GAWLER RANGES NRM GROUP NEWSLETTER August 2019 Welcome to our first edition! Twice each year the Gawler Ranges NRM Group plans to update you on its activi- ties, as well as the SA Arid Lands NRM Board’s news and work in the Gawler Ranges district. BEFORE: November 2017 AFTER: August 2019 ABOVE: Cochineal has been used on a cactus infestation in the north western Gawler Ranges with great success. These pictures taken in November 2017 (left) and August 2019 (right) show the extent of the infestation. Cleaning up cactus In this issue A voracious microscopic insect is proving region. This would then be used to Cactus control with cochineal successful in sucking dry problematic disperse onto the varied species of Bounceback and Beyond program cactus across the Gawler Ranges and cactus. other areas of the SA Arid Lands. SIMEC Mining’s newest iron ore While cochineal is having success in con- project Cochineal (Dactylopius spp.), a scale trolling these Weeds of National insect native to the Americas is proving Significance, it is not a silver bullet for Kids on Country program effective in tackling cactus species includ- Opuntia control, with herbicide still OZ Minerals update ing prickly pear, devil’s rope and wheel recommended as part of an integrated cactus. cactus management plan. PIRSA’s One Biosecurity program While the insect has been used across the SAAL NRM staff placed cochineal at the Gawler Ranges National Park news North Flinders, it has been introduced coral cactus infestation in the north west News from the Outback more recently to the Gawler’s and Gawler Ranges in November 2017. They Communities Authority Kingoonya areas. It is having successful returned to the site in January this year results on coral and wheel cactus and and again in August and observed that Biteback Wild Dog program showing promising signs on the the cochineal is decimating the TAFE SA training opportunities in potentially devastating Hudson pear. population. The mature cactus is turning the pastoral sector black and crumbling and the young Through the SAAL NRM Board, the plants are blanketed by cochineal. Pastoral Board consultation Gawler Ranges NRM Group is exploring the option of having a cochineal holding If you have cactus on your property and Your Gawler Ranges NRM contacts facility in Port Augusta, which would grow would like some assistance contact Paul and maintain populations of cochineal for Hodges on 8648 5194 or Chris Fulton on different cactus species present in the 8648 5376 or 0477 307 038 1 Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Bounceback and Beyond in the Gawlers The survival of a number of threatened targeting new areas supporting habitat for water points, with a focus on shrubs and animals and plants in the Gawler Ranges threatened species, the aim is to expand trees, particularly those palatable to goats. district will be improved through the activities by more than 4600km2 across the Bounceback and Beyond (B&B) project. Gawler, Flinders and Olary ranges. The proportion of individuals of a heavily browsed species versus lightly browsed will The project is supported by the SA Arid Staff will work with landholders on pest be recorded, providing a baseline for Lands NRM Board through funding from management to ensure complementary comparison with areas where goats are the Australian Government’s National ground baiting is undertaken at optimal effectively managed and be a reference for Landcare Program. times between aerial baiting as well as goat future monitoring. At a regional scale it will mustering and ground shooting. inform which vegetation species may be B&B will reduce the impacts of foxes and threatened if goats are not managed to low goats across Pinkawillinie, Gawler Ranges As part of the project, complementary levels. and Hiltaba conservation managed lands monitoring is set up on properties to and in numerous parks and pastoral leases compare intensively fox and goat managed An activity specific to the Gawler Ranges across the Flinders and Olary regions. areas against current standards. The district is the contribution to a national monitoring will include the use of motion Malleefowl fox-control experiment to de- Ongoing State and Federal investment has cameras and on-ground assessments of the termine its effectiveness across the country. enabled recovery of the Yellow-footed impact of goats and other herbivores on This involved mapping Malleefowl Mounds Rock-wallaby, with other species to benefit vegetation. Monitoring of threatened detected using an aerial Lidar survey on fox in the district including the nationally species will also be undertaken. baited and non-baited properties with threatened Malleefowl, Short-tailed Grass- mallee on sand dune country. The next step wren, Sandhill Dunnart, as well as regionally Motion-activated infrared cameras will be will be to determine how many nests are endemic plant species. set up to provide comparative information used, which can only be done by visiting on euros, western grey and red kangaroos, each nest during late spring and summer. The project will expand management and goats, wild dogs, foxes, cats, rabbits, emus, If you are interested in taking part in monitoring activities beyond the original echidnas and any other animal larger than surveys, contact Chris Fulton on 8648 Bounceback footprint, initially to include a rat. 5376 or 0477 307 038. conservation and pastoral lands east of Kimba, a stronghold for Sandhill Dunnarts Properties involved can access information For information about Bounceback and and Malleefowl. Controlling threats such from the cameras on the animals found on Beyond contact Rob Brandle, Cat Lynch as foxes has also demonstrated benefits for their properties, including foxes and wild or Ben McCallum on 8648 5300. sheep producers through increased lamb dogs. survival rates. Herbivore impacts will be assessed along By re-engaging with private landholders transects in areas inaccessible to livestock – previously involved in Bounceback, and usually steeper ranges or areas away from 2 Bark Sheoak Adder Project The Bark Sheoak Adder (BSA) Project is items such as flora and fauna, heritage SIMEC Mining’s (GFG Alliance) newest (First People and European), surface and iron ore project in the Middleback Ranges groundwater, and potential noise, dust (MBR) west of Whyalla. If approved, and visual amenity impacts on residents mining activities are expected (at this of Cooyerdoo Homestead. stage) to take up to five years, starting in Landholder concerns were incorporated 2020 and concluding in 2025. in the design of the planned mining The Project is located wholly on operations at Adder Hills, the Cooyerdoo Station. It comprises five northernmost mining area. This included mining areas extending about 14km limiting the maximum height of waste along a north-south line of low hills to rock dumps and siting them behind the the northwest of the current Iron Baron hills to remove them from the sightline at Location of the BSA Project Mining Area (IBMA). The tenement the homestead. covers an area of about 1900 hectares into the Iron Baron PEPR. The statutory period for public comment that are identified by the pink outline on on the MLP recently closed, with no location map (right). If you would like further information on public comments received. SIMEC is now this project please contact SIMEC’s awaiting government responses to the Mining at the Project will be a simple dig Community and Stakeholder Engagement MLP. Once the Mineral Lease is granted, and cart operation, with all crushing at Advisor Denise Sharp on mobile 0447 039 SIMEC must submit a Program for the existing IBMA mining operation. 358 or via email at Environmental Protection and [email protected] SIMEC prepared a Mining Lease Proposal Rehabilitation (PEPR) for approval prior to (MLP) and submitted it to Department for mining starting on the project. In this Energy and Mining in April. It considered case, the BSA project will be incorporated 3 ABOVE: SAAL NRM Community Ecologist Ben McCallum works with the students from Port Lincoln High School. Kids on Country camp at Hiltaba Six students from Port Lincoln High School now have a better understanding of how to read and interpret the landscape after a SA Arid Lands-NRM-lead workshop at the Kids on Country Camp at Hiltaba earlier this month. ABOVE: The rare Gawler Ranges Mintbush. The success of the workshop has resulted in SAAL staff planning Nature Foundation SA has run the Kids on Country program to continue their involvement in the program into the future. since 2016. In 2019 it is looking to hold six Kids on Country Gawler Ranges Community Landscape Officer Chris Fulton and camps, with three planned at Hiltaba Nature Reserve and a SA Arid Lands Community Ecologist Ben McCallum shared further three at Witchelina Nature Reserve in the Marree- information about plants and animals that are both native and Innamincka district. non-native to the area. Kids on Country is a collaboration between Aboriginal They took the students on an interactive walking tour which community leaders, secondary schools, industry partners and started at the Shearer’s Quarters and ended on the rocky out- Nature Foundation SA staff and volunteers, who share a passion crops of the hills, where they were lucky to see the rare Gawler and expertise for increasing the capacity of young people to Ranges Mintbush. build on their skills by embedding knowledge of Traditional Owners, Aboriginal connection to country and STEM education. The students observed the changes in the landscape as they climbed the hill and the effects of herbivore grazing on plant species. 4 OZ Minerals Carrapateena Mine update Carrapateena Project Carrapateena is a copper-gold project located in the Gawler Craton, about 160km north of Port Augusta. The project, which will be a 4.25 Mega tonnes per annum underground sub level cave operation, is on track for first concentrate in the fourth quarter of this year, after which it will ramp up over the following 18 months to steady state production.