A PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODSHED AND SAWMILL PADDOCKS ON WEILMORINGLE STATION WEILMORINGLE NSW Prepared by A Preliminary Ecological Survey of Woodshed & Sawmill Paddocks on Weilmoringle Station, Weilmoringle CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 4 1. BACKGROUND....................................................................................................................... 6 2. PROPERTY LOCATION AND PROPOSED IPA..................................................................... 7 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 8 4. ECOLOGICAL VALUES .......................................................................................................... 9 4.1. FLORA ............................................................................................................... 10 4.2. FAUNA ............................................................................................................... 20 5. CULTURAL VALUES............................................................................................................. 27 5.1. FLORA ............................................................................................................... 28 5.2. FAUNA ............................................................................................................... 41 6. MANAGEMENT OPTIONS.................................................................................................... 42 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 46 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX 1 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY DATA FORM ................................................. 49 APPENDIX 2.1 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 1 DATA .................................... 50 APPENDIX 2.2 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 2 DATA .................................... 52 APPENDIX 2.3 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 3 DATA .................................... 54 APPENDIX 2.4 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 4 DATA .................................... 56 APPENDIX 2.5 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 5 DATA .................................... 58 APPENDIX 2.6 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 6 DATA .................................... 60 APPENDIX 2.7 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 7 DATA .................................... 62 APPENDIX 2.8 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 8 DATA .................................... 64 APPENDIX 2.9 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 9 DATA .................................... 66 APPENDIX 2.10 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 10 DATA .................................. 68 APPENDIX 2.11 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – SITE WEIL 11 DATA .................................. 70 APPENDIX 3 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY – WOOLSHED PADDOCK............................ 72 APPENDIX 4 SUMMARY OF NFRPC VEGETATION COMMUNITIES FOUND IN PROPOSED IPA ON WEILMORINGLE STATION................................ 73 Prepare by NGALINA for The Weilmoringle Land Holding Company Page 3 A Preliminary Ecological Survey of Woodshed & Sawmill Paddocks on Weilmoringle Station, Weilmoringle EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Weilmoringle Land Holding Company (WLHC) as part of its Property Management Plan (PMP) proposed to set aside part of the property as a wildlife sanctuary. As a first step towards the establishment of a Wildlife Sanctuary, the WLHC Board have sort funding from the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) for the declaration of a portion of the property as an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). This ecological report has been prepared to support this endeavour. The initial proposal was for the IPA to cover Woolshed and Sawmill Paddocks, a total of 2889 hectares or 16.88% of the total property area. A summary of the ecological finding are as follows: Flora: 6 of the 11 vegetation communities mapped by NFPRPC (2004a) are present in the proposed IPA. Two vegetation communities (Coolibah / Black Box Woodland and Brigalow / Gidgee Woodland/Shrubland) listed under NSW State TSC Act (1995) are considered present in the IPA and all Brigalow is also listed under The Commonwealth EP&BC Act (1999) as a threatened ecological community. With the exception of the areas mapped as Barren on the NFPRC vegetation map, all of the proposed IPA can be regarded as forming part of an endangered ecological community within the requirements of NSW and Commonwealth threatened species legislation. Wade (1992) vegetation mapping shows a large “Sandy Mound” in Woolshed, Front and Back Smith Paddocks. This Sandy Mound is important for the diverse range of plants and habitats it contains as well as the important cultural area of Gooramon Swamp. Summer rains and the absence of fire may be important factors in presence of Brigalow in the region. There is some evidence that indicate fire has not been a management tool used by either the traditional Murrawarri or the graziers that followed them. This has important farm management implications. Particular attention should be paid to the cryptogram layer for maintaining landscape stability and function; layer was absence from sandhill survey sites and poor in some others, indicating overgrazing and areas likely to be susceptible to land degradation. 54 separate plant species identified in IPA should be seen as a representative sample; there is a need for surveying over all seasons and climate events. 2 exotic weeds and 2 “native weeds” identified in IPA; of these Noogoora Burr (Xanthium occidentale), Black Roly Poly (Sclerolaena muricata) and Galvanised Burr (Sclerolaena birchii) pose the most serious problems to pasture management and will require on-going monitoring and active weed management. 3 species listed as “woody weeds” present in sandhill survey site pose some problems. 2 species with restricted distribution were identified in the IPA; Pale-leaf Mistletoe (Amyema maidenii) and Sandhill Rice-flower (Pimelea penicillaris) 3 species listed under the NSW TSC Act are either present or highly likely to be present in the IPA; Narrow-leafed Bumble (Capparis loranthifolia var. loranthifolia), Desert Cow-Vine (Ipomoea diamantinensis) and Slender Darling Pea (Swainsona murrayana). Prepare by NGALINA for The Weilmoringle Land Holding Company Page 4 A Preliminary Ecological Survey of Woodshed & Sawmill Paddocks on Weilmoringle Station, Weilmoringle Fauna: It is recommended that a more thorough fauna survey be undertaken involving specialist ecologists and biologists with equipment and expertise in ornithologist (birds), herpetologist (reptiles), bats and marsupials and small mammals. Major Mitchell (Cacatua leadbeateri) only threatened species observed in IPA, although members of the Weilmoringle Community report the possible sighting of a wallaby resembling Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) on other part of the property. 2 marsupial threatened species are likely to be present on the property and are possible candidates for a re-establishment/protected breeding programme; Kultarr (Antechinomys laniger) and Stripe-faced Dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura). A further 5 species, extinct to NSW could also be considered. More specific expert advice and assistance in this regard should be sought from either the Western Plains Zoo or the Australian Museum or the CSIRO. Cultural Values: Of 116 plant species identified by Dykes et al. (2006a) as having a Murrawarri cultural value, at least 35 and possibly 37 were found in the IPA. Gidgee (common in the IPA) is an important plant species for the Murrawarri People as some Elders regard it as the plant that defines themselves and their people’s country; the Murrawarri are the “Gidgee People” or “the People of the Gidgee Country”. Ring Gidgee is a special type of Gidgee and is much prized for tool-making; it was also one of select group of plants traded across southern NSW; the knowledge of its identification is restricted to senior Murrawarri men. Of the 29 plant species identified by Dykes et al. (2006a) as having an exceptional value to the Murrawarri, at least 9 and possibly 11 were found in the IPA 4 plants found in the IPA have special significance to some Murrawarri people and provide real tangible connection to country for these people. Areas of 4 of the 5 class categories as mapped by Dykes et al. (2006a) are within IPA. Recommendations: Increase the IPA to include the all of the Sandy Mound and Gooramon Swamp. Undertake smaller scale vegetation mapping to map small patches of Gidgee and Brigalow. More comprehensive plant species surveying over all seasons and climatic events. Particular emphasis paid to identifying the presence and location of species listed in Tables 2 and 3, species listed as having exceptional value status for the Murrawarri People and species identified as being Murrawarri food and medicine plants. Fire is a threatening process to Brigalow and it use on the property rigidly managed. Use selective stock grazing rather than fire to manage fuel levels in the IPA. Maintain paddock perimeter fire breaks. Undertake a more thorough fauna survey of the IPA A senior Murrawarri man should survey IPA to identify any Ring Gidgee plants. Rotate traditional hunting activities across the whole of the property. Remove domestic stock from IPA and undertake appropriate