Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan 2007 I
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Department for Environment and Heritage Management Plan Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula 2007 www.environment.sa.gov.au This plan of management was adopted on 20 June 2007 and was prepared pursuant to section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Published by the Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, Australia © Department for Environment and Heritage, 2007 ISBN: 1 921238 46 1 Cover Photography (clockwise from top left): historic tank structure at Moody Tank Conservation Park; nationally vulnerable Winter Spider-orchid (Caladenia brumalis); post-fire regeneration of native vegetation at Wanilla Land Settlement Conservation Park; Sleaford Mere Conservation Park looking south-east to Lincoln National Park. Photos courtesy of Katrina Pobke (Winter Spider-orchid), Paul Wainwright (Sleaford Mere CP) and Liesl Garrett, DEH. This document may be cited as “Department for Environment and Heritage (2007) Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan, Adelaide, South Australia” FOREWORD The Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan encompasses eight parks, being Kathai, Lincoln, Moody Tank, Murrunatta, Sleaford Mere, Tucknott Scrub, Wanilla and Wanilla Land Settlement Conservation Parks, all of which are within 65 kilometres of Port Lincoln. Moody Tank and Tucknott Scrub Conservation Parks were acquired as part of the Australian Government’s National Reserve System Program of the Natural Heritage Trust. Collectively, the parks protect more than 3,000 hectares of remnant native vegetation, including communities and species of conservation significance (eg Sugar Gum woodlands, Fat-leaf Wattle, Silver Daisy-bush and Winter Spider-orchid). The parks also provide habitat for native animal species of conservation significance (eg Common Brush-tail Possum, Eyre Peninsula Southern Emu- wren and Eyre Peninsula Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo). In January 2005 the Wangary bushfire burnt across more than 77,000 hectares on lower Eyre Peninsula in a nine-hour period. Native vegetation comprised 14,000 hectares of that area and included Murrunatta, Tucknott Scrub, Wanilla and Wanilla Land Settlement Conservation Parks. More than 6,600 hectares of the regionally significant Sugar Gum woodland was burnt and the entire population of the nationally vulnerable Ironstone Mulla Mulla was affected. Monitoring programs have already been established and implemented to improve our knowledge of the effects of bushfire on native vegetation, and to determine the vital attributes of different species. The management plan for the Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula provides direction for management of this network of remnant native vegetation, taking into consideration the impacts of the Wangary bushfire and how best to manage the recovering environment. The involvement of volunteers, and the partnerships and cooperative management arrangements that have evolved since the Wangary bushfire, are recognised, appreciated, and encouraged in management of these parks. The draft management plan for the Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula was released for public exhibition in January 2007. At the close of the comment period, five submissions were received on issues relating to the management of the historic tank structure at Moody Tank Conservation Park and additional information on the parks’ natural values. All comments were considered by the West Consultative Committee and forwarded to the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Council for advice before the plan was presented for adoption. The plan of management for the Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula is now formally adopted under the provisions of section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. HON GAIL GAGO MLC MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan 2007 i TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD......................................................................................................................................................... i 1 PARK LOCATIONS AND FEATURES .......................................................................................................... 1 2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.......................................................................................... 5 2.2 Native Title Act 1993 ..................................................................................................................... 5 3 VISION ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 4 ZONING...................................................................................................................................................... 7 5 MANAGING NATURAL HERITAGE.......................................................................................................... 11 5.1 Geology, Soils and Landform ....................................................................................................11 5.2 Hydrology ..................................................................................................................................... 12 5.3 Native Vegetation ...................................................................................................................... 15 5.4 Native Fauna ............................................................................................................................... 17 5.5 Introduced Plants ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.6 Introduced Animals..................................................................................................................... 22 6 MANAGING FIRE..................................................................................................................................... 24 7 MANAGING CULTURAL HERITAGE ........................................................................................................ 26 7.1 Indigenous Heritage ................................................................................................................... 26 7.2 Non-Indigenous Heritage........................................................................................................... 26 8 MANAGING TOURISM AND RECREATION............................................................................................ 29 8.1 Visitor Use and Access................................................................................................................ 29 8.2 Visitor Facilities ............................................................................................................................. 30 9 MANAGING EXPLORATION AND MINING ........................................................................................... 32 10 MANAGING RESERVE TENURE ............................................................................................................... 34 10.1 Public Utilities................................................................................................................................ 34 SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES .................................................................................................. 35 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................. 39 APPENDIX A: RECORDED FLORA SPECIES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE...................................... 42 APPENDIX B: RECORDED FAUNA SPECIES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE...................................... 43 APPENDIX C: CONSERVATION STATUS CODES............................................................................................ 44 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location .....................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2: Moody Tank Conservation Park – Zoning and Features.....................................................9 Figure 3: Sleaford Mere Conservation Park – Zoning and Features................................................10 Figure 4: Surface Water Catchments on Lower Eyre Peninsula ......................................................14 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Catchment Area and Hydrological Features .....................................................................12 Table 2: Declared Pest Plants ...............................................................................................................21 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Various groups and individuals are acknowledged for their valuable assistance, information and comments during the production of this management plan. Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan 2007 iii 1 PARK LOCATIONS AND FEATURES The Conservation Parks of Lower Eyre Peninsula Management Plan encompasses eight parks in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia. Four parks are located on the inland section of lower Eyre Peninsula, approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Port Lincoln. Moody Tank Conservation Park is further north of this group, approximately 65 kilometres north of Port Lincoln. The remaining three parks are located along the coast, on the southern tip of the peninsula, and all are less than 20 kilometres south-west of Port Lincoln