Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site
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PLAN OF MANAGEMENT 2001 Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site Department of Urban Services Conservation Series No. 18 Government GININI FLATS WETLANDS RAMSAR SITE Plan of Management May 2001 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A preliminary draft of this Plan of Management was prepared for Environment ACT byDr Bob Banens, Mr Allen Fox and Dr Laslo Nagy of the Atech Group with advice from Mr Roger Good and Ms Jane Gough. Comments and contributions on the drafts were provided by staff from Environment ACT, the Nature Conservation and Namadgi Sub-committee of the Environment Advisory Committee, the Flora and Fauna Committee and various ACT community groups and individuals. The development of this management plan was funded through the National Wetlands Program of Environment Australia. NOTES This plan of management has been prepared to fulfill the principle obligation of Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention. This obligation is to develop management plans for all Ramsar sites in their territory. Also, this Plan constitutes a component of the management plan for Namadgi National Park. The implementation of the management actions stated in this Plan of Management will be undertaken as part of the management of the Namadgi National Park. ISSN 1036-0441 Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2001 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Manager, Library and Information Management, Department of Urban Services, ACT Government, GPO Box 158, Canberra City, ACT 2601. Published by Publishing Services for Environment ACT (BDM 0778) 120 A4, 05/01 (01/0882) Environment ACT Home Page: http:www.act.gov.au/environ Environment ACT Helpline: 02 6207 9777 Pi d R ldP CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………………… II NOTES………..……………………………………………………………………………………… II CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………… III ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………….… V VISION……………………………………………………………………………………………… VI 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Scope of the Plan ...................................................................................................................................1 1.2 The Ramsar Convention.........................................................................................................................1 1.3 The Purpose of this Management Plan...................................................................................................3 1.4 Statutory and Management Responsibilities ..........................................................................................4 1.5 Agreements Relevant to the Management of the Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site ...........................7 1.6 Significance of the Site ..........................................................................................................................8 2. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................................. 10 2.1 Physical Aspects ..................................................................................................................................10 2.2 Vegetation............................................................................................................................................14 2.3 Fauna 17 3. THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT............................................................ 24 3.1 Aboriginal Aspects...............................................................................................................................24 3.2 Historic Aspects ...................................................................................................................................25 3.3 European Features of the Area.............................................................................................................26 4. MANAGEMENT OF VALUES .................................................................... 29 4.1 Context and Scope ...............................................................................................................................29 4.2 Access Management.............................................................................................................................29 4.3 Fire Management .................................................................................................................................31 4.4 Exotic Plant and Weed Control............................................................................................................34 4.5 Feral Animal Control ...........................................................................................................................36 4.6 Recreation Management.......................................................................................................................38 4.8 Research and Monitoring.....................................................................................................................40 4.9 Community Awareness, Education and Involvement ..........................................................................41 4.10 Rehabilitation Activities........................................................................................................................42 5. IMPLEMENTATION/EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ......... 44 5.1 Implementation of Actions...................................................................................................................44 5.2 Evaluation............................................................................................................................................44 GLOSSARY……………………………………………………………………………………….… 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX 1. COMMUNITY GROUPS/INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN........................................................................ 53 APPENDIX 2. LISTING OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS BY PRIORITY............................. 54 FIGURES Figure 1: Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site ...................................................................................2 Figure 2: Ideal habitat cross section N-E from Mt Ginini .............................................................18 Figure 3: Some wildlife habitats .......................................................................................................18 Figure 4: Distribution of Corroboree Frogs....................................................................................23 ABSTRACT This Plan of Management for the Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site has been prepared to meet the ‘wise use’ obligations of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971). These conditions establish an obligation for the management agency to prepare and implement a plan for Wetlands of International Importance listed under the Convention. This plan, when read in association with the Namadgi National Park Plan of Management and the Environment ACT, Action Plan No.6—Corroboree Frog, provides the basis for management of the Ginini Flats Wetlands. The Ginini wetlands are an important site within Namadgi National Park and a significant area in terms of a representative upland Sphagnum peat wetland (Department of Territories, 1986). The area has been listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands. The site provides habitat for an international migratory bird listed under the Japan-Australia and China- Australia Migratory Bird Agreements (JAMBA/CAMBA) and for the vulnerable Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi). This plan takes account of the recommendations of Action Plan No.6 (Corroboree Frog), under Section 21 of the ACT Nature Conservation ACT 1980. The Ginini Flats Wetlands occur within Namadgi National Park and the 1986 Plan of Management for the Park provides some generic guidelines for management of the Ginini area with respect to fire, feral animals, exotic plants, recreation and community involvement. The Ginini Flats Wetlands Plan of Management details specific management programs and actions to be implemented over the seven year life of the plan. A full review of the success of the planned and implemented management actions in meeting the stated objectives, will be made at the end of the seven year period. During the life of the Plan, annual reviews of individual management programs will be made to ensure that management actions are not implemented in ways that compromise the conservation of individual components of the wetland ecosystems. Modification of programs will be made as necessary following each annual review process. VISION The vision for the management of the Ginini Flats Wetlands Ramsar Site is: The Ginini Flats Wetlands as an ecologically significant and sustainable natural system providing habitat for an international migratory bird, the vulnerable northern Corroboree Frog and other native flora and fauna representative of the sub-alpine Sphagnum wetland. The overall objectives to achieve this vision are to: • Conserve and protect the biodiversity of native flora and fauna of the woodland and aquatic ecosystems and habitats of the wetlands and its catchment. • Provide appropriate community environmental education and research opportunities. • Provide for low impact recreational opportunities appropriate to the conservation and protection of the wetlands and its catchment. • Conserve the Aboriginal and