WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

The west Kimberley has a number of palustrine (swamps, fens, bogs) dominated
wetlands that are destinations for both international and national migratory bird
species. The seasonally inundated Roebuck Plains (48,000 ha) is found inland of
Roebuck Bay, occupying the space that in past times was the Fitzroy River delta when
it met the ocean at Roebuck Bay. The close proximity of these plains to the bay's
coastal mudflats results in considerable overlap in the presence of many migratory
bird species. Roebuck Plains is a permanent home to or seasonal stopover for a wide
variety of waterbirds (64 species) including the oriental pratincole (Glareola
maldivarum) and the little curlew (Numenius minutus) but with fewer on international
treaties (22) than the neighbouring bay. The site is also used by Australian migratory
species such as the freckled duck (Stictonetta naevosa) and the yellow chat
(Epthianura crocea) (DEH 2001).
The Camballin floodplain (30,000 ha) is an extensive black soil floodplain adjoining
the Fitzroy River featuring two principal claypan swamps: the Le Lievre and
Moulamen. These systems, along with the nearby Mallallah and Sandhill swamps of
Noonkanbah, are the permanent home or seasonal refuge to 67 species of birds, 20
species listed on JAMBA/CAMBA and seasonally attracting between 20,000-38,000
birds (Jaensch and Vervest 1990). Some of these species are found in significant
numbers, including the plumed whistling-duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) and the
Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) (Sutton 1998).
While Roebuck Plains and the wetlands of the Fitzroy River are important waterbird
refugia, nationally there are a number of other systems in northern Australia of equal
or greater significance. According to Watkins (1993) and the Directory (DEH 2001),
Roebuck Bay, the southeastern Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland and Eighty Mile
Beach are nationally the most significant sites for migratory birds for richness,
international treaty listed species and for overall abundance of birds. Regionally, Lake
Argyle in the east Kimberley is home to over 270 species of birds, including 74
waterbird species and 22 species listed under treaties. Parry Floodplain, while smaller
in size than Camballin (9,000 ha) possesses greater numbers of waterbird species (77)
and more species under treaties (22) (DEH 2001). In terms of seasonal refugia, it
could be argued that systems like Lake Gregory to the south of the Kimberley play a
greater role when compared nationally. Differing from the palustrine dominated
systems to the north; the lacustrine Lake Gregory is home to 73 water bird species, 21
species under treaties and up to 650,000 birds annually (Halse et al. 1998). Given its
more arid, inland position and greater diversity of birds, Lake Gregory is considered a
more important refuge for seasonally visiting international and national waterbirds.
The consensus of participants at the 2010 Heritage Wetlands workshop was that
Roebuck Bay, Eighty Mile Beach, Lake Argyle and Lake Gregory were nationally
more significant for bird heritage values than Roebuck Plains or the Fitzroy River
wetlands. Lake Argyle was noted by workshop participants as being an artificial lake;
on this factor alone it was the consensus opinion that it should be excluded from
future National Heritage considerations.
The palustrine wetlands of the Roebuck Plains and the Fitzroy River floodplains
are unlikely to have outstanding heritage value to the nation under criterion (a)
for richness or endemism, or as refugia for migratory, protected or endangered
avifauna.
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