1616 SuS Sunshineunshnnsshshiininenene CoastCCooasastastst BiodiversityBiBiododioddiivveeerrssisitittyyS StrategyStrttrararattegteeeggy 2010-202020100011010--22200200 Section 3 Values

Everyone in the world depends completely on Earth’s ecosystems and the services they provide, such as food, water, disease management, climate regulation, spiritual fulfilment and aesthetic enjoyment. Ian Lowe

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 17 3 Values

3.1 Biodiversity at a glance The Landscape Our region is blessed with stunning natural landscapes The Sunshine Coast in Context that includes: world renowned beaches, waterways is recognised as one of 17 ‘megadiverse’ and coastal ecosystems; unique lowland and hinterland countries and is home to many endemic and uniquely forests; with an idyllic sub-tropical climate. It comprises Australian species. has a rich biodiversity, ecological, biodiversity and natural history attributes with 47% of the nation’s plants and 66% of all native of national and international significance. bird, , frog and reptile species found in the state (EPA 2004) while the bioregion The Sunshine Coast encompasses an area of 2,291 is one of the state’s richest areas in terms of the variety square kilometres containing a diverse range of of plant and animals. geological and geographic features extending from Emu in the north to the iconic National Heritage The Sunshine Coast lies within the Macleay-McPherson listed Glass House and Pumicestone Passage overlap, an ecological transition zone between the in the south, and west to the Conondale Ranges. Torresian and Bassian biological distributions. Many tropical species reach their southern limit and many The region has thousands of kilometres of waterways temperate species reach their northern limits within and approximately 130 kilometres of beaches and this zone. There are also many endemic species found other coastal foreshores, including lower estuaries. in the region that occur nowhere else in the world and, The Sunshine Coast Council boundary includes all or as a result, the region is considered to be an important part of the catchments of five major waterway systems: ‘biodiversity hub’ within South East Queensland. the Maroochy, Mooloolah, Mary and Stanley Rivers and the Pumicestone Passage. The area also includes a small section of the southern headwaters of the .

Geology: Prominent peaks

Mount Coonowrin Mount Peregian 26-27 million years ago rhyolite and Mount Peregian (Emu Mountain) is another trachyte magma was forced up through laccolith. the older rocks, possibly fi lling old volcanic vents or sub surface bulges (called laccoliths). The southern group of these plugs form the iconic .

18 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 Our Ecosystems The Sunshine Coast’s existing remnant vegetation patterns Of those 76 recorded ecosystems, 32 are considered reflect more than a century of land use for forestry, to be vulnerable in their remaining extent, particularly agriculture and urbanisation with less than 41% of the those that occur nearer the coast due to the on-going region’s remnant vegetation remaining. Of the region’s pressures from population growth and development. remaining remnant vegetation approximately 94% has The Commonwealth Government has declared eight been identified as core areas while about 6% of National Importance in the Sunshine has been identified as connecting habitat areas. Core Coast region: and Connecting Habitat Areas with prioritised habitat linkages are shown on Map 7.1. • Obi Obi Creek • Pumicestone Passage The Sunshine Coast has 76 different regional ecosystem • types, according to the Queensland Herbarium’s regional ecosystem classification system. Each ecosystem is • Lake Weyba categorised and described based on the geology type • Coolum Creek and Lower Maroochy River and vegetation associations. • Upper Pumicestone Coastal Plain The Sunshine Coast ecosystem types include but are • Aggregation which includes not limited to: the upper reaches of Bundaroo Creek and • coastal wallum Booloumba Creek • mangrove • Lower Mooloolah River. • paperbark and forests The Pumicestone Passage, located at the southern extent • tall open and closed eucalypt forests of the region, is a of international importance in accordance with the Ramsar Convention 1971. It offers • subtropical rainforests a protected haven for migratory shorebirds, dugongs, • montane heath. marine turtles and dolphins.

Of concern 27 ecosystems Least concern 44 ecosystems

Endangered 5 ecosystems

Figure 1 The current conservation status of the different Regional Ecosystem types identified on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 19 The National Estate registered Noosa-Maroochy Wallum The range of vegetation communities in the Sunshine Area covers approximately 8,000 hectares and extends Coast region provide a variety of ecological niches for from Mudjimba in the south to in feeding, sheltering, breeding and resting resources for the north. This area includes a number of important native animals. The topography of the area also provides core habitat areas including the Mount Coolum National an altitudinal range of fauna . Of particular Park, the Coolum section of the Noosa National Park, significance is Mapleton State Forest, on the Blackall lower reaches of the Maroochy River and the Doonan Range, which is also one of the largest habitat areas and Coolum Creek Conservation areas. Along with the within the Coast’s boundaries. Even further west the Noosa-Maroochy State Forest corridor, these two areas and Kenilworth and Imbil Forest provide essential habitat for an array of threatened and Reserves contain the Sunshine Coast’s most extensive locally significant species. eucalypt forest associations and rainforest ecosystems. This area constitutes the largest habitat core within The Sunshine Coast retains the only substantial coastal the region and supports an extensive list of rare and eucalypt remnant vegetation areas between Byron threatened plants and animals. Bay and Bundaberg. Many large upland forests and smaller coastal lowland remnants are significant for biodiversity conservation, while most remnant vegetation is considered to have statewide significance.

Coastal and dunes Heathland and paperbarks

Mangroves and saltmarshes Seagrass communities Photo courtesy Chris Roelfsema

Tall open forest Wet sclerophyll

Rainforest Rocky/montane heath

20 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 Our Flora and Fauna Over 1,600 individual flora species have been recorded within the region’s boundaries. The Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 lists 91 flora species as Endangered, Vulnerable or Rare. Thirty-six species are listed as threatened under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (2000). Several species have global significance, being listed on the International Union for Nature Conservation’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The Sunshine Coast has many significant plant species. The highly endangered Buderim holly Graptophyllum reticulatum is a small distinctive shrub known only from two localities within the Sunshine Coast. It occurs nowhere else in the world. The swamp stringybark Eucalyptus conglomerata, listed as endangered, is considered to be one the rarest eucalypt species in Australia; while the Mount Beerwah mallee Eucalyptus kabiana, endemic to the region, is known from only a single dispersed population inhabiting the upper slopes of Mount Beerwah in the Glass House Mountains. Glossy black-cockatoo - Calyptorhynchus lathami

Over 700 fauna species have been recorded in the region. State legislation lists 68 of these species as Endangered, Vulnerable or Rare, while the Commonwealth lists 37 threatened species in the Sunshine Coast area. Over 60 fauna species are listed on the IUCN Red List. Close to 350 bird species have been recorded here, representing more than one third of the nation’s bird species. A portion of these are considered internationally important and are listed by the JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA migratory bird agreements.

The Sunshine Coast has a diverse and interesting range of animal species including marsupials, monotremes, rodents, bats, frogs, reptiles, butterflies, fishes, turtles, cetaceans and birds – many of which are the subjects of either State and/or Commonwealth recovery plans or similar conservation management tools. The Sunshine Coast is home to over a dozen threatened bird species including the glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami and the Providence petrel Pterodroma solandri, both listed in Commonwealth Action Plans. The highly vulnerable ground parrot Pezoporus wallicus is a wallum specialist that has all but disappeared as a result of development in heath and wallum areas.

Despite the array of flora and fauna that remains on the Coast, our biodiversity is in decline. Threatened acid frog species, the wallum sedge frog Litoria olongburensis and the wallum froglet Crinia tinnula now have severely Buderim holly - Graptophyllum reticulatum

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 21 restricted habitat. They have adapted to breeding in low pH water of the coastal heathlands, one of the most threatened vegetation communities of the region. Another habitat specialist, Fleay’s frog Mixophyes fleayi, survives only at higher elevations in rainforest environments and running .

The restriction of this type of habitat has resulted in it being listed as endangered under both State and Federal legislation. The nationally endangered spotted-tail quoll Dasyurus maculatus, one of Australia’s last remaining apex marsupial carnivores, now appears to be restricted to the most westerly habitats of the region. Sightings are rare.

The following section profiles a number of interesting and biodiverse landscapes to be found on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Coast threatened species

Christmas bells - Blandfordia grandifl ora Glossy spice bush - Triunia robusta

Richmond birdwing butterfl y - Ornithoptera Wallum froglet - Crinia tinnula richmondii Photo courtesy Queensland Museum

22 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 Map 3.1: Sunshine Coast Biodiversity: Areas of interest locality map

Highlighting well known landscape features and the surrounding biodiversity. The following profiles provide information on the respective areas.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 23 1 Noosa-Maroochy Wallum Area 2 and Mapleton Forest Stretching north from Mudjimba to Noosa Heads Reserve is a group of remnants collectively known as the The Blackall Range is a landscape created by volcanic Noosa-Maroochy Wallum Area. This corridor, covering activity and sculpted by water over many millions of approximately 9,000 hectares, forms one of the most years. The rich basalt soils support a profusion of important connected coastal habitat areas on the tall open eucalypt forests and subtropical rainforest Sunshine Coast and is home to an array of threatened communities. The Blackall Range contains some of ecosystems, plants and animals. The Noosa-Maroochy the largest remaining core habitat areas on the Wallum Area encompasses Lake Weyba, coastal Sunshine Coast and is considered to be one of sandplains, parabolic high dunes, beach ridges, the region’s biodiversity hubs. rocky outcrop of Mount Peregian and a diverse range A number of reserves protect remnant forest of coastal plant communities once typical of the coastal communities and essential wildlife habitats, providing lowlands of South East Queensland. Ecosystems scenic places for nature-based recreation. The largest include lowland wet heath and sedgelands, dry heath protected area is the Mapleton Forest Reserve. Covering on rocky outcrops, low banksia woodland, eucalyptus more than 10,000 hectares, it protects some of the and melaleuca open forests and , high largest flooded gums and blackbutts remaining on the dune communities, rainforest and the largest extent East Coast. This core habitat area acts as a regional of mangrove forest in the region. refuge and reservoir for fauna populations that seasonally This area represents important habitat for migratory migrate or disperse to adjoining habitat remnants. The water birds and supports numerous threatened species, area supports an array of frog species, including the including the ground parrot, wallum froglet, false threatened pouched frog, cascade tree frog and giant water-rat, Christmas bells, swamp stringybark and barred frog. More than 70 reptile species and hundreds the only known viable population of the endemic of bird species – including the magnificent wedge-tail Allocasuarina emuina. eagle, Australian peregrine falcon, and wompoo fruit-dove – have been recorded in this area. Also in this area is Mount Coolum. It is one of Australia’s most intensely diverse regions, with more than 700 plant species – including 500 flowering plant species, 49 ferns and more than 100 species of lesser plants such as mosses, liverworts, and lichens.

24 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 3 Conondale Ranges 4 Curramore-Walli Forests Covering almost 55,000 hectares, the Conondale Located north-west of Maleny and separated from Ranges form the largest contiguous remnant ecosystem the Imbil State Forest by the is the (and as such the largest core habitat area) within the Curramore-Walli Forest Reserve. This mosaic of forests . They extend beyond the border makes up the Maleny National Park, and an ecologically of the Sunshine Coast into the Somerset and Gympie important ‘stepping stone’ between the Mapleton State regions. The southern part of the core is protected as Forest and the Conondale Range. The area comprises the Conondale National Park, with remaining areas listed a wide variety of ecosystems, including rainforest and as State Forest Reserve and State Forest (including eucalypt forests and is home to a significant number of Imbil, Kenilworth and Conondale). The core includes rare and threatened animals and plants. extensive tracts of tall open eucalypt and rainforest Located adjacent to the southern extent of the as well as large areas of hoop pine plantation. Curramore-Walli Forest Reserve is a 175 hectare parcel Open eucalypt forests of brushbox, tallowwood, grey of land owned by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy ironbark, grey gum and forest red gum; gully vine forests known as the Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary. Recent with abundant stands of piccabeen palms; boulder- surveys confirmed a number of threatened species, strewn creeks with surrounding stands of flooded gums including the marsupial frog a resident of subtropical and white mahogany; stunning falls and rock pools; and rainforests, the golden-tipped bat, short-limbed snake- gallery rainforest provide a diversity of habitats for a skink, plumed frog-mouth and the Stephen’s banded variety of native fauna. The ranges offer critical habitat snake all of which are new records for the area. for , wallabies, possums, gliders, bats (including This reserve, through planned revegetation, will be the golden tipped bat) a plethora of birds including re-connected to the forest reserve further expanding the threatened grey goshawk, marbled frogmouth and the core habitat area. the wedge-tail eagle and a variety of threatened frogs including the giant barred frog and the pouch frog. They are also one of the last remaining habitat areas on the East Coast for Australia’s top marsupial predator the spotted-tail quoll.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 25 5 Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve 6 Pumicestone Passage The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is a 52 hectare The Pumicestone Passage and northern tip of Bribie remnant of the subtropical rainforest that previously Island contain a multitude of ecosystems. The island’s covered the southern end of the Blackall Range dunal communities are dominated by coastal sheoaks, and valleys to the west . The reserve is currently an acacias, banksias and beach spinifex. Mangroves and ecological island with no continuous habitat links to associated fringing wetlands and swamp paperbark nearby remnants. It is one of the few remnants of woodlands line the many creeks emptying into the subtropical rainforest growing in optimum conditions on passage. These areas provide important roosting and flat deep basalt soils, in a high rainfall area. Although it breeding sites for wetland dependent raptors such as is currently in good condition, it is presumed that some the osprey, brahminy kite and white-bellied sea eagle. terrestrial animals that previously habitated the reserve – The Pumicestone Passage is part of a Ramsar listed site including the long-nose potoroo and rufous bettong - and its tidal wetlands and water systems are protected are now extinct. as part of Marine Park. The intertidal The area is home to old Australian red cedar, black bean, flats, saltmarsh and mangroves are important feeding yellow carrabeen, white beech, tulip oak, large strangling and roosting sites for many bird species. Up to 15,000 figs and rainforest trees. The forest features walking stick migratory waterbirds visit this area to feed in the summer palm, lawyer palm and Richmond birdwing butterfly vine, months before flying thousands of kilometres to breeding while three old flooded gums survive from an ancient areas in Alaska, China and Siberia. The extensive fire. The reserve provides habitat for 139 recorded bird mangrove and seagrass communities also provide species, including the endangered Coxen's fig parrot important nursery and feeding grounds for fish, crabs, and the rare grey goshawk. Several native mammal prawns, marine turtles and dugong which rely on the species have been recorded in the reserve, including shallow seagrass beds. The area is culturally significant three small representatives of the kangaroo family; the for local Indigenous people. Large shell middens along red-legged pademelon, the red-necked pademelon and the foreshores of the Pumicestone Passage confirm the the red-necked wallaby. Nocturnal marsupials include area’s significance as a major food gathering location the mountain brushtail possum. The streams around the over many generations. reserve accommodate various threatened frog species including the giant barred frog and rare spiny crayfish.

26 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 7 Glass House Mountains 8 Rivers of the Sunshine Coast The craggy volcanic peaks of the Glass House The Sunshine Coast region is traversed by two major Mountains are a distinctive feature of the Sunshine Coast river systems - the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers - as landscape. The rhyolite plugs were formed by volcanic well as the network of creeks that empty into the activity more than 25 million years ago. According to Pumicestone Passage. The headwaters of the Mary and Dreamtime stories, the Glass House Mountains are Stanley rivers are also located on the Sunshine Coast. home to Beerwah (the mother and the highest peak at The aquatic environment also includes coastal lagoons 555 metres), Tibrogargan (the father), Coonowrin (the such as Stumers Creek and Currimundi Lake. wayward eldest son), Tunbubudla (the twins) and the These waterways are the lifeblood of the Sunshine Coast rest of the family - Ngungun, Coochin, Tibberoowuccum, environment, directing water across the landscape Miketeebumulgrai and Elimbah. The area is spiritually through streams, creeks and rivers which link aquatic significant to the area’s Traditional Owners and is an and terrestrial fauna. They support abundant, diverse important place where they gathered for ceremonies and aquatic species and ecosystems of international trading for thousands of years. significance, including the endemic Mary River cod and The Glass House Mountains area includes river systems, Mary River tortoise. Native fish found in Sunshine Coast open forests, coastal wetlands, mountain forests and waterways include the long finned eel, empire gudgeon, heath. Much of the surrounding area has been cleared firetail gudgeon, ornate rainbow fish and Duboulay’s and the mountains now tower over a patchwork of rainbow fish. cultivated fields and pine plantations. Many of the mountain ecosystems remain relatively undisturbed and contain a variety of significant plants and animals including some 26 rare or threatened plant species such as the highly restricted and vulnerable Grevillea hodgei. The Glass House Mountains together with Mount Mellum form a core habitat area for the threatened glossy black-cockatoo.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 27 3.2 Aboriginal Traditional Owners and biodiversity

Traditional Owners of the Sunshine Coast have a and spiritual ownership. They form the basis of traditional complex cultural, spiritual and social relationship with law, custom and spiritual connection, and underpin the biodiversity through their long-standing relationship with commitment of local Indigenous people to maintain land the land and natural environment. For coastal Traditional and sea resources. Owners, landscapes and seascapes are considered as Central to the identity and cultural heritage of Indigenous a whole. Australians is their involvement in protecting the Traditional Owners are custodians of their cultural biodiversity of lands and waterways for which they hold heritage, and this incorporates physical and intangible title or interest. Traditional Owners of the Sunshine Coast (spiritual) elements. These elements combine to explain participate in various biodiversity activities which include traditional law and cultural links to the past, and guide managing conservation areas, recording traditional custodial obligations. Indigenous knowledge, educating stakeholders about Indigenous culture and sharing Aboriginal stories. The Sunshine Coast is home to many sites and places of cultural significance linked to material items, stories

Sunshine Coast Indigenous Culture

While many Indigenous 'sites' exist across the Traditional practices, such as fire stick farming, Sunshine Coast, to the Traditional Custodians influenced the region’s biodiversity and were integral everything in and of the landscape, each place, river, to continuity and regeneration of some flora species, rock, plant, animal and insect is deemed to hold for example banksias and eucalypts. cultural heritage significance. This strong connection Evidence of Indigenous peoples use of the land to the land is captured and reaffirmed in song, in the past can still be found on the Coast, such as dance, legend, art and ceremony. middens, bora rings, grinding grooves, fish traps, trails and scarred trees.

Grinding grooves at Landsborough Tree scarring

28 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 SuSSunshineunnshnsshshineininene CoastCoCoastaassstt BiodiversityBBiiodiododidiveverversitssiitityyS StrategyStrtratraratetegtegegyy2 2010-202020100101010-20-220202200 2929 30 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 Section 4 Threats

…these impacts will alter the feel of ecosystems: the look, sound and smell of places we are familiar with will change as the composition and abundance of plants, animal, fungi and other micro-organisms change. CSIRO

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 31 4 Threats

4.1 Defining key challenges 4.2 Population growth and development

'Biodiversity loss is one of the world's most Population growth represents a significant threat to the pressing crises and there is growing global region’s biodiversity. The Sunshine Coast is currently concern about the status of the biological home to around 285,000 (2014) people most of whom resources on which so much of human life reside near the coast for the lifestyle and recreation opportunities this provides. There is also a growing depends. It has been estimated that the trend for people to move into hinterland areas for current species rate is between lifestyle reasons. 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be.' - IUCN The Sunshine Coast population is projected to reach 470,000 by 2036 (Queensland Our communities rely on biodiversity and the ecosystem Treasury). Council considers that more services provided by our natural environment. We detailed planning assessment is required to depend on healthy natural environments to support our determine the appropriate residential growth livelihood, lifestyle and recreational pursuits. While the capacity and rate including consideration of natural environment draws many residents and visitors to issues such as carrying capacity, character, the Sunshine Coast, evidence suggests that the region’s biophysical constraints and the provision of biodiversity is in decline. infrastructure. Accommodating such growth As the Sunshine Coast has grown, development will place signifi cant pressure on the natural has resulted in irreversible impacts to our natural environment. environment. Current and future population growth pressures and present urgent challenges that require attention now. The Sunshine Coast offers a wide diversity of leisure, tourism and recreational opportunities and tourism is a key economic driver for the region. While this influx of visitors and holiday makers contributes significantly to our economy, it drives an increased demand for infrastructure, tourism and nature based recreation opportunities, accommodation and other facilities all of which have the potential to negatively impact on the region’s environmental values.

As a community, we need places to work and play. We require appropriate access to schools, hospitals, shops, parks and sporting fields. The challenge for the Sunshine Coast is to accommodate growth while preserving, and ultimately enhancing, the natural environment. Population growth and development pose a number of serious threats to the region’s biodiversity, specifically: • Vegetation clearing • Habitat loss and fragmentation • Introduction of pest species • Pollution and stormwater run-off.

32 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 4.3 Vegetation clearing – habitat 4.4 Climate change loss and fragmentation The scientific community continues to provide evidence Habitat loss and fragmentation occur when vegetation of climate change and its likely impact on the global is cleared either to accommodate development and community. Predicted impacts include: infrastructure or for agricultural purposes. • Higher temperatures, with increasing average Habitat loss refers to the reduction of remaining habitat annual temperature and greater warming of that occurs as a result of the irreversible destruction inland areas of ecosystems. While all vegetation clearance results • More hot days and fewer cold nights, in some form of habitat loss, the worst offenders are • A tendency for less rainfall, with more droughts, large scale urban development, broad acre farming • An increase in cyclone intensity and plantation forestry which completely replace natural • A rise in global average sea level ecosystems. • Increased risk of storm surges along Habitat fragmentation occurs when vegetation clearing Queensland’s coast. breaks habitat into progressively smaller and more The impact of climate change is likely to contribute to disconnected pieces. All vegetation clearing contributes changes in the biology of individual species as they to fragmentation, but it is most conspicuous following adapt to new conditions. These changes will depend construction of roads, powerlines and other linear on the rate of environmental change and the ability of infrastructure. The cumulative impact of many small a species to adapt. Interactions between individual losses of habitat is just as significant as the loss of large species, their surrounding environment and other areas of vegetation. The end result is a landscape of species will change as climate change progresses. habitat patches dotted throughout a matrix of non-habitat. This is expected to alter patterns of establishment, growth, competition, dispersal, breeding and mortality of The current rate of habitat loss is individuals within a population. Faster seasonal growth disproportionately higher than reinstatement rates, earlier spring life cycle events and delayed autumn events may provide a competitive advantage for some or rehabilitation rates. The Sunshine Coast species, to the detriment of others. Invasive species are is experiencing a period of net habitat loss. likely to gain a greater advantage and some existing pests are expected to proliferate.

The effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on individual While some species are likely to adapt to new climatic species varies. Habitat fragmentation and isolation can conditions, species that are unable to migrate or adapt restrict access of species with limited individual mobility to a new environment will be susceptible to local to foraging habitat and may also reduce their ability to extinction. Many threatened species have very limited seek out more favourable conditions during times of ranges, limited dispersal abilities, specialised habitat adversity. Highly fragmented landscapes can reduce requirements, small populations and existing low genetic access to breeding partners and impede the dispersal viability, and these will be particularly vulnerable to of offspring. Over time this can lead to the genetic ecosystem changes. isolation of populations. With a limited gene pool, the viability of individual populations and the long-term Changes in distribution, abundance and genetic diversity survival of the species may be compromised. Even that occur in response to climate change will alter the for highly mobile species, the fragmentation of habitat biodiversity values of a region, putting increased stress creates formidable obstacles and car strikes and dog on ecosystems already impacted by development, attacks continue to be major causes of mortality when vegetation clearing and habitat fragmentation. native fauna are forced to contend with crossing roads and suburban backyards.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 33 Sunshine Coast weeds and pest animals 4.5 Weeds and pest animals

Weeds and pest animals degrade natural and agricultural landscapes, damage remnant vegetation, compromise biodiversity and interfere with human health and recreation. Their impacts on biodiversity are varied. Ecosystem transforming weeds out-compete and smother native vegetation to form dense monocultures. Some weeds even poison native fauna and stock. Pest animals can be just as harmful to native ecosystems. They commonly out-compete native predators to become the dominant predators and directly impacting on Singapore daisy - Sphagneticola trilobata biodiversity by preying on native species. Other pest The pretty Singapore daisy Sphagneticola animals are aggressive towards native species and trilobata, a class 3 pest and former popular can out-compete native species for resources such as home garden ground cover, forms a dense nesting hollows. carpet, which can prevent regeneration of native fl ora species. Established weeds and pest animals require significant resources to control and eradicate. While it would be preferable to rid our region of all pest plants and animals, eradication of many species is impossible. This Strategy focuses on minimising the impacts of pest plants and animals and on preventing new incursions.

Camphor laurel tree - Cinnamomum camphors The camphor laurel tree Cinnamomum camphora, a class 3 pest, is an aggressive invader along waterways, and is known for forming monocultures of large trees with little understorey.

Red - Vulpes vulpes The Vulpes vulpes, is a class 2 declared pest, preying on marsupials, other young animals and poultry. It is also known for its annual raids on marine turtle nests. It is considered to be our worst pest animal.

Cane toad - Bufo marinus

34 Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 4.6 Land management practices 4.7 Responding to the threats

Threats to biodiversity vary in nature and origin, with 'South East Queensland was a vastly each threat requiring considered and tailored responses. This Strategy has been developed to complement different place before non-Aboriginal existing policy and strategic response measures that settlement commenced in 1824. Although have been developed by national, state and local shaped by human occupants for tens government and non-government organisations. of thousands of years prior to 1824, the While the Strategy identifies a wide range of threats region’s lands, waters, atmosphere and to biodiversity, the strategic directions focus on those biodiversity were substantially unaffected threats that can be addressed by Sunshine Coast Council. by the impacts of development.' SEQ Catchments, 2009. In the following sections we provide the framework for delivering a range of actions to ensure that we respond to these challenges and ensure that the vision is realised. Vegetation clearing for urban and rural development is an obvious and visible form of ecosystem disturbance, however long-term unsustainable land management practices also contribute significantly to declines in ecological functions and biodiversity values. Altered fire regimes, unsustainable agricultural practices, altered hydrological regimes, reduced water quality and acid sulphate soils all threaten regional biodiversity.

Fire has played an important role in shaping Australia’s natural landscape, and has had a strong influence on the evolution of native flora and fauna. The fundamental characteristics of fire have changed since European settlement, with fire restrictions, hazard reduction burning and fragmentation of vegetation changing the frequency, intensity and seasonality of fire. This alteration in natural fire regimes has negatively impacted on flora, fauna and the overall biodiversity values of ecosystems.

Unsustainable agricultural practices can severely threaten biodiversity values. and sedimentation associated with vegetation clearing and poorly planned and managed agricultural sites, unrestricted grazing access to waterways and other sensitive environments, clearing of riparian buffers and vegetation corridors, high fertiliser and pesticide application rates, and inappropriate management of farm dams continue to cause both localised and downstream impacts to ecosystem health and biodiversity.

Much of the low-lying coastal area of the Sunshine Coast is affected by acid sulphate soils or potential acid sulphate soils. The unmanaged disturbance of acid sulphate soils can impact aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity.

Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 35