Back River and Tomalla Nature Reserves Plan of Managementdownload

Plan of Management Back River Nature Reserve and Tomalla Nature Reserve BACK RIVER NATURE RESERVE AND TOMALLA NATURE RESERVE PLAN OF MANAGEMENT NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service December, 2011 This plan of management was adopted by the Minister for the Environment on 12 December 2011. Acknowledgments The National Parks and Wildlife Service acknowledges that Back River and Tomalla Nature Reserves are in the traditional country of the Aniwan Aboriginal people. This plan of management is based on a draft plan prepared by the staff of the Hunter Region of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the Office of Environment and heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet. Valuable information and comments were provided by neighbours, staff, and other agencies. FRONT COVER: Treefern in Tomalla Nature Reserve, by Catherine Watt, NPWS. For additional information or inquiries about Back River and Tomalla Nature Reserves or this plan of management, contact the NPWS Upper Hunter Area Office, 137 Kelly Street, Scone or by telephone on (02) 6540 2300. Published by: Office of Environment and Heritage 59–61 Goulburn Street PO Box A290 Sydney South 1232 © Copyright State of NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage: Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. ISBN 978 1 74293 470 9 OEH 2012/0053 Printed on recycled paper FOREWORD Currys Gap State Conservation Area, Mount Mackenzie Nature Reserve and Doctors Nose Mountain Nature Reserve are located on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, south west of Tenterfield.FOREWORD Currys Gap State Conservation Area covers an area of 227 hectares, Mount Mackenzie Nature Reserve is 141 hectares in size, and Doctors Nose Mountain Nature Reserve is 66 hectares. Back River Nature Reserve and Tomalla Nature Reserve are located approximately 60 kilometresThe reserves south-east contain of relativelyTamworth undisturbed and 70 kilometres high elevation north-east old growthof Scone. open Both forest. were In reservedaddition in toJanuary a number 1999. of regionallyBack River uncommon Nature Reserve flora species, has an an area endangered of 735 hectares species whileof Tomallamintbush Nature was recently Reserve rediscovered has an area in of Mount 605 hec Mackenzietares. Nature Reserve after 100 years of being thought extinct. The reserves also contain two endangered ecological Backcommunities, River and Tomalla New England Nature ReservesPeppermint form Woodland part of a stringand Whiteof reserved Box landsYellow along Box the Blakely'sGreat Divide Red Gum and Woodland, Liverpool andRange five threatenedthat assist faunain maintaining, species. improving and reconnecting islands of natural vegetation along the great eastern ranges. They contain goodThe examples New South of Walesecosystems National that Parks are poorlyand Wildlife reserved, Act 1974and arerequires important that a forplan the of diversitymanagement of fauna be habitats prepared that for they each provide. nature Tworeserve endangered and state andconservation three vulnerable area. A plantdraft species plan andof fivemanagement vulnerable animalfor Currys species Gap have State been Conservationrecorded in the Area, reserves. Mount Mackenzie Nature Reserve and Doctors Nose Mountain Nature Reserve was placed Nationalrd Parks and Wildlife Actth 1974 Theon New public South exhibition Wales from 3 December 2010 until 14 March requires2011. The that submissions a plan of managementreceived were be carefullyprepared considered for each nature before reserve.adopting Athis draft plan. plan of management for Back River and Tomalla Nature Reserves was placed on public exhibition from 5 NovemberThe plan contains2010 until a number21 February of actions 2011. to The protect submissions the natural received values ofwere the carefullyreserve, consideredincluding before research adopting into thisfire plan.ecology, the implementation of actions to assist the recovery of threatened species and communities, and the control of introduced Theplants plan containsand animals. a number The plan of actions also provides to achieve for lowthe impactNSW 2021 self-reliant goal to recreation protect our on naturalmanagement environment, trails including in Mount the Mackenzie implementation Nature of Reserveactions to and assist Currys the recoveryGap State of threatenedConservation species, Area. monitoring for phytophthora and actions to control its spread, and control of introduced plants and animals. The plan also provides for recreation activities suchThis as planbushwalking of management and bird establishes watching in the the schemereserves. of operations for Currys Gap State Conservation Area, Mount Mackenzie Nature Reserve and Doctors Nose Mountain ThisNature plan ofReserve. management In accordance establishes with the section scheme 73B of ofoperations the National for BackParks River and NatureWildlife National ReserveAct 1974 and, thisTomalla plan ofNature management Reserve. is In hereby accordance adopted. with Section 73B of the Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 , this plan of management is hereby adopted. RobynRobyn Parker Parker MP MinisterMinister for for the the Environment Environment 1. LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT Back River and Tomalla Nature Reserves (the Reserves) are located approximately 60 kilometres south-east of Tamworth and 70 kilometres north-east of Scone as shown below (see also Maps 2 and 3 on pages 3 and 4). Back River Nature Reserve is approximately 16 kilometres east of the township of Nundle and covers an area of 735 hectares. Tomalla Nature Reserve is 7 kilometres east of Back River Nature Reserve and covers an area of 605 hectares. MAP 1. STATE LOCATION MAP The North East NSW Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) provided for major additions to the park system, including the Reserves which were gazetted on 1 st January 1999. RFAs are one of the principal means of implementing the National Forest Policy Statement of 1992, under which the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments agreed to work towards a shared vision for Australia’s forests which provides for, among other things, ecologically sustainable forest management. The majority of land surrounding the Reserves is forested and managed for native timber and pine plantation production by Forests NSW. Back River Nature Reserve adjoins Nundle State Forest to the north and Hanging Rock State Forest to the north and west, and was previously part of the Hanging Rock State Forest. Tomalla Nature Reserve was previously part of Tomalla State Forest. Private property surrounding the Reserves includes forested areas that are used for grazing and timber production, and cleared areas west of Tomalla Nature Reserve that are used for grazing. 1 The Reserves are situated on the southern edge and fall of the Walcha Plateau subregion of the New England Tablelands bioregion. This southern edge forms the boundary between the New England Tablelands bioregion and the Tomalla subregion of the NSW North Coast bioregion, with the south-eastern part of Tomalla occurring within the NSW North Coast bioregion. As well as the Reserves, the area covered by this plan includes a small section of Tomalla Forest Way, which is vested in the Minister under Part 11 of the NPW Act to ensure a continuation of access arrangements to neighbouring state forest (refer to Reserve Map 3). The Reserves contain good examples of ecosystems that are poorly reserved, and are important for the diversity of fauna habitats that they provide. They form part of a string of reserved lands along the Great Divide and Liverpool Range that assist in maintaining, improving and reconnecting islands of natural vegetation along the great eastern ranges. These lands include Crawney Pass, Ben Halls Gap, Nowendoc and Curracabundi National Parks, Wallabadah, Tuggolo Creek and Ngulin Nature Reserves, and a nearby Voluntary Conservation Area. The Reserves are within the geographical area of the Tamworth Regional Council (formerly Nundle Shire), the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority, and the Nungaroo Local Aboriginal Land Council. 2 MAP 2. BACK RIVER NATURE RESERVE To Ponderosa Forest Park Recreation Area (State Forest) 2.5km S a rl r P T ek a re h l o C r ile ' n M s T r d u Fo T s e r n r l o w s o a Vant s N D P ort a h n T r rk r l e T t rl s Hanging Rock a State Forest E F ou r M ile C r ee k T rl rl T r e iv R k c a B V S a prin n g G ts ull y Trl G Back River u l ly T r Nature Reserve l B ac k R iv er Tomalla Nature Reserve (10km) y w H Inset Map - Locality d n la Tamworth g n E w e N P ee l R Map 2 iv er Back River Nature Reserve Legend y w H y d a Camping Area - Off Park n a W l s g r n River e E k c i w s e Non Public Access Roads s N o F Management Trail Public Access Roads y Back River NR a W Unsealed Road - Off Park t N s Nowendoc NP Nundle un r e dle Fo Back River Nature Reserve Hanging Rock State Forest Barry Rd NPWS Managed Estate Wallabadah Tomalla NR B ar na rd Wallabadah NR Ben Halls Gap NR R iv e r 0100 200 400 600 Metres 3 MAP 3. TOMALLA NATURE RESERVE Back River Nature Reserve (10km) Nundle State Forest Red Trl Tomalla T o m State Forest a l la F o r e s t W a Tomalla y Nature Reserve y w H Inset Map - Locality d n la Tamworth g n E w e N P ee l R iv er Map 3 Tomalla Nature Reserve y w F H a or all est y md W o ay a Legend n T a W l s g r n Non Public Access Roads e E k c i w s Management Trail e s N o F Public Access Roads Unsealed Road - Off Park y a Unsealed Road - On Park W t N s Nowendoc NP Nundle un r e dle Fo Tomalla Nature Reserve Hanging Back River NR State Forest Rock Tomalla NR Wallabadah NPWS Managed Estate B ar na rd Wallabadah NR Ben Halls Gap NR R iv e r 095 190 380 570 760 Metres 4 2.

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