Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017-2037
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017 - 2037 October 2017 WWF-Australia PO Box 4010, Wembley, WA 6913 The project to develop this Conservation Management Strategy is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program, supported by Royalties for Regions. Prepared by Nathan McQuoid, Landscape Ecologist Editorial adviser Chris Greenwood, Words in Time. This Conservation Strategy was prepared with the assistance of the planning team: Merril Halley, Southwest Species Conservation Manager, WWF-Australia; Rebecca Boyland, Species Conservation Project Ofcer, WWF-Australia; Natasha Moore, Conservation Ofcer - Central Wheatbelt District, Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA); Brett Beecham, Conservation Ofcer - Wheatbelt Region, Parks and Wildlife Service, DBCA; and David Jollife, District Nature Conservation Ofcer - Central Wheatbelt District, Parks and Wildlife Service, DBCA. The following people were consulted and contributed to the Strategy development process, and their assistance and input is acknowledged, in particular: • Rhonda Murphy, Aboriginal Heritage Unit of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. • Rowan Hegglun, Wheatbelt NRM. • Reg Hayden, Njakinjaki Elder, Merredin. • Mick Hayden, Njakinjaki traditional owner and tour operator, Merredin. • Robyn McCarthy, Merredin Tourism Centre Manager. • Dr Jack Kinnear, Conservation Biologist, Perth. • Professor Steve Hopper, UWA Albany. • Dr David Pearson, Senior Research Scientist, Parks and Wildlife Service, DBCA. • Vaughan Smith, District Manager - Central Wheatbelt District, Parks and Wildlife Service, DBCA. • Jazmin Lindley, Nature Conservation Ofcer - Central Wheatbelt District, Parks and Wildlife Service, DBCA. • Phil Lewis, Ornithologist, Korrelocking. • David Collins, Greening Australia, Northam. • Landowners: Maxine Kerenyi, Malcolm French, John Hammond, Dr Tracey Moore, Laurie Shaw, Murray McDonald, and Barry and Maxine Cornish. • Local Authority Ofcers: Raymond Grifths CEO Shire of Kellerberrin. We need a long-term landscape-scale conservation solution to sustain rock wallabies and other vulnerable native animals: Dr Jack Kinnear, Conservation Biologist. Mount Stirling and Mount Caroline were part of the group of four rock-crowned eminences known as the Moullean. Their adjacent slopes formed the habitat for thousands of rock kangaroos, and this abundance of game was one of the reasons which gave the spot its importance in the eyes of its Aboriginal inhabitants. In Bushman Born, Helen Wood Wilson 1981, from Jas Drummond Letters in: The Inquirer, November 3 1847. Front Cover images: View from Mount Caroline, WA © Richard McLellan/DBCA/WWF-Aus 2. The Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017 – 2037 The Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017 – 2037 The Moullean lies around 25 km south of Kellerberrin, in Western Australia’s central Wheatbelt. It sits across the junction of the Salt, Lockhart and Yilgarn Rivers, where the ‘Caroline Gap’ is the narrow valley between Mt Caroline and Mt Stirling. This gap, and the dominant granite hills of Mt Caroline (or Chirrining, in the local indigenous ‘Noongar’ language), Mt Stirling (Candenup), Gundaring Hill (Tutakin), and Nangeen Hill are known collectively by the Noongar people as the ‘Moullean’. Moullean Conservation Themes Strategy Vision This Strategy is primarily designed to identify the nature conservation challenges of the Moullean. It also addresses the related By 2037, the Moullean landscape will be conservation of Noongar and European cultural valued for its diversity of landforms, habitats, values, management of visitors and resources native fora and fauna assemblages, cultural as they relate to conservation, and considers values, stories, and supportive infrastructure. interpretation of both cultural and natural It will protect natural, cultural and property features. To achieve this, the Strategy has the sensitivities, and focus interest in the imposing primary management theme of: Managing granite rock landforms, their Noongar and the Natural Environment. It also has three European cultural signifcance, and their secondary management themes: Managing characterising habitats, plants and animals. Cultural Heritage; Managing Visitor Use, and Moullean experiences will be enhanced through fnally, Managing Resource Use. education, interpretation and recreation amenities to highlight the often-subtle and The management theme sections provide: sensitive natural and cultural character of the area. 1. A description of the theme and its primary values for management attention. 2. An objective to achieve the conservation, mitigation or management of the theme to Goals meet the goals. 3. A set of strategies and actions to meet the 1. Value, conserve, enhance and share where objective. appropriate, the natural and cultural values of the Moullean. 2. Increase the profle and appeal of the natural and cultural values of the Moullean. 3. Encourage investment in the protection, enhancement, restoration, interpretation and appropriate sharing of the Moullean. The Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017 – 2037 3. Summary The Moullean lies around 25 kilometres south Natural and Cultural values of the of Kellerberrin in Western Australia’s central Wheatbelt. It sits across the junction of the Moullean area Salt, Lockhart and Yilgarn Rivers, where the Noongar cultural heritage includes an abiding ‘Caroline Gap’ is the narrow valley between spiritual connection to landforms, sites, food Mt Caroline and Mt Stirling. This gap, and and fbre resources, stories and names for the dominant granite hills Mt Caroline (or places. Economic support for local communities Chirrining, in the local indigenous ‘Noongar’ is gained from agricultural production, tourism language), Mt Stirling (Candenup), Gundaring and enterprises of the landscape matrix. Hill (Tutakin), and Nangeen Hill are known collectively by the Noongar people as the The Moullean reserve supports a number of ‘Moullean’. unique threatened and priority fora, fauna and ecological communities. It also supports The Moullean occurs in a matrix as islands a signifcant population of the threatened in a landscape largely altered for agriculture, black-fanked rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis containing, as it does remnant bushland in the lateralis). The Granite Outcrops in particular mostly cleared central wheatbelt landscape. provide important refuge sites in this highly fractured landscape. These bushlands are representative of the central wheatbelt granites and surrounding The area is impacted by a number of woodland communities, with several threats, including high levels of clearing uncommon and endemic plants and threatened and fragmentation of the natural landscape. animals and therefore a very high conservation Fragmentation has not only led to a loss of value. This fragmentation has brought about ecological connectivity resulting in a loss conservation challenges including: loss of movement of species between remnant of ecological connectivity, micro-climate bushland, but to the area becoming susceptible variability, native animal and introduced to weed invasion. predator confict and ‘modifed landscape’ pressures on cultural and heritage values. Introduced species have an enormous impact on native animal populations through predation This Strategy has been written as an and resource competition. The highly modifed ‘aspirational’ guide to improve the conservation, landscape has also resulted in pressures on profle and enjoyment of the natural values and cultural and heritage values. cultural heritage of the Moullean landscape. The Strategy was also created with an intention Weeds and introduced animal species need to to bring stakeholders together to better protect be controlled and fragmented landscapes need these values over the long term. to be reconnected in order to halt and reverse the degradation of Nature Reserves and the The Strategy acknowledges the importance surrounding landscape, including impact on of the preservation of Noongar people of the threatened fora and fauna and Threatened Ballardong native title claim, specifcally Ecological Communities (TEC). Stakeholders the Njakinjaki people, whose lands include need to approach this issue on a broader scale the Moullean. It also provides goals and and work with landholders and the broader management actions for Mt Caroline, Mt community to conserve and protect this Stirling, Gundaring Hill, Nangeen Hill, important landscape. Kokerbin Hill Nature Reserves and surrounds in the Moullean area. 4. The Moullean Conservation Management Strategy 2017 – 2037 Recommended Conservation Management Priorities 1. Implement the relevant recovery actions for 8. Develop a landscape scale ecological Black-fanked Rock-wallaby as appropriate. restoration program. 2. Maintain Western Shield and of-reserve 9. Review land tenure, reserve purpose and feral predator management programs. vesting to ensure the public reserves system 3. Review and prioritise research and of the Moullean protects and provides monitoring, including a focus on new feral the broadest range of public benefts predator control technologies. and opportunities, including nature 4. Under the leadership of the department, conservation, recreation and cultural develop a ‘Stepping Stones’ (#) project heritage. to engage a broad range of stakeholders 10. Encourage and support the community and focus and coordinate conservation to develop a greater appreciation