South Coast Region Regional Pest Management Strategy 2012–17: South Coast Region A new approach for reducing impacts on native species and park neighbours © Copyright State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage With the exception of photographs, the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and State of NSW are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is part of OEH. Throughout this strategy, references to NPWS should be taken to mean NPWS carrying out functions on behalf of the Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Minister for the Environment. For further information contact: South Coast Region Coastal Branch National Parks and Wildlife Service Office of Environment and Heritage Department of Premier and Cabinet 55 Graham Street Nowra NSW 2541 Telephone: 02 44 232170 Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or [email protected] See also www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pollution Published by: Office of Environment and Heritage 59–61 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 PO Box A290, Sydney South, NSW 1232 Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard) Phone: 131 555 (environment information and publications requests) Phone: 1300 361 967 (national parks, climate change and energy efficiency information and publications requests) Fax: (02) 9995 5999 TTY: (02) 9211 4723 Email: [email protected] Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au ISBN 978 1 74293 623 9 OEH 2012/0372 August 2013 This plan may be cited as: OEH 2012, Regional Pest Management Strategy 2012–17, South Coast Region: a new approach for reducing impacts on native species and park neighbours, Office of Environment and Heritage, Sydney. Cover photos, main: bitou bush infesting Tollgate Islands Nature Reserve (OEH); small: wild dog captured by remote camera; feral cat; feral goat with a GPS collar being held before moving (M McGaw); helicopter moving the goat to a remote area (G Eccles/OEH). Summary The NPWS regional pest management strategies aim to minimise adverse impacts of pests on biodiversity, protected areas and the community. The strategies achieve this through identifying and focusing on the highest priority programs, ensuring that actions are achievable and deliver measurable outcomes. This regional pest management strategy describes the local circumstances in South Coast Region. The Region undertakes a variety of pest management programs in order to protect the reserves that it manages. Important aspects of this control are not only for the protection of biodiversity, flora and fauna but also include the protection of off-park assets, such as surrounding agricultural enterprises and recreational values. Some of the highest priorities for the Region will be effective and coordinated management of wild dogs, control of expanding pest species and Class 1 and 2 noxious weeds, pest management to protect threatened species, and improving on existing programs. Continuation of the work that allows threatened species such as the brush-tailed rock-wallaby and threatened shorebirds to persist has overwhelming support and cooperation from the community. Within South Coast Region there are a number of wild dog management plans that take a nil tenure approach so that management is not limited by property boundaries. In recent times there has been an increase in an effective cooperative approach that has led to positive outcomes. Over the life of this regional pest management strategy, further refining of this approach will be undertaken to ensure the preservation of the dingo in Schedule 2 areas while effectively and efficiently controlling the impacts of wild dogs on adjacent rural properties. There are numerous additional pest species programs undertaken by NPWS throughout the South Coast Region. The main priority in relation to these programs will be the adoption of adaptive management approaches that are cooperative, effective and efficient. Major programs include the: shorebird management and recovery program brush-tailed rock-wallaby management program aerial goat control program. Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Regional overview 2 3. Regional prioritisation 8 4. Prioritised regional pest programs 10 5. Consultation 33 6. Pest species overviews 34 Appendix 1 New and emerging pest species 55 Appendix 2 South Coast Region pest management plans 58 Appendix 3 Regional coordination and support of pest control programs 59 Appendix 4 Noxious weeds 60 References 63 Abbreviations AA Aboriginal Area APZ Asset Protection Zone BPWW Biodiversity Priorities for Widespread Weeds (BPWW CC1-6 refers to control categories within BPWW Statewide Framework1) BTRW Brush-tailed rock-wallaby CAP Catchment Action Plan CMA Catchment Management Authority DECCW NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water EEC Endangered Ecological Community ESFM Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management LGA Local Government Area LHPA Livestock Health and Pest Authority KPI Key Performance Indicator KTP key threatening process MER Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting NP National Park NPW Act National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 NPWS NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service NR Nature Reserve NRM Natural Resource Management OEH Office of Environment and Heritage OSCU Operations and Support Coordination Unit PAS Priorities Action Statement PMP Park Management Program POM Plan of Management PWG Parks and Wildlife Group, the internal name within OEH for NPWS RLP Act Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 ROP Regional Operations Plan ROTAP Rare or Threatened Australian Plants RP Regional Park SCA State Conservation Area SCSRP South Coast Shorebird Recovery Program SFAZ Strategic Fire Advantage Zone SOP Standard Operating Procedure TAP Threat Abatement Plan TSC Act Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 1 http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests- weeds/weeds/publications/cmas/cma_statewide-framework-web.pdf 1. Introduction Pest management within the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) is guided by two core planning instruments: NSW 2021 – A Plan to Make NSW Number One sets out performance targets, including a specific priority action within Goal 22 Protect Our Natural Environment which is to address core pest control in National Parks through the delivery of NPWS Regional Pest Management Strategies and improve educational programs and visitor access. NSW Invasive Species Plan provides specific goals, objectives and actions in relation to invasive species management. This document is the South Coast Region Pest Management Strategy and contains regionally specific components including prioritised pest programs. The state strategy, Managing Pests in NSW National Parks, provides the broader planning framework for the management of pests by NPWS. It documents the policy and organisational context and describes the logic used for identifying, prioritising and monitoring pest management programs. It also establishes state-wide pest management goals, objectives and actions. This regional strategy describes the local circumstances within the Region and applies the corporate framework from the state strategy to prioritise specific pest management programs. These priorities will be included in regional operations plans and implemented through the NPWS Asset Maintenance System. It also broadly identifies pest distribution and associated impacts across the Region. South Coast Region 1 2. Regional overview Location South Coast Region covers 1.36 million hectares, extending from Stanwell Park in the north to Batemans Bay in the south, and west of Goulburn along the tablelands. The Region broadly covers three distinct geographic areas - the tablelands and the coastal plain, separated by the great eastern escarpment. Regional context South Coast Region’s varied landscapes and altitude range are reflected in its high biodiversity. Vegetation communities comprise all the major types of rainforest in NSW (subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, littoral and dry), numerous different eucalypt communities of tall open forest, forest and woodland, coastal and upland heath and freshwater and estuarine wetland. A large number of threatened plant and animal species occur including several endemic plant species. South Coast Region is of major conservation importance for several threatened fauna species including the ground parrot, eastern bristlebird, glossy black-cockatoo, tiger quoll, brush-tailed rock wallaby, green and golden bell frog and broad-headed snake. South Coast Region coincides with 11 local government areas: Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven, and parts of Wollongong, Campbelltown, Wollondilly, Wingecarribee, Goulburn Mulwaree, Palerang, Upper Lachlan and Eurobodalla, and overlaps with three Livestock Health and Pest Authority districts: Tablelands, Cumberland and South East. Jervis Bay National Park shares a border with the Commonwealth managed Booderee National Park. Park management The Region is divided into four management Areas: Illawarra, Ulladulla, Nowra and Highlands. In these management Areas there is approximately 346,000 hectares in 61 protected areas, including 16 national parks, 34 nature reserves, seven state conservation areas, two regional parks and two Aboriginal areas. The Areas are primarily responsible for implementation of works