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Nature New South Wales Journal of National Parks Association of NSW | Volume 60, No. 4 | Summer 2016 Nature New South Wales is published quarterly, Welcome to Summer 2016 with news and features on nature conservation and national parks, by NPA Publications Pty Ltd Welcome to the Summer edition of Nature ABN 860 639 359 46 NSW. As you read this we’re rushing towards Lvl 3, 52-58 William Street Woolloomooloo 2011 the end of the year, hoping for a break, PO Box 312, Darlinghurst NSW 1300 and enjoying the onset of summer. Phone: 02 9299 0000 On the conservation front, it’s not been a positive Email: [email protected] year. We’re fighting the same battles we fought Website: www.npansw.org.au (and won) 20 years ago. We’re fighting against new ISSN: 2200-4580 Samantha Newton laws that will undermine the protection of native Editor: Samantha Newton Vice President, plants and animals; we’re fighting to stop pollution Designer: Kiran Charles National Parks of our waters and clearing of native vegetation; Deadline for Editorial and Advertising Association of NSW we’re still fighting for protection of old-growth Published Deadlines forests and public lands. But there are positives. Summer – December 16 October The conversations are still happening. There Autumn – March 16 January is strong dialogue between disparate social Winter – June 16 April Spring – September 16 July groups, and there is greater appreciation of the value of nature across a much Opinions expressed by the authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policies or broader cross-section of society. views of the National Parks Association of NSW. A friend asked me the other day, “what’s the Copyright © 2016 NPA Publications Pty Ltd point?”. I’m not sure whether she was referring NPA Staff to being at work that day, or life in general, but CEO: Kevin Evans, Finance & Fundraising it was easy to answer. It was a beautiful sunny, Officer: Diane Latta, Communications spring day. I’d had my morning coffee and I & Publications Manager: Kiran Charles, was feeling positive about life, so I rattled off Operations Manager: Fae Barton, Activities a few positive thoughts, starting with coffee, Coordinator: Matt McClelland, Senior and including sunshine, birds, butterflies and Ecologist: Dr Oisín Sweeney Citizen Science Officers: Margot Law, Geetha trees along the way. It gave her a smile. Ortac, Bushwalking Project Officer: Helen It’s important that we support each other with Smith, Illawarra to Shoalhaven Partnership positive messages. Not trite, happy face, thumbs Facilitator: David Rush. up displays; but reminders of why we keep going. NPA Executive Committee Why we get up in the morning, lead bushwalks, President: Anne Reeves, Senior Vice write submissions, talk to government, and President: Ian Donovan, Vice President: network. We love nature, and we’re passionate Samantha Newton, Hon Treasurer: Ted Woodley, about changing the world to make it better, to Hon Secretary: Ian Donovan Members: Grahame Douglas, Brian Everingham, Sam protect the nature we love; for ourselves, for our Garrett-Jones, Naomi Hamilton-Hakim future generations, and for its intrinsic value. This edition of Nature NSW discusses some aspects of how we value nature. It also heralds the start of our 60th Anniversary year. As you is a non-profit community organisation that seeks to read the articles, and enjoy a summer break, protect, connect and restore think about how you would like to join us in the integrity and diversity celebrating our 60th, and celebrating nature. of natural systems in NSW and beyond through national We welcome your suggestions and feedback. parks, marine sanctuaries We hope you’ll join the celebrations. and other means. Happy reading! And all the best for a happy 2017! NPA’s administration has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust. Cover photo: Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus Photo: Sam Matthews Creature Feature page 18 Environment ISO 14001 Certification applies to Offset Alpine Printing Contents Ecosystem Accounting.................................................................................4 Helping make an informed decision on the future of logging What is Nature Worth? Priceless!................................................................6 Rock Solid....................................................................................................8 New South Wales geologic features A Plan to Protect Kosciuszko's Water Catchments.................................10 Implementing an Environmental-economic Accounting Framework 8 to Support Environmental Policy-making:................................................12 A work-in-progress Will the Darling River Survive?.................................................................14 Australia's National Rewilding Forum 2016...............................................16 What happened and where to next? Creature Feature........................................................................................18 The Plains-wonderer Featured Dive.............................................................................................20 Broughton Island 16 Vale Heather Roy........................................................................................21 Walk of the Month......................................................................................22 Featured Walk............................................................................................23 Wentworth Falls loop Featured National Park.............................................................................24 Blue Mountains National Park Bushwalking Conservation........................................................................26 Paddy Pallin and Tom Moppett 20 NPA is Celebrating 60!...............................................................................28 NPA's Hunter Valley Roots........................................................................29 NPA News...................................................................................................30 23 Ecosystem accounting helping make an informed decision on the future of logging Dr Oisín Sweeney Senior Ecologist, National Parks Association of NSW A case study on the Victorian So what did they find? Central Highlands 1. Ecosystem services Back in June, scientists and economists from the Australian In 2014 two ecosystem services— National University produced a provisioning of crops and fodder ground-breaking piece of work. and water provision—dwarfed other They published a set of experimental services being worth approximately ‘ecosystem accounts’ for the Central $120 million and $100 million Highlands region of Victoria. NPA respectively. Culture and recreation Senior Ecologist, Dr Oisín Sweeney, were worth approximately $45 explains the relevance of this approach. million, timber provisioning (the value of timber minus haulage What are ecosystem accounts Logged Forest, Victorian Cental Highands and harvest costs) $25 million and and why are they useful? carbon sequestration $20 million. In essence, ecosystem accounts 2. GDP attempt to put a value on elements Why the Victorian Central But when GDP was considered of an ecosystem that are typically Highlands? things got really interesting: water overlooked in decision making. The Central Highlands are a very and agriculture were again the most The thinking is that by developing special part of the state of Victoria. valuable at $2,319 and $2,477 per accounts, decision makers can Their forested catchments supply water hectare (ha) respectively. Tourism make more informed land-use to Melbourne's four million people was worth $354/ha (a conservative decisions by having a full suite of and are home to the tallest flowering estimate because the entire study area information. Currently, decisions on plants in the world, the Mountain Ash was used in the calculation, whereas in land use are made with only partial (Eucalyptus regnans). In an undisturbed reality tourism is likely to be focussed information—a situation that would state, these are the most carbon-dense in a smaller area than the total). never be countenanced in most forests on earth storing up to 1,867 Timber was worth just $29/ha. But business decisions! In this instance the tonnes of carbon per hectare1 but the logging also had a major negative researchers looked at three elements: Unleashing the potential of our forests forests are logged under a Regional impact on carbon sequestration 1. Ecosystem services including Forest Agreement (RFA), due to expire and carbon stocks: logging reduced water supply, carbon storage, in 2017. There is a major new national sequestration by 3.13 tonnes of carbon timber provision, provisioning park being proposed for the region: per hectare year between 1990 and for crops and fodder production The Great Forest National Park is 2015 - equivalent to $37.87 per hectare Executive summary Our plan and culture and recreation; based largely around the urgent need per year at a carbon price of $12.10 per The National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) is proposing a shift We’re not proposing that all of these forests become National 2. The contribution to GDP to protect the critically endangered tonne3. Furthermore, logging reduced in focus of public state forest management so that forests deliver Parks, but we must complete the forest reserve network that was by industries including Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus the carbon stocks of forests by 143 benefits to the entire community. We