (‘Windmill Dam’), and a shallow dam in the southwestern corner of thesouthern paddock (‘Shallow Dam’). A flume runs from the Bluestone Dam southeastthrough the southern paddock to private land to the east. Fences are in fair to goodcondition on the southern, western and northern boundaries but poor in parts of theeastern boundary.Management objectives and targets (short-medium term)- Maintain dams required for stock water.- Liaise with adjoining landowners to ensure boundary fences are maintained in astock-proof condition.- Determine the importance of the flume to private properties to the east. Ifalternative water sources can be provided to these properties, consider removingthe flume to reduce weed establishment in this area.Heritage Values, Condition and RiskThere are no recorded places of heritage vale and there is no evidence of places withheritage value. The bluestone dam wall of ‘Bluestone Dam’ may have heritage valuesand further investigation of its Heritage Values is warranted.Management objectives and targets (short-long term)- If sites of heritage value are identified in the reserve, assess their condition andestablish management objectives.5