Koala Plan of Management 2006
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BBAALLLLAARRAATT CCIITTYY CCOOUUNNCCIILL CCOOMMPPRREEHHEENNSSIIVVEE KKOOAALLAA PPLLAANN OOFF MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT PPART 2: RESOURCE DOCUMENT Authors: Rolf Schlagloth1 & Hedley Thomson3 GIS Operations led by: Dave Mitchell2 August 2006 1 Australian Koala Foundation C/o City of Ballarat P O Box 655, Ballarat VIC 3353; Phone: 03 53207406, Fax: 03 53395470, Email: [email protected] 2 Australian Koala Foundation GPO Box 2659, Brisbane QLD 4001; Phone: 07 32297233, Fax: 07 3221 0337, Email: [email protected] 3 Planning & Environmental Management Consultant 608 Wilson St, Ballarat VIC 3350; Phone: 03 5331 7831, Email: [email protected] Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................Page 7 1.1 Aims & Objectives of the Resource Document 1.2 Identification of Authors 2.0 BACKGROUND.............................................................................................Page 8 2.1 The City of Ballarat 2.2 Physical Environment 2.3 Biotic Environment 2.4 Settlement History & its Impact on the Ecology of Ballarat 2.4.1 Introduction 2.4.2 The Original Vegetation of the City of Ballarat 2.4.3 The Aboriginal Community 2.4.4 European Settlement 2.4.5 Bushfires in the City of Ballarat 2.4.6 Koala Sightings & Koala Hunting within the City of Ballarat 2.5 Conclusions 3.0 METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................Page 17 3.1 Community-based Koala Survey 3.1.1 Introduction 3.1.2 Methods 3.2 Vegetation Mapping 3.3 Koala Habitat Atlas - Field Survey 4.0 RESULTS ......................................................................................................Page 19 4.1 Community-based Koala Survey 4.2 Vegetation Mapping 4.3 Koala Habitat Atlas - Field Survey Results 5.0 KOALA HABITAT IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING .....................Page 26 5.1 Koala Habitat Categories 5.2 Preparation of the Koala Habitat Planning Map 5.3 Conservation Status of the Ballarat Koala Population MANAG EM ENT O F HAB IT AT 6.0 HABITAT CONSERVATION ....................................................................Page 30 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Objectives 6.3 Detrimental Impacts on Koala Habitat Areas 6.3.1 Koala Habitat Destruction, Degradation and Fragmentation 6.3.2 Feral Animals 6.3.3 Weed Infestation 6.3.4 Bushfires & Fire Management 6.3.5 Urban Settlement & Rural Development 2 Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) 6.4 Conservation Options 6.4.1 Threatened Species Legislation 6.4.2 Land Use Planning 6.4.3 Development Assessment 6.4.4 Department of Sustainability and Environment 6.4.5 Other Government Authorities 6.4.6 Private Land Holders 6.4.7 Voluntary Conservation Agreements 6.4.8 Register of the National Estate 6.5 Management Strategies 6.5.1 Planning as a Broad Concept 6.5.2 Public Commitment 6.5.3 Incentives 7.0 HABITAT RESTORATION .......................................................................Page 41 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Objectives 7.3 Intended Aims of Revegetation Works 7.4 Criteria for the Identification and Prioritisation of Areas for Restoration 7.4.1 Size of Habitat Patches 7.4.2 Shape of Habitat Patches 7.4.3 Type of Koala Habitat 7.4.4 Size of Koala Population/Presence of Extant Populations 7.4.5 Presence of Threats to Koalas 7.4.6 Effort Required for Restoration 7.4.7 Current Land Tenure and Land Use Zoning 7.4.8 Pre-European Vegetation of the Area 7.4.9 Other Considerations 7.5 Provision of Nursery Stock 7.6 Management Strategies 7.6.1 Priority Setting for Restoration Projects 7.6.2 Co-ordination of Habitat Restoration Projects MANAG EM ENT O F THREAT ENING PRO CES S ES 8.0 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT .......................................................................Page 49 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Objectives 8.3 Information on Koala Road Mortality 8.4 Relationship between Koala Fatalities and Traffic Speed 8.5 Disturbance to Habitat 8.6 Identification of Collision Areas 8.6.1 Koala Black Spots 8.6.2 Conflict Areas 8.6.3 Potential Problem Areas 8.6.4 Association between Roadside Vegetation as a Food Source and Incidences of Collisions 8.7 Management Strategies 3 Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) 9.0 DOG MANAGEMENT ................................................................................Page 57 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Objectives 9.3 Reports of Dog Attacks on Koalas 9.4 Management Strategies 9.4.1 Domestic (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994 9.4.2 Dog Exercising Areas 9.4.3 Education 10.0 FERAL ANIMAL MANAGEMENT .........................................................Page 63 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Objectives 10.3 Likely Impacts of Feral Animals on Koalas 10.3.1 Wild or Roaming Domestic Dogs 10.3.2 Foxes 10.3.3 Feral Cats 10.4 Management Issues 10.5 Options for a Management Strategy 11.0 FIRE MANAGEMENT................................................................................Page 65 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Objectives 11.3 Koalas and Bushfire 11.4 Koala Habitat and Associated Plant and Animal Communities 11.5 Fire Management Planning 11.6 Mapping Bushfires 11.7 Management Strategies 11.7.1 Research 11.7.2 Planning for the Koala in Fire Management Programs OTHER MATTERS 12.0 EDUCATION & PUBLICITY ....................................................................Page 70 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Objectives 12.3 Educational Strategies 12.3.1 Information Brochures 12.3.2 Sign Posting 12.3.3 Environmental Education 12.3.4 Telephone Hold Recordings 12.4 Publicity Strategies 12.4.1 Press Releases 12.4.2 Community Service Announcements 12.4.3 Weekly Columns 12.4.4 Newsletters 13.0 FUNDING......................................................................................................Page 73 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Objectives 4 Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) 13.3 Funding Sources 13.3.1 Government Grants 13.3.2 Ballarat City Council 13.3.3 VicRoads 13.3.4 Conservation Groups 13.3.5 Private Funding Sources 14.0 RESEARCH ..................................................................................................Page 75 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Objectives 14.3 Potential Future Koala Research Projects IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING 15.0 MONITORING PROGRAM.......................................................................Page 78 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Objectives 15.3 Performance Indicators 15.4 Monitoring Program 15.4.1 Koala Habitat 15.4.2 Koala Population 15.4.3 Threatening Processes 15.5 Funding and Participants 15.6 Reporting 15.7 Plan Review and Amendment 16.0 IMPLEMENTATION..................................................................................Page 84 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Objectives 16.3 Implementation Strategy 16.3.1 Implementation Committee 16.3.2 Other Actions REFERENCES..........................................................................................................Page 87 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: Vegetation Mapping & Field Survey Methodology APPENDIX 2: Ballarat Koala Habitat Atlas APPENDIX 3: Koala Habitat Planning Map & Habitat Linking Areas for Restoration Map APPENDIX 4: Koala Black Spots, Conflict Areas & Problem Areas Map APPENDIX 5: City of Ballarat Forest & Woodland Vegetation Report 2006 APPENDIX 6: Contact details for Trust for Nature and Land for Wildlife APPENDIX 7: Spot Assessment Technique 5 Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) wishes to thank Ballarat City Council, particularly Hedley Thomson (former Manager-Parks & Environment) for providing support and assistance throughout the preparation of the Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (the Plan). We thank Associate Professor Clive McAlpine and the AKF for making available koala habitat data for the Ballarat area that was gathered during a SPIRT research project that included the City of Ballarat. Shirley Mitchell (Sebastopol Wildlife Shelter) provided anecdotal information concerning koala welfare issues in the Ballarat area as well as data on koala road kills and dog attacks on koalas. Field surveys were conducted by the late Lynne Bailey (former AKF Biologist) and John Callaghan (former AKF Chief Ecologist) with assistance from Dave Mitchell, Rolf Schlagloth, Michiala Bowen, and a number of volunteers, including several Green Reserve teams and overseas tourists. Sections within this document are based on other Koala Plans of Management that have been authored or co-authored by John Callaghan (former AKF Chief Ecologist). We particularly appreciate the ongoing support received from the City of Ballarat IT and GIS teams and the Parks & Environment section. Authors: Rolf Schlagloth1 & Hedley Thomson3 GIS Operations led by: Dave Mitchell2 1 Australian Koala Foundation C/o City of Ballarat P O Box 655, Ballarat VIC 3353; Phone: 03 53207406, Fax: 03 53395470, Email: [email protected] 2 Australian Koala Foundation GPO Box 2659, Brisbane QLD 4001; Phone: 07 32297233, Fax: 07 3221 0337, Email: [email protected] 3Planning & Environmental Management Consultant 608 Wilson St, Ballarat VIC 3350; Phone: 03 5331 7831, Email: [email protected] 6 Ballarat City Council Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (Part 2: Resource Document) 1. I NTROD UC TI O N 1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Resource Document The Ballarat City