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Livingstone National Park and State Conservation Area Plan Of LIVINGSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND STATE CONSERVATION AREA PLAN OF MANAGEMENT NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Part of the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW November 2008 This plan of management was adopted by the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment on 14th November 2008. Acknowledgments NPWS acknowledges that the park is located within the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri People. This plan of management is based on a draft plan prepared by staff of South West Slopes Region of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (now the Parks and Wildlife Group of the Department of Environment and Climate Change - DECC). Cover photo by Jo Caldwell, NPWS. Inquiries about these reserves or this plan of management should be directed to the ranger at the NPWS Murrumbidgee Area Office, 7a Adelong Road, Tumut 2720 or by telephone on 69477000. © Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW 2008: Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. ISBN 978 1 74232 051 9 DECC 2008/620 FOREWORD Livingstone National Park and Livingstone State Conservation Area are located 30 kilometres south of Wagga Wagga on the south west slopes of NSW and cover a total area of 2,458 hectares. Livingstone National Park and Livingstone State Conservation Area contain a diversity of vegetation communities that provide habitat for up to 15 threatened fauna species and one threatened flora species. They also contain a number of Aboriginal sites which contribute towards the understanding of Aboriginal culture as well as historic sites associated with mining in the area for a range of minerals. A network of public access trails in the park and state conservation area provide for recreation activities such as vehicle touring, horse riding, cycling, bushwalking and bird watching. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 requires that a plan of management be prepared for each national park and state conservation area. A plan of management is a legal document that outlines how an area will be managed in the years ahead. A draft plan of management for Livingstone National Park and Livingstone State Conservation Area was placed on public exhibition from 17th July until 20th October 2006. The submissions received were carefully considered before adopting this plan. This plan contains a number of actions to achieve “Better environmental outcomes for native vegetation, biodiversity, land, rivers, and coastal waterways” (Priority E4 in the State Plan) including periodic surveys for threatened plants, control of introduced plants and animals, and the closure and rehabilitation of unauthorised trails. The plan also contains a number of actions to help achieve Priority E8 in the State Plan “More people using parks, sporting and recreational facilities, and participating in the arts and cultural activity”, such as preparation of a park brochure, provision of orientation and directional signs, construction of a multi-use trail, and development of a picnic area and a camping area. This plan of management establishes the scheme of operations for Livingstone National Park and Livingstone State Conservation Area. In accordance with section 73B of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, this plan of management is hereby adopted. Carmel Tebbutt MP CONTENTS page 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Location, Gazettal and Regional Setting 1 Landscape 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2 2.1 Legislative and Policy Framework 2 Management Purposes and Principles 2 MAP OF RESERVE 5 3 KEY VALUES AND MANAGEMENT DIRECTIONS 6 Values of the Area 6 Management Directions 7 4. CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE 8 4.1 Geology, Soils and Hydrology 8 4.2 Native Plants 9 4.3 Native Animals 12 4.4 Aboriginal Heritage 14 4.5 Historic Heritage 15 5. PARK PROTECTION 17 Soil Erosion 17 Introduced Species 18 Fire Management 19 6. VISITOR OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATION 23 6.1 Information Provision 23 6.2 Recreation Opportunities 24 7. RESEARCH AND MONITORING 29 8. NPWS MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AND OTHER FACILITIES 30 9. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 32 10. REFERENCES 40 APPENDIX 1 – Fauna species lists 41 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL SETTING Livingstone National Park and State Conservation Area, referred to collectively as “the park” in this plan, is located 30 kilometres south of Wagga Wagga and 10 kilometres east of Mangoplah on the south west slopes of NSW. The park incorporates Livingstone National Park (1,918 hectares) and Livingstone State Conservation Area (540 hectares), a total area of 2,458 hectares. Livingstone National Park and Livingstone Reserve (which was later reclassified as Livingstone State Conservation Area) were established on 1 January 2001 as part of the Southern Regional Forest Agreement. Prior to this most of the park was managed as Livingstone State Forest (No 410, Dedicated 4 May 1917) by the then State Forests of NSW (now Forests NSW). Livingstone Reserve became Livingstone State Conservation Area on 1 April 2005. The park forms part of a fragmented network of conservation reserves in the Riverina and south west slopes and is generally isolated from other large tracts of remnant native vegetation. Sparse woodlands adjoin the park to the north and south-east. The lands surrounding the reserve are predominantly used for mixed dryland farming, including grazing and cropping. Much of the south west slopes contains prized farming land and has a long history of clearing to make way for agriculture. The park is within the geographical area of the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority, Wagga Wagga Rural Lands Protection Board and Wagga Wagga Shire Council. 1.2 LANDSCAPE Natural and cultural heritage and on-going use are strongly inter-related and together form the landscape of an area. Much of the Australian environment has been influenced by past Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal land use practices, and the activities of modern day Australians continue to influence bushland through recreational use, cultural practices, the presence of introduced plants and animals and in some cases air and water pollution. The geology, landform, climate, plant and animal communities of the area, plus its location, have determined how it has been used by humans. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people place cultural values on natural areas, including aesthetic, social, spiritual, recreational and other values. Cultural values may be attached to the landscape as a whole or to individual components, for example to plant and animal species used by Aboriginal people. This plan of management aims to conserve both natural and cultural values. For reasons of clarity and document usefulness natural and cultural heritage, non-human threats and on-going use are dealt with individually, but their inter-relationships are recognised. 2 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2.1 LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY FRAMEWORK The management of NPWS estate in NSW is in the context of a legislative and policy framework, primarily the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act), the NPW Regulation (2002), the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and the policies of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The NPW Act lists the matters to be considered in the preparation of a plan of management. The policies arise from the legislative background and internationally accepted principles of park management. They relate to nature conservation, Aboriginal and historic heritage conservation, recreation, commercial use, research and communication. 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) requires the assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts of any works proposed in this plan. 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 Livingstone National Park and SCA except in accordance with the plan. The plan will also apply to any future additions to the reserve. Where management strategies or works are proposed for the nature reserve or any additions that are not consistent with the plan, an amendment to the plan will be required. 2.2 MANAGEMENT PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES Objectives for National Parks Under the Act (Section 30E), 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 ecosystems for present and future generations; • promote public appreciation and understanding of the park’s natural and cultural values; • provide for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment that is compatible with conservation of natural and cultural values; 3 • provide for sustainable use (including adaptive reuse) of any buildings or structures or modified natural areas having regard to conservation of natural and cultural values; and • provide for appropriate research and monitoring. National parks are part of the regional pattern of land use. Management of national parks aims to minimise disturbance to natural and cultural heritage. Other land uses, for example agriculture, forestry and mining, are distinguished by an acceptance or encouragement of environmental modification. National parks, therefore, provide for only a limited part of the range of land uses in a region. Objectives for State Conservation Areas Under the Act (Section 30G), State
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