Minyirr Park Weed Management Recommendations 2018

Authors: Malcolm Lindsay (Environs Kimberley), Louise Beames (Environs Kimberley), Michael Wysong (Nyamba Buru Yawuru) and Chris Parker (Nyamba Buru Yawuru).

The Kimberley Nature Project Yawuru Country Managers Environs Kimberley Nyamba Buru Yawuru [email protected] [email protected] (08) 9192 1922 (08) 9192 9600 www.environskimberley.org.au www.yawuru.com

Environs Kimberley and Nyamba Buru Yawuru saw a need to develop weed management recommendations for Minyirr Park in consultation with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and other relevant stakeholders. This work was funded by DBCA, Rangelands NRM, the Western Australian Government NRM Program and the Australian Government’s National Landcare and Indigenous Protected Area Programs.

This draft has been informed by the working knowledge of key stakeholders through workshops and comments on drafts, with particular thanks to the Nyamba Buru Yawuru Land and Sea team and Curtis Robinson and the rest of the Yawuru Rangers. Historical documents have also provided essential material and are acknowledged in the reference section.

This report remains the copyright of Environs Kimberley and Nyamba Buru Yawuru. Please contact the authors for any further information.

Images throughout the document were taken by Stephen Reynolds, Malcolm Lindsay and Kylie Weatherall.

Contents Background Information ...... 3 Habitats ...... 5 Monsoon Vine Thickets – Mayingan manja balu ...... 5 Pindan country – Bundurrbundurr...... 6 Previous Weed Mapping and Management ...... 6 Organisations directly involved...... 8 Methods ...... 9 Weed mapping ...... 9 Results ...... 9 Limitations ...... 9 Weed species and abundance ...... 9 Weed Distribution ...... 11 Priority Ranking ...... 14 Minyirr Weed Management Activities 2018 ...... 16 Monitoring and Evaluation ...... 18 References ...... 19 APPENDIX 1: Weed Survey methodology ...... 21 APPENDIX 2: Weed maps of records by species, note scales change ...... 23 APPENDIX 3 ...... 48

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Background Information Yawuru Country extends across the lands and waters in and around Rubibi (the town of Broome) from Bangarangara to the yalimban (south) to Wirrjinmirr (Willie Creek) to the guniyan (north), and banu (east) covering Roebuck Plains and Thangoo pastoral leases, in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia (Yawuru RNTBC 2011). Minyirr Park is an important part of Yawuru country and is known for its protection and healing qualities and is a sacred bilyurr (spirit) place for Yawuru people. Minyirr Park is identified as containing three of the nine Yawuru Habitats as defined in the Yawuru Cultural Management Plan (Yawuru RNTBC 2011) including; Niyamarri (Sand dunes), Bundurrbundurr (Pindan country), Mayingan manja balu (Vine thickets -lit. plenty fruit trees).

Through the work of Yawuru Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal people, and with the support of local environmental groups such as the Broome Botanical Society, Minyirr Park was established in 1999 as a conservation reserve. For many years the park was managed by the Minyirr Park Rangers including Mickelo Corpus, Franz Hoogland and Richard Hunter through the Rubibi Aboriginal Land, Heritage and Development Council, and supported by the Shire of Broome (SOB) and the Kimberley Land Council (KLC).

Later, in 2006 Yawuru people were recognised as Native Title Holders of the Broome area and surrounds and in 2010 entered into two Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) with the WA State, the Shire of Broome and other Parties. This resulted in the creation of a Yawuru Conservation Estate (Figure 1) to be jointly managed by Yawuru, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA, formally Department of Environment and Conservation) and the SOB. Minyirr Park falls within the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park(In-town Reserves) which is jointly managed by Yawuru and the SOB. The Yawuru Park Council, comprised of Yawuru and SOB representatives, is responsible for the management of the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park with assistance from DBCA.

Figure 1. Yawuru Conservation Estate

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Broad management priorities and aspirations for the area are outlined within the 2011 Yawuru Cultural Management Plan and more specific priorities and management actions are found in the Yawuru Minyirr Buru joint management plan, together with maps of the whole of the MBCP.

Figure 2. Location of Minyirr Park (Red) and additional Minyirr Buru Conservation Park.

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Habitats Monsoon Vine Thickets – Mayingan manja balu Mayingan manja balu (Vine thickets -lit. plenty fruit trees) and Niyamarri (Sand dunes) habitats in Minyirr Park are host to the ecosystem identified as Monsoon Vine Thickets on the coastal dunes of Dampier Peninsula. This ecosystem was recognised by the Federal Government as Endangered in 2013 (Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999) due to the increasing degradation from land clearing, wildfire and weed invasion.

Monsoon Vine Thickets (MVT) are scattered in a network of small and large patches from Broome north around the coast of the Dampier Peninsula and are one of the Kimberley's most endangered plant communities. The MVT are the most southern dry rainforest-type ecosystem in Western Australia, surviving so far south into the arid zone only because of the Peninsula’s hydrogeology leading to a shallow freshwater table at the coasts. MVT are ecologically significant, representing less than 0.01% of the Peninsula in area, yet containing 25% of the species as well as an array of rainforest-aligned animals. Although variable in size and distribution, patches of MVT are interconnected by frugivorous animals like bats and birds which play an important role in seed dispersal. Hence the protection of existing MVT are important not only in their own right but also as seed sources for neighbouring patches that may have been impacted.

MVT are culturally important to Aboriginal groups throughout the region, containing a very high density of plants with useful properties (e.g. food, artefacts, medicine) and often contain restricted ceremony areas and law grounds. It is therefore important to liaise with Traditional Owners before entering or conducting any works within MVT.

The MVT of Minyirr park lie in the swale and lee of the coastal dunes, transitioning into the pindan woodland habitat inland. The extent of MVT in Minyirr Park has reportedly decreased over the years, according to both anecdotal observations and comparisons with historical imagery from 1949 (Trudgen 1988). This has occurred due to clearing for development, weed infestation, altered hydrogeology and inappropriate fires including by the infamous Shire staff member “Smokey Bear“(1978-1982), who would burn the area as often as it would burn to stop illegal camping by

Inside the Monsoon Vine Thicket

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“hippies” (Trudgen 1988). The Minyirr MVT are some of the most southern on the Dampier Peninsula, containing less species than northern patches due to decreased rainfall (Black et al. 2010). For more information on Monsoon Vine Thickets see Black et al. (2010) and Bellfield et al. (2012). Pindan country – Bundurrbundurr The Bundurrbundurr (Pindan country) of Minyirr Park supports numerous important bush tucker and medicine species. The area previously contained such high densities of mature Gubinge (Terminalia ferdinandiana) that is was referred to as an “orchard savanna”. Many people acknowledged that the Minyirr Park Gubinge stands were the largest on the Peninsula, let alone Northern Australia, including Dampier Peninsula traditional owners, botanists from Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, and Vic Cherikoff, Sydney University, who first described the high vitamin C content of Gubinge (Trudgen 1988). Sadly, these stands are much less dense today, having been burnt by inappropriate fires (Willing 2001).

The Bundurrbundurr also supports an ecosystem identified by the Western Australian Threatened Ecological Community Scientific Committee as a P1 Priority Ecological Community: Corymbia paractia dominated community on dunes. This ecosystem is threatened by weed invasion and inappropriate fire regimes along with clearing associated with development and other human activity.

The boundaries of both Threatened and Priority habitats are not published here as it is restricted information, but they will be used to guide management activities.

Previous Weed Mapping and Management Weeds threaten the fragile ecology of Minyirr Park by displacing native plants and reducing available native foods and resources. Weeds degrade the habitats of Minyirr Park by smothering trees and shrubs and promoting more frequent wildfire which in turn furthers more weed invasions. Weeds have been identified as a management issue affecting Walmanyjun — Burrgugn, inclusive of Minyirr Park (Yawuru Cultural Management Plan, Yawuru RNTBC, 2011), affecting Monsoon Vine Thickets (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 2013) and the Priority Ecological Community Corymbia paractia dominated community on dunes.

The first thorough vegetation survey of Minyirr Park was by Malcolm Trudgen in 1988 for State Planning Commission (Trudgen 1988). Very few weeds were present during this survey, with only Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) and Wild Passionfruit (Passiflora foetida) mentioned. Trudgen’s report to the Planning commission recommended aligning proposed drains away from Minyirr Park to avoid introduction of weeds and altering the area’s hydrology however this recommendation was not adopted. Other recommendations included specific weed and fire management protocols

A weed survey was next conducted in 2001 by Tim Willing of Department of Conservation & Land Management for the Rubibi Aboriginal Land, Heritage and Development Council (Willing 2001). This survey observed a large increase in weeds since the Trudgen survey was conducted only 13 years prior. In total, 46 exotic plant species were recorded; 16 of which were garden relics occurring in low numbers. The most wide-spread weed species were Buffel and Birdwood grasses (Cenchrus spp.) as well as Wild Passionfruit (Passiflora foetida). The impact of drainage was again raised, with now-established drains acting not only as a major weed vector source but also causing increased flooding and associated plant mortality. Recommendations from the Willing report included weed management of priority species including of upstream sources, fire management, revegetation and regular weed monitoring.

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A brief flora survey was conducted in 2002 by Sally Black, Tim Willing, Dave Dureau and other members of the Broome Botanical Society as part of a comprehensive survey of over 70 MVT patches around the Dampier Peninsula (Black et al. 2010). In comparison to the other MVT patches, Minyirr Park was the most degraded, containing the greatest diversity of weed species and most severe and widespread infestations.

Numerous management plans have identified drainage and weed management as priority management actions in Minyirr Parks, including in 1987 (Environmental Protection Authority), 1998 (Griffiths), 2013 (CCS Strategic and Shire of Broome) and 2017 (Nyamba Buru Yawuru and Shire of Broome).

Despite all these management plans, until recently weed work has been occurring within Minyirr Park in an ad-hoc and relatively uncoordinated manner by various groups since (and probably prior) to the inception of Minyirr as a coastal park in 1999. A more sustained effort has come from community conservation group Society of Kimberley Plants and Animals (SKIPA) at one site (Environs Kimberley 2012), Parks and Wildlife – Yawuru Rangers across the whole park, and Northern Regional TAFE through chainsaw and chemical handling courses.

By 2016 management activity had increased in Minyirr Park with up to 7 different groups (e.g. Yawuru Country Managers, Parks and Wildlife Rangers, SKIPA community volunteers, High School Bush Cadets, TAFE classes, Green Army) – with various degrees of training, resources, responsibility and commitment – undertaking weed management with little overarching guidance or coordination. This led to Environs Kimberley approaching the then named Department of Parks and Wildlife (now Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) and Nyamba Buru Yawuru to initiate a collaborative process involving workshops and weed mapping culminating in this weed management plan that includes management recommendations, weed mapping methodology (Appendix 1), weed maps (Appendix 2) and a species list for revegetation (Appendix 3). The plan attempts to be brief in text and analysis to ideally make it more useful as a management tool.

Fore-dune habitat

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Organisations directly involved In 2018, there are 6 main organisations involved in weed control works within Minyirr Park.

Yawuru PBC and Nyamba Buru Yawuru: Yawuru PBC holds Yawuru native title rights and interests over Broome and surrounds on behalf of the Yawuru community and is a joint management partner with the Shire of Broome of the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park and Guniyan Binba Conservation Park, and with DBCA for the Birragun Conservation Park and the Nagulagun Roebuck Bay Marine Park; is represented on the Yawuru Park Council and marine Management Body with its partners; NBY engages the Yawuru Country Managers under the Yawuru IPA program who assist the Yawuru Rangers with the management of the jointly managed Yawuru Conservation Estate. www.yawuru.com

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions – Parks and Wildlife Service: Is a Joint Manager with the Yawuru PBC in the Birragun Conservation Park and Nagulagun Roebuck Bay Marine Park, and together with the SOB in the Guniyan Binba Conservation Park; manage the Yawuru Parks and Wildlife Rangers who undertake on ground management work across the Yawuru Conservation Estate; is represented on the Yawuru Park Council and the Marine Management Body with its partners; and assists Yawuru and the Shire in the day to day management of the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park. www.dpaw.wa.gov.au

The Shire of Broome: is a joint manager of the Minyirr Buru and Gunyian Binba Conservation Parks with the Yawuru PBC and DBCA; and is represented on the Yawuru Park Council with its partners. www.broome.wa.gov.au

Environs Kimberley: initiated and coordinates the regional Monsoon Vine Thicket Conservation project; provides fee for service and technical support to the Yawuru Country Managers including joint projects in Minyirr Park and has an ongoing revegetation project within Minyirr Park. www.environskimberley.org.au

Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals (SKIPA): a community conservation group auspiced and supported by Environs Kimberley, SKIPA has successfully weeded and revegetated a site within Minyirr Park since 2012.

North Regional TAFE: staff support conservation and land management students to undertake chainsaw, chemical handling and horticulture training in Minyirr Park. www.northregionaltafe.wa.edu.au

Additionally, Mamabalunjin Aboriginal Corporation and Coact recently wrapped up a Green Army project within Minyirr Park, High school students are occasionally involved in revegetation activities, and numerous community members independently remove weeds whilst conducting recreational activities in the Park.

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Methods Weed mapping To provide a strong baseline to guide weed management and track results, a number of weed surveys were conducted throughout Minyirr Park. Initially a pilot survey was conducted in 2016, focusing only on a subset of priority weed species and only along tracks and roads.

Following the pilot mapping a more thorough survey was conducted counting all weed species along parallel transects running east-west and spaced 75m apart, through the whole park (Appendix 1). Participants used handheld devices with transects uploaded to guide the field surveys. Along each transect 3-4 participants would spread out to ideally survey a 75m band, recording weed species locations, abundance and size class using the handheld devices. The surveys were completed by Yawuru Country Managers, Parks and Wildlife – Yawuru Rangers and Environs Kimberley staff from March to October 2017. For further information about the methods please see Appendix 1.

While survey participants had various levels of weed identification knowledge, each participant received preliminary training for the identification of priority abundant weed species prior to conducting surveys. In addition, weed identification sheets were used in the field to confirm species identifications. Weed locations were recorded in the Samsung handheld devices using the iForm app.

Results Limitations The survey method had its limitations. Firstly, although participants had a mixed level of weed identification knowledge, had preliminary training for abundant species and carried weed identification sheets for the species observed in 2001, the level of identification will not be as accurate as that conducted by botanist Tim Willing in 2001 (Willing 2001). As a consequence some of the more difficult species may not have been picked up including new weed species, especially if less commonly known. Secondly, despite all attempts, the occasional thickness of the vegetation and steep sand dunes made it difficult to always evenly survey a 75m band. Lastly, the survey took longer than expected and as a consequence differences in weed abundance between transect may be due to difference in season rather than actual abundance. However, 71% of survey effort (person days) was conducted in favourable conditions for weed detection, with 78% of all weed observations collected in this season. It is presumed that transects conducted later in the dry season would have recorded less annual weeds (e.g. Merremia spp.) yet would have had increased visibility through the vegetation increasing detection of other species. Weed species and abundance Over 38km of transects were surveyed documenting 27 species of weeds (Table 1), with nearly all species occurring during the 2001 survey (Willing 2001) with the exception of the annual Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridus), whereas 6 uncommon species form 2001 (Khaki weed, Pied piper bush, Castor Oil plant, Curry leaf and Golden Dodder) were not observed in this survey. A total of 1135 weed records were mapped comprising 92,330 individual plants, although the abundance counts are most over-estimated for the herbs and grasses due to the difficulty in estimating number of individual plants in large mono-species patches.

Weed trees were most commonly recorded (37% of total records), with 82% of tree records Neem. Grasses contained the highest abundance of the growth forms (74% of abundance) due to the contiguous nature of dense patches and potential sampling error, with 92% of individuals Birdwood and Buffel Grass. Caribbean stylo (40%), Kapok (88%) and Stinking Passion Vine (28%) were the

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highest recorded herbs, shrubs and vines respectively. Some species were recorded frequently but in low numbers (e.g. Stinking Passion Vine), whilst others recorded a few times in high numbers (e.g. Mossman river grass, Tridax daisy and Feathertop Rhodes Grass).

Due to issues around abundance estimation and comparing abundances between growth forms we used the number of records and rank as the main indicator of weed infestation.

Table 1. Abundance and # of records of 27 weeds species from the 2017 weed survey. The colours are display the scale of the numbers per column for easier visual interpretation, with red colours indicating larger weed infestation. Note the # abundances for herbs and grasses are less accurate.

Growth Abund- % Abund. Abund. # % Records # Records Species Form ance x Form Rank Records x Form Rank *Birdwood/Buffel Grass (C.setiger, 63,128 93 1 119 76 2 C.ciliaris) *Feathertop Rhodes Grass (Chloris 2,965 4 4 14 9 14 virgata) Grass *Gallon’s Curse (Cenchrus biflorus) 233 0 14 8 5 18 *Mossman River Grass (Cenchrus 2,008 3 6 4 3 25 echinatus) *Purple Top Chloris (Chloris barbata) 36 0 20 5 3 24 *Buffalo Clover (Alysicarpus vaginalis) 61 0 19 6 4 21 *Caltrop (Tribulus spp.) 255 2 13 43 16 10 *Caribbean Stylo (Stylosanthes 9,553 62 2 108 40 3 Herb hamata) *Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis) 1,825 12 7 68 25 4 *Mintweed (Hyptis suaveolens) 2,845 18 5 48 18 8 *Tridax Daisy (Tridax procumbens) 1,006 6 9 3 1 27 *Bellyache Bush (Jatropha gossypifolia) 34 5 21 3 4 26 Shrub *Coffee Senna (Senna occidentalis) 18 3 23 6 8 22 *Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) 612 92 11 64 88 7 *African Mahogany (Khaya 10 0 25 6 1 20 senegalensis) *Coffee Bush (Leucaena leucocephala) 1,788 31 8 41 10 11 *Neem (Azadirachta indica) 3,903 68 3 339 82 1 Tree *Poinciana (Delonix regia) 7 0 27 5 1 23 *Raintree (Albizia lebbeck) 15 0 24 7 2 19 *Taylor Fruit (Ziziphus mauritiana) 32 1 22 14 3 16 *Yellow Poinciana (Peltophorum 8 0 26 3 1 28 pterocarpum) *Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) 215 11 15 30 14 12 *Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus) 81 4 18 10 5 17 *Hairy Merremia (Merremia aegyptia) 119 6 17 16 7 13 Vine *Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum) 971 48 10 55 25 6 *Stinking Passion Vine (Passiflora 190 9 16 63 28 5 foetida) *White Creeper (Merremia dissecta) 432 22 12 48 22 9 TotalX 92 , 330 1,135

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Weed Distribution Weed records were allocated to 436 cells (75 x 75m) over the entirety of Minyirr Park to aid displaying results and management (Map 1). Within Minyirr Park 57% of cells contained at least one weed species with cells AI31 (30 Records) and AC33 (27 Records) containing the most weed records, and AI31 containing the highest diversity (12 species) (Map 1). A spatial distribution analysis showed that the weeds were significantly clustered near disturbance and vector sources such as roads and tracks, drains and adjacent residential areas, with decreasing weed infestation moving away from disturbance sources (Parker 2017; Figure 3).

There appears to be an additional compounding effect near residential areas, with drains near residential areas being associated with higher weed infestations than those that drain from bushland, confirming Trudgen’s concerns prior to drain construction in 1988 (Trudgen 1988). Additionally, drains that service large catchment areas and have linear design cause much larger flooding events in Minyirr Park than what would have occurred historically, as seen in early 2018. This increased flooding kills the ground layer and certain flood sensitive species (e.g. Triodia spp. and Gyrocarpus americanus; Tim Willing pers comms)

Cells with the lowest weed records are away from disturbance factors, with the dune system along the west coast the least infested. This is reassuring as these dunes contain all patches of the Endangered Monsoon Vine Thickets, with the vast majority of weeds found in the thickets being the herb Green Amaranth which is ephemeral, small in size, occurs in low densities and therefore is thought to cause little impact on the thickets.

Most species were restricted in their distribution, whilst Neem, Stinking Passion Vine, Kapok, Coffee Bush, Stylo, Birdwood and Buffel Grass, were much more spread out across the park including in areas furthest away from disturbance suggesting a higher degree of invasiveness (Appendix 2). Size classes of weeds were recorded and are available for management planning, but have not been described here for brevity.

The weed distribution can be described in three main infestation areas:

Central Minyirr The majority of weed records, abundance and diversity occurred in the central area of Minyirr Park closest to residential areas, near the Yari, Nagula and Gurlibil trails (Map 1). This area contained heavy Birdwood/Buffel Grass patches, all records of 6 species (Appendix 2; Feathertop Rhodes, Purple Chloris, Buffalo Clover, Bellyache Bush, Golden Senna and Buttefly Pea) and the majority of records from another 7 (Appendix 2; Carribean Stylo, Green Amaranth, Mintweed, Coffee Bush, Neem, Coral Vine and Merremia spp.). This area is the end point for large drains with extensive residential catchments and has the highest foot traffic.

Southern Minyirr This infestation area was largely concentrated around the Youth and Base Camps which contain large open and cleared areas that are used at a low frequency, with this being reflected in the moderate infestations of Birdswood/Buffel grass, Caltrop and the majority of Kapok bush records (Appendix 2).

Northern Minyirr This infestation area was largely associated with the longer sections of drainage ditches which run through the northern park, unlike other areas of the park where drains generally bring water from nearby roads or residential areas but stop after entering the park. This area contains a large number of established trees along the drain, containing all records of African Mahogany, Raintree, Poinciana and Taylor Fruit.

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Figure 3. Number of weed Records per Cell vs Distance from Disturbance (tracks, roads, drains and residential areas) (Parker 2017).

Steve Reynolds (Environs Kimberley) and Eduardo Maher, Chris Parker and Jacob Smith (Yawuru Country Managers) mapping weeds during sweaty wet season.

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Priority Ranking To aid with prioritising management recommendations we have ranked the weed species for their priority based on their legal status, the potential ecological impact, invasiveness and number of weed records in the park.

Nationally, there are 32 weeds that are recognised as Weeds of National Significance (WoNS). Bellyache Bush is the only WoNS found within Minyirr park.

Western Australian agricultural weeds are regulated under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (BAM) Act (2007), with a two-tier system.

BAM Legal Status BAM Control Categories S11 — Permitted C1 — Exclusion S22(2) — Declared pest C2 — Eradication S12 — Declared pest (prohibited) C3 — Management R73 — Needs a permit Unassigned — Declared pests, harmful in certain conditions, determined under a plan S14 — Unlisted (needs assessment/prohibited)

Many environmental and cultural weeds are not included in this Act. In 2014, the Department of Parks and Wildlife (now named Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) ranked Kimberley weeds according to their impact and invasiveness. The rankings also identified Kimberley Priority ALERT weeds, however none of these are found within Minyirr Park. You can find the Kimberley Prioritisation List here: https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plants-and- animals/plants/weeds/156-how-does-dpaw-manage- weeds

We have used the same rankings used by the Department of Parks and Wildlife in 2014 to describe impact and invasiveness. These are categorised below:

Ecological Impact Invasiveness High Rapid Moderate Moderate Low Slow Unknown Unknown

Priorities for control at Minyirr Park have been developed according to the following criteria:

 Declared Pest OR High Impact AND Rapid Invasiveness = Priority 1  High Impact OR Rapid Invasiveness = Priority 2  Moderate Impact OR Invasiveness = Priority 3  Low or Unknown Impact OR Slow or Unknown Invasiveness = Priority 4

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Table 2. Prioritisation of Minyirr weed species for control. Priority 1 & 2 are highlighted in red.

Biosecurity & Agricultural Invasiv- # Records Species Impact Priority Man Act Listing eness (Rank) GRASSES *Birdwood/Buffel Grass (C.setiger, S11 Permitted High Rapid 119 (2nd) 1 C.ciliaris) *Feathertop Rhodes Grass (Chloris S11 Permitted Low Unknown 14 (14th) 4 virgata) *Gallon’s Curse (Cenchrus biflorus) S11 Permitted Low Rapid 8 (18th) 3 *Mossman River Grass (Cenchrus S11 Permitted High Rapid 4 (25th) 1 echinatus) *Purple Top Chloris (Chloris barbata) S11 Permitted Low Unknown 5 (24th) 3 HERBS *Buffalo Clover ( Alysicarpus vaginalis) S11 Permitted Unknown Unknown 6 (21st) 4 *Caltrop (Tribulus spp.) S11 Permitted Low Rapid 43 (10th) 3 *Caribbean Stylo (Stylosanthes S11 Permitted Moderate Rapid 108 (3rd) 1 hamata) *Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis) S11 Permitted Low Unknown 68 (4th) 3 *Mintweed (Hyptis suaveolens) S11 Permitted High Rapid 48 (8th) 1 *Tridax Daisy (Tridax procumbens) S11 Permitted Moderate Low 3 (27th) 3 *Bellyache Bush (Jatropha gossypifolia) WoNS, S22(2) Declared High Moderate 3 (26th) 1 Pest, C3 Management *Coffee Senna (Senna occidentalis) S22(2) Declared Pest, C3 Moderate Moderate 6 (22nd) 1 Management *Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) S11 Permitted Low Rapid 64 (7th) 4 TREES *African Mahogany (Khaya S11 Permitted Unknown Slow 6 (20th) 3 senegalensis) *Coffee Bush (Leucaena leucocephala) S11 Permitted High Rapid 41 (11th) 1 *Neem (Azadirachta indica) S11 Permitted High Rapid 339 (1st) 1 *Poinciana (Delonix regia) S11 Permitted Unknown Slow 5 (23rd) 3 *Raintree (Albizia lebbeck) S11 Permitted Low Slow 7 (19th) 3 *Taylor Fruit (Ziziphus mauritiana) S22(2) Declared Pest, C3 Low Moderate 14 (16th) 2 Management *Yellow Poinciana (Peltophorum S11 Permitted Unknown Unknown 3 (28th) 3 pterocarpum) VINES *Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) S11 Permitted High Moderate 30 (12th) 2 *Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus) S11 Permitted Moderate Moderate 10 (17th) 2 *Hairy Merremia (Merremia aegyptia) S11 Permitted High Rapid 16 (13th) 1 *Siratro (Macroptilium S11 Permitted High Moderate 55 (6th) 2 atropurpureum) *Stinking Passion Vine (Passiflora S11 Permitted High Rapid 63 (5th) 1 foetida) *White Creeper (Merremia dissecta) S11 Permitted High Moderate 48 (9th) 2

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Minyirr Weed Management Activities 2018 Management actions and priorities were developed during meetings with major stakeholders (Nyamba Buru Yawuru, DBCA Parks and Wildlife and Environs Kimberley) and through a plan review by others (i.e. SKIPA, Northern Regional Tafe and Broome Botanical Society). Priority actions are those which are essential to implementing a sustained weed control program with the greatest impact to high priority weed species. Unlike previous management plans, these actions are specific, measurable and include ongoing management meetings and monitoring to review and adapt. These actions should be included in Broome Shire, Parks and Wildlife and Yawuru Country Manager annual work plans.

Management Actions Timing Who Priority Project Management and Planning Establish working group, establish roles (eg data collection and management, Ongoing All HIGH organising meetings etc) and commitments Operational meetings when needed to coordinate and sustain work Ongoing All MED Annual meeting to review and update data, results, methods, this plan, long term Annual All HIGH progress and resources, then plan next year’s actions including follow up treatment EK MVT Management guidelines (EK 2017) to be updated and presented to make sure 2018 EK MED groups are using similar methods and reporting Kylie to draft Revegetation guidelines 2018 EK MED Make sure groups have correct training and equipment Ongoing All HIGH Sharing of time and equipment where needed Ongoing All MED

Monitoring activities Design simple management activity reporting forms 2018 NBY/EK HIGH Establish data management process, who to store and analyse, what formats etc 2018 NBY/EK HIGH Monitor management activities Ongoing All HIGH Log treatment areas for follow up Ongoing All HIGH Modified weed survey each year (tracks only, or hot spot) Annual All HIGH Every 5 Extensive every 5-10 years or when finished All HIGH yrs

Weed Management NORTH INFESTATION Eradicate all low abundance trees in the North (eg mahogany, 2018 All HIGH raintree, taylor, poinciana); control priority species; manage drains SOUTH AREA Target youth camp for reveg work with retic where needed, remove Ongoing All LOW priority weeds first, direct seed with native grasses. CENTRAL AREA Majority of weed management, weeding by transect or hot spot. Ideally using Bradshaw method, or alternating between transects at edge and core of Ongoing All HIGH infestation; eradicate low abundance priority spp, control other priority spp.

Eradicate high priority weeds in MVT and buffer Ongoing All HIGH Eradicate low abundance high priority species: Coffee Senna, Bellyache Bush and 2018 All HIGH Mintweed TAFE to remove remaining mature trees during chainsaw course where feasible Ongoing TAFE HIGH Weed management and replanting at Kylie’s revegetation site 2018 All HIGH

ROADSIDE / TRACKS - Roads: Spray/clear with quarantined equipment Ongoing Shire LOW - Roads: Direct seed with appropriate natives Ongoing Shire LOW

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- Tracks: Slash tracksides of stylo and Buffel, avoiding natives Ongoing All MED - Tracks: Spray regrowth of Stylo and Buffel Ongoing All MED - Tracks: direct seed with mulch and native grass/herb seed mix Ongoing All MED - Review current tracks, mulch and revegetate unnecessary tracks and stop Ongoing All HIGH new track creation unless absolutely necessary

CONTROL BUFFEL GRASSES (Cenchrus spp.) - Identify and mark buffel areas (prioritise large areas and close to MVT), then Ongoing All HIGH Slash Buffel grass, don’t slash with ripe seed. mark and avoid native spp. 2 mnths - Spray slashed Buffel when regrowing after slash (2 months after slashing) All HIGH after - Revegetate Buffel area: no water = direct seeding, water = planting multiple 2 mnths All HIGH species (2 months after spraying) after

CONTROL NEEM and COFFEE BUSH - Remove mature Neem/Coffee trees using map Ongoing All HIGH - Remove Neem/Coffee saplings, preferably hand removal after rain. If high Wet density in small area, mark location, return later to remove seedlings after All HIGH Season some seedlings have died off but BEFORE maturity

Wet CONTROL VINES – Remove vines post wet season All MED Season

DRAINS - Redesign drains to reduce flooding and weed seed input: get estimates from 2018 All MED Shire for capture basins, seek funding - Weeding drains and nearby public spaces (priority spp 1st) and direct seed Annual Shire? HIGH with natives

Revegetation Collect and store seed from Minyirr for revegetation, or use seed from other areas Ongoing All MED according to Minyirr native species list (APPENDIX 3) Revegetate and replace Stylo & Buffel Ongoing All HIGH Revegetate and replace Neem and Coffee Bush Ongoing All HIGH Re-establish Gubinge “Orchards” through savannah enrichment method Ongoing All LOW Replant Kylie’s revegetation site 2018 All HIGH Continue revegetation at Youth Camp area Ongoing All MED

Community engagement Present plan and ongoing management different events to partners and community, 2018 All HIGH including Tim Willing, Dave Dureau, Tafe, Landscape gardeners etc. Communication activities about weeds and management of Minyirr, eg Goolarri, 2018 All HIGH Broome Advertiser etc. Create signage about MVT, importance, weeds, humans as vectors etc. MED Further community education, pamphlets? Eg Weeds of Minyirr MED Foster community pride about Minyirr MED Community weeding involvement: working bees, school, prison etc MED Camp hosts staying at youth camp in return for weeding? LOW Talk to nearby residents about weeds, offer replacement natives, offer weeding if LOW possible

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Monitoring and Evaluation Project management and planning actions listed in the table above are intended to ensure that regular Monitoring and Evaluation of weed control efforts is conducted and tracked.

Monitoring of management activities needs to occur regularly, and weed surveys completed annually at hot spots and every 5 years across the whole park using the established method. Data collection to occur through standardised data forms, either electric or paper, to be used by all partners, with data to be stored with Nyamba Buru Yawuru or Parks and Wildlife Service. Monitoring method and data form and process to be developed as an initial activity between Nyamba Buru Yawuru and Parks and Wildlife Service in line with their respective monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Monitoring indicators should include:

- Change in # of weed species, weed records, weed size and weed abundance, mapped and compared to the baseline above - # of native plants seeded and planted, and survival after 2 years - Hours, type and success of weed management effort - Drainage management activities and success during rain event - # of planned management activities carried out - # of communication activities and community members involved - # of management meetings or collaborative activities of the working group

Data needs to be analysed, presented and discussed during annual management meetings used to review management effort and results, report progress in the plan and communication activities, and then adapt the management plan for the following year.

It is worth noting that Weed-management monitoring and evaluation in Minyirr Park has been incorporated into the larger Yawuru MERI plan and will be reviewed on a regular basis by Yawuru Land and Sea. The same should occur for any similar Parks and Wildlife MERI Plan.

Conclusion and Recommendations

This survey represents a systematic detailed survey of the weeds of the entire 235 hectares of Minyirr Park, through surveying 38 km of transects spaced 75 m apart. A total of 27 weed species were recorded, with 10 species identified as the highest priority due to a range factors including abundance and potential impact. Weeds were closely associated with paths and roads, with the largest infestation in the Central section near De Marchi Road. A range of detailed weed and drainage management, coordination, communication and reporting activities are recommended and ranked by priority.

Previously, two weed surveys and four management plans have similarly recommended weed and drainage management for the Minyirr Park area, yet management planning, coordination, adaption and documentation has been ad hoc and inadequate. The management actions surrounding ongoing coordination, monitoring and evaluation are therefore critical. We have confidence that weed management and weed occurrence in Minyirr Park can improve significantly due to the in depth data presented here, the increased capability of Yawuru Rangers and Country Managers, and the ongoing strong working partnership shown through this project. More broadly, for this to happen we recommend:

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 Members of the Yawuru Park council (Broome Shire, Nyamba Buru Yawuru and Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attraction) review and support this report and its recommendations  Members of the Yawuru Park Council dedicate ongoing resources to work collaboratively to reduce weeds within Minyirr Park, in conjunction with other interested organisations (e.g. Environs Kimberley)  That a working group be established to oversee weed management activities in Minyirr Park (or broader Yawuru Parks), and that this group meets regularly to carry out and review the recommendations in this report

References Beames, L. (2016) Kimberley Weeds. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Beames, L. (2013) Valuable and Endangered. Working together to understand and manage threats to Monsoon Vine Thickets of the Dampier Peninsula. A summary of key findings. Environs Kimberley West Kimberley Nature Project 2011 - 2013. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Bellfield, A., Beames, L., and Black, S. (2012) Valuable and threatened, Monsoon Vine Thickets of the Dampier Peninsula. A Summary of Key Findings from The Broome Botanical Society. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Black, S., Willing, T., and Dureau, D. (2010) A comprehensive survey of the flora, extent and condition of Vine Thickets on coastal sand dunes of Dampier Peninsula, West Kimberley 2000-2002. Prepared for the Broome Botanical Society, Broome.

CCS Strategic, and Shire of Broome (2013) Broome Coastal Reserves Master Plan. Broome.

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013) Approved Conservation Advice for the Monsoon vine thickets on the coastal sand dunes of Dampier Peninsula. Australian Government, Canberra, ACT.

Environmental Protection Authority (1987) Broome coastal management plan. WA EPA, Perth.

Environs Kimberley (2017) Monsoon Vine Thicket Weeding Guide: Broome and the Dampier Peninsula. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Environs Kimberley (2016) Kimberley Nature Project - Revegetation Project Proposal October 2016 - June 2018. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Environs Kimberley (2012) SKIPA Weeding Project at Minyirr Park - Activity Plan Proposal. Environs Kimberley, Broome.

Griffiths, S. (1997) Coastal Park Management Plan, Broome, Western Australia. Compiled for the Shire of Broome, Broome.

Harding, C., McGilvray, A., and Beames, L. (2009) Monitoring the Effectiveness of Weed Control in Dampier Peninsula Vine Thickets Threatened Ecological Community. Prepared for significant native species and ecological communities – Resource Condition Monitoring Project.

Nyamba Buru Yawuru, and Shire of Broome (2017) Joint Management Plan for the Yawuru Minyirr Buru Conservation Park. A Management Partnership between the Yawuru Registered Native Title Body Corporate and the Shire of Broome.

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Parker, C. (2017) A Spatial Distribution Analysis of Weeds in Minyirr Park, Broome Western Australia. Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Broome.

Trudgen, M. (1988) A Flora and Vegetation Survey of Part of the Broome Coastline for the State Planning Commission, Perth W.A.

Willing, T. (2001) Environmental Weeds of Minyirr Coastal Park. Department of Conservation and Land Management. Broome.

Yawuru RNTBC (2011) Walyjala-jala buru jayida jarringun buru Nyamba Yawuru ngan-ga mirlimirli: the Cultural Management Plan for Yawuru Coastal Country and the Yawuru Conservation Estate.

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APPENDIX 1: Weed Survey methodology

- Minyirr Park was divided on ArcGis into 75m x 75m cells, with transects running East – West along the middle of the cells (See below). An electronic map of these transects was created and put onto field tablets. - Survey teams consisted of a minimum of 3 people, with all members pre-trained in identification of previously recorded weeds (Willing 2001). Where possible at least one team member had strong plant identification skills in case of new weed species. Samples of unknown species were taken for identification later. - There were 2 roles in each team. o The recorder walked along the transect line carrying the field tablet recording the weeds seen by the team on an electronic data form (iForm) and making sure the team stayed on the transect line. o The other team members spread out either side of the recorder trying to cover the full 75m width of the cells where possible, calling out weeds when they encountered them. - As the recorder was recording where they stood, waypoints created by the electronic data sheet were not accurate for the other team members to the sides. This was not an issue as weeds were tallied for each cell. - The team recorded the abundance of all weed species in 3 size classes dependent on the growth form: o Trees: seedling (<1.5m); sapling (1.5-3m); mature (3m+) o Vines: small clump (1 or 2 stems less than 1m long, few branches, over only part of 1 tree); medium (multiple stems/branches longer than 1m, over most of 1 tree/shrub); large (large tangle 1mx1mx1m +, covering multiple shrubs/trees) o Grasses/Herbs: small patch (<1x1m); medium (1x1-3x3m); large (3x3m+) - To stop the team spreading weed seeds, boots and clothes were brushed when crossing paths to leave any seeds on paths where they could be more easily managed if they germinated. - After the team found no weeds on the fore-dune in initial surveys, combined with prior knowledge of weed occurrence, transects did not continue over the fore-dune to minimise the survey area.

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APPENDIX 2: Weed maps of records by species, note scales change

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APPENDIX 3 List of vascular plant species recorded in the Minyirr Park vine thicket by Black et al. (2010) surveyed between 2000 and 2002. Plants are listed by life-form and arranged alphabetically by genus. Annuals are indicated by the suffix (A) and plants recorded on the edge of the patch or in open groves by the suffix (E).

Trees Myoporum montanum – Gawar, Boobialla, Atalaya hemiglauca – Western Whitewood Native Myrtle Bauhinia cunninghamii – Bauhinia Pavetta kimberleyana Ehretia saligna – Native Willow or Peachwood Tephrosia rosea (E) – Flinders River poison Exocarpos latifolius – Mistletoe Tree Grewia breviflora – Currant or Coffee Fruit Climbers or vines Gyrocarpus americanus subsp. pachyphyllus – Abrus precatorius – Crabs Eye Bean Helicopter Tree or Stinkwood Caesalpinia major Mallotus nesophilus – Yellow Ball Flower Capparis lasiantha – Bush Caper Sersalisia sericea – Mangarr Cassytha capillaris – Slender Dodder Premna acuminata – Firestick Tree Cassytha filiformis – Yugulu Santalum lanceolatum – Tropical Sandalwood Gymnanthera oblonga – Harpoon Bud Terminalia ferdinandiana – Gubinge Jacquemontia paniculata Terminalia petiolaris – Marool or Blackberry Jasminum didymum Tree Opilia amentacea Tinospora smilacina – Snake Vine Shrubs or subshrubs Tylophora cinerascens – Oyster-catcher Bill Abutilon indicum – Indian Lantern Flower Acacia bivenosa – Cable Beach or Dune Wattle Hemiparasites (Mistletoes) Adriana tomentosa var. hookeri Amyema benthamii Breynia cernua Bridelia tomentosa Herbs Carissa spinarum – Conkerberry Achyranthes aspera – Chaff Flower Clerodendrum tomentosum var. mollissima Trichodesma zeylanicum (E) – Camel Bush Crotalaria cunninghamii – Parrot Pea or Green Birdflower Graminoids (Grasses) Ficus aculeata – Sandpaper Fig Spinifex longifolius (E) – Beach Spinifex Flueggea virosa subsp. melanthesoides – Triodia sp. (E) Snowball Bush Whiteochloa airoides (E) – Creeping Panic Hypoestes floribunda var. varia – Musk- scented Plant

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