Report lbr Byron snrre uouncr Results of property inspection and site assessment of Crown Land Subject Land: Crown Reserve known as The Terrace Hotiday Park at Brunswick Heads Byron Local Government Area Report prepared by: Dr. Robert Kooyman (Ecologist / Botanist) Earth Process Ecological Services 220Dingo Lane, Myocum NSW 2481 Ph:02 66842806 Mobile: 0413 189 313 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Date:03/0812017 t Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction... J 2.0 \rfefhnds ,,,,..4 3.0 Results of site inspection 4 3.1 Topography 4 3.2 Soils L L 3.3 Native Vegetation 3.4 Extent and condition of native vegetation in the Terrace Holiday Park .............5 3.5 Assessment of factors detailed in the brief.. .............5 3.5.1 Provide a description of the Coastal Cypress Pine community in relation to the specific site and the broader area of Brunswick Heads 5 3.5.2 Determine the estimated age of the Coastal Cypress Pines in the Terrace Reserve Holiday Park Brunswick Heads and the evidence for them being planted. 6 3.5.3 Determine the likelihood of those trees belonging to a \MWl memorial planting.....6 3.5.4 Provide a description of the health of the trees. Identify human activities that are impacting on the health of the trees (i.e., provide a threat assessment)......'.'....... .........."..7 3.5.5 Determine what can be done to preserve the trees and improve their health.............8 3.5.6 ldentiff specific trees that are unlikely to survive and outline a suitable long term replacement program. 8 3.5.7 Provide options as to what solutions are available to ensure the long term survival of the trees and protection of their heritage values, taking into consideration the existing land-use.. 8 Discussion 9 4.0 References.................... ...........10 5.0 Appendix I CV ...........1 1 6.0 Appendix2: Coastal Cypress Pine Forest in the NSW North Coast Bioregion - endangered ecological community listing ............17 In the case of Byron LEP extracts: 25 2 1.0 Introduction My name is ROBERT MICHAEL KOOYMAN and I am a partner in the environmental consultancy business, Earth Process Ecological Services (EPES)' I am a Hon. Research Fellow in plant ecology at Macquarie University, Sydney and a Hon. Research Associate of the National Herbarium of NSW and Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. The attached CV (Appendix l) provides details of my professional qualifications and experience in relation to the provision of the information in this report and determination of such matters. Mr. Andrew Hill (Compliance, Byron Shire Council - BSC) contacted me in relation to this matter in early July 2017 and we met to discuss the issues on20107l20l7 .ln a subsequent email and brief he requested that I undertake an inspection of the site described as the Terrace Holiday Park at Brunswick Heads, a Crown Reserve in the Byron Shire Local Government Area. The brief directed me to undertake an inspection of the site (Crown Land) and provide an environmental assessment of the extent and condition of Coastal Cypress (Callitris columellarís - Cupressaceae) trees in the Crown Reserve. Specifically, I was requested to: o Provide a description of the Coastal Cypress Pine community in relation to the specific site and the broader area of Brunswick Heads. Determine the estimated age of the Coastal Cypress Pines in the Terrace Reserve Holiday Park Brunswick Heads and the evidence for them being planted. o Determine the likelihood of those trees belonging to a WWI memorial planting. o provide a description of the health of the trees. Identify human activities that are impacting on the health of the trees (i.e., provide ailtreat assessment). o Determine what can be done to preserve the trees and improve their health. o Identify specific trees that are unlikely to survive and outline a suitable long term replacement Program. o Provide options as to what solutions are available to ensure the long term survival of the trees and protection of their heritage values, taking into consideration the existing land-use. 3 I visited the site on 25 July 2017. The inspection included the area of Crown Land known as Pine (Catlitrís columellans) was measured at breast height (over barþ, and the condition of individuals was noted. 2.0 Methods I traversed (walked) the area of the site and noted the location of all trees of Coastal Cypress Pine and the endangered ecological community (Appendix 2). Details of stem sizes (measured diameter) and the identifying numbers of individuals were recorded (Appendix 3) 3.0 Results of site inspection The results of the ecological and environmental assessments of the site and other areas of the community'oCoastal Cypress Pine Forest in the NSW North Coast Bioregion - endangered ecological community" are presented below. Appendix 3 provides a list of the tree species in the community in Brunswick Heads NR (abundance weighted) relative to the species present in Terrace Holiday Park. This section of the report also provides an evaluation of the trees on site and the community in relation to the 'brief described above. A description of the site, including topography, soils, and vegetation, is provided below. 3.l Topography The subject land borders Simpson's Creek. The land area is mostly flat or with a gentle slope and is aligned from south to north. There is a steep drop off into the mangrove lined creek. 3.2 Soils The subject area is dominated by free-draining sandy soils (Aeolian dunal sands) typical of coastal dune sequences and coastal sand accumulations adjacent to estuaries. 3.3 Native Vegetation The site and adjacent areas fringing Simpson's Creek is edged by mangrove forest, with upslope sand areas dominated by the Endangered Ecological Community of Coastal Cypress 4 pine, with some Swamp Sclerophyll Forest and Littoral Rainforest elements. The native species such as Coastal Cypress (Caltinis columellaris - Cupressaceae), Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornls - Myrtaceae), Swamp Mahogany (Eucalþtus robusta - Myrtaceae), Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus - Myrtaceae), Paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia - Myrtaceae), Coastal Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardio#es - Sapindaceae), Coast Banksia (Banlcsia integrifolia- Proteaceae), Bird's-eye AlectryonQLlectryon coriaceus - Sapindaceae) and Beach Acronychia (Acronychia imperforafa - Rutaceae)' 3.4 Extent and condi.tion of native vegetation in the Terrace Holiday Park The inspection showed that functioning native vegetation communities (including Coastal the Cypress pine) are either restricted to the southern end of the Terrace Holiday Park or to Park estuary and creek area (mangroves and forest transitions). Within the Terrace Holiday the remaining native vegetation is consistent with species present in the natural communities Swamp on the same soil types adjacent. These include species from the Coastal Cypress Pine, Sclerophyll Forest and Littoral Rainforest communities. The dominant species and remaining feature trees in the Terrace Holiday Park include Coastal Cypress (Callitris columellaris), and species such as Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus rob'usta),Brush Box(Lophostemon confertus) and Paperbark(Melaleuca quinquenervia) (refer to Appendix 3, Sheet 1 - Callitris-size-class-condition). The combination of species (in Terrace Holiday Park) that occur across the size classes (diameters) present in the Brunswick NR (and including larger sizes) suggests that they are most likely remnants of the loriginal' vegetation, and are indicative of that vegetation in the combinations that ociur naturally nearby (refer to Appendix 3, Sheet 2 - Callitris-EEc). 3.5 Assessment of factors detailed in the brief 3.5.1 provide a descrþtion of the Coastal Cypress Pine community in relatíon to the specilic síte and the broader area of Brunswíck Heads Rsfer to 3.3 and3.4 above, see also Appendix 3' 5 3.5.2 Determine the estimated age of the Coøstal Cypress Pines in the Terrace The Coastal Cypress (Cøllitris columellaris) trees in the Terrace Reserve Holiday Park are similar in size and therefore likely similar in age to those occurring naturally in the Brunswick Heads NF.. Callitris columellar¡s is a widely distributed slow growing species that occurs on nutrient poor soils (including coastal sands) across its range (Brodribb et al. 2013). The conservative Callitris growth strategy of restricting photosynthesis and growth to wet periods and avoiding photosynthesis in dry months leads to a highly efficient use of water during photosynthesis and growth in the long term, but comes at significant cost to growth rate and productivity from year to year (Brodribb et al.2013). The results of growth band monitoring of stems in the tropics (where both seasonal rainfall and temperature exceed the subtropics and therefore suggest higher growth rates - refer to Brodribb et a\.2010,2013) showed an annual increment in stem diameter of 2mm for this species. Notwithstanding the faster growth rates expected in the tropics compared to the subtropics, atthatgrowth rate the largest trees on the Tenace Reserve Holiday Park would be ca. 400 years old and those in the larger size class represented more broadly and in the orows' suggested (size class 40-50 cm diameter) would be from 200-250 years. Based on the published information, the growth estimates for the tropics are likely greater than those realised in the subtropics (and on the Terrace Reserve Holiday Park site) and therefore the estimates of age provided here likely represent an underestimate of actual age. The evidence suggests the trees were not planted as their age exceeds that of European settlement. of the trees belonging to ø WWI planting 5.5.3 Determine the likelihood ^"^oìiol There is little direct evidence of the Coastal Cypress (Callitris columellaris) trees in the Terrace Reserve Holiday Park trees belonging to a formal planting. A check of historical photographs in the archives of the Brunswick Valley Historical Society (BVHS) showed that: l) The native vegetation on site and in adjacent areas, extending to the main road and Brunswick Heads Nature Reserveo was dominated by the Coastal Cypress Pine (Catlitris columellaris) community as described in this report.