Draft Plan of Management Lane Cove National Park Lane Cove National Park Draft Plan of Management NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service September 2012 Acknowledgements The NPWS acknowledges that this park is in the traditional country of the Guringai and Darug peoples. This plan of management was prepared by staff of the Lane Cove Area of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), part of the Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet. FRONT COVER: The Lane Cove River at the boatshed, NPWS For additional information or any inquiries about this park or this plan of management, contact the NPWS Lane Cove Area Office, Lady Game Drive, Chatswood West 2067 or by phone on (02) 8448 0400. Disclaimer: This publication is for discussion and comment only. Publication indicates the proposals are under consideration and are open for public discussion. Any statements made in this draft publication are made in good faith and do not render the NPWS liable for any loss or damage. Provisions in the final management plan may not be the same as those in this draft plan. Published by: Office of Environment and Heritage 59–61 Goulburn Street PO Box A290 Sydney South 1232 © Copyright State of NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage NSW: Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. ISBN 978 1 74293 733 5 OEH 2012/0588 Printed on recycled paper INVITATION TO COMMENT The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act) requires that a plan of management be prepared that outlines how an area will be managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The procedures for the exhibition and adoption of plans of management are specified under Part 5 of the NPW Act and involve the following stages: The draft plan is placed on public exhibition for at least 90 days and any person may comment on it; The plan and submissions received on the plan are referred to the Regional Advisory Committee for consideration; The plan, submissions and any advice from the Regional Advisory Committee are referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council for consideration; The plan, submissions and the recommendations of the Advisory Council are referred to the Minister administering the NPW Act, and a copy referred to the Regional Advisory Committee; After considering the submissions, the recommendations of the Advisory Council and any advice from the Regional Advisory Committee, the Minister may adopt the plan or may refer the plan back to the NPWS and Council for further consideration. Members of the public, whether as individuals or as members of community interest groups, are invited to comment in writing on this plan of management. Comments should be forwarded to: The Planner Lane Cove National Park Lady Game Drive Chatswood West NSW 2067 Comments may also be sent via email. Refer to www.environment.nsw.gov.au and then use the ‘quicklinks’ at the top right of the page for ‘park management plans’. The closing date for comments on the plan is Monday 4th February 2013. All submissions received by NPWS are a matter of public record and are available for inspection upon request. Your comments on this draft plan of management may contain information that is defined as “personal information” under the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. The submission of personal information with your comments is voluntary. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 1. LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT……………… 1 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2.1 Legislative and Policy Framework……………………………………… 2 2.2 Management Purposes and Principles………………………… 2 2.3 Statement of Significance……………………………………….. 3 2.4 Specific Management Directions……………………………….. 4 3. VALUES 3.1 Geology, Landforms and Hydrology……………………………. 5 3.2 Native Plants………………………………………………………. 8 3.3 Native Animals…………………………………………………….. 11 3.4 Aboriginal Heritage……………………………………………….. 17 3.5 Historic Heritage………………………………………………...... 19 3.6 Visitor Use, Recreation and Education………………………… 22 4. THREATS 4.1 Pollution and Run-off…………………………………………….. 38 4.2 Weeds and Pathogens…………………………………………... 40 4.3 Introduced Animals……………………………………………….. 45 4.4 Fire…………………………………………………………………. 47 4.5 Isolation and Fragmentation…………………………………….. 48 4.6 Climate Change…………………………………………………… 49 5. MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AND OTHER USES…………………. 52 6. IMPLEMENTATION………………………………………………………. 54 7. REFERENCES……………………………………………………………. 66 MAPS Map 1 Map of the Park……………………………………………… 70 Map 2 Lower Valley Visitor Facilities ……………………………… 71 Tables Table 1 Endangered Ecological Communities in LCNP…………… 9 Table 2 Threatened Plant Species Recorded in LCNP …………… 10 Table 3 Threatened Fauna Species Recorded in LCNP …………. 12 Table 4 Mammals Recorded in LCNP ……………………………… 13 Table 5 Major Weeds in LCNP ……………………………………… 41 1. LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT Lane Cove National Park is located in the Sydney metropolitan area, approximately 11 kilometres from the Sydney Central Business District. It covers an area of 670 hectares along the edges of the Lane Cove River. It stretches from Sugarloaf Point at East Ryde in the south to Pennant Hills Road at Thornleigh in the north, a distance of approximately 16 kilometres along the Lane Cove River valley (Map 1). The park includes the bed of the Lane Cove River from the weir above Fullers Bridge to De Burghs Bridge. In the Sugarloaf Point area, the park is reserved down to the mean low water mark, while the remainder of the park (excluding the section where the river bed is reserved) is reserved to the mean high water mark. Lane Cove National Park was reserved in 1992 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act). It was, however, first opened to the public in 1938 under the management of a Trust. From 1967 until 1976 it was known as Lane Cove River Park, after which it became Lane Cove River State Recreation Area. In 1992 it regained its original name of Lane Cove National Park under the management of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Lane Cove National Park is currently subject to a plan of management adopted in 1998. This draft plan of management, when adopted, will replace the 1998 plan. Since the adoption of the last plan of management, a number of important areas have been added to Lane Cove National Park. In 1999, more than 254 hectares of land in North Epping, Pennant Hills, Cheltenham and Thornleigh were transferred to the park and a further 30 hectares were added in 2007. Other lands added since 1998 include areas surrounding Browns Waterhole, Shrimptons Creek and Terrys Creek in the upper Lane Cove River valley and areas in East Ryde in the vicinity of Pages Creek, Magdala Road and Kittys Creek in the lower valley. These additions total over 300 hectares and provide important riparian buffer areas for the Lane Cove River as well as greatly enhancing the existing bushland corridor. The park is surrounded by urban development and shares it boundaries with over 2000 residences. Lane Cove National Park protects the natural and scenic qualities of a major section of the Lane Cove River valley. Together with Berowra Valley Regional Park and Muogamarra Nature Reserve, the park is part of an almost continuous bushland link between Sydney Harbour and the Hawkesbury River. Many smaller bushland areas, mostly managed as parks by local government, add to the bushland corridor and enhance the viability of the natural systems in each area. Lane Cove National Park is within the geographical area of Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Ryde, Willoughby and Hornsby Local Government Areas, the Sydney Harbour Catchment Management Authority and the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. - 1 - 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2.1 LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY FRAMEWORK The management of national parks in NSW is in the context of the legislative and policy framework, primarily the NPW Act, the NPW Regulation, the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and the policies of the NPWS. Other legislation, international agreements and charters may also apply to management of the area. In particular, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act) may require assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts of works proposed in this plan. The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) also applies in relation to actions that may impact on threatened or migratory species listed under that Act. A plan of management is a statutory document under the NPW Act. Once the Minister has adopted a plan, no operations may be undertaken within Lane Cove National Park except in accordance with this plan. This plan will also apply to any future additions to Lane Cove National Park. Should management strategies or works be proposed in future for the park or any additions that are not consistent with the plan, an amendment to the plan will be required. 2.2 MANAGEMENT PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES National parks are reserved under the NPW Act to protect and conserve areas containing outstanding or representative ecosystems, natural or cultural features or landscapes or phenomena that provide opportunities for public appreciation and inspiration and sustainable visitor or tourist use. Under the Act, national parks are managed to: conserve biodiversity, maintain ecosystem functions, protect geological and geomorphological features and natural phenomena and maintain natural landscapes; conserve places, objects, features and landscapes of cultural value; protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations;