Bogan Shire Council

Aboriginal communities have a strong association with many threatened species through their use of medicinal plants and bush tucker, as well as through kinship and spiritual relationships. These associations may vary in significance between the many communities in NSW. Helping threatened species recover will involve liaising with Aboriginal elders and their communities to incorporate their knowledge and experience, and ensuring they are informed about proposed recovery actions. When Aboriginal people have cultural responsibilities or kinship obligations to protect a species, these people should be involved in determining recovery plans.

Aboriginal people’s involvement in threatened species recovery enables them to fulfil cultural obligations to care for Country, maintain cultural traditions and practices and contribute to the wellbeing of their community. DEC has prepared guidelines to facilitate Aboriginal community involvement in threatened species recovery planning (English and Baker 2003).

Consultation with Aboriginal communities is a statutory requirement for the preparation of recovery plans and has been a part of many already approved plans. Aboriginal people will also be consulted to help recover other species a recovery plan will not be prepared for where there is a known cultural association, eg the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). It is expected that the list of threatened species requiring Aboriginal liaison and interpretation as part of the recovery strategy will increase once partnerships with Aboriginal communities become better established.

Threatened animals and plants occur across NSW and their continued survival in the wild is a collective partnership involving all land managers. Community support and involvement is crucial to the continued success of recovery programs, particularly for those species whose distribution predominantly occurs on private land.

Engaging community interest and participation ensures that important aspects of the ecology of species and threats facing them are understood, and provides opportunities to become involved with species recovery locally. Community liaison, awareness and education includes on-site meetings and open days, and preparing and distributing species profiles, school resource kits, posters, fact sheets and other promotional materials.

The development and maintenance of systems that record the location of species or key components of their habitat is an essential part of threatened species management. Information gathered from survey, monitoring and mapping actions will often need to be verified or incorporated into databases such as the NSW Atlas of Wildlife. Managers can use this information to implement on ground site protection and restoration programs.

The PAS recommends various strategies to manage the habitat of threatened species. These include both planning and on ground works to control weeds, pest animals, fire and other human related threats.

Feral animals such as rabbits, pigs, goats, wild dogs, cats, and the fox, pose a major threat to many threatened species. They compete for food and nest or roost sites; prey on adults, juveniles and eggs; and damage and degrade natural habitats and breeding sites. The impacts of some of these species are recognised as KTPs. The control of feral animals through targeted culling programs and exclusion at priority sites is therefore an important strategy for threatened species.

Native animals and plants respond differently to fire. Some can persist under a range of fire regimes. However, in many cases, too frequent fire may harm species by killing them, preventing them from spreading, depleting the soil seed bank, or modifying their habitat. Planning for threatened species recovery in relation to fire may mean implementing variable fire regimes and excluding those that are detrimental. Fire management may involve managing hazard reduction activities such as slashing and mowing, to prevent these activities from impacting on species and their habitats.

Overgrazing by introduced animals such as goats, rabbits and domestic stock can severely damage habitat by modifying and removing vegetation, compacting the soil, trampling and fouling waterholes and spreading weeds. This can lead to an overall decline in species diversity and resilience of the ecosystem as a whole. Grazing pressure is also often associated with inappropriate fire regimes. In some cases impacts from grazing may also be caused by native animals. Reducing the impacts of grazing involves excluding stock from key sites, managing access to waterholes and applying other strategic grazing practices.

Advising on the implications and impacts of proposed development activities on threatened species and their habitats is an ongoing recovery action. DEC advises authorities responsible for regional and local planning and development approvals. DEC also informs and advises consultants and other investigators who assess the potential impacts of developments or activities, leading to better conservation outcomes for threatened species. Advice includes environmental impact assessment guidelines, survey guidelines and species profiles, or ongoing liaison and consultation on statutory obligations.

Habitat management includes other actions that are not currently part of a PAS strategy. These include developing best practice guidelines or standards for habitat management, pursuing incentive schemes and stewardship programs, preparing site management plans or managing issues such as erosion, subsidence or flooding. Over time DEC will develop a broader range of strategies to incorporate these habitat management initiatives.

Habitats for threatened species often require protection from disturbances such as vehicles, over visitation, livestock and native animal grazing, roadside maintenance or feral animals. Site protection may involve restricting access to a site by installing fencing or bollards, or placing signs or markers along roads, tracks and utility easements. Aboriginal communities should be involved in decision making when site protection involves restricting access. It may be necessary to discuss balancing protecting threatened species with cultural issues.

The maintenance of river flow regimes and water quality are fundamental to good river health. Ecological processes which sustain native fish and frog populations, vegetation, wetlands and birdlife depend on it. Programs need to be developed that control inappropriate water flows and urban runoff which can result in increased erosion and sedimentation and reductions in water quality.

Weeds compete with native plants for resources such as light and nutrients, and can aggressively invade areas, displacing native plants and animals. The impacts of a number of weed species such as Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) are identified as KTPs. The control of weeds at priority sites can help recover threatened species.

Habitat loss or modification for urban development and agricultural practices has been a major factor in the decline of many native plants and animals. Rehabilitation and regeneration of lost or modified habitat can help many threatened species continue to survive in the wild. Actions include planting local native plants to provide food, shelter and roosting sites, or bush regeneration to reduce the impact on native plants from weeds. Many local community groups are enhancing and restoring the natural environment and assisting in the continued survival and increase of native species.

A formal recovery plan will be required for threatened species that are iconic, or have complex conservation issues involving a suite of management actions or require the input and agreement of multiple stakeholders including Aboriginal communities. Under the TSC Act, recovery plans may be prepared for a single or group of threatened species, or for part of the range of a species. DEC may also be contracted by the Commonwealth Government to prepare recovery plans for species listed as threatened under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

These are most effective for two or more species or ecological communities of the same taxonomic group or geographic region that share a common threat or threats.

Surveys are useful in:

• updating or confirming information about the distribution of a threatened species, by increasing knowledge of where a threatened species is located and the habitats and land tenures it occupies
• clarifying understanding of the conservation status of a threatened species and the threats that may be operating at a site.

Surveys may benefit from the involvement of Aboriginal people to ensure that relevant cultural knowledge on species distribution is considered with the results of scientific assessments.

Mapping and habitat assessment enables a clearer interpretation of the locations or distribution of threatened species and their habitats. It also incorporates habitat analysis and modelling of predictive distributions, allowing biologists to more effectively target surveys and predict where habitats may be situated and where recovery actions may be directed. This information helps environmental managers to assess the significance and impacts of proposed developments or activities.

The illegal harvesting of plants, capture of native animals and collection of key habitat attributes such as bushrock can dramatically reduce the abundance of local populations. Direct loss of individual animals, particularly aquatic reptiles and marine mammals through entrapment in fishing nets or as by-catch can cause sever impacts. Reducing the impacts of ‘direct take’ will involve a variety of actions ranging from deterrence, community education and improvements to industry methods.

Habitat loss or modification for urban development and agricultural practices has been a major factor in the decline of many native plants and animals. Rehabilitation and regeneration of lost or modified habitat can help many threatened species continue to survive in the wild. Actions include planting local native plants to provide food, shelter and roosting sites, or bush regeneration to reduce the impact on native plants from weeds. Many local community groups are enhancing and restoring the natural environment and assisting in the continued survival and increase of native species.