TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 3 RECOMMENDATIONS 8 4 SOILS AND GEOLOGY OF THE BRC 9 5 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 11 5.1 Climate 11 5.2 Topography and Drainage 11 5.3 Ground Water 12 6 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 13 6.1 Introduction 13 6.2 Fauna 13 6.3 Fauna Survey Methods 14 6.4 Flora 26 6.5 Wildlife Corridor 31 6.6 Potential Threats 33 6.7 Management Issues and Recommendations 35 7 ABORIGINAL HERITAGE 37 7.1 Issues 38 8 FIRE 39 8.1 Fire history 39 8.2 Fire Management 39 8.3 Recommendations 43 9 COAL MINING 45 1 9.1 Mining Impacts on Water quality 45 9.2 Gas discharge 47 9.3 Destruction of existing bushland 47 9.4 Subsidence 47 9.5 Dust 48 9.6 Mt Flora Extraction Proposal 48 9.7 Issues 48 9.8 Management Recommendations 49 10 NON-EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES 51 10.1 The Role of the EPA 51 10.2 Intensive Livestock Keeping Establishments (Poultry farming) 51 10.3 Intensive Horticulture 53 10.4 Extensive Livestock 54 10.5 Other Minor Industries 54 10.6 Issues 55 11 HUMAN IMPACTS 57 11.1 Weeds 57 11.2 Tree Planting in the Catchment 57 11.3 Sewage problems 57 11.4 Storm water 59 11.5 Eastern Australian Pipeline Co. 59 11.6 Very Fast Train 59 11.7 Rubbish dumping 59 11.8 Soil Erosion 61 11.9 Arson and Vandalism 63 11.10 Illegal timber gathering or clearing 63 11.11 Railways 64 2 11.12 Issues 65 12 WATER QUALITY MEASUREMENTS 68 12.1 Sydney Water Corporation 68 12.2 Streamwatch 69 12.3 Tahmoor Mines 69 12.4 Wolondilly Shire Council 69 12.5 Inghams 70 12.6 Conclusions 70 12.7 Recommendations 71 13 REFERENCES 72 14 APPENDICES 77 14.1 Abbreviations 77 14.2 Fuana of the BRC 78 14.3 Flora of the BRC 86 14.4 Correspondences 90 14.5 Water Quality Data 96 15 INDEX 103 3 Table Of Tables TABLE 1. LIST OF BIRDS RECORDED DURING SURVEY PERIOD 18 TABLE 2. MAMMALS RECORDED DURING SURVEY 19 TABLE 3. LIST OF HERPETOFAUNA RECORDED DURING SURVEY PERIOD. 19 TABLE 4. INVERTEBRATE SPECIES LIST 20 TABLE 5. SCHEDULE 1 FAUNA 21 TABLE 6. SCHEDULE 2 FAUNA 21 TABLE A. AVIFAUNA OF THE BRC 78 TABLE B. OTHER FUANA OF THE BRC 84 Table of Figures FIGURE 1. A MAP OVERLAY SHOWING THE BRC AND ITS GEOLOGY 10 FIGURE 2. CLIMATE GRAPH FOR BRC, USING PICTON STATION DATA 11 FIGURE 3. MAP SHOWING SURVEY LOCATIONS 15 FIGURE 4. VEGETATION MAP COVERING THE BRC 29 FIGURE 5. MAP OF CORRIDORS CONNECTED TO BRC 32 FIGURE 6. CHARCOAL DRAWINGS FROM DOGTRAP CREEK. COURTESY OF C. WARNER. 38 4 1 Acknowledgements We acknowledge the efforts and good humour of members of the Environmental Science Class, University of Western Sydney - Macarthur and Campbelltown TAFE; all are listed below. Particularly students of the former group Josh Glazebrook, Claudia Gee, Louise Brunero who produced fine reports; parts of which are included in this paper. Leo Bascur, Kim Brett, Louise Brunero, Adam Carlyon, Vivian Chan, Sunny Chen, David Clarke, Amanda Dengate, Claudia Gee, Joshua Glazebrook, Elaine Griffin, Melissa Helm, Gavin Kennedy, Marie La Rosa, Gloria Lee, Simone Luczak, Wade Mckechnie, Veronica Moreno, Veena Newaj, Darren Southwood, Budi Sutianto, Samara Tappenden, Glen Thompson, Josephine Wemyss and Caroline Young. John Spoule, David Nicholson and Environmental Officers of Wollondilly Shire Council and Wingecarribee Shire Council, both presented seminars on the BRC to students, answered questions and supplied information. Several other Officers of both Councils also supplied details, as did Fire Control Officers for Wollondilly and Wingecarribee. Many local residents provided valuable anecdotal information and the Picton Historical Society provided their facilities. Wirrimbirra Sanctuary supplied information and put up with us during the survey period. Keith Woodley, Environmental Officer for Tahmoor Mines supplied EIS's, other information, presented a seminar to students and gave a guided tour of the mine site. Stephen Fellenberg led the insect surveys and compiled the entomological report. Phil Teschke posed for the cover page and led the herpetological surveys and Steve Ward assisted with the mammal survey. Roland Ware from the UNCMC presented a seminar to the students and provided historical information. Elizabeth Chapman of WIRES gave us information regarding the types of animals taken into their care. Ross Wallace of Sydney Water supplied a database list of the animals and plants that have been recorded by the board within its catchments. Allan Leishman was a fund of information and supplied many valuable references. He and Bob Coveny critically read the first draft of this document and made many excellent suggestions for its improvement. The UNCMC supplied funding for the employment of extra staff during the survey, the costs of obtaining information, analysis of predator scats and hair tube results and the costs of colour printing. The University of Western Sydney - Macarthur provided equipment and photocopying. 5 2 Executive Summary This issues paper lists what is known of the natural resources of the Bargo River Catchment (BRC). Scenically, the gorge sections of the Catchment are exceptional, and other regions are of great beauty. Floristically the Catchment is important and in many areas, such as the Gorge and Caves Creek, the combination of landscape and vegetation has great aesthetic and scientific value. Many areas, having shale soils, have been used for urban and rural development, and are now severely degraded. However, the vegetation surrounding the River above Picton Weir is relatively unscathed. The fauna list is extensive and shows that the Catchment is rich in species although the relatively low density of animals reflects the poor nutritional status of the sandstone soils that underlie much of the Catchment. The history of aboriginal heritage in the area is incompletely documented but what is known is important. Further research may yet reveal details of the original use of the area by local tribes. The natural resources are of high quality and clearly deserve protection. However, a number of processes are threatening the Catchment; some of these are largely independent of increasing population pressure: coal mining, poultry farming, and other agriculture. The major mining issues relate to the release of contaminated water from the mine outlets and reject storage areas, the effects of subsidence on the river and the destruction of vegetation for the reject area. The environmental officer for Tahmoor mines was open, constructive and helpful in supplying information. Inghams, the major poultry company, however, gave us no assistance. We can only be suspicious, therefore, of its self-monitoring systems and concern for the Catchment. Such a large organisation should be more communicative with the community. Both the mining and poultry industries can cause considerable damage to the catchment. However with Best Management Practice (BMP), the effects, except for subsidence, could be minimal. The efforts of both industries should be transparent to the community and their water testing data should be readily available. In the long run, the community must decide whether the value of these industries, in terms of income to the community, is worth the environmental damage. The community needs accurate data to make that decision. The effects of the grazing, orchards and nursery industries on the BRC are relatively small but are cumulative. Again, BMP should reduce impacts. However, monitoring of the Catchment is required to pin point changes for better or worse and to provide feedback to the industry. The rate of population increase in the catchment is currently high. The population dependent effects on the catchment, therefore, are great and will ultimately destroy much of its natural value unless controls are effective. 6 The current trend is for urban expansion to follow the rims of the catchment. This will lead, therefore, to the Catchment becoming the drain for these settlements. No reticulated sewage system is planned for these villages and deficiencies in the current sewage methods could lead to eutrophication of the Catchment. A principal problem is that reservoir water supplies all the homes and water usage is therefore unrestricted. In addition, block sizes are often too small, the slope too great, and soils' absorptive power too low to deal effectively with the waste. Consequently, water spills will run-off into the Catchment. Furthermore, sewage units are often poorly maintained and inadequately monitored. Block sizes therefore need to be greater, sewage units need to be properly monitored, and water usage needs to be reduced. This requires strict controls and good public education programs. If on-site sewerage systems are unlikely to be able to cope with the effluent, then pump- outs will be required. This leads to additional problems. The pump-out facility at Charlies Point Road would need to be monitored carefully for any increased loads. Oversupply would need to be transported out of the Catchment. Eutrophication from nutrients in storm water will increase with population pressure. That is, run-off from roads, garden fertiliser, pet faeces, erosion from building sites, etc will increase. Containment dams and perhaps constructed wetlands in suitable areas might be effective. Other impacts will follow population increases. These include rubbish-dumping, tree removal for fire-wood and fences, bush-rock removal, weed expansion, vandalism, arson, damage from vehicles and walkers, and the effects of pets. These impacts are potentially reducible through public education and the development of concern and appreciation of the catchment by the community. Tree preservation and planting policies of the two committees need to be designed and implemented with a view to maintain the natural vegetation. Advice should be available and upgraded continually in light of new knowledge on suitable species, seed stock and supplies for domestic plantings.