South-Western Fleurieu Peninsula Fire Mgt Plan
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Fire Management Plan Reserves of the South-western Fleurieu Peninsula Incorporating Deep Creek Conservation Park, Talisker Conservation Park, Eric Bonython Conservation Park and Waitpinga Conservation Park Department for Environment and Heritage PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE. www.environment.sa.gov.auwww.environment.sa.gov.au Published by the Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, Australia © Department for Environment and Heritage, 2009 Cover photography: Deep Creek Conservation Park © Volker Scholz Cartography: Fire Management Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage This document may be cited as ‘Department for Environment and Heritage (2009) Reserves of the South-western Fleurieu Peninsula Fire Management Plan, Adelaide, South Australia’ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Fire Management Plan for the Reserves of the South-western Fleurieu Peninsula includes: Deep Creek, Talisker, Eric Bonython and Waitpinga Conservation Parks located in the south- western Fleurieu Peninsula area. The area was identified as a priority for fire management planning within Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) Adelaide Region to address the following issues. • High visitor numbers within Deep Creek Conservation Park (CP), particularly during the fire season. • Protection of species and communities of conservation significance, especially the Nationally Endangered Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus intermedius), MLR Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (Hylacola pyrrhopygia parkeri), Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus obesulus) and the Nationally Critically Endangered Swamps of the Fleurieu Peninsula ecological community. • Protection of the Silverton township adjacent Talisker CP. • General protection of life, property and environmental values in the plan area. • Landscape protection of Deep Creek CP, to reduce the likelihood of the whole reserve burning in single fire event. These issues are addressed by: • applying a risk assessment process to identify life, property and environmental values at risk from bushfires; • applying DEH Fire Management zoning principles to manage fuel in Asset and Buffer Zones and designate Conservation Zones; • applying DEH Ecological Fire Management Guidelines to determine appropriate fire regimes in Conservation Zones; and • auditing tracks within the reserves of this plan using the Government Agencies Fire Liaison Committee’s (GAFLC) guidelines for firebreaks and fire access tracks in South Australia. A number of actions as a result of applying the above processes are recommended, including: • prescribed burning to: reduce fuel in Asset, Buffer and Conservation Zones as outlined in the plan (other methods of fuel reduction will also be used, and in some cases are specifically mentioned); reduce fuel in strategic areas within the Conservation Zone to provide some landscape protection for the reserve (that is to reduce the possibility an entire block or reserve burning in one fire event); and increase patchiness within vegetation to enhance habitat for MLR Southern Emu-wren and Southern Brown Bandicoot. • alteration and/or upgrade of fire access points and track classifications to increase the: safety of firefighting personnel involved in a fire suppression effort; response time of fire suppression agencies; and Reserves of the South-western Fleurieu Peninsula Fire Management Plan i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY type of resources that can safely be deployed to assist in a fire suppression effort. • identification of suppression considerations that may assist bushfire suppression operations and to contribute to improved fire management; and • development of an emergency procedure/action plan that addresses visitor/staff safety during bushfires. The draft plan was released for public comment for a period of four weeks. Comments were evaluated and incorporated where considered appropriate. A major review of this plan will occur after ten years of implementation, or earlier if required. ii Reserves of the South-western Fleurieu Peninsula Fire Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ I TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................ III List of Tables .............................................................................................................................................iv List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................v List of Attached Maps.............................................................................................................................v 1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE ................................................................................................................. 1 2 THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK...................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Legislation .......................................................................................................................................2 2.2 DEH Fire Management Policy ......................................................................................................2 2.3 Zoning Policy ..................................................................................................................................2 2.4 Local and Regional Environmental Planning............................................................................3 2.5 Reserve Management Planning .................................................................................................4 2.6 Consultation ...................................................................................................................................5 2.7 General Objectives for Fire Management ................................................................................5 2.8 Mapping .........................................................................................................................................5 3 BUSHFIRE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................ 7 3.1 Location ..........................................................................................................................................7 3.2 Climate, Wind and Weather........................................................................................................7 3.3 Terrain ..............................................................................................................................................7 3.4 Fuel...................................................................................................................................................8 3.5 Extreme Fire Conditions ..............................................................................................................10 4 FIRE HISTORY AND FIRE REGIMES.............................................................................................. 11 4.1 Mapping Fire Occurrences........................................................................................................11 4.2 Large Fires .....................................................................................................................................11 4.3 Natural and Human-caused Fires .............................................................................................11 4.4 Prescribed Burning/Historical Fires.............................................................................................11 5 DAMAGE POTENTIAL TO LIFE AND PROPERTY .......................................................................... 12 5.1 Land Use........................................................................................................................................12 5.2 Built Assets .....................................................................................................................................12 5.3 Visitor Use ......................................................................................................................................13 5.4 Heritage Values ...........................................................................................................................14 6 SPECIES AND COMMUNITIES OF CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE......................................... 15 6.1 Major Vegetation Sub-groups (MVS)........................................................................................15 6.2 Flora, Fauna and Ecological Communities .............................................................................15 7 ECOLOGICAL FIRE MANAGEMENT........................................................................................... 23 7.1 Fire Regimes for Biodiversity Conservation ..............................................................................23 7.2 Development of Ecological Fire Management Guidelines..................................................23 7.3 Interpreting Ecological Fire Management Guidelines ..........................................................24 7.4 Weeds............................................................................................................................................26 7.5 Pest Animals..................................................................................................................................27