The Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure Project 16 March 2014

Denmark Office Tel: (08) 9848 3310 Fax: (08) 9848 3455 972 South Coast Hwy PO Box 577 Denmark, WA 6333

[email protected] www.greenskills.org.au ABN 68 989 519 966

The Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure Project 16 March 2014 -

The Proposal In Brief

Location Balijup Farm, 7 km south east of Tenterden, Great Southern Region, WA Length of Fence 4.2 km Area of Enclosure 110 ha Land Vesting Private land (approval and involvement of the owners of Balijup- Alan Hordacre, Richard Hordacre & Anne Vanderbyl) Project Proponent Green Skills Inc with Basil Schur as Projects manager. Project NRM local Gillamii Centre, Cranbrook organization Regional NRM South Coast NRM organization Project Scientific Sylvia Leighton, Sarah Comer, Dr Manda Page, Dr Nic Dunlop Advisory Committee Project organisational Gillamii Centre; Pardelup Prison Farm (WA Dept of Corrective Services; Links South Coast NRM; Land For Wildlife Program; Department of Parks and Wildlife; Gondwana Link Ltd;

Contact: Basil Schur [email protected], 08 98483310 www.greenskills.org.au

CONTENTS

THE PROPOSAL IN BRIEF 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

INTRODUCTION 4 PURPOSE OF THE BALIJUP FAUNA CONSERVATION ENCLOSURE PROJECT 5

BACKGROUND: THE GONDWANA LINK PROJECT 7 FORESTS TO STIRLINGS OPERATIONAL AREA 7

SELECTION PROCESS - BALIJUP FAUNA CONSERVATION ENCLOSURE PROJECT 8 MAPS OF THREE LOCATIONS CONSIDERED 11 MAPS SHOWING SURVEYING WORK COMPLETED 12 EVALUATION OF FAUNA SPECIES FOR INCLUSION IN THE PROPOSED BALIJUP FAUNA ENCLOSURE 14

PHOTOGRAPHS OF PROPOSED FAUNA ENCLOSURE SITE 18

TYPE OF FENCE TO BE CONSTRUCTED 20 PHOTOGRAPHS OF FENCING TYPES 21

APPENDICES 22 APPENDIX 1: INDIVIDUAL FAUNA ASSESSMENTS 22 APPENDIX 2: BALIJUP PHOTO MONITORING POINTS: WORKSHOP 20 –21ST FEBRUARY 2014 32 APPENDIX 3: NOTES ON SIZES OF REMNANTS TO FULFILL THE ‘HOME RANGE’ REQUIREMENTS OF VARIOUS NATIVE FAUNA SPECIES 36 APPENDIX 4: SUPPORT FROM PARDELUP PRISON FARM 38 APPENDIX 5: A CITIZEN SCIENCE BASED ECOLOGICAL MONITORING FRAMEWORK FOR BALIJUP 39

Executive Summary

To help address the critical threats to smaller marsupials in the Gondwana Link‟s Forest to Stirlings region of WA, Green Skills has initiated the Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure project, the BFCE project. The research to establish this enclosure is based on a decade of work researching, planning and supporting biodiversity restoration in the Forest to Stirlings region of Gondwana Link.

A scientific and technical advisory committee is guiding the project. The proposal aims to securely fence a carefully selected 110 ha bush-land area on Balijup farm near Tenterden WA. This farm has an area of 919 ha of which 585 ha are under remnant vegetation or re-vegetation and a further 102 ha are wetlands. Bushland on the property was covenanted under the State Government‟s clearing ban legislation for the Upper Kent catchment in the 1980s. The landowning family has agreed to develop a legally binding agreement to safeguard public investment and involvement in this fauna conservation initiative.

The main vegetation types in the enclosure area include Jarrah forest, Wandoo woodland, Flat Topped Yate woodland and Mallee vegetation communities. Green Skills has worked with the landowning family since 2010 to assist with fencing off all the bush-land on the property, to undertake biological survey and ecological mapping, undertaking feral bee colony surveys and eradication, and wetland assessments.

After careful consideration it has been decided to choose a floppy top fence 1.8m high with 450 mm apron on the ground either side of the fence to prevent cats and foxes from entering and wildlife from leaving. Early stages of the project involve funding and installing the fence, removal of Western Grey kangaroos, foxes and cats, and baseline fauna and vegetation monitoring. This will be followed by the reintroduction of Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) with the aim of establishing a breeding colony of this species.

Careful monitoring and management of Quenda populations would be undertaken with the aim of relocating groups of individuals when numbers have built up sufficiently. Relocation sites within Balijup and elsewhere along Gondwana Link corridor, will be prioritized based on levels of predator control, habitat suitability, ongoing management capability and other factors.

Key management objectives for the project include to: 1) provide a vermin free, high quality bushland enclosure to facilitate scientifically based monitoring and research to be conducted on forest ecosystem and native fauna recovery following cat and fox removal. 2) establish a viable breeding colony of Quenda (Southern Brown bandicoot) in the enclosure, that would provide a source of animals for re-establishing other populations on the property and in the district. 3) establish a „citizen science‟ community-based monitoring program at Balijup to study the management benefits of i) re- establishing Quenda as a soil burrowing marsupial in ecosystem functioning and ii) other ecological benefits of feral predator removal. 4) establish the enclosure as part of biodiversity facilities and resources at Balijup that would help service the demand for ongoing collaborative environmental education and scientific programs in the Great Southern. The intention is for the facility to inspire adults and youth, both regional and local, to expand local and regional support for biodiversity restoration programs across the Gondwana Link area. 5) provide a site to facilitate long term collaborative scientific research in ecological studies and restoration that supports the ongoing implementation of the Conservation Action Plan for the Gondwana Forests to Stirlings area. Conservation targets include Jarrah/Marri forest, Wandoo woodland, the Upper Kent and North Stirlings wetland suites, Brush-tailed Wallaby, Carnaby‟s Cockatoo, Stirling Range Outliers and Proteaceous rich vegetation see http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/gl/ncp.html Other conservation priority species considered for possible reintroduction to Balijup in the future include Tammar Wallaby, Brush Tailed Phascogale, Western Ring tailed Possum and Brush tailed Possum (with Woylie, Black Gloved Wallaby and other fauna species also assessed but of much less likely suitability for the BFCE).

The current project proposal is based on the technical advisory committee‟s advice that it would be best for the Balijup project to focus on demonstrating the conservation and community engagement benefits of fox and cat control, reintroducing Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) and to establish the associated fauna and vegetation monitoring programs with particular focus on investigating the forest conservation benefits of re-establishing native soil burrowing animals.

The project forms part of a bigger fauna conservation effort in Forest to Stirling including fox control programs. . The BFCE project complements an additional project on the Brush Wallaby, which Gillamii Centre is currently surveying the distribution of across the subregion and which NRM groups including Green Skills are installing Wallaby friendly gates in fences designed to prevent stock accessing remnant bushland while still allowing Wallaby movement.

Introduction

South Western Australia faces critical conservation challenges in conserving small to medium sized marsupial mammals species, as well as a range of threatened bird species. One of the most pressing threatening processes is predation by feral animals particularly introduced foxes and cats.

Around Australia and including WA, there are a number of projects demonstrating the usefulness of feral predator proof enclosures in native fauna conservation.

This project proposal involves Green Skills (www.greenskills.org.au) coordinating the funding and establishment of a „fauna enclosure‟ project on Balijup. This proposal would involve a feral predator proof fence of 4.19 km in length to be installed around 109.8 ha of bushland in the north eastern section of the property.

The proposal is that it would be funded through grants and by donations and in addition to establishment of the Enclosure itself, the project includes a longer term planning, for scientific research, community education and engagement, fauna introductions, monitoring maintenance, feral animal control, and relocation.

Location of the project Balijup (Hordacre property) Tenterden WA

Map 1: Location of the project Balijup (Hordacre property) 6km south west of Tenterden WA

Purpose of the Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure Project To help address the critical threats to smaller marsupials in the Gondwana Link’s Forest to Stirlings region of WA, Green Skills has initiated the Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure project or BFCE project for short. The research to establish this enclosure is based on nearly a decade of work researching, planning and supporting biodiversity restoration in the Forest to Stirling’s region of Gondwana Link.

A scientific and technical advisory committee is guiding the project. The proposal aims to securely fence a carefully selected 110 hectare bush-land area on Balijup farm near Tenterden. This farm has an area of 919ha of which 585 hectares are under remnant vegetation or re-vegetation and a further 102 hectares are wetlands. Bush-land on the property was covenanted under the State Government’s clearing ban legislation for the Upper Kent catchment in the 1980s. The landowning family has agreed to develop a legally binding agreement to safeguard public investment and involvement in this fauna conservation initiative.

After careful consideration it has been decided to choose a floppy top fence 1.8m high with 450 mm apron on the ground either side of the fence to prevent cats and foxes from entering and wildlife from leaving. Early stages of the project involve funding and installing the fence, removal of Western Grey kangaroos, foxes and cats, and baseline fauna and vegetation monitoring. This would be followed by the reintroduction of Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) with the aim of establishing a breeding colony of this species.

Careful monitoring and management of Quenda populations would be undertaken with the aim of relocating out groups of individuals when numbers have built up sufficiently. Relocation sites within Balijup and elsewhere along Gondwana Link corridor, will be prioritized based on level of predator control, habitat suitability, ongoing management capability and other factors.

Key management objectives for the project include to: 1) provide a vermin free, high quality bushland enclosure to facilitate scientifically based monitoring and research to be conducted on forest ecosystem and native fauna recovery following cat and fox removal. 2) establish a viable breeding colony of Quenda (Southern Brown bandicoot) in the enclosure, that would provide a source of animals for re-establishing other populations on the property and in the district. 3) establish a „citizen science‟ community-based monitoring program at Balijup to study the management benefits of i) re-establishing Quenda as a soil burrowing marsupial in ecosystem functioning and ii) other ecological benefits of feral predator removal. 4) establish the enclosure as part of biodiversity facilities and resources at Balijup that would help service the demand for ongoing collaborative environmental education and scientific programs in the Great Southern. The intention is for the facility to inspire adults and youth, both regional and local, to expand local and regional support for biodiversity restoration programs across the Gondwana Link area. 5) provide a site to facilitate long term collaborative scientific research in ecological studies and restoration that supports the ongoing implementation of the Conservation Action Plan for the Gondwana Forests to Stirlings area. Conservation targets include Jarrah/Marri forest, Wandoo woodland, the Upper Kent and North Stirlings wetland suites, Brush-tailed Wallaby, Carnaby‟s Cockatoo, Stirling Range Outliers and Proteaceous rich vegetation see http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/gl/ncp.html Other conservation priority species considered for possible reintroduction to Balijup at some future date included Tammar Wallaby, Brush Tailed Phascogale, Western Ring tailed Possum and Brush tailed possum (with Woylie, Black Gloved Wallaby and other fauna species also assessed but of much less likely suitability for the BFCE).

Stages of the Project

Stage 1 is to undertake required Environmental Planning assessment and Approval processes for the project (Completed) .

Stage 2 is to fund and install the fence. Quotations from two Tenterden/Kendenup fencing contractors have been obtained to install the fence. Pardelup Prison Farm has agreed to provide labour to assist with the fencing (see letter below). The project will involve providing an ongoing contract the fencing contractor to monitor and maintain the fence on a regular basis (either fortnightly or monthly depending on need). Access to the sanctuary enclose will be via a dedicated track through a locked gate/dieback hygiene site on the Tenterden-Nunijup Road 7 km south west of Tenterden.

Stage 3 will then involve a period of i) ensuring all cats and foxes are eliminated from the area and ii) surveying the area to establish base line monitoring information on vegetation and fauna. This will entail implementing a detailed monitoring program developed with the assistance of WA‟s Citizen Science program.

Stage 4 will involve sourcing (with Department of Parks and Wildlife support and approval) reintroducing Quenda back into the enclosure area, sourced from appropriate populations. Ongoing scientific monitoring of the fauna and flora withing in the enclosure according to a monitoring plan. There will also be associated community based educational events and activities associated with the BFCEP.

Stage 5 will involve the monitoring and care for reintroduced Quenda animals with a view to encouraging population growth. Ongoing scientific monitoring of the fauna and flora withing in the enclosure according to a monitoring plan.

Stage 6 will involve transfer of animals from within the enclosure to other suitable private bush-land sites where cat and fox baiting is being undertaken. It is intended that this would include the remaining more than 450 hectares of bushland, wetland and reforestation areas on Balijup itself. Ongoing scientific monitoring of the fauna and flora withing in the enclosure according to a monitoring plan.

Access to the fauna enclosure site would be provided for the purposes of ecological restoration monitoring and community education, but would be regulated to ensure appropriate dieback hygiene standards are maintained. Balijup now has a dieback hygiene plan in place for the overall property, with an installed wash-down facility and locked gates ensuring regulated access to the property. Surveys of the property indicate that the property has no know locations of dieback occurrence.

In order to assist obtaining public and philanthropic funding for the proposal, it is planned that a covenant be placed on the area of the fauna sanctuary to safeguard its long term conservation management objective. The Department of Parks and Wildlife is the agency best suited to for such covenanting. The landowning family has agreed to develop a legally binding agreement to safeguard public investment and involvement in this fauna conservation initiative.

Background: The Gondwana Link project

Gondwana Link is a landscape scale project which aims to maintain and restore ecological linkage across south Western Australia, from the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste in the west to the Great Western Woodlands bordering the Nullarbor Plain in the east (Figure 1) (Gondwana Link N.D.).

This area is divided into 8 key operational areas (Figure 2) with different partner organisations working within each one on local conservation projects (Gondwana Link N.D.). Gondwana Link Ltd coordinates the project and part of their role is to ensure consistent and complementary management of threats such as habitat fragmentation, dryland salinity and degradation of waterways across the whole Link (Gondwana Link 2010a).

Map 2: The Gondwana Link area

Map 3: Gondwana Link operational areas Forests to Stirlings operational area The Forests to Stirlings operational area is situated between the western end of the Stirling Range and the northern edge of the forests of the Mount Frankland, Mount Roe and Mount Lindesay National Parks (Gondwana Link N.D.). This area has largely been cleared for agriculture. Conservation strategies for the Forests to Stirlings operational area include: Protecting remnants on privately owned property, principally by fencing them to exclude agricultural livestock (Gondwana Link 2009) Supporting other conservation-friendly action such as revegetation, alley planting, and tree farming particularly with native species and particularly where the treed areas link or buffer existing remnants (Gondwana Link 2009) Purchasing land to create conservation reserves which may incorporate all of the above strategies and also serve an educational function (Gondwana Link 2009) 7

Selection Process - Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure project Considerable biological survey work has already been carried out on Balijup farm. Green Skills has completed an assessment for Balijup, as well as having a wetland assessment for the area prepared by consultant, Ruhi Ferdowsian (see http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/upper-kent/uk2.pdf). In addition the Land For Wildlife program of the Department of Parks and Wildlife have provided a report on Balijup’s fauna and flora, prepared by Sylvia Leighton. These reports attest to the biodiversity significance of the property’s bushland. Green Skills held a survey weekend on Balijup in March 2012 and Land for Wildlife has coordinated a fauna trapping program on Balijup in 2012/2013.

Green Skills has undertaken an assessment of properties in the Shire of Cranbook in terms of selecting priority sites for fauna conservation (fauna reintroduction potential formed 10/60 of the score; a more general conservation value was being assessed). This is reported in the following document:

Xanthe Bourne and Basil Schur (March 2013) Prioritising ecological restoration using property assessments: Development and application of a methodology for prioritising property assessments for ecological restoration and connectivity links: Gondwana Link Forests to Stirlings, Green Skills. See http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/gl/per.html

Map 4: Properties in the Frankland-Cranbrook sub-region of Gondwana Link assessed for conservation value and suitability for establishing a fauna sanctuary. Balijup is Property No 9 on the map

Balijup scored 54.5 (Table 5 on page 15 of the report Prioritising ecological restoration using property assessments, available via link above), highest of the 18 properties assessed. The wetlands and bushland on this property are of outstanding regional conservation significance.

Property assessment number 2012/09 Name of farm Balijup Name of landowners Alan Hordacre, Richard Hordacre & Anne Vanderbyl Location number of property/s Nunijup Road, via Tenterden; Hay Location 791 Area of target property (ha) Total ha 919ha Area of Remnants 585 Wetland Area 102 Total R+W 687ha Map of property for which assessment was undertaken

Photos from the property (Jarrah/Marri, Wandoo, proteaceous and wetland riparian veg types) Table 1: Property Asssessment of Balijup.

Map 5: Proposed Enclosure Site on Balijup Property, Tenterden. Option 4191 m covering 109.8 ha (approximating to 4.2km for 110ha)

Maps of three locations considered Two previous fence location options were considered before Option C was chosen.

Map 6: Option A - Considered too be too small

Map 7: Option B - Considered too expensive and difficult to fence.

Map 8: Option C - Considered ideal because it included additional areas of native grasses,and thus a greater diversity of habitat types 11

Maps showing surveying work completed Considerable biological survey work has already been conducted on Balijup.

Map 9: Vegetation mapping on Balijup (based on survey work carried out in March 2013)

Map 10: Wetland Assessments have been undertaken on the many lakes and swamps on the property.

Map 11: Balijup showing revegetaton work (Eucalypts, sandalwood) previously undertaken

Map 12: Balijup showing bushland fencing undertaken between 2011 and 2013 on Balijup (over 10km)

Evaluation of Fauna Species for inclusion in the proposed Balijup Fauna Enclosure This section of the report evaluates the suitability of different fauna species for possible inclusion in the Balijup Fauna Conservation project.

The report on the evaluation process was put together by Xanthe Bourne and Basil Schur and follows on from a meeting held in October attended by Alan Hordacre, Sarah Comer, Sylvia Leighton and Basil Schur with input from Dr Manda Page. The provision of information by Peter Mawson, Penny Hussey and Sandra Gilfilan is also gratefully acknowledged.

1. Southern Brown Bandicoot (Quenda) 2. Western Ringtail Possum 3. Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong, Brush-tailed Rat Kangaroo) 4. Tammar Wallaby 5. Black-gloved Wallaby 6. Honey Possum (Noolbenger, Honey Mouse) 7. Brush-tailed Phascogale 8. Numbat (Walpurti, Banded Anteater) 9. Echidna 10. Chuditch

Rating for each category (see below)

Species

of of size of

Historical /current at Balijuppresence Conservation priority Habitat in suitability sanctuary Adequacy sanctuary Total (/9) Score Ease management of 1 Southern Brown Bandicoot (Quenda) 1 2 2 2 7 2 Western Ringtail Possum 1 1 2 2 6 3 Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong, Brush-tailed Rat Kangaroo) 2 1 2 5 4 Tammar Wallaby 2 2 2 6 5 Black-gloved Wallaby (Brush-tailed Wallaby; Western Brush 1 1 0.5 1 2 5.5 Wallaby; Kwoora) 6 Honey Possum (Noolbenger, Honey Mouse) 1 0.5 1 1 3.5 7 Brush-tailed Phascogale (Wambenger, Tuan) 1 2 2 1 6 8 Numbat (Walpurti, Banded Anteater) 2 0.5 2 4.5 9 Echidna (Short-beaked Echidna, Spiny Anteater) 2 0 1 3 10 Chuditch (Western Quoll, Native Cat) 1 0 1 2 Table 2: Summary of ratings for each species considered

Ratings: Historical/current presence at Balijup Yes = 1 No = 0 Conservation priority: Specific CAP Target, or IUCN Status other than Least Concern = 1 No specific conservation priority = 0 Habitat suitability in sanctuary Highly suitable = 2 Moderately suitable = 1 Marginally or not suitable = 0 Adequacy of size of sanctuary Could support breeding population (with management required for dispersal of excess), or where animals could self disperse = 2 Could support a minimum of one or a small number of breeding pair (but management required for dispersal of offspring) = 1 Would support one or less individuals = 0 Ease of management Known current breeding programs (source of animals) AND known suitable sites in the Forest to Stirlings area for relocation AND known to be relatively easy to monitor, trap and relocate = 3 2 of the above = 2 1 of the above = 1 None of the above = 0

Note: Species scoring 6 or above may be suitable for possible re introduction for the BFCE project. This includes the following: Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot), Western Ringtailed possum, Tammar Wallaby, and Brush Tailed Phascogale. However Quenda scored highest and is considered the appropriate species for reintroduction into the enclosure project.

Table 1 Provisional assessment of the suitability of the Balijup fauna sanctuary proposal in terms of fulfilling the ‘home range’ and habitat requirements of various fauna species

Species Notes on Suitability Provisional assessment of suitability ranking: * worthy of further consideration ** favourable *** very favourable 1 Southern Brown Bandicoot (Quenda) - require Balijup - could accommodate *** appears to be a very remnants of about 1.5 - 5 ha. This range varies several Quenda, possibly a favourable species for between males and females. They are not overly stable breeding population. this location territorial and appear to be happy in most habitats Translocation of newly weaned ranging from drainage lines up into higher elevations young should be considered as with no permanent water source. they reproduce quickly and mortality can be high when the young fail to establish feeding territories. 2 Ring-tailed Possum - Similar to a brush tail possum Balijup - size should be may be suitable but is very much less mobile. Use grass tree sufficient. Other information (blackboy) skirts to sleep under during the day. suggests they build dreys in the Sometimes, if they haven‟t found a suitable place to mid to upper canopy. sleep before daylight, they just curl up at the base of a tree and have a sleep - this is why they are so vulnerable to foxes. 3 Woylies - Remnants of at least 2 ha in size. They Balijup - size should be ** but for population size have a lot of overlap with territories. They nest in the sufficient. to be carefully capped middle of bush thickets. Sometimes they nest in with excess individuals hollow logs. moved to outside the fence at Balijup and other suitable locations 4 Tammar Wallaby - Require remnants of 50 - 100 ha Balijup - size is probably ** but for population size in size. This wallaby is a grazer so likes to have the adequate, presence of suitable to be carefully capped combination of an open paddock to feed off and clear areas and continuous with excess individuals bushland with a continuous cover of understorey to understorey requires moved to outside the hide in. They make nests in the middle of a thicket. assessment. fence at Balijup and other Occurs in family groups. suitable locations

5 Western Brush-tailed Wallaby - Require remnants Balijup - assessment required of * but for the population of 50 - 100 ha in size. Depend on protective cover whether there is sufficient to be kept to a small from the vegetation. Their territories are about 500 suitably dense/continuous number of individuals square metres and they can often spend their whole mid/lower storey vegetation. life in the same home boundary. Can occur in the same area as the Tammar Wallaby because they have very different food sources. The brush tailed wallaby are browsers and feed on shrubs and flowers. They prefer to be solitary or sometimes a mother and baby are seen feeding together. They don‟t like the open paddock environment. 6 Honey Possums and Pygmy Possums - Size of Balijup - need to assess the * probably not suitable remnant required is dependent on the quantity of vegetation in relation to Honey because of insufficient suitable nectar producing plants within the remnant. Possum food sources; presence, diversity of vegetation Tend to move through areas following the food abundance, location, seasonal types source. Move up to 200 metres a night. Not territorial. coverage of flowering times.

8 Numbats - require remnants of 100ha or more. Balijup- size is almost adequate, Probably not suitable Prefer jarrah and wandoo woodland with log debris. though probably not for a self Habitat requires healthy leaf litter to keep the termite sustaining breeding population. population happy, so numbats have enough food. Vegetation type is suitable; presence of logs and health of litter layer requires assessment. 9 Echidna - These animals seem to be extremely Balijup - no indication is give Not suitable hardy. Have been sighted crossing open paddocks in here on size. Deadfall and leaf

16 the middle of the wheat belt. If they have no suitable litter health should be assessed; cover, they just dig themselves in underground. Their and if numbats are to be only requirement is a good supply of termites. This introduced, information should requires remnants that have good leaf and wood be sought about how well their cover to keep the termites happy. food source (termites) is partitioned between the two species. 10 Chuditch - at this stage chuditch are being Balijup - size is unlikely to be Not suitable relocated into areas of 10 000 ha or larger. Prefer sites adequate, more recent research with a good freshwater source. Chuditch appear to be and practices could be very mobile. One animal which was relocated in Cape Investigated. Arid National Park was found 180 kilometres away in a chook pen at Salmon Gums. Brush-tailed Phascogale (Wambenger, Tuan) Would be suitable if adults can move over/through fence. Dunnarts - Move about 50 - 100 metres a night. Have Not currently under been found surviving quite happily under rock and consideration for Balijup wood piles in the middle of paddocks.

Native Mice and Bush Rats - Require sandy soils to Not currently under dig their burrows. Prefer dense undergrowth. Bush consideration for Balijup rats are quite territorial and aggressive toward other species. The hopping mice also prefer open spaces for increased, fast mobility. Brush Tailed Possum - Remnant needs to be at least 2 Not currently under *** Suitable - already ha in size. The males are quite territorial and do not consideration for Balijup present allow territory overlap. Females will allow territory overlap however if nesting hollows are short in supply, the possum will aggressively defend her territory. Antechinus - Remnants of at least 2 ha. Prefer Not currently under wooded areas with a good upper canopy. Tend to consideration for Balijup build up populations very quickly. When the young are too large and heavy they are deposited by the female into a den.

Photographs of proposed Fauna Enclosure site

Photograph 1: Boundary fence on north side of proposed Enclosure. Note Wandoo woodland habitat to the right. March 2012.

Photograph 2: Inspection of Wandoo tree in proposed enclosure area indicated that brush tailed possums appear to occur on site.

Photograph 3: Looking into proposed enclosure area (Jarrah trees and understorey in good condition) from northern boundary of proposed site.

Photograph 4: Existing track along west side of the site

Photograph 5: Existing track on south side of proposed Enclosure boundary

Photograph 6: East side of Enclosure boundary proposal (bordering Jefferies property).

Photograph 7: South east corner of the proposal enclosure site (bordering Jefferies) is salinity affected.

Type of Fence to be Constructed

The fence type will be designed to be the most economically efficient way of achieving feral fox and cat exclusion and based on the review report quoted below. As rabbits do not appear to occur on the site and can be relatively easily controlled, the fence does not need to be rabbit proof, which represents a financial saving to the project.

A review of cost effective fencing for feral animal exclusion is available at http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/b39c119e-c58a-4473-9507-db68da31a95c/files/fencing.pdf

The final recommend fence proposed for the Balijup Fauna Conservation Project is a floppy top fence 1.8m high with 450 mm apron on the ground either side of the fence to prevent vermin from entering and wildlife from leaving.

The method of constructing the fence is proposed as follows: A single roll of 900 x 1.4 x 4 netting is rolled out on the flat graded ground. A single HT wire is strained down the middle of this. Pickets are erected at 8 metres apart along the wire and 6 plain wires are erected. 1200 x 1.4 x 4 cm mesh is then stood up and clipped on. Finally a lighter mesh is put above this 900 x 1.2 x 5cm which allows 300mm for the floppy top to hang outwards. The floppy top is held out with a 4mm heavy wire bent to the frame every 4 metres. Recommend steel strainers and struts.

Photographs of fencing types

Photograph 8: Alan Hordacre at Manypeaks National Park Potorro Fauna Enclosure Fence Dec 2013

Photograph 9: Closeup at Manypeaks Fauna Enclosure Fence

Photograph 10: Manypeaks Fauna Enclosure Fence

Photograph 11: Note the curved mesh at the top. The fence also has electric wires on the outside.

Appendices Appendix 1: Individual Fauna Assessments 1 Southern Brown Bandicoot (Quenda) Isoodon obesulus

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Require remnants of about 1.5 - 5 ha. This range varies between males and individuals/male/female/breeding females. They are not overly territorial. Around 5ha for a population, but pair/social group; normally and during larger is better. breeding Comments: Balijup could accommodate several Quenda, possibly a stable breeding population. Translocation of newly weaned young should be considered as they reproduce quickly and mortality can be high when the young fail to establish feeding territories. Diet- required food sources; normally Omnivorous: invertebrates, fungi, bulbs; will also take young house mice.

and during breeding Type of habitat required by adults- Wide range of vegetation types including forest, woodland, shrub and normally heath. Requires a rich ground level and soil invertebrate population, so dense leaf litter important. Requires dense low vegetation for daytime shelter. Type of habitat required for successful Young are carried in the pouch until weaning; no special requirements. breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to Usually found in areas adjacent to water, though this may be due to the survive droughts denser vegetation that occurs there.

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Generally solitary. A male‟s large home range may support the territories of several females. Minimum size for healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Breed winter to early summer. Litters of up to 6, usually only 2 survive until weaning (as the pouch becomes overcrowded). Infants carried in the Breeding behaviour pouch until weaning. Young disperse at 2 months and are soon sexually Number of young mature. High mortality rate in young who do not find feeding territories.

Females may have 3 litters per year. Lifespan 3-4 years. Frequency of breeding/litters Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Least Concern because, although the species is declining in many areas, it has a wide distribution, presumed large population, occurs in a number of protected areas, and it is unlikely to be declining at the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category. Key threats Introduced predators- foxes and cats; changes to fire regime (they benefited from traditional Aboriginal burning practices due to the food sources found in areas regenerating after fires); clearing of native vegetation; habitat modification. Known, current breeding programs and The species occurs in a number of protected areas, has been successfully other conservation programs targeting reintroduced to a number of locations. Reintroduced at Karakamia and species Paruna. Captive breeding at Barna Mia (Dryandra). Occurs at Perup and Dryandra, Whiteman Park. Conservation recommendations, Monitoring important, especially for subspecies which are particularly at recovery plan key points risk. Reintroduction, predator control, fire management, maintenance of habitat integrity, preservation of habitat all important. History at Balijup- whether and where Y currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/40553/0 Friend, T., Morris, K., van Weenen, J., Winter, J. & Menkhorst, P. 2008. Isoodon obesulus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 26 November 2013.

2 Western Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Remnant needs to be at least 20 - 50ha depending on quality and diversity individuals/male/female/breeding of habitat. Home range size variable, larger in low density populations. pair/social group; normally and during breeding Diet- required food sources; normally Folivore- leaves, fruit and flowers. Prefers peppermint, otherwise other and during breeding myrtaceous vegetation. Type of habitat required by adults- Habitat includes Peppermint forest and woodland, Tuart forest (typically normally with a Peppermint mid-story), Jarrah, Wandoo and Marri forest. Prefers

dense, lush vegetation in drainage lines (or gardens). Requires medium- sized hollows 3-6m off the ground. If hollows not available, eg in Peppermint woodland, it may build a drey. If it cannot find a suitable resting site by dawn, it may just curl up at the base of a tree or in sedges. Will use nest boxes. In the Albany area this species occurs out of drainage lines, and occupies a diverse range of habitat types. May have been seen in the yate swamps [at Balijup?]. The climate at Mt Barker is similar 727mm mean rainfall pa at Mt Barker and 799mm at Albany. Ringtails occur across to Cheynes/Waychincup and it is certainly dryer out there than areas further west. (Sarah Comer, pers. comm.) Type of habitat required for successful Construct dreys (built of vegetation, usually in the mid to upper canopy) breeding; including mating through to for nesting, may use hollows, stumps and logs if available. May nest in raising young roofs in urban areas. Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Usually sociable, several individuals may live close together - female young remain in mother‟s home range, male young disperse age 7 months. Minimum size for healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Reproduction year-round, greatest number of young born in late autumn Breeding behaviour and winter, least in late summer. One or more litters per year. Litters 1-3, Number of young most commonly 1. Young emerge permanently from the pouch at 3-4 Frequency of breeding/litters months, then are carried on their mothers back for several weeks. Lifespan

Care of young by parent/s can be >6y. Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Vulnerable, because of their extent of occurrence <20 000km2; severely fragmented distribution, continuing decline in area of occupancy, extent and quality of habitat, number of mature individuals. Key threats In coastal areas, habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development; inland populations are threatened by habitat modification and timber harvesting. Predation by foxes; in areas where foxes are controlled, predation by pythons and cats. Increasing fire intensities and burning operations associated with logging or clearing. Known, current breeding programs and Has been subject of translocation programs, however no demonstrated other conservation programs targeting success. Reintroduced at Karakamia. Occurs at Perup. species Conservation recommendations, Monitoring, including population response to fox control and other recovery plan key points management practices, and at relocation sites, required. Identification of high conservation value sites for this species required. Minimisation of development impacts; public education in relevant areas suggested. History at Balijup- whether and where Y currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/18492/0 Morris, K., Burbidge, A. & Friend, T. 2008. Pseudocheirus occidentalis. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 26 November 2013.

3 Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong, Brush-tailed Rat Kangaroo) Bettongia penicillata

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Remnants of at least 2Ha in size for an individual?? They have a lot of individuals/male/female/breeding overlap with territories. 150Ha is a good minimum for a population?? pair/social group; normally and during (Balijup may be suitable depending on extent of suitable habitat. (Peter breeding Mawson, pers. comm.) Diet- required food sources; normally Subterranean fungi, bulbs, tubers, seeds and insects. Enhance ecological and during breeding health by distributing mycorrhizal spores through digging, consumption and excretion. Type of habitat required by adults- Formerly distributed over a range of habitats from desert spinifex

normally grasslands to forests. Now restricted to forests and open woodlands in WA and mallee shrublands in SA with clumped low understorey of tussock grasses or low woody scrub. An intact ground layer with leaf litter and bulbous plants is essential to provide food. Elaborate nests are built in the middle of bush thickets or sometimes in hollow logs, requiring cover for daytime rest. They may benefit from open areas for foraging. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Minimum size for healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Breed throughout the year producing 2-3 litters per year. Carry a single pouch young and an embryo in the womb, like kangaroos. Young spend Breeding behaviour 14 weeks in the pouch and several more weeks at heel. Young reach sexual Number of young maturity by 6 months. Lifespan 4-6 years. Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Critically Endangered because of drastic, ongoing population decline, estimated at >80% in 10 years which are unexplained, though appear to be density dependent. National status: Endangered (Mt Gibson brochure) Key threats Historically, declines were due to fox and cat predation, habitat destruction and alteration, changes to fire regimes, competition with feral and domestic animals, and possibly disease. Relict populations were associated with Gastrolobium shrubs which may have reduced both predation and competition. Recent dramatic declines are unexplained, though it is hoped they may stabilise when populations reach a low density, as the declines appear to be density related. Stochastic events and genetic viability may threaten small reintroduced populations. Known, current breeding programs and Natural populations remaining at Dryandra Woodland, Perup NR and other conservation programs targeting Tutanning NR; translocated to 46 sites in WA, 12 in SA and 3 in NSW, with species mixed success. Intensive research is investigating recent declines and the roles of predation, food resources and disease. Potential new translocation sites are being investigated. Reintroduced at Karakamia and Paruna. Will be reintroduced at Mt Gibson. Captive breeding is occurring at Kanyana and Barna Mia (Dryandra). Occurs at Perup and Dryandra. Conservation recommendations, Ongoing fox control and understanding the role of predation by cats is recovery plan key points important. History at Balijup- whether and where ? currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/2785/0 Wayne, A., Friend, T., Burbidge, A., Morris, K. & van Weenen, J. 2008. Bettongia penicillata. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 28 November 2013. http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/environment-a-conservation/item/265-toxoplasma-blamed-for-woylie-decline.html article http://kanyanawildlife.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136:kanyana-woylie-breeding&catid=57:woylies Kanyana breeding program

4 Tammar Wallaby Macropus eugenii

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Require remnants of 50 - 100 ha in size. “Tammar wallabies breed quickly individuals/male/female/breeding and would trash a site if they couldn‟t disperse. “ (Peter Mawson, pers. pair/social group; normally and during comm.) breeding Diet- required food sources; normally Grazer- grasses and other soft palatable soft plants. and during breeding Type of habitat required by adults- Coastal scrub, heath, dry sclerophyll forest and mallee woodlands. normally Requires open grassy areas for grazing and low dense vegetation for

daytime shelter. Some suitable shelter vegetation can become too open if long unburnt, and is suitably dense when regenerating after fire. Type of habitat required for successful They make nests in the middle of a thicket. breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to Island populations have been observed drinking sea water with no ill survive droughts effects! (Johnson & Thomson-Dans)

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Occurs in loose family groups. Minimum size for a healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: A single young is produced once a year and the joey is suckled for 8-9 months before leaving the pouch. Dormant embryos are carried, as in Breeding behaviour kangaroos, but do not immediately begin to develop. Young born Jan to Number of young Mar, leave pouch Sep to Oct. Females are immediately sexually mature; males begin breeding at 2y. Male lifespan 11y, female 14y. Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Least concern due to wide distribution, presumed large population and occurrence in a number of protected areas; unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for a threatened category listing. Key threats Declines due to land clearing, settlers‟ fires, predation by introduced predators- cats and foxes, hunting by early settlers. Current threats include predation by foxes in some parts of its range (mainland), inappropriate fire regimes. Species considered agricultural pest on Kangaroo Island. Known, current breeding programs and Occurs on some islands of the Houtman Abrolhos and Recherche other conservation programs targeting Archipelago and on Kangaroo Island, Tutanning, Boyagin and Perup species Nature Reserves and Fitzgerald River NP on the mainland and several Forest, NP and island reintroduction sites. Feral populations exist in NZ. Reintroduced at Karakamia and Paruna. Occurs at Dryandra and Perup. Conservation recommendations, Fox control on mainland, continued reintroduction programs, maintenance recovery plan key points of appropriate fire regimes within its habitat. History at Balijup- whether and where ? currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41512/0 Morris, K., Friend, T., Burbidge, A. & van Weenen, J. 2008. Macropus eugenii. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 28 November 2013.

5 Black-gloved Wallaby (Brush-tailed Wallaby; Western Brush Wallaby; Kwoora) Macropus irma

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Require remnants of 50 - 100 ha in size. Their territories are about 5000 individuals/male/female/breeding square metres and they can often spend their whole life in the same home pair/social group; normally and during boundary. “I did not find any scats of black-gloved wallabies in the „fauna breeding sanctuary‟ . The vegetation was largely too open ie. there was not sufficient mid-dense ground cover of approximately 0.5-1m height, either continuous or in clumps for suitable sheltering sites. There was a small patch of sufficiently dense understorey in the east of the patch (see map), but this is only about 7ha so it is not sufficiently large and too isolated from other

suitable habitat for BG wallabies to make use of. At Whiteman Park north of Perth, BG wallaby home ranges range from 32Ha in females to 69ha in males, and the area used in a night ranged from 5.3 has in females to 9.9ha in males. Ranges are not known for southern populations, but would likely be similar.. I didn't have time to look at the whole property, so there is still a possibility that BG wallabies occur closer to the lakes where the vegetation is a bit denser.” (Sandra Gilfillan, pers. comm.) Diet- required food sources; normally Can occur in the same area as the Tammar Wallaby because they have very and during breeding different food sources. The brush tailed wallaby are browsers and feed on shrubs and flowers. Feeds close to cover and is rarely seen in paddocks. Type of habitat required by adults- Requires dense shrubby cover adjacent to small open areas, thus Wandoo normally wet flats often ideal. Other suitable habitats are open forest and woodland, mallee, heathland, low open grasses, and scrubby thickets. Avoids pastureland and forests with dense undergrowth. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure They prefer to be solitary; sometimes a mother and baby are seen feeding together. Minimum size for a healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: A single joey is born around Apr - May. Breeding behaviour Number of young Frequency of breeding/litters Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Least Concern because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and because its population is considered to be stable, or perhaps still increasing, as a result of fox control programs. Key threats Fox predation of juveniles, land clearing for agriculture which has caused population- and habitat- fragmentation. Known, current breeding programs and Present at Karakamia, has increased in numbers since the reserve‟s other conservation programs targeting establishment. Present at Paruna, occurs at Whiteman Park. species Conservation recommendations, Continued fox control; monitoring of abundance recovery plan key points History at Balijup- whether and where Y currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12626/0 Morris, K., Friend, T. & Burbidge, A. 2008. Macropus irma. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 29 November 2013.

6 Honey Possum (Noolbenger, Honey Mouse) Tarsipes rostratus

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Required remnant size probably at least 25Ha of suitable vegetation. individuals/male/female/breeding pair/social group; normally and during breeding Diet- required food sources; normally Nectar and some pollen. Requires nectar every day of the year, thus must and during breeding have a wide diversity of nectar-producing plants. Type of habitat required by adults- Diverse vegetation communities on coastal sand plain heaths, mallee, normally banksia woodland. High diversity of flowering plants is essential to

provide food every day. Can move up to 200m a night to where plants are in flower. Requires daytime shelter in small hollows, often in Balga skirts, sometimes in abandoned birds‟ nests. Animals may become torpid in cold weather. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Minimum size for a healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Breed any time of year, when food sources are abundant, producing possibly 2 litters or 2-3 young per year. Breeding behaviour Number of young Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Least Concern because of wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for a threatened listing. Key threats No major threats. Affected by changes to fire regime, destruction of habitat by Phytophthora Dieback, predation by cats and foxes. Known, current breeding programs and Present at Paruna, occurs at Whiteman Park. other conservation programs targeting species Conservation recommendations, The species occurs in many protected areas which should be managed to recovery plan key points reduce the risk of extensive and frequent wildfires.

History at Balijup- whether and where Y currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/40583/0 Friend, T., Morris, K., Burbidge, A. & McKenzie, N. 2008. Tarsipes rostratus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 01 December 2013.

7 Brush-tailed Phascogale (Wambenger, Tuan) Phascogale tapoatafa

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for Remanat size required is at least 200Ha. Reproductively viable populations individuals/male/female/breeding require large areas of suitable habitat due to male home ranges often being pair/social group; normally and during greater than 100Ha. Wambengers (brush-tailed phascogales) are known breeding from similar habitat to than contained in the proposed fenced area; a specimen was recently collected near Hyden. There should be plenty of suitable hollow-bearing trees in the NW of the property for this species, and it is highly likely that they would be able to climb over or through a predator exclusion fence (similar to Dibber at Norman‟s) so it could be a

good location for reintroduction if they aren‟t there (Sarah Comer‟s feedback by email Dec 2023) Peter Mawson (pers.comm) had previously suggested that Balijup would not be suitable for Brush-tailed Phascogales as the habitat is not wet or tall enough; and that Red-tailed Phascogales may be an option. Diet- required food sources; normally Invertebrates; occasionally other small animals such as small roosting and during breeding birds. Have been known to attack and kill domestic poultry. Type of habitat required by adults- Largely confined to dry sclerophyll forests and open woodlands containing normally hollow-bearing trees; occurs more rarely in wetter forests. Arboreal. Prefers dense crown vegetation; can leap up to 2m and will come to the ground to move from tree to tree. Require small hollows (possibly several per individual), often high up. Will use nest boxes. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Largely solitary. Minimum size for a healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Intensive mating in Jun/Jul produces litters of 8 (3-8 in sw WA). Males die soon after breeding; females can live up to 3 years but usually only Breeding behaviour produce one litter. Young spend 2 months in the pouch and are then Number of young deposited into a suitable hollow. Dispersal occurs over summer and breed in their first year. In WA, population fluctuates markedly in response to Frequency of breeding/litters climatic conditions Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Near threatened because it is in decline, but <30% over 10 years; decline due to habitat clearance, degradation, fragmentation, impact of introduced predators. Close to qualifying for Vulnerable. Key threats Reduction in area of occupancy due to habitat clearing and fragmentation, also habitat alteration due to logging and mining. Greatest current threat is the increasing decline in availability of hollow-bearing trees. Predation by foxes and cats. Male die-off makes populations particularly susceptible to stochastic events Known, current breeding programs and other conservation programs targeting species Conservation recommendations, Development of suitable survey techniques to assist improvement of recovery plan key points knowledge, identification of key habitats and populations, determining the relative importance of threatening processes. History at Balijup- whether and where Y currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16890/0 Menkhorst, P., Rhind, S. & Ellis, M. 2008. Phascogale tapoatafa. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 29 November 2013.

8 Numbat (Walpurti, Banded Anteater) Myrmecobius fasciatus

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for 50-100ha per animal, possibly as little as 25Ha in Jarrah, probably at least individuals/male/female/breeding 3000 ha for a viable population. “numbats could not be sustained on such a pair/social group; normally and during small site” (Peter Mawson, pers. comm.) breeding Diet- required food sources; normally Up to 20,000 termites per day, foraged in dead trees, logs, leaf litter and and during breeding underground galleries. Type of habitat required by adults- Formerly widespread across arid and semi-arid climate zones. Now normally restricted to 2 native (Perup and Dryandra) and several reintroduced sites.

Formerly semi-arid and arid woodlands (Eucalyptus and Acacia) and grasslands (Triodia and Plectrachne); now restricted to Eucalypt woodlands in the wettest periphery of former range. Wandoo woodland is prime habitat. Hollow logs are now important as a refuge from foxes; the burrows of other animals are also used. A good litter layer for a healthy termite population is essential. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Generally solitary. Minimum size for a healthy breeding population Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Males range a long way from home prior to breeding season to search for females. Four young are usually born Jan-Mar and are attached to teats Breeding behaviour until furred, then transferred to a lined chamber at the end of a 1-2 metre- Number of young long burrow while their mother hunts. Young are independent by Oct, disperse by end of year. Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Endangered due to population likely to be <1000 mature individuals; at one of two native sites, Dryandra, the population has undergone a drastic, continuing, unexplained decline. National status: Vulnerable (Mt Gibson brochure) Key threats Predation by foxes, changed fire regimes, habitat destruction, introduced rabbits, elevated raptor numbers, frequent fires which reduce the number of logs for shelter. Unknown causes of decline at Dryandra, thought to be predation by feral cats. Known, current breeding programs and Captive breeding occurs at Perth Zoo. Occurs naturally in protected areas other conservation programs targeting (Perup and Dryandra). Have been reintroduced at several sites in south- species western Western Australia and fenced sites in SA and NSW. Reintroduced at Karakamia. Will be reintroduced at Mt Gibson. Conservation recommendations, Fox control is essential. Increasing the number of self-sustaining recovery plan key points populations to 9 and the overall population to 4000are recovery objectives. History at Balijup- whether and where ? currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/14222/0 Friend, T. & Burbidge, A. 2008. Myrmecobius fasciatus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 01 December 2013.

9 Echidna (Short-beaked Echidna, Spiny Anteater) Tachyglossus aculeatus

Habitat Habitat Total home range area for At least 200ha, providing there are termites. Nomadic, can cross 1 km-wide individuals/male/female/breeding paddocks, moves when food exhausted or searching for mate. “echidnas pair/social group; normally and during do not respect fences at all and will just bulldoze their way out and back as requirements breeding they see fit which could place other species at risk if the integrity of any fence is breeched” (Peter Mawson, pers. comm) Diet- required food sources; normally Eats 10,000 termites a day, by pulling apart termite nests. and during breeding Type of habitat required by adults- Principally woodlands and heathlands in sw WA. Occurs in various open

normally woodland types, savannah, semi-arid and arid areas, rainforest and agricultural areas. Shelters in hollow logs and under thick bushes. Fallen wood, leaf litter and termite mounds are required. Type of habitat required for successful Requires safe resting sites under boulders or in hollow logs (large entrance breeding; including mating through to size). raising young Water requirements and ability to survive droughts

Natural Natural Social structure Solitary. Minimum size for a healthy breeding population population population structure Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Breeding is Jul/Aug. Female lays a single egg, directly into their “pouch” (a skin fold) The egg hatches after 10 days and the young are suckled. At Breeding behaviour first they are carried, later they are left in a burrow. Young disperse in Number of young summer aged about 6 months.

Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Least Concern because of wide distribution, broad habitat tolerance, large population, occurrence within protected areas, lack of major threats, not thought to be in decline. Key threats No major threats in Australia. Some overhunting may occur in New Guinea.

Known, current breeding programs and Present at Karakamia and Paruna, Dryandra, Whiteman Park. other conservation programs targeting species Conservation recommendations, Monitoring of road deaths on main tourist roads. Adequate protection recovery plan key points within protected areas in Australia. In New Guinea, most protected areas are too small to host viable populations. History at Balijup- whether and where ? currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41312/0 Aplin, K., Dickman, C., Salas, L. & Helgen, K. 2008. Tachyglossus aculeatus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 01 December 2013. “There was no evidence of echidna (by diggings)” (Sandra Gilfillan, pers. comm.)

10 Chuditch (Western Quoll, Native Cat) Dasyurus geoffrooii

Habitat requirements Habitat Total home range area for At least 1000ha, forages widely, 10,000ha best for a chance of a viable individuals/male/female/breeding population. Normally territorial. Very mobile. “Chuditch require 1000 ha pair/social group; normally and during for a single male and fences would not keep them in.” (Peter Mawson, pers. breeding comm.) Diet- required food sources; normally Top level carnivore; opportunistic diet, including small mammals, birds, and during breeding lizards, frogs, invertebrates and carrion. Hunts on the ground and in trees. Also scavenge from rubbish bins. Type of habitat required by adults- Restricted to Jarrah forest and drier woodlands and mallee shrublands of

normally the central and southern Wheatbelt. Their former range suggests the ability to occupy a wide range of habitats including deserts, woodlands, mallee shrublands, sclerophyll forests and coastal areas. Occurs in degraded areas, often patrols roadsides and are known scavengers. Requires a medium hollow at ground level, or will dig a burrow under log or stump. Will also use old birds' nests. Both sexes need many den sites within their home range. Type of habitat required for successful breeding; including mating through to raising young Water requirements and ability to Prefer sites with a good freshwater source, though do not need drinking survive droughts water (possible conflicting information).

Natural population population structureNatural Social structure Generally solitary. Minimum size for a healthy breeding Some populations are under 100, the species probably occurs naturally in population small populations and these have a tendency to fluctuation. Maximum population likely to be supported at Balijup Breeding information: Animals breed from one year old. Mating is in late autumn and early winter. Individuals will cover large distances looking for a mate. Litters of Breeding behaviour 6 are carried in a small pouch for 9 weeks then remain at the nest site. Number of young Females construct burrows during pregnancy, Young disperse around 22 weeks. Females maintain non-overlapping core areas in their home range. Frequency of breeding/litters

Care of young by parent/s

Survival rates under ideal conditions

Conservation IUCN Red List status and reasoning Near Threatened: Population still <10 000. Almost qualifies as Threatened. National status: Vulnerable (Mt Gibson Brochure) Key threats Habitat alteration due to clearing, grazing and frequent wildfire; incursion of foxes after fire, competition for food with foxes and cats, hunting by early settlers, poisoning have contributed to decline. Known, current breeding programs and Consideration of habitat requirements occurs during rehabilitation after other conservation programs targeting bauxite mining; habitat management research focusing on prescribed species burning and timber harvesting impacts in Jarrah forest is underway; fox control has been shown to be beneficial, monitoring occurs in Jarrah forest sites, captive breeding occurs at Perth Zoo, translocation to Julimar Conservation Park have been successful. Has recolonised Karakamia. Present at Paruna, has increased numbers since the establishment of the reserve. Will be reintroduced at Mt Gibson. Occurs ar Perup. Conservation recommendations, Monitoring needs implementing in the Wheatbelt; research into recovery plan key points distribution and requirements in the semi-arid zone are required. History at Balijup- whether and where To be determined currently or previously recorded or known. IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6294/0 Morris, K., Burbidge, A. & Hamilton, S. 2008. Dasyurus geoffroii. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 01 December 2013.

References: IUCN Red List pages for each animal Hussey, P & Mawson, P (2004) Wildlife Note 11- Requirements for Native Mammals Land for Wildlife Nevill, S et al (2005) Guide to the Wildlife of the Perth Region Simon Nevill Publications Johnson, B & Thomson-Dans, C (2003) Mammals of the South-West CALM Christensen, L (ed) (199?) Wildlife identikit: South-west Jarrah Forests and Nearby Woodlands CALM (for the Perup Wildlife Trust) AWC (2012/13) Mt Gibson Endangered Wildlife Restoration Project Websites for conservation reserves including Karakamia, Paruna, Dryandra, Perup, Kanyana, Whiteman Park 31

Appendix 2: Balijup Photo Monitoring Points: Workshop 20 –21st February 2014 Basil Schur, Dr Nic Dunlop and Tim Gamblin

Photo Monitoring Point Methods A triangle of 3 markers (star-pickets for example) of equal length is constructed in a position to capture ground storey, mid-storey and some upper-story in the distance where possible. The bearing is maintained for all photo points. The apex of the triangle (red circle) is where the photo is taken at a defined height, in this project 1.5m (Figure 1).

The camera‟s field of view (red lines) are standardised by lining it up with the two markers 6m apart at 8 metres from the apex. The photos should ideally be taken at the same time of day to best capture the vegetation with similar light. Markers can be numbered with tape and/or metal tags and this is important where the vegetation can make difficult to see.

Figure 1: The photo-point design.

This method was used to establish photo monitoring points at 10 locations at Balijup (Figure 1, Table 1).

Figure 2: Camera field of view. Markers may need tape to highlight their location in dense vegetation.

Table 1. Coordinates of 10 photo-points established at Balijup, inside and outside the Balijup Fauna Conservation Enclosure. Photo Fauna Enclosure Label Description Easting Northing Zone Elevation Number Location PP1 Wetland # 6 459 Outside 543918.15 6191019.20 -50 251 PP2 Wetland # 13 463 Outside 545139.81 6190874.19 -50 244 Banksia on white PP3 466 Outside sands 546003.59 6190985.84 -50 252 Banksia on white PP4 467 Outside sands 546167.18 6191398.21 -50 252 Revegetation - PP5 470 Edge/Inside sandalwood 546191.31 6192076.40 -50 250 PP6 Salt edge 472 Inside 546598.03 6192636.59 -50 253 PP7 Jarrah slope 473 Inside 546599.27 6193087.35 -50 272 PP8 Jarrah/Wandoo 474 Inside 546077.80 6193153.26 -50 275 Mallee/Jarrah/ PP9 477 Inside Wandoo 545626.16 6193158.03 -50 268 PP10 Wetland #2 479 Outside 545342.27 6191388.07 -50 250

Photograph 12: Overview of Photo-points.

Photograph 13: Photo-points at 10 locations at Balijup. Photo points 5-9 are inside the proposed fauna enclosure.

Photograph 14: Photo Points Photos taken 20 Feb 2014

Photograph 15: Photo point 5

Photograph 16: Photo point 6

Photograph 17: Photo point 7

Photograph 18: Photo point 8

Appendix 3: Notes On Sizes Of Remnants To Fulfill The ‘Home Range’ Requirements Of Various Native Fauna Species

Numbats - require remnants of 100ha or more. Prefer jarrah and wandoo woodland with log debris. Habitat requires healthy leaf litter to keep the termite population happy, so numbats have enough food.

Chuditch - at this stage chuditch are being relocated into areas of 10 000 ha or larger. Prefer sites with a good freshwater source. Chuditch appear to be very mobile. One animal which was relocated in Cape Arid National Park was found 180 kilometres away in a chook pen at Salmon Gums.

Southern Brown Bandicoot (Quenda) - require remnants of about 1.5 - 5 ha. This range varies between males and females. They are not overly territorial and appear to be happy in most habitats ranging from drainage lines up into higher elevations with no permanent water source.

Honey Possums and Pygmy Possums - Size of remnant required is dependent on the quantity of suitable nectar producing plants within the remnant. Tend to move through areas following the food source. Move up to 200 metres a night. Not territorial.

Dunnarts - Move about 50 - 100 metres a night. Have been found surviving quite happily under rock and wood piles in the middle of paddocks.

Native Mice and Bush Rats - Require sandy soils to dig their burrows. Prefer dense undergrowth. Bush rats are quite territorial and aggressive toward other species. The hopping mice also prefer open spaces for increased, fast mobility.

Tammar Wallaby - Require remnants of 50 - 100 ha in size. This wallaby is a grazer so likes to have the combination of an open paddocks to feed off and bushland with a continuous cover of understorey to hide in. They make nests in the middle of a thicket. Occurs in family groups.

Western Brush Tailed Wallaby - Require remnants of 50 - 100 ha in size. Depend on protective cover from the vegetation. Their territories are about 500 square metres and they can often spend their whole life in the same home boundary. Can occur in the same area as the Tammar Wallaby because they have very different food sources. The brush tailed wallaby are browsers and feed on shrubs and flowers. They prefers to be solitary or sometimes a mother and baby are seen feeding together. They don’t like the open paddock environment.

Brush Tailed Possum - Remnant needs to be at least 2 ha in size. The males are quite territorial and do not allow territory overlap. Females will allow territory overlap however if nesting hollows are short in supply, the possum will aggressively defend her territory.

Ring Tailed Possum - Similar to a brush tail possum but is very much less mobile. Use grass tree (blackboy) skirts to sleep under during the day. Sometimes, if they haven’t found a suitable place to sleep before daylight, they just curl up at the base of a tree and have a sleep - this is why they are so vulnerable to foxes.

Woylies - Remnants of at least 2 ha in size. They have a lot of overlap with territories. They nest in the middle of bush thickets. Sometimes they nest in hollow logs.

Echidna - These animals seem to be extremely hardy. Have been sighted crossing open paddocks in the middle of the wheat belt. If they have no suitable cover, they just dig themselves in underground. Their only requirement is a good supply of termites. This requires remnants which have good leaf and wood cover to keep the termites happy.

Antechinus - Remnants of at least 2 ha. Prefer wooded areas with a good upper canopy. Tend to build up populations very quickly. When the young are too large and heavy they are deposited by the female into a den.

------Forwarded message ------From: Peter Mawson Date: 29 November 2013 14:15 Subject: RE: Reference details for your document To: xanthe bourne

Hello Xanthe.

The document I provided you with that contained the information on individual species’ home range was an unpublished report that I commissioned one of my staff to compile to help inform decision-making about potential reintroductions to private property (we were dealing primarily with properties owned by Land for Wildlife registrants). It is important to remember that the data in the document relate to the average home range of an individual animal (male or female) and not to the area that might be required to support a viable population of a particular species. It is best to refer to that document as an unpublished DEC report, and give the date (year) that it was prepared. Referring to grey literature is OK, when it is all that is available. That information may have been published in the Land for Wildlife newsletter (Western Wildlife) but I can’t be sure on my memory of that fact. Might pay to talk to Claire Hall at the DPaW office in Kensington (Perth) who should be able to confirm that for you (tel. 9334 0333 for general enquiries and then ask to be put through to Claire).

One of the key issues with private property remnants is that they are often sub-optimal habitats because of past uses, or because of their location in the landscape (one rocky or sandy soils with low soil moisture content) and that they often have a limited range of vegetation communities.

A site of only 100ha in the Shire of Cranbrook would not be suitable for Tammar Wallabies, Ring-tailed Possums, Numbat, Echidna, Brush-tailed Phascogale and Chuditch. Tammar wallabies breed quickly and would trash a site if they couldn’t disperse. The climate is now completely wrong for ring-tail possums in the Cranbrook area, numbats could not be sustained on such a small site and echidnas do not respect fences at all and will just bulldoze their way out and back as they see fit which could place other species at risk if the intregrity of any fence is breeched. Chuditch require 1000 ha for a single male and fences would not keep them in.

It may be suitable for Black Gloved, Quenda, Woylie, and Honey Possums depending on the extent and quality of habitat within the fenced area. There are no pre-existing texts to refer to about what constitutes suitable habitat for particular species. We always used GIS, veg assessments and examined the historical literature to get a feel for what might be possible. Then we did a site visit, often at the worst time of year to see how bad things might get. Even then, some reintroductions were treated very much as experiments and a failure with one or more species wasn’t considered unexpected.

Dr Peter Mawson

Director of Animal Health and Research Perth Zoo 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth, Western Australia, 6151 Tel. +61 8 9474 0311 Mobile: 0418 904 563

E-mail: [email protected]

Appendix 4: Support from Pardelup Prison Farm

Appendix 5: A Citizen Science Based Ecological Monitoring Framework for Balijup Draft framework developed by Dr Nic Dunlop (Subject to modification) v 5 March 2014

Balijup Farm is a critical asset in the implementation of the Forests to Stirlings operational area of the Gondwana Link Project. Features within the privately owned land contribute to vary degrees to targets in the Conservation Action Plan for the operational area. These include; Wandoo associated vegetation communities Part of the Upper Kent Wetland Suite Proteaceae rich shrublands and woodlands Jarrah / Marri associated vegetation communities Carnaby‟s Black Cockatoo Within this context a proposal has been developed to enclose 110 hectares of Wandoo, Jarrah / Marri and mallee dominated vegetation within a feral-predator proof fence to provide a refuge for the existing small vertebrate fauna (the enclosure project). A second objective for the enclosure project is to establish a secure area to husband source populations of medium-weight range mammals for future re-introductions within the operational area. This report provides a suggested ecological monitoring framework for the wetland suite and the enclosure project on Balijup Farm.

Wetland Monitoring

There are at least 13 closed or open wetlands on Balijup Farm. The water quality in the perched lakes has not changed significantly and these wetlands probably retain most of their original biodiversity values. However the majority of the lakes lying lower in the landscape have been exposed to rising salinity and pH in the groundwater and the decline in water quality has lead to the degradation of their biodiversity values. The residual and / or „novel‟ biodiversity values associated with these altered systems have not been assessed. A benchmark survey of macro- invertebrates and waterbirds would be necessary to refine objectives and the design of the long-term monitoring protocol.

Existing Intact Freshwater Wetlands Management Objective: Maintain existing ecological processes and biodiversity values. Indicators 1. Water Quality (Maximum depth, salinity and PH in September) 2. Fringing vegetation cover and health (using triangular photo-monitoring sites incorporation 8*1m belt transect). 3. Macro-invertebrate functional groups (plankton net sampling in September, 5 replicates per wetland) 4. Water birds (September counts, 5 replicates per wetland). High Salinity / PH wetlands Management Objective: Improve water quality, protect residual or novel values 1. Water Quality (Maximum depth, salinity and PH in September) 2. Fringing vegetation cover and health (using triangular photo-monitoring sites incorporation 8*1m belt transect). 3. Macro-invertebrate functional groups (plankton net sampling in September, 5 replicates per wetland) 4. Water birds (September counts, 5 replicates per wetland).

Predator Exclusion Project

Enclosure Project – Impact of Predator Fence (including feral carnivore and Grey Kangaroo removal) Management Objective: Increase the abundance of small vertebrates by excluding feral predators (in particular cats). 1. Numbers of feral predators in the area prior to fence construction and predator removal (5 motion-detector cameras rotated through 20 observation posts – 12 days monitoring on a quarterly basis).

2. Vegetation cover and health in September (using triangular photo-monitoring sites incorporation 8m belt transect – 10 sites in vegetation inside the fence and 10 in non-wetland vegetation outside). 3. Small vertebrate abundance (10* 5 pit, 20m long pitfall and drift lines in sandier habitat areas) inside the fence, immediately outside the fence and elsewhere in appropriate vegetation on Balijup Farm). Survey for 5 nights in November. Total 150 trap/days per night = 750 trap/days per annum. 4. Forest / Woodland Indicator Bird Species (Count Western Yellow Robins and Rufous Treecreepers in 10 stratified random stationary observer circular census plots inside and 10 outside the fence in September). Plots should be at least 100m apart.

Enclosure Project – Impact of translocated Quendas (Southern Brown Bandicoots), a medium weight range mammal, on enclosed ecosystem Management Objective: Establish genetically diverse breeding groups of Quendas, one of the medium weight range mammals, without causing significant changes in other forest / woodland biodiversity values of the enclosed area. 1. Vegetation cover and health in September (using triangular photo-monitoring sites incorporation 8* 1m belt transect – 10 sites in vegetation inside the fence and 10 in non-wetland vegetation outside). 2. Number and distribution of translocated animals (5 motion-detector cameras rotated through 20 observation posts – 12 days monitoring on a quarterly basis). 3. Number of diggings and scats in 8*1m belt transects at photo-monitoring points inside the fence – during September vegetation monitoring).