City of Cockburn Natural Area Management Strategy 2012-20
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Document Information Document Title: Natural Area Management Strategy 2012 - 2022 Prepared by: Chris Beaton, City of Cockburn Doc. Status: Draft Version: 4.1 Document Control Version Description: Date: Authorised By: History: 1.0 First Draft 06/04/2011 Chris Beaton 2.0 Second Draft 04/01/2012 Chris Beaton 3.0 Third Draft 02/05/2012 Chris Beaton 4.0 Final Draft 11/05/2012 Chris Beaton 4.1 Graphic design and final formatting 06/06/2012 Chris Beaton 4.2 Appendices included 25/06/2012 Chris Beaton 4.3 Revised costings and maps 17/07/2012 Chris Beaton Page | 2 Contents SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 5 SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIONS ........................................................................................ 7 SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIONS CON ’T .............................................................................. 8 SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIONS CON ’T .............................................................................. 9 SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIONS CON ’T ............................................................................ 10 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 11 WHAT IS A NATURAL AREA AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT ? ...................................... 11 CITY OF COCKBURN NATURAL AREAS ........................................................................ 12 VALUES .................................................................................................................... 12 FLORA ..................................................................................................................... 13 FAUNA ..................................................................................................................... 14 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER STRATEGIES AND DOCUMENTS ........................................ 15 CITY OF COCKBURN STRATEGIC PLAN 2006 - 2016 .................................................... 16 CITY OF COCKBURN SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2012-2016 ....................................... 16 PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT 2010-20 .............................................................................. 16 BUSHLAND CONSERVATION POLICY (SPD1) ............................................................... 17 WETLAND CONSERVATION POLICY (SPD5) ................................................................ 17 SUSTAINABILITY POLICY (SC37) ................................................................................ 17 LANDOWNER BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM (AEW5) ...................... 17 PUBLIC OPEN SPACE STRATEGY /G REENING PLAN ...................................................... 17 RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLANS ................................................................................ 17 PRIORITISING RESERVES ................................................................................................. 19 PRIORITISATION OF BUSHLAND RESERVES FOR MANAGEMENT .................................... 19 VEGETATION CONDITION ........................................................................................... 19 SIZE ...................................................................................................................... 21 SHAPE ..................................................................................................................... 22 PERIMETER TO AREA RATIO ....................................................................................... 23 CONNECTIVITY ......................................................................................................... 23 VISIBILITY /C OMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................ 24 MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES ...................................................................................... 24 THREATS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT .............................................................................. 28 ENVIRONMENTAL WEEDS .......................................................................................... 28 FERAL ANIMALS ........................................................................................................ 30 ILLEGAL ACCESS ...................................................................................................... 33 ILLEGAL RUBBISH DUMPING ....................................................................................... 34 FIRE MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................. 35 Frequent fires can impact on species diversity ....................................................... 36 Natural Area Management Strategy 2012 – 2022 DISEASES EFFECTING BUSHLAND .............................................................................. 37 STORMWATER DRAINAGE .......................................................................................... 39 CLIMATE CHANGE ..................................................................................................... 40 REHABILITATION, REGENERATION & REVEGETATION ................................................. 42 WETLAND MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................. 44 ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS AND LINKAGES. .................................................................. 45 NORTH /S OUTH LINKAGES . ......................................................................................... 46 EAST /W EST LINKAGES . ............................................................................................. 46 EAST /W EST ROAD LINKAGES .................................................................................... 47 RAIL LINKAGES ......................................................................................................... 50 WESTERN POWER TRANSMISSION LINES .................................................................... 51 BP REFINERY OIL PIPE LINE ...................................................................................... 52 RESIDENTIAL LINKAGES ............................................................................................ 54 OTHER INITIATIVES ................................................................................................... 55 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 55 WILDLIFE CROSSINGS ............................................................................................... 56 SUMMARY OF KEY STRATEGIC ACTIONS ..................................................................... 57 OPERATIONAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... 64 OPERATIONAL COSTS ............................................................................................... 64 CURRENT OPERATIONAL FUNDING 2012/13 ............................................................... 66 CURRENT STAFFING 2012/13 .................................................................................... 67 FUTURE OPERATIONAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................ 69 SOURCES OF FUNDING .............................................................................................. 74 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...................................................................................... 74 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI’ S) ................................................................... 74 5 YEAR PLAN ...................................................................................................................... 76 NATURAL AREA MANAGEMENT STRATEGY REVIEW ................................................... 76 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 77 GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................... 78 Appendices A. Weed Management Strategy March 2012...................................................................78 B. Bushland Maintenance Team Reserve Allocations July 2012.................................108 C. Principles of the Bradley Method of Bushland Regeneration..................................109 D. Dieback Hygiene Procedures......................................................................................110 E. Bushland Maintenance Costs......................................................................................111 F. 5 Year Natural Area Management Plan.......................................................................112 Page | 4 SUMMARY The purpose of this Natural Area Management Strategy is to outline the approach used to manage the Cities vested natural areas and to build and enhance Council’s capacity to effectively manage our natural areas for the conservation of biodiversity. The ultimate goal is for all of the Cities natural areas to have a vegetation condition rating of good or better based on the Keighery 1994 definition of vegetation condition. Presently the City of Cockburn has management responsibility for more than 82 separate bushland reserves, many of which contain wetlands. The total area contained within reserves is approximately 1091 hectares. Most of the larger reserves containing vegetation are under active management. The smaller reserves generally contain small pockets of poor quality bushland and current resources are not adequate to actively