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PROTECTION OFCONSERVATION
ASSETS
Key outcomeThe natural environment and the cultural heritageof New South Wales are protected, both within andoutside the park and reserve system, in accordancewith legislative requirements and community expectations.
FIRE MANAGEMENTFollowing the establishment of many newnational parks and nature reserves during theyear, the National Parks and Wildlife Serviceis now responsible for the care and manage-ment of more than six percent of the landarea of New South Wales. Much of this estateis remote and bushfire prone.
The NPWS has statutory responsibilitiesrelating to the protection of human life, prop-erty, and natural and cultural heritage values,from bushfires on lands managed by theService. Under the provisions of the recentlyadopted NSW Biodiversity Strategy, theNPWS is also a lead agency in the objectiveto improve fire management regimes acrossthe State.
With its strong emphasis on developing staffskills, the NPWS now has more than 750trained firefighters and over 400 support staffwith a full range of vehicles, plant and equip-ment for fire management operations, particu-larly in remote areas.
A comprehensive fire management trainingprogram was continued with courses conduct-ed in prescribed burning, fire meteorology,introduction to the incident control system,helibase management, and situation andresources training. Other training for planningofficers, air observers, air attack supervisors,aircraft officers, firefighters and crew leaderswas also held.
During the year an updated draft fire manage-ment manual was prepared, which includesnew policies on smoke management, wilderness fire management, biodiversity conservation, fitness and health, and wildfiresuppression.
Currently 191 reserve fire management plansare either in preparation or have beenfinalised. Performance indicators have beenadopted that will enable the NPWS to moni-tor and report on its effectiveness in achievingthe objectives of the plans.
The NPWS gave strong support to coopera-tive and coordinated firefighting with itsactive membership of the Bush FireCoordinating Committee and its subcommit-tees, and in representation on bushfire man-agement committees for all rural fire districtscontaining NPWS-managed land. The Servicewas particularly proactive in promoting andsupplying resources for the development ofbushfire-risk management plans and plans of operations for bushfire management committees.
A new three-piece firefighting protective uni-form was adopted utilising recent research onmaximising firefighter comfort and safety.Staff have begun being issued with the uniform.
Although wet conditions in the coast andtablelands hampered fuel-reduction operationsduring the year, 65 operations over 12,876
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S IGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR
• transfer of title of Mutawintji National Park, Historic Site and Nature Reserve to the tradi-tional Aboriginal owners; the lands leased back to the NPWS
• 46 new model reserve fire management plans commenced, bringing to 191 the number of plans either finalised or in preparation
• in Mungo, Kinchega and Mallee Cliffs National Parks, rabbit numbers reduced by over 90 percent, allowing a significant recovery of important native species
• nine voluntary conservation agreements signed with property owners, with a further 90 agreements currently under active negotiation
• two threatened species recovery plans — for the Wollemi pine and the coastal shrub Zieria prostrata — finalised and being implemented
• successful translocation of nestlings of the threatened Gould’s petrel from Cabbage Tree Island to Boondelbah Island
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Fire origin and progress 1998–99region started started started
on park/ on park/ off park/controlled moved moved
on park off park on parkCentral 106 7 16Northern 7 0 13Southern 27 1 7Western 5 0 0
Total 145 8 36
The NPWS continued its outstanding bushfiresafety record, with no deaths or serious injuries.
hectares, mainly directed at neighbouringareas, were completed. In addition, mainte-nance was undertaken on 4889 kilometres offire trails.
The National Medal and Clasps were awardedto a further 36 NPWS staff who have givenmore than 15 years’ firefighting service.Thirteen staff were awarded a first clasp for 25years’ service, and four staff awarded a secondclasp for 35 years of service.
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1998-99 bushfire season
With above-average rainfall during the sum-mer, the bushfire season was relatively mild.The NPWS dealt with 228 bushfires — 189(covering 14,195 hectares) on NPWS-man-aged areas and 39 on neighbouring lands. Themajor event of the season was the Cooks Valefire which entered Abercrombie RiverNational Park and covered 24,600 hectaresincluding 10,100 hectares of the park.
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Much of the Australian bush ishighly fire-prone. The NPWSrequires a well-trained andequipped firefighting staff in orderto manage fires on parks andreserves as well as adjoining areas.
Ten-year record of ‘on-park’ bushfires year no. of fires area burnt(ha)1988-89 122 46,7611989-90 249 66,4641990-91 425 125,4691991-92 396 66,4091992-93 213 21,7721993-94 300 382,8971994-95 250 89,1121995-96 189 15,1921996-97 194 12,6701997-98 466 236,1521998-99 189 14,195
‘Off-park’ fires attended by the NPWS region no. of firesCentral 21Northern 3Southern 9Western 6
Total 39
Hazard reduction 1998–99region no. of operations area affected (ha)Central 19 1598Northern 23 1682Southern 16 9335Western 7 261
Total 65 12,876
The main cause of bushfires, where known,was arson (69 fires), suspected arson (44) andlightning (34).
PEST MANAGEMENTWeeds and pest animals are a major threat tothe conservation of biodiversity and sustain-able agricultural production. Hence, the man-agement of pest populations is a major priorityfor the NPWS.
The importance given to pest management isemphasised by the number of vertebrate pestsand weeds being identified as broad threaten-ing processes under the Threatened SpeciesConservation Act 1995. Pest management hasalso been recognised as an important compo-nent of the NSW Biodiversity Strategy.Released in March, the strategy identifies anumber of priority pest programs to be imple-mented over the next three years. Fundinghas been provided particularly for programson bitou bush, Scotch broom on theBarrington Tops, rainforest restoration pro-grams on the North Coast, bush regenerationin the Blue Mountains and the Sydney metro-politan area, and for a program to evaluatethe effectiveness of the Service’s weed andpest animal control programs.
The NPWS is committed to a regional/catch-ment approach to pest management wherethe programs are developed and undertakenin collaboration with other agencies, commu-nity groups and park neighbours. A goodexample of cooperative control occurs on theSouth Coast where the NPWS is workingjointly with the local rural lands protectionboards, State Forests and the VictorianDepartment of Natural Resources andEnvironment to develop a regional approachto vertebrate pest control. Similarly, theQueanbeyan district of NPWS undertakes a
cross-border cooperative pest program withthe ACT Parks and Conservation Service.
Control of pest animals in urban areas is moredifficult, and in northern Sydney the NPWSis working closely with six local councils andthe community to address this issue. In andaround Marramarra and Ku-ring-gai ChaseNational Parks, for example, fox control toprotect wildlife such as the threatened south-ern brown bandicoot is undertaken jointlywith local councils. The program has widecommunity support and its effectiveness isbeing monitored with regular fauna surveys.
Pest an imalsFoxes
Foxes are listed as a threatening process underthe threatened species legislation and theNPWS is in the process of preparing a foxthreat abatement plan.
In Mutawintji National Park and MutawintjiNature Reserve, an intensive fox control pro-gram has been a major factor in a 400 percentincrease in the yellow-footed rock wallabypopulation over the last four years.
Another successful program is at SouthBallina Beach, where the NPWS is workingwith other government agencies andSouthern Cross University in a cooperativefox control program to protect the threatenedpied oystercatcher. The program has signifi-cantly increased the survival of fledgling oys-tercatchers. At Lake Wollumboola near JervisBay, an intensive fox control program hasresulted in a doubling in numbers of little ternchicks leaving their nests in 1999.
In the central west, the NPWS is workingclosely with NSW Agriculture, State Forests,the Forbes Rural Lands Protection Board and
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Expenditure on fire management 1998–99
Directorate Suppression Prevention Planning Equipment Total$ $ $ $ $
Policy & Science 328,434 0 567,671 4,259 900,364Central 1,681,058 438,352 716,834 442,046 3,278,291Northern 631,293 107,518 308,886 676,027 1,723,723Southern 631,798 124,181 710,578 139,640 1,606,198Western 113,794 136,821 249,047 321,788 821,450
Total 3,386,377 806,872 2,553,016 1,583,760 8,330,026
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local landholders in a large-scale fox controlprogram in and around Weddin MountainsNational Park. NSW Agriculture intends touse this as a model for a community-drivenfox management program. In Coolah Tops National Park, the NPWShas contracted the Mudgee Rural LandsProtection Board to undertake an extensivebaiting program. To complement the controlefforts within the park, the board is also carry-ing out more extensive fox control on neigh-bouring properties.
Rabbits
To gain a better understanding of the epi-demiology of the rabbit calicivirus, the NPWShas continued to contribute towards thenational calicivirus program. To capitalise onthe spread of the disease, the Service is work-ing closely with NSW Agriculture and rurallands protection boards to ensure that effec-tive follow-up programs are implementedusing conventional control techniques, suchas 1080 baiting, fumigation and warrendestruction.
In Mungo and Mallee Cliffs National Parks,rabbit numbers have been reduced by over 95percent, and 97 percent of the warrensdestroyed. Similarly, in Kinchega NationalPark, the calicivirus has been very effectiveand rabbit numbers have been reduced byover 90 percent, allowing a significant recov-ery of important native species such as wattles(including the endangered Acacia carnei), but-terbush, belah and rosewood. In a similar pro-gram on Nombinnie Nature Reserve, some6000 warrens have been destroyed.
Cats
Cats are a major threat to wildlife in manynational parks and the NPWS undertakesprograms on most reserves. Trapping andshooting, and improved management ofgarbage are the most common control methods.
A major and continuing problem is the dump-ing of unwanted cats in parks and reserves,and night-time predation by domestic cats inurban parks. Hence, most cat control pro-grams incorporate a community consultationcomponent. Extensive education programs bylocal councils following the introduction ofthe Companion Animals Act 1998 is beginning
to have a positive impact on the number ofdomestic cats entering protected areas.
Wild dogs
The management of wild dogs where NPWSlands adjoin grazing properties remains a diffi-cult issue. The NPWS has to balance the con-flicting objectives of protecting dingoes onthe NPWS estate and meeting its responsibili-ties under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998, which requires wild dogs, including din-goes, to be controlled. The Service is workingwith rural lands protection boards and wilddog associations to identify problem areas andto implement effective control programs.
As an example, the NPWS is participating inan adaptive research project in south-eastNSW with a number of government agencies,rural lands protection boards and a leasehold-er group to monitor the movements of wilddogs so that a more strategic approach to con-trol can be developed. Funding has been pro-vided by the Bureau of Rural Sciences (fromthe Natural Heritage Trust) as well as the par-ticipating agencies. As part of the project, acontractor has been employed to trap wilddogs on the NPWS estate and surroundinglands in areas where livestock predation hashistorically been a problem.
In the Blue Mountains, the NPWS conducteda targetted perimeter baiting program withover 300 permanent bait stations along firetrails in on the edge of the Kanangra-Boyd,
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Feral goats are a major environmental pest especially in semi-arid and aridareas. Goat mustering programs have been successful in many western parks.
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Gardens of Stone, and Blue MountainsNational Parks. The program has greatlyreduced the number of wild-dog attacks onneighbouring properties. Control programshave also been established in Wollemi,Goulburn River and Barrington TopsNational Parks where over 800 bait stationshave been laid near adjoining properties, andNPWS staff have worked closely with variouswild dog associations.
Feral pigs
Effective pig control programs have beenimplemented in most reserves in westernNSW. In the Narrabri district, the NPWScombined with local rural lands protectionboards to remove over 1200 pigs on the pro-posed Planchonella Hill Nature Reserve and70 surrounding properties, and more than 500around the Narran Lake Nature Reserve.Apart from the conservation benefits of thisprogram, one farmer reported a 30 percentincrease in lambing which he attributed toreduced pig numbers.
Similar programs were undertaken inKinchega National Park where 430 pigs wereculled, in the Lake Burragorang catchment,and in the Cobar district along the Culgoaand Birrie River systems.
As part of an Australian Alps control pro-gram, the NPWS combined with the ACTParks and Conservation Service in a cross-border pig-baiting program in BrindabellaNational Park, and Bimberi and ScabbyRange Nature Reserves bordering NamadgiNational Park in the ACT.
Feral goats
In Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, researchhas indicated that feral goats cause significantdamage to the dry rainforest communities inthe Macleay Gorges, and also significantlyincrease soil erosion.
On reserves in western NSW, goat musteringprograms have been very successful. InMutawintji National Park and MutawintjiNature Reserve, for example, over 2300 goatswere mustered during the year, bringing thetotal removed since 1995 to over 8000. Similar mustering programs in Mungo and
Mallee Cliffs National Parks and TarawiNature Reserve have removed over 6000goats since 1993. Other mustering programs,
often with air support to direct ground crews,have been undertaken in Gundabooka andWillandra National Parks and in Nombinnie,Round Hill, Woggoon, Tollingo andNocoleche Nature Reserves.
In Mount Kaputar National Park, more than1000 goats were shot during the year. In andaround Cocoparra National Park and NatureReserve, aerial shooting has reduced goat den-sities by almost 90 percent in the past nineyears. Together with reduced rabbit densitiesfrom the introduction of rabbit calicivirus andgood seasonal rainfall, this has increased theregeneration of native species such as rose-wood and cypress pine.
Cane toads
Cane toads are now well established on theNorth Coast of NSW as far south as theClarence River. Two separate infestations areknown at Yamba/Angourie and at Lake Innesnear Port Macquarie. Although cane toads arereported each year from various locationsaround Sydney and Wollongong and on theCentral Coast, the reports are usually of indi-vidual animals and are unlikely to representestablished infestations.
During the year, a successful awareness andcontrol program in Yuraygir National Park,with the assistance of the Angourie DuneCare Group and the local community, result-ed in nearly 400 toads being collected anddestroyed. In the Port Macquarie district, theNPWS has run cane toad awareness programsover the past couple of summers and has pre-pared a cane toad brochure and a Cane ToadManagement Strategy for the Lake InnesNature Reserve.
Rodents
A collaborative research program with theLord Howe Island Board was completed inJune, and a plan prepared for the future man-agement of introduced rats and mice on theisland.
Weeds
The NPWS is working closely with volunteersto control weeds and help regenerate bush-land in many national parks. More than 500volunteers have helped in Lane Cove,Garigal, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Sydney Harbour,Botany Bay and Royal National Parks. In Blue
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Mountains National Park, the Great GroseGorse Walk has become a major communityevent with over 140 person-days contributedby the community over the past 12 months. A major aim of bush regeneration programs isto increase community awareness of the sig-nificance of environmental weeds and theneed for their control. NPWS staff played akey role in the National Weedbuster Week inOctober 1998.
An extensive program of regeneration hascontinued on the Barrenjoey headland in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The headlandcontains a number of regionally significantnative plants and the program targets a num-ber of weeds, the most widespread beingasparagus fern which has developed into animpenetrable carpet smothering understoreyspecies.
In other parts of Ku-ring-gai Chase NationalPark and nearby Garigal National Park, weedinfestations have been mapped along river-bank areas and control programs have com-menced targeting invasive species such asprivet.
The NPWS has embarked on a massiveregeneration program on several coastal head-land areas around Sydney Harbour andBotany Bay National Parks. This has involvedabseiling down cliff faces, weed pulling, strate-gic use of herbicides (including aerial applica-tion for bitou bush) use of fire to stimulateweed seed germination and preparing sites formajor replantings of native species.
In northern NSW, the NPWS is undertakingrehabilitation works in a range of rainforestremnants. The strategy is to replace weedswith native species in such a way that theprocess of natural regeneration and successionis sustainable and that weeds are not simplyreplaced by other weeds.
Bitou bush
An aggressive noxious weed, bitou bush hasinvaded more than 20 coastal reserves inNSW where it is a serious threat to ecologicalstability. Its threat to biodiversity has beenrecognised by its listing as a threateningprocess under the Threatened SpeciesConservation Act 1995 and as a weed ofnational significance under the NationalWeeds Strategy. It has also been declared anoxious weed in all coastal shires.
The NPWS continued its support of thenational research program on biological con-trol of bitou bush. Three agents have beenreleased under this program. One of them —the bitou seed fly — is now well establishedalong the NSW coastline and populations ofthe fly have reduced seed production byaround 50 percent in many areas.
Because of seed reserves in the soil, good fol-low-up bitou bush control programs arerequired for several years following treatment,and NPWS staff have fostered the formationof volunteer groups such as Dunecare andassisted in the preparation of a number offunding applications from the CoastcareProgram. The Angourie, Iluka, Diggers Campand Southern Yuraygir Dunecare groups inthe Grafton district are funded from grantsfrom the Coastcare and Green Corps pro-grams, while in the Lismore district theNPWS is working with groups in Broadwaterand Broken Head Nature Reserves.
On the South Coast, the NPWS has com-bined with the Eurobodalla Shire Council andlocal Dunecare groups in a collaborative pro-gram on an 800-hectare infestation of bitoubush in Eurobodalla National Park and surrounding lands.
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Weed control … field officer Douglas Smith sprays blackberries inWerrikimbe National Park. Blackberries are a particular problem inthe regenerating bushland of this park.
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At Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay NationalPark, a 20-year program involving the NPWS,the National Parks Association and the localcommunity has virtually eradicated bitou bushfrom the whole headland. Important heath-land and grassland vegetation is flourishingonce more.
Scotch broom
The NPWS has continued to participate inthe program for biological control of Scotchbroom. This multi-agency program has so farresulted in the release of three insects (twigmining moth, psyllid and a seed beetle), andseveral others are under evaluation.
The largest infestation of Scotch broom is inthe Barrington Tops National Park, a parkknown to contain threatened populations ofthe broad-toothed rat and a number of threat-ened orchid species. The NPWS has prepareda detailed management strategy identifying acontainment zone and priority areas for con-trol, and contractors have been engaged forworks on high-priority areas.
Lantana
Lantana occurs in most coastal and eastern
escarpment parks from Narooma to theQueensland border. It is a vigorous and inva-sive species with major impacts on naturaland agricultural ecosystems. In the NymboidaNational Park, infestations ranging from iso-lated clumps to large areas of impenetrable,highly competitive thickets occur along theentire length of the Mann River.
In the Kangaroo Valley, the NPWS hasremoved large areas of lantana to protectimportant habitat for brush-tailed rock wallabies.
The NPWS is also a major contributor to thecollaborative biological control research program being undertaken by the QueenslandDepartment of Natural Resources and sponsored by state and local government andcatchment management committees. Threebiological agents have been released from thisprogram to date.
Other weeds
Other important weed control programs targetprivet, alligator weed, Bathurst and Noogooraburrs, St John’s wort, giant Parramatta grass,camphor laurel, exotic vines such asProtasparagus spp., bridal creeper, Madeiravine, cat’s law creeper, balloon vine andmorning glory.
CONSERVATION OUTSIDETHE PARK AND RESERVE SYSTEMThe conservation of biodiversity cannot berestricted only to the areas managed by theNPWS, and the Service is committed toworking with local communities to conservebiodiversity outside the public reserve system.The Service’s community conservation program is essentially a suite of voluntary initiatives for landholders to implement protection on their own or other land in partnership with the NPWS.
The core group of programs includes volun-tary conservation agreements, wildlife refuges,Land for Wildlife, Bushcare and Farming forthe Future. These programs range from settingup legally enforceable protection through toproviding conservation information andadvice, and a communication network withand between landholders.
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Under threat … the brush-tailed rock wallaby was oncecommon throughout the mountainous areas of easternNew South Wales but is now restricted to isolated cliffsand outcrops.
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Voluntary conservation agreements
The VCA program provides landholders witha means of permanently protecting the con-servation values of their land by entering intoa negotiated agreement with the Minister forthe Environment. These conservation agree-ments cover a range of land types fromdeclared wilderness through to sites ofAboriginal significance, and they protectspecies listed as nationally endangered as wellas of statewide significance. Landholders withVCAs receive assistance with on-groundworks, such as fencing, weed control and sur-veys, to help implement their agreements.Nine voluntary conservation agreements weresigned with property owners during 1998–99,bringing the total to 49. These will be regular-ly monitored. Approximately 5340 hectaresare now protected by voluntary conservationagreements in NSW. A further 90 agreementsare currently under active negotiation andinterest in the program continues to increase,with regular inquiries and media coverage.
Wildlife refuges
The wildlife refuge program is one of thelongest-running community conservation pro-grams in the State, with over 600 refugesdeclared since 1950. The program enableslandholders to enter agreements to protectthe natural heritage values on their properties.While the agreements are voluntary and canbe terminated at the landholder’s request, thedeclaration of a refuge gives recognition tothe landholder’s commitment to conservation,and enables him or her to work jointly withthe NPWS by receiving technical advice anddeveloping management guidelines. The pro-gram is currently being reviewed with the aimof making it more complementary with theother community conservation programs, andimproving the delivery of service to the refugeowners. Six wildlife refuges were gazetted in1998–99.
Land for Wildlife
Land for Wildlife (LfW) is a national programwhich the NPWS joined in 1997. A memo-randum of understanding between Victoria,the originator of the scheme, and the otherStates provides the opportunity for coopera-tive arrangements for the implementation ofthe LfW program. LfW is a voluntary support
program aiming to encourage and assist land-holders to conserve wildlife and wildlife habi-tat on private land. The program builds onthe existing commitment of many landholdersto nature conservation by providing informa-tion, advice and encouragement through anextensive communication network. LfW isnot legally binding and does not change thelegal status of private land.
During 1998–99 the NPWS released the firstseven in the series of NSW Land for WildlifeNotes covering specific management issuesand species information. The notes were dis-tributed to all current participants in theService’s community conservation programs,as well as coordinators in the Landcare,Farming for the Future and Bushcare pro-grams, catchment management committeesand rural lands protection boards.
The notes, plus a regular newsletter (currentlybeing developed), will be used to maintainongoing contact between all participants in the Service’s community conservation programs.
Bushcare
The NPWS plays a key role in the delivery ofthe Bushcare program. Bushcare is a compo-nent of the Commonwealth Government’sNatural Heritage Trust and funds a large num-ber of projects focused on biodiversity conser-vation, especially vegetation protection andrestoration. The NPWS is responsible forstatewide coordination of Bushcare and joint-ly manages the program in conjunction withthe Department of Land and WaterConservation. Broad oversight of the programis provided by the Bushcare Reference Group,which comprises a range of stakeholders.Numerous partnerships have been establishedacross NSW including arrangements withcommunity groups to provide regional bush-care facilitators. The NPWS has alsoemployed two urban bushcare facilitators.
Farming for the Future
The NPWS continues to co-sponsor this farmplanning program which is administeredjointly by the Service, the Department ofLand and Water Conservation, NSWAgriculture and the NSW Farmers’Association. The program provides information to landholders through a series
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of integrated workshops. The NPWS hasemployed facilitators in Queanbeyan,Bathurst, Armidale, Grafton, Griffith, Cobar,Dubbo and the Upper Hunter.
The Service has received Natural HeritageTrust funding to enhance the biodiversitycomponent of the program’s PropertyManagement Planning Workshop series.
Other programs on private land
The NPWS has continued its involvement inthe Australia and New Zealand Environmentand Conservation Council (ANZECC) work-ing group on nature conservation on privateland. This group has provided oversight forthe national implementation of the Land forWildlife program and is developing a nationalframework for nature conservation on privateland.
As remnant vegetation is not only importantfor the protection of biodiversity butenhances the cultural identity of our ruralcentres, the NPWS continued to providesponsorship to the Keep Australia BeautifulCouncil for its Wildlife Habitat and CorridorsAward. The Service has also assisted in judg-ing the awards.
The NSW Roadside Environment Committeefacilitates the management of NSW roadsidesfor the benefit of the environment. The
NPWS is represented on the committeewhich runs training and workshops on assess-ment and conservation of remnant nativeroadside vegetation.
The NPWS also has strong links with theLandcare network through representation onthe NSW State Landcare Working Group.This has provided NPWS with opportunitiesto work closely and share information withgroups involved in on-ground work addressingimportant biodiversity issues, and has alsoinvolved membership on working groups suchas the organising committee for theLandcare/Total Catchment Management con-ference.
THREATENED SPECIESThe NPWS manages its threatened speciesprograms with both statewide coordination ofconservation planning (including recoveryand threat abatement planning) and, on aregional level, with site-specific assessmentand conservation planning for threatenedspecies.
The specific purpose funding to threatenedspecies in NSW was increased from $4 mil-lion to $6 million in 1998–99 with the addi-tional funding targeted specifically for thepreparation of recovery plans and threatabatement plans.
The NPWS participates as the lead agency inNSW for the Natural Heritage Trust’sEndangered Species Program, with 21 projectsfunded in this State.
Recovery planning
Major initiatives have included the prepara-tion of 150 threatened species profiles, provid-ing basic information on the distribution,ecology and management needs of some ofthe most threatened plants and animals.These are being progressively placed on theNPWS web site as well as released in a folderform.
A database of marine species sightings hasbeen developed to provide basic distributionalinformation on threatened whales and turtlesin NSW, as the first stage in planning fortheir conservation.
Surveys of suites of poorly known threatenedplants in the Blue Mountains and Hunter
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Local Farming for the Future facilitator Stuart McMahon (centre) ata property management planning workshop in the Monaro.
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regions have been carried out to provide basicdistributional information and to allow thestart of recovery planning for these species.Surveys have also been undertaken on poorlyknown threatened flora in western NSW, andon a suite of declining woodland birds of thecentral west.
Two recovery plans — for the Wollemi pineand Zieria prostrata — have now been finalisedand are being implemented.
Six recovery plans have been prepared toexhibition draft form and placed on public dis-play, while 50 plans are in final draft form andunder negotiation with other public authori-ties and key stakeholders prior to going onpublic display.
An additional 50 plans are at an intermediate stage of development and it is expected thatthese will be carried through to exhibitiondraft stage in 1999–2000. A further 50 plansare at an early stage of development.Twelve multispecies recovery plans are underdevelopment dealing with approximately 60species.
The preparation of recovery plans has startedfor a range of endangered ecological commu-nities including the Cumberland PlainWoodland and Eastern Suburbs BanksiaScrub.
Broadly distributed NSW threatened speciesfor which recovery plans are under prepara-tion include forest owls, threatened microchi-ropteran bats, quolls, bush thick-knee, littletern, green and golden bell frog, brush-tailedrock wallaby, and koala.
Urgent conservation actions are underway fora large number of the species for which recov-ery plan preparation is occurring. Proposalshave been prepared to identify critical habitatfor the Gould’s petrel and the shrub, Zieriabaeulaerii, through their recovery plan development.
Threat abatement planning
Development of a fox threat abatement planhas commenced and a number of actions taken to reduce the impacts of fox predation on threatened species. A threat abatementplan for bitou bush has also been initiated.
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Hidden treasure … a recovery plan was finalised during the year for the endangered Wollemi pine.
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Community information, participationand education
A program of threatened species educationand awareness has been established. Thisfunded 14 projects aimed at improving threatened species awareness in the widercommunity. Key examples include landholderinformation sheets, production of Land forWildlife material, a booklet on threatenedspecies of the Riverina Plains, and threatenedspecies displays and information days. Otherinitiatives include:• production and distribution of four fact
sheets on the Threatened Species Conservation Act;
• a threatened species speakers kit;• coordination of development of a conserva-
tion management network for the criticallyendangered grassy white box grassy wood-land.
Scientific Committee
Support was provided for the continued oper-ations of the NSW Scientific Committee,which is responsible for listing all threatenedspecies populations, ecological communitiesand key threatening processes under theThreatened Species Conservation Act 1995. This includes provision of funding and admin-
istrative support for the committee to under-take its functions. It also include provision oftechnical information on a range of issues,and dissemination of information on threat-ened species listings.
Approximately 30 advices were provided tothe Scientific Committee during the year, and 35 final determinations made by the committee.
Threatened species field programsLord Howe Island woodhen
Responsibility for the monitoring program forthe Lord Howe Island woodhen is beinghanded to the Lord Howe Island Board over athree-year period.
In future, only one census of the populationwill be made each year (in November). Thisshould be adequate to detect any significantdecline in the population and to allow man-agement intervention.
The most recent census showed the popula-tion stable at about 50 breeding pairs.
Malleefowl
In October 1998, malleefowl bred and raisedat Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, were releasedinto Yathong Nature Reserve to bolster recov-ery of the local population following experi-mental aerial and ground baiting of foxes, theprime predator of malleefowl. The effective-ness of this fox control continues to be greatlyenhanced by the participation of the localcommunity in coordinated control programson surrounding properties.
Little tern
The endangered little tern, once on the brinkof extinction in New South Wales, continuedto make substantial steps towards recovery.Management prescriptions — the outcome ofcareful long-term scientific research undertak-en by the NPWS — were implemented at allmajor colonies during the 1998–99 breedingseason. Little terns nest on beaches and arehighly susceptible to disturbance and toattack by introduced predators. With guid-ance from the NPWS, local communitygroups assisted in protecting these highly vul-nerable nesting sites. Continued breeding suc-cess has led to an increase in numbers and theemergence of new colonies.
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A recovery plan is being developed for the threatenedgreen and golden bell frog.
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Gould's petrel
Apart from a few birds recently discoveredbreeding on nearby Boondelbah Island,Cabbage Tree Island is the sole breedingground for this endangered seabird.
Just six years ago the breeding populationnumbered fewer than 250 pairs, and these pro-duced fewer than 50 fledglings annually.Experimental recovery actions on CabbageTree Island increased the number of breedingpetrels to more than 700 pairs. During the1998–99 breeding season, these birds success-fully fledged more than 350 young.Despite these remarkable achievements, theGould’s petrel remains vulnerable to extinc-tion through the inadvertent introduction ofexotic predators such as rats, cats, dogs andfoxes to Cabbage Tree Island. To safeguardagainst such a catastrophe, an innovativetranslocation program was initiated in anattempt to augment the small colony onBoondelbah Island. A total of 100 nestlingswere moved between islands in 1999. Successexceeded all expectations, with 95 percent ofthese nestlings successfully fledging fromBoondelbah Island. These birds will spend thenext five or six years at sea before returning totheir adopted island to breed.
Other field programs
• Continued implementation of the recovery plan for the endangered plant Grevillea caleyi, in conjunction with Warringah Council and the Roads and Traffic Authority. Measures included monitoring ofimpacts of the January 1994 fires, erecting fences and barriers to minimise disturbance,and carrying out weed control measures.
• Development of fire-response guidelines for threatened and common Leucopogon shrubspecies.
• Development of a modified IUCN risk assessment scheme for vascular plants and an associated spreadsheet for implementa-tion across Australia.
• Monitoring the effects of a reduction of rabbit numbers from calicivirus and exten-sive warren destruction, on the threatened purple wood wattle, Acacia carnei.
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENTIn the Lismore district, the NPWS, in con-junction with Southern Cross and NewcastleUniversities and community volunteers, isconducting a long-term study monitoringwhale movements and numbers in the CapeByron area.
The NPWS responded to a number ofcetacean strandings during the year with theNPWS Grafton District acquiring a new, fullyequipped trailer and Zodiac inflatable boat for stranded marine mammal rescues.
The NPWS provides financial and in-kindsupport to wildlife carer groups across theState. The Wildlife Information and RescueService (WIRES) received a $10,000 contri-bution from the NPWS this year and theMetropolitan Wildlife Rescue Service andORRCA both received $5000 contributions.
ABORIGINAL HERITAGECONSERVATIONReturn of lands
Following amendments in 1996, the NationalParks and Wildlife Act 1974 now provides a
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Handback … jubilant Mutawintji elder William Bates holds up thedocument returning Mutawintji National Park to its traditionalAboriginal owners.
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process for the return to Aboriginal ownershipof specified national parks and reserves thatare of special cultural significance toAboriginal people. It ensures that parks aremanaged by Aboriginal people in partnershipwith the NPWS and also provides for thereturn of cultural property and ancestralremains to the rightful Aboriginal owners.
The specified lands, listed under Schedule 14of the Act, are Mungo National Park,Mootwingee National Park and Historic Siteand Coturaundee Nature Reserve, MountYarrowyck Nature Reserve, Mount GrenfellHistoric Site and NSW Jervis Bay NationalPark. Arising from the Eden ForestAgreement, Biamanga National Park wasadded to Schedule 14. Further parks can onlybe included through separate legislation.
Ownership of the lands comprisingMootwingee National Park and Historic Siteand Coturaundee Nature Reserve was trans-ferred to the Mutawintji Local AboriginalLand Council on 4 September 1998. The landcouncil holds title to the lands, on behalf ofthe traditional Aboriginal owners, and leasesthe lands back to the Minister for theEnvironment for use as Mutawintji NationalPark, Mutawintji Nature Reserve andMutawintji Historic Site.
A board of management with a majority ofAboriginal owners has been appointed for thecare, control and management responsibilityfor the reserves.
Conservation projects
In 1998–99, the NPWS allocated $350,000 to55 discrete Aboriginal heritage conservationprojects throughout NSW.
As in previous years, the priority for thesefunds, particularly in the Western region, wasAboriginal burial sites. With the assistance ofthe relevant local Aboriginal communities,burial works, including reburials, occurred inthe Broken Hill, Lower Darling, Griffith,Coonabarabran, Lismore, Port Macquarie andsouthern Sydney districts.
On the east coast, midden protection workswere completed in Central Coast, Hunter,Narooma and Nowra districts. Conservationworks on rock art, engravings and tool-mak-ing sites were undertaken throughout theState. Additional rock art monitoring wasundertaken at a number of sites, jointly fund-ed by the NPWS and the Aboriginal HeritageResearch Program.
Other projects included scar tree protectionworks in Central West and Narooma districts,survey work at Tumut, Cobar andCoonabarabran districts, and works on placesof spiritual significance and ceremonialground protection works in the Lismore,Armidale and Tumut districts and throughoutthe far south coast.
HISTORIC HERITAGE CONSERVATIONThe NPWS has helped raise awareness of theneed for better standards of assessment and
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P R O T E C T I O N O F C O N S E R V A T I O N A S S E T S
Heritage conservation … NPWS carpenter UwePetersohn reconstructs the chimney on Mawson’s Hut inthe Jagungal Wilderness of Kosciuszko National Park.
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consideration of impacts on heritage items aspart of the Service’s obligations under theEnvironmental Planning and Assessment Act1979. Technical guidelines have been pre-pared to address the requirements for impactassessment on significant historic heritageassets to fulfil the approval process under Part5 of the Act.
Improved standards in the preparation of con-servation management plans have been assist-ed by a ‘model’ brief that has set a high stan-dard of report performance and ensures thatreports meet Heritage Council requirements. The NPWS completed a Guide to BuildingConservation Works, a complete manual to thephysical conservation of vernacular buildings.It was originally developed to assist staff in
carrying out maintenance and repairs on her-itage structures, but has generated such signif-icant external interest that it will be reprintedand sold to the public.
Twenty nine maintenance works at a totalcost of nearly $2 million were undertakenduring the year to conserve many historic her-itage items of state significance.
The NPWS took out two major prizes in theNational Trust’s 1999 Heritage Awards. TheService won first prize in the government sec-tion for its Blue Mountains Walking TrackHeritage Study, and was highly commended forthe conservation study of the Third ClassDining Quarters Building at the QuarantineStation in Sydney Harbour National Park.
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