PROCEEDINGSOF A SEMINARHELDoN 20 sepreMaeR1983

BY THE DEPARTMENTOF FISHERIESAND WILDLIFE

THEI'IANAGEI'IENT OF SI'IALL BUSH AREAS

IN THE

PERTHI'IETROPOL I TANREG I ON

EDITED BY

SUSAN A. MOORE

Western Australian Wildl-if e Research Centre PO Box 51, Wanneroo, 6065

Department of Fi.sheries and Wildtife L08 Adelaide Terrace PERTH 6OOO

L984 CONIENTS Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENIS

INIRODUqTION Susan A. Moore Reserve l,lanagement0f f i cer-P lanning Departuent of Fisheries and Wildlife vla

FLORAOF THE PERTTTREGION N.G. Marchant Botanist. W.A, Herbariurn l--

THE BUSHFIRE RISK IN THE PERTHMETROPOLITAN REGION John Robley Director, Bush Fires Board of Western Auetralia .., 6

PEOPLE, FIRE AND I{EEDS: CANTHE VICIOUS SPIRAL BE BROKEN? PauI t{ycher 1ey Director, Kings Park and BoEanic Garden II

OBSERVATIONSIN KINGS PARK Alison Baird Botani s t l8

NATIONAL PARK MANAGElIE NI Colin Sanders Director, National Parks Authority of W.A. 21 -

I'IANAGEME NI OF NATIONAL PARKS IN THE PERTH METROPOLITANREGION Ron l{aterhou se Superintendent, John Forreat National Park 29*

THE PERTHMETROPOLITAN REGION NATURE RESERVES Jin Goodsell and Sussn Moore Reaerve ManagementOfficers, W.A, Department of Fisheries and Wild life 35 *

REGENEMTIONOF SMALLBUS}I AREAS Joanna Seabrook EasLern Hills Branch of the W.A, Wildflower Society 4l

THE MANAGEI'fE NT OF A SMALL BUSH BLOCK IN DARLINGTON P.R.E. DaY Eestern llills Branch of the !t.A. Wildflower Societv 43

TIIE ROLEOF LANDSCAPEPLANNING AND DESIGNIN RESERVE ' MAMEEMEM Marion Blackwe 11 Landscape Consultant, Blackwell and Cala 47*

THE ECOLOGYOF SI,IALLI'{AMUALS IN PATCHESOF BANKSIA I{OODLAND WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO FIRE M.J. Banford and J.N. Dunlop W.A, lnstitute of Techno logy

1ii Psge

BIRDS AND MAM!.'ALSIN THE MANAGEI'IENI OF SI,IALLBUSH RESERVES - Dr. Ray llart R.P. and R.M. Hart, Consulting Biologists 58

HABITAT AGTION IN THE METROPOLITANAREA Peter McMi1lan Biologist 64

HOLLYWOODRESERVE - A @MII.IIJNITYAFFAIR G.S. Cannon Gardener, Hollywood Reaerve ... 55

COTTESLOE ROADVERGE RE SERVE Mary Edwards and John Gardner tt Association for cottesloe Reserve

MAMGEUENr OF STAR SWAMP - W.A. Longeragen Departnent oi Botany, University of !{estern Australia 73

BUNGENDORE PARK Kin Sarti Arn€da le-Ke lEs cot t Branch of the I{.A. Wildflower gociety 78

* ST RONAN'sIIELL REgERVE Eric McCrun and MarY Madden W.A. National Park8 & Reserves Associetion Inc (WANPARA) 85

.- MANAGEMEMOT THE PI NIIAROOVALLEY I'IE}ORIAL PARK L. J. Englieh superintendent, Pinnaroo Valley Mernorial Park 9t

TOWNPLANNING IMPEDIMEMS TO I{ILDLIFE CONSERVATION Mex Hipking Town Pianning Consultant' Max llipki.ne and Aegociatee .'. 96

\ A pERspEqrrvE 0N sltALL REsERvE I'IANAGEMENI Ian Briggs Environmental Of fi cer, Department of Conservation and Envitonment 101 -' MANAGEMEtct PLANNTLG FoR METRoPoLTTANBuslt AREAS Robert Powe1l w.A. Departoent of Fisheries and Wildlife tt2

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENIS

Particular thanks are due to tbe speakers, who spoke clearly and succinctly on their chosea topics and subnitted their papers for publication, in mos! caees, with remarkable rapidity. Thanks are also due to Dr Ian Crook (Aesistant Director - Wildlife, Departxnent of Fieheries and Wildlife) for opening, chairing and closing the seninar, an effort nhich contributed significantly to the success of the day. Robert Powe11 (Fisheries and Wildlife) narrants special thanks for his role as co-organiser. Thanks are also extended to the Main Roade Department for the use of their seminar rooo and aseociated facilities. lte are particularly grateful to Margaret Pieroni for designing and drawing the cover to the€e proceedings. IMRODUCTION

The idea of a one-day seminar on the managementof sma1l bush areas in the Perth Metropolitan region grew out of the need Eo bring together ideas and discuss the managenent problems of snall bush areas, The Department of Fisheries and tlildlife is playing an increasing role in this area, particularly as an advisory organisation. Thus, the seminar and these proceedings provide an ideal opportunity for the dissemination of information. A seninar was also needed to highlight that pLanned, active oanageuent, is vital for the survival of srna11 bush areas in an urban setting.

The audience came from a diversity of backgrounds - governnent departEents, Iocal government authorities, conservation group6, nenrbers of tertiery institutions and interested membersof the public. The seminar progran lras conprehensive, based on 22 papers, varying in length from 10 to 20 ninutes. Speakers were drawn frorn a siuilar diversity of backgrounds.

A wide range of topics was covered during the dayts proceedings. The day began with a description of lhe region's flora and its associated fire risk, ltilh Kings Park being used as an exanple, Following this, managernent of bueh in the Metropolitan area was discussed by nernbers of the National Park€ Authority, Fisheries and Wildlife, tertiary institutions and conservation groups. The need for planning, in terms of capability aasessment, landscaping and town planning was diecusged. Sna11 animals, particuLary birds, were considered as an important cooponent. The need for regi.onal planning, planning for individual reserves and continuing managementconcluded the seminar.

The dayrs proceedings served to emphasise and re-emphasise two important points. First, such a venue for infornaLion exchange had long been needed. Second, acquisiton or reservation of an area for conservation mt6t be accompanied by the preparation and inplementation of a manageoentplan.

Susan A, Moore 1984

va1 FLORAOF THE PERTHREGION

N.G. Marchant Botani st, I'I.A. Herbarium

The Western Australian Herbariurn is preparing a handbook to the vascular flora of the Perth Region. The area defined for this purpose encompasses the entire Perth metropolitan region and extends frour Gingin in the north

to south of Bunbury, a rotal of approximately 10 500 tm2 (Uap l). The region includes only the central part of the Swan Coastal plain and a western portion of the northern Jarrah fores!, The eastern boundary of the Region follows a more or less north-south line drawn between the highest points of the Darling Range; the h'estern boundary follows the coastline, including the off-shore is Lands.

A total of 2 010 species in 153 families are recorded in the region. This includes 546 natrrralised aliens which cornprise 277 of the total flora. The high proportion of aliens is not surprising when one considers the amount of dislurbance causedby urban as well as primary and industrial development which has occurred between perth and Bunbury. Although species counts for other areas of similar size are not availabl.e, it seens that the number of native species (I 454) in the perth Region is not particularly high in comparison with other areas of similar size in the South West.

vegetation pa!terns of the perth Region have been well documented by seddon (1972), Heddle (1979), Beard (7979) and Heddle et al. (1980). EssentiaU.y, the vegetation of !he Region consists of north-south !rending zones which closely follow the geomorphological and soil patterns which in turn parallel the Darling Scarp. The geornorphology and geology of the Region have been described by Seddon (I972), Biggs er a1. (19g0) and gappal (f983). The soils have been dealr wirh by Churchward and McArthur (19g0).

Vege!ation

plain The swan coastal suppor!s a nunber of vegetation comprexes ranging frorn closed heath to open forest. There are extensive areas of Jarrah-Banksia -sheoak woodlands on sandy soils and numerous smalr sedgelands and shrublands in winter-wet depressions. This latrer habitat type, particularly in the case of those on the heavier soils near the Darling Scarp, are Map 1. The area to be covered by the Perth Regional F1ora. species rich. There are no figures yet available for the nuober of species recorded on the Coastal Plain.

The Darling Scarp and Darling Range vegetation complexes occupy a greater range of habitats due to the varying rainfal1, complex mosaic of soil types and varying soil depths, The vegetation of the Darling Scarp has been discussed by Heddle and Marchant ( 1983). In this area lhere are aome Idoodlands of Wandoo and Marri on the younger, red soils and extensive heathlands associated with shallow soils. I{arblands commonly occur on the granitic outcrops which are a feature of Lhe Scarp.

Extensive areas of Jarrah forest occur on the lateritic soils of the Darling Range. There are only three tree species commonlyencountered and only a total of approximateLy ten tree species for the whole Darling Range near Perth. There are rnany shrub species which constitute a dense, species rich, heath-like understorey.

Floristics

It is possible that 50-652 of the totel nunber of species recorded for the Perth Region occur on the Coastal Plain and of these probably one-Lhird are restricted to various habitats found onLy on the Plain but extending well norlh and south of Perth. There are few recorded examoles of localised endemics on the Plai n.

At least ten plant species are lhought to be confined to various habitats along the Scarp (Heddle and Marchant 1983). Some of Ehese are very reslricted in distribution and others may occur more widely but have not been sufficient ly col lected.

Of the 153 plant fanilies recorded for the Region, 35 faroilies conlain naturalised aliens only. Of the renaining farnilies, the ones with the highesr numbers of indigenous species are as follows:

Proteaceae Il2 indigenous species Myrtaceae lll Fabaceae lll

Asteraceae 70lrl These farnilies are thus well represented in the Region and, although few figures are available, it is probable that they occur in the same proportion in the flora of other regions of the south lrest.

Approximacely 667 geneta occur in the Perth Region, The largest of these is Acacia 'nith 5l species, representing aproximately 132 of the total W.A. species of the genus.

The number of species of Stylidium (Stylidiaceae), schoenus (Cyperaceae) and Droaera (Droseraceae) on the other hand repreaent 32%, 56Z and 5OZ respectively, of the total W.A. species in those genera. These figures probably indicate the frequency and species richness of the winter-wet depressions referred ro earLier. They may, on the other hand, be the result of the more conprehensive and systematic col-lecting activities because of proximity to Perth.

In conclusion, the flora of Lhe Perth Region is not exceptionally species rich in indigenous species despite great habitat diversity. In conparison, the naturalised alien flora is species rich which is an indication of the degree of habital alienation, particuarly of lhe Swan Coastal Plain.

Beard, J.S. (1979). The vegetation of the Perth area, I{estern Australia. VegnapPublications, Applecross, Perth. 48 pp.

Biggs, 8.R., Leech, R.E.J. and Wilde, S,A, (1980). Geology, Mineral Reaources and Hydrogeology of the Darling System, Weslern Australia. In: AtLas of Natural Resources Darling Systen, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Environment, Perth. pp. 3-20.

Churchward, lt.M. and McArthur, I{.M, (1980). Landforms and soils of the Darling Systero, Western Austrelia. In: Atlas of Naturel Resourcea Darling System, Weslern Australia. Department of Conservation and Environmen!, Perth, pp. 25-33.

Heddle, E.M, (1979). Mapping the vegeta!ion of the Perth Region. In: ilestern Landscapes. Ed. Gentilli, J. Universiiy of Western Australia Pre6s, Perth. pp. 153-I82,

Ileddle, E.M., Havel, J.J. and O.W. Loneragan (1980). Vegetation CompLexe s

4 of the Darling System, I{estern Australia, In: Atlas of Natural Resources Darling System, Western AustraLia, Department of Conservation and Environmenl , Perth. pp, 31-72.

HeddLe, E.M. and Marchant, N.c. (f983). The Status of Vegetation on the Scarp. In: gcarp Synposium. I{AIT Environmental Studies croup Report No. 10. Western Australian Institute of Technology, Perth, pp. t l-16.

Sappal, K.K. (f983). Geology of the Darling Scarp, In: Scarp Synposiun. WAIT Environnental Studies croup Report No. 10. Western Augtralian InBtitute of Technology, Perth. pp. 3-10.

Seddon, C. (1972). gen8e of Place: a reaponae to an environment, the Snan Coastal Plain, Western Australia. Univereity of lfestern Australia Pre8s, Perth. 2'12 pp. TI{E BUSHFIRE RISK IN TiIE PERTII METROPOLITANREGION

John Robley Director, Bush Fires Board of Western AustraLia

"fire The season" for the Perth region extends over a 6 month period each year generally from Novenber to April.

Typical of this season are hot days with moderate to low relative humidities, slrong overnight and early norning easterly winds, and afternoon sea breezes from the west to south-west.

The most serious fire weather conditions occur with the easterLy movement of 1ow pressure Lroughs following periods of rising temperaturea. In these circumstances winds back fron the north-east to the north-west and strengthen, and there is associated aEmospheric instability giving rise to thunderstorms, lightning and erralic fire behaviour,

During a typical sunner there wil.l be approximately 110 days of high fire danger, 25 daye of very high fire danger and 3 to 5 days of extrerne fire danger.

0n days rdhere the fire weather forecaat is Very ltigh or Extreme there is a total ban on the lighting of fires in the open air, this includes barbecue and picnic fires.

'rblow Occasional up" days occur such as those experienced during the passage of cyclone Alby in April 1977, when fire danger conditions exceeded the scale of 1to 100 on the McArthur fire danger meter.

Annual drought (noisture deficiency) factors calculated on Lhe Mount Soil dryness index reach an upper level of 1700 in nost years and the maxim.rrnof 2000 on the index was reached in 1983.

In a summer climate such as this, vegetation reaches a peak of flamnability by Deceruber in Bost years and mainlains this condition untiL significant autumn rains are experienced.

Adninistration of fire hazard reducEion rules and the formation, equipping and maintenance of volunteer bush fire brigades is vested in 1oca1 authorities.

The Bush Fires Bosrd assists with the co-ordination of fire hazard reduccion schernes,training bush fire brigades and provides an administrative, liaison and advisory service.

Within the Perth metropolitan fire district the West AusEralian Fire Brigades Board provides for fire protection, while within State Forests this reponsibility is vested in lhe Conservator of Forests.

Despite deterrnined efforts !o overcome the fire problems in the area controlled by bush fire brigades, the nunber of fires attended annually continues to increase.

In 1976 volunteer brigades in this area attended 192 fires and by 1983 thig has risen to I000.

Over the sarne period however, Ehe average size atteined by fires has reduced tron 17.25 ha to 6.6 ha.

The increase in the nurnber of fires attended can be largely attributed to a continuing shift in the popul"ation tolrards the suburbe snd the popularity "rural of a zonetr lifestyle. The reduction in size the fires reach before they are suppressed can be related to an actively maintained fuel reduction and strategic firebreak construction prograrune covering areas of defined high fire risk.

This latter prograrrme was fully vindicaEed during 7978 when fires associated with cyclone rrAlby" were contained lrith littIe significant danage and no loss of life despite weather conditions which approxinaLed to rrAsh those of the 1983 ['Iednesday'rfiree in Victoria and South Australie.

The causes of fires have varied little over recent years, the nost significant being escapes of fire frorn burning off and rubbish disposal (302), deliberate lighting - arson (302) and eacapes from previous fires, children playing with matches and operation of pLant and machinery accounting for a further 232. Uoder extreme fire weather conditions however, when fires are the most difficult to contain, fires associated nith f.ightning and power lines aasurnea significant importance.

Given the \reather conditione which prevail in this area each suruner and fire causes which are very difficult to control, the sole technique available to the bush fire organisation to reduce the darnagewhich fires may cause liee in fuel reduction and firebreak construction.

The legal besis for this fire managementwork is contained in Section 33 of the Bush Fires Act which authorises local authorities to require oltnera or occupiers of land to construct firebreaks and/or remove fire hazards as specified in by-lawe or a notice. These requirements however, do not bind the Cro\rn.

Despite the general succeaa of these requiremenLs there is an obvious need to co-ordinate neaaures between loca1 auEhority areas' to include within the management scheEe governEen! lands not covered by lhe noticee and to prepare special" provisions coveiing areaa of defined high fire risk.

The Bush Fires Board has assurcd lhis latter responsibility and fornulated a fire protection plan covering the aree. This plan relates to the areas of special high fire riek deternined on the basis of known frequent fire occurrence, steep or rugSed terrain, Poor accese for fire fighting and a mixture of bush areae and housing development'

These areas were defined in conjunction with local authoriliee' llithin these areas fire protection measurea call for the construction of strategically located firebreaks and accesa for firefighling, fuel reduction in bush areas and the isolation, by cultivated or burnt breaks' of knolrn fire sources 6uch es barbecue and picnic sites.

Fire protection measurea are designed to relate to the risk perceived rather than the category of land ownership.

Funding of these works is the responsibility of Lhe landholders concerned, aLthough a significant proportion of the nork is carried out free of charge by volunteer brigade s . In all cases the management objectives of parties concerned are given due recognition and priority and the resulting plans are a compromise befween the management objectives and the fire protection requirements of the comnrnity. ln the case of fuel reduction the aim is to naintain a rnaxiurm fuel loading of 6 tonnes per hectare which fron experience is the naximr:n loading that can be handled by a brigade on a normal surnnerday.

Fuel reduction is prograomed so that at no time does more than 202 of the overall area support fuels to the maxinnrmloading and a mosaic of loadings fron 0-5 tonnes/hectare is naintained. Depending on the vegela!ion found on the bush areas this represents a burning rotation of between 5 and 7 year s .

Each season the burning and firebreak progranrne is discuseed r^rith the landholders by officers of the Bush Fires Board and burning prescriptions prepared specifying the season, fire intensity, lighting pattern and associated constraints which will apply,

Subsequent to lhe burns the areas are inspected and details of lhe burn recorded on fuel quantity naps.

The system allows for proper planning, consuLtation, execution and recording of the worki and to date has received a high degree of co-oDerat ion.

Those concerned in these schemes, in addition to private landholders, include the NationaL Parks Authority, Forests Department, Metropolitan Region Planning Authorily and various local authorities.

All concerned r^rith the planning and impleraentation of these schemes are sensitive to the fact that there is a need to preserve the character of the environment in the region. Plans are therefore executed with a great deal of care and consultaEion. At the same time there is an absolute requirement to protect people, their hornes and the environment itself from the devastating effects of bush fires.

The Bush Fires Board is happy to advise individuals and authorities on the operation of these schemes and the measures which should be taken to

Drotect bushland areas.

10 PEOPLE AND WEEDS: THE VICIOUS SPIRAL BE BROKEN?

PauI Wycherley Director, Kings park and Botanic Garden

Kings Park was set aside (in the planning sense) for public purposes in January 1831, but not until 1872 and 1890 were the rnain areas, approximating to the present 400 ha, gazetted as parkland for recreation. Meanwhile most of the usable jarrah tirser was cut and probably large amounts of firewoocl and kindling, especially blackboys, were removed. Honever, the most serious problems in the managementof the two-thirds of Kings park which is still native bushland, have arisen during this century. One of the mosE serious problens is the invasion of the Park by perennial veldt grass T (Ehrharta calycina), It is not known precisely when and how this grass wae first introduced into Kings Park and other reaervea in the perth area. It may have been accidental due to ite use aa a packing material, or deliberete as a potentiaLly useful agricultural species. Leonard Titshall, an employee of Kings Park Board ftom 1927 to 1968, states that veldt grass was encouraged as a source of revenue, because it was sold as fodder for horses stabled in Perth until the early 1930'e, whereafter it waa recognised as a conpetitive weed. Although veldt grass is the most obvious and probably the most danaging of the introduced plants naturalised in Kings Park, there are nearly fifty others such as Briza, Gladiolus, Homeria, Oxali8, Ronrlea and Wateonia.

Bushfires have also ravaged the buehland periodically, fragnentary recordg report extensive areas burnt, namely 240 ha (which is nore than half the park) on 3 February 1933, 23 ha on 6 February 1939, 16 ha on 3 January l94l and I00 ha three weeks Later. ReLatively complete and detailed records have been kept since Novenber 1944, when a prograrme of fuel reduction control burns was introduced, Initially 250 ha was burnt in the firsL year and areas varying between 40 and 280 ha were so burnt each year up to 1962. It was intended to burn about one qusrter of the bushland (approximately 100 ha) each year on a four year cycle, but various faclors including involuntary fires upset the prograone. After L962 a policy of fire exclusion was tried until 1974, when a nodified systen of less frequent and extensive control burning was introduced,

Figures 1A, lB and lC, 2, 4 and 5 illustrate graphically the nain

11 'u lfl Humuertit by incendtS;?::"

D Total area (ha) ?igure JB burnt each year (ha) I Q l,ru" burnt in largest fire

7

Figure I Meanarea (ha) 7C burnt per f ire during year ?,_.%

Xrl)

/-'- "'-' _' _'-'- --_-\.4.2 -:;-=<.2<.<,.>---::l-:

l--J L I eereo u'-l -'r '//, ".--:7 lrr iqated Hisl {Cl Y".vhrsh_risk ti to rist< sris[t risk '// ftsK rrequenr irres *9(

Nutberof fires * and area (ha) burnt In eight 3-hour periods .-o 39 years records 21 ildnt 03 \29'r(3)\/ lltn(rsy' E9 44*(12) 10) 0 6I ooo. o (75''

o.- L

Years 9ince lEst burnt

Pigure 5 50*b t20 40*sE

590 30**- OE 550 -c) l0* z tF

#l I l{ewYear #16 Fortnight I y Periods components of the records for the 39 fire seasons commencingwith that for 1944/45 and concluding vith that just ended, nameIy 1982/83. The years enlered on the horizontal axis of Figures 1A, B and C correspond to changes in policy, especially in 1944, 1952 ar.d 7974. No consistent trend is evident in the nunber of files each year or in the nunber or proportion attributed to incendiaries (Figure 1A). The area burnt in the largest fire forms a considerable conponent of the total area burn! each year, which displays a somewhatcyclic pattern (Figure lB), especially if the extensive areas prescribed burnt i.n 1944/45 and irnrnediately subsequent yeara are taken into account (these are not shown in the figures, which refer only to involuntary fires). The cycLic patLern might merely reflect the tirae taken to build up (Figure 3) a critically dangerous fuel load in those portions of the park more susceptible to bushfires (Figure 2).

The physical character of Lhe park has been uodified during the period under review, for exarnple the Botanic Gardens aLong the scarp and the tVigtar Eransecting. the park, both of low fire risk, have been added since 1962. At the sane tine the manpolder and equipnent available for fire fighting have been upgraded. The susceptibility to fire is mainly a natter of topography, steep sl-opes snd exposure to wind, aLthough in the northern corner of the park social factors over-ride to impose an exceptionally high frequency of fires.

The rate of accurnrLation of fuel (Figure 3) is alarmingly rapid. There is definitely a dangerous situation within four years of the last burn, rdhether deliberata or unintentional. This rnay be due !o prevalence of Sheoak in the tree understorey end almo6t certainly to the dominance of v-eldt grass in the ground cove!, both of which help fire to spread rapidly. Figure IC shows the average area burnt in each fire.

The dafa pernits analysis of the records according to year, date, day of the week, hour of the day and supposed cause of fire. Figure 4 shor,tsthat the rDosE denage, or largest area burnt, was due to fires which began between 12 noon and 1500 houre (3 pn), these totalled 28I of all firee and contributed 541 to the area burnt. The number of fires and total area burnt in each 14 day period during the 39 years are given in Figure 5, both peak in fortnight No. 14, that is the first half of January. Ilowever, whereas the curve for nunber of fires plateaus from Novenber to March, the total area burnt, and also the average area burnt per fire, displays a urch

74 sharper peak in January alone. The high fire danger in January and in the early aflernoon conforms with general experience.

These severe sumrner bushfires damage the tree canopy and destroy tree seedlings and shrubs. Consequently more light penelrates both vertically and latera1ly, which encourages strong regeneralion of veldt grass fron underground rhizomes, and root competition wifh the trees for moisture and nutrienls, so depressing the restoration of the tree canopy. It is unlikely that any method of veldt grass reduction or control, for example by herbicides, will achieve broad scale, long term succeas unless the tree and shrub cover can be restored and rnaintained.

The responses of individual naEive species to veLdt grass conpetition and the frequency, intensity and season of burning vary. Red and Oreen Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) and gea Crest (Helichrysuo cordatuur) seern to be reLatively little affected by veldt grass and to respond favourably to nore frequent burning. Milknaids (Burchardia urnbellata) and Conostylis acuLeata are respectively slightly depressed and slightly favoured by frequent burning, but both are depressed by ve1.dt grass competition. The Yellow Buttercup (tiibbertia hypericoides) has a very low reproductive capacity by seed and depends for ite eurvival in nature on the individual planlrs longevity which may be as m.rch as a century; it seems to be scarsely affected by fire, but to be sensitive to veldt grass conpetition and to respond very adversely to trampl.ing, mowing or other physical disturbance.

0rchids such as Cor{slip Orchid (Caladenia flava) and pterostylis speciee presen! a paradox in relation to fire, flowering specirnene are more visible in recently burnt areas, but their populations decline in more frequently burnt areas, presumably due to burning of the tubers and loss of sub-surface nould. Superficially orchids do not seen Eo be affected by veldt grass conpetition over the range studied, but this may be because they are so sensitive that any grass invasion is detrimental. prickly Moses (Acacia pulchella), which is inportant in Kings park as it provides protec!ive cover against feral cats, for the nesting of snall birds, requires fairly hot firee at intervals of five or nore years. Soraespecies such as Ribbed llakea (Hakea costata) are seldom seen except after severe burns. overall the native flora is adversely affected by veldr grass competition. Veltlt grass increases the rate at which dangerous fuel loads build up and the rate at lrhich wildfires spread. In lhe absence of veltlt Srass severe buehfires have various natural effecte, adverse and beneficial, on the different conponents of the native flora and their interactions, but lthere there is veldt grass severe nild firee are cumrlatively detrinental, These firee increase veLdt gra8s conpetition and dominance through the destruction of the tree canopy and suppression of tree and shrub regeneration. People who light fires, accidentally or deliberately, comPlete the vicious spiral.

When lhe known caugee of the Kings Park bushfires are examined, none is found to be due to natural csusea such as lightning or spontaneous con:bustion, There nay be such cases arnong those whose cause could not be itlentified, honever as far as can be determined all the fires considered in this review were lit by people aither accidentally or deliberately, the latter being claesified as incendiaries, The following table classifies, by cause, the bushfires in Kings Park over the last 39 years.

CAUSE TOTAL AREA NO. OF I,IEAN LARGEST BURNI (h8) FIRES AREA AREA

I NCENDIARIES 351 208 t.69 80.0 (73) (42) (172) (100.0 )

UNKNOWN 69 _tJo 0.51 26.0 (14) (28) (32.5)

SIOKERS 32 6t 0.37 5.0 (7) (18) 117) (7.s)

VARIOUS* 30 59 0.51 8.4 (6) (12) (s2) (r0.5)

ALL 482 494 0.98 80.0 (r00) (r00) (100) ( r00.0)

*campers, drunks, chi ldren, fireworks, escapes f,rom control' or rubbish

f ires , etc.

r5 When several fires have been lit simultaneously or traces of the neans of lighting the fire survive, there is little doubt !ha! an incendiary was the cause. Most incendiaries presunably intend their fires to burn and therefore lighl fires so Ehat lhey are not likely to be detected, do not report their fires or Ery to put them out. Incendiaries may be motivated by malice, pyromania or a betief that burning is good for the bush or will drive out snakes and undesirables. Apart from being the largest single cause, fires lit by incendiaries do the most damage, especially in area burnt. By contrast fires lit accidentally by smokers are u6ua1ly promptly reported and efforts made by the ceu8al party to put them out.

I{hile we cannot afford to ignore any cause of fire or neglect any precautions, Ite must pay special attention to the incendiary during periods of high fire risk. h/hile recognising the need to prescribe fire to manage the vegetation for positive purposes as well as protection, so powerful and dangerous a tool cannot be allowed to pasa into the wrong hands, Parks are for people and Kings Park is freely open to the public at ell times. Thus there is neither the intention nor prospect of excluding people. Perhaps the influence of incendiaries on the vicious spiraL may be controlled by encouraging rnore people to use the Park nore extensively, and thereby exercige surveillance over each other. Therefore access by dual use pedestrian and cycle paths is being inproved. Educational and inlerpretative progranmes have been initiated to make the bushLand more attractive, understandable and enjoyable and to 80 motivate people to visit it and Drotect it.

17 OBSERVATIONSIN KINGSPARK

Alison Baird Botanist

Sampling of Vegetation

in by studenEs in the Park was initiated by Dr Armstrong QuanEit.ative work yds were out and napped and were then f936. QuadraEs 6 yds x 6 Pegged years' Other quadraLs rtere Put down re-napped at intervals over succeeding gome quadrats were destroyed during the next fen years. of theae Permanent more' or lost, but a fet, lasted for 30 years or

Information froo these showed:

smal'1 shrube' auch as ltibbertia' A. The Long persistence of the comton of the sedge clumps' The Daviesia, Oxylobium, Sterlingia, and some sprouted and regained lheir shrubs ldere burnt off several times but formersize.Thechangesinsizdover30yearawereverysmall.

graes in the quadraEs' B. The entry and increaee of veldt

done by gtudenEs' psrticularly during other samPling of the vegetation was on the distribution and the 19508, and considerebl"e data was accumJlated gfasc ldas also recorded' This abundance of species. Distribution of ve1'lt of the bush area of Kings Park' sarnpling wae done in the south-wes! hslf

into the Park through the university veldt grass was thought to have come in the open Tuart sices aL the grounds and by 1939 it was well established fires in 1939 and 1952' it had top of Lonkin Drive. By 1955, after two along firebreeks - the edges of becone very dense. The grass spraad for veldt grass germination ploughed firebreaks are particularly Eavourable bush' particularly after - and frorn these firebreaks into the adjacent and still is, easier in open fires. Establishment of veldt grsss was' i na stands' Tuart than in lhe denser Banksia- Casuar

fire Regeneration of the undergrowth after

This has been one of my special interests and ooEes and photographs have

18 been taken after particular fires. Alruost all of lhe low shrub species, the wing monocots and Xanthorrhoeas and Macrozamias sprout vigorously; these are all shrubs \'rith rnultiple shoots from woody rootstocks. This growth is rapid conpared with lhe slow gronth in unburnE bush and flowering is particularly good in the second, third and fourth years folloving the fire. In long unburnL bush the plants becornevery straggly, they are ofEen insect infested, and may become partly snothered by fallen leaves, Particu lar ly under Casuarina.

The few species which are killed by fire - the ta11 shrubs Conospermum ( Snoke Bush), AdenanLhos (Woo1ly Bush) and Dryandra, each in rather restricted areas, with the widespread Acacia pulchella (prickly Moses), also the Piroelea rosea (Rose Banjine) and the small Gornpholobiun tomentoaum - all regenerate freely from seed. Two species which are killed, but which produce very few seedlings, ere the ta11 handsone heath Leucopogon racemuLosus and the purple CaLytrix fraseri ( SurnrnerFringe-Myrtle). These have becornealnosl exlinct in the western greas.

Fire stiruJlates flowering in some species, such as Xanthorrhoea and Sterlingia. Herbaceous species usually flower better lrith the shrub conpetition reduced by fire, due to the increased availability of light and nutrients from the ash. The most striking fire weed is the annual spear grass !!9pg cornpressa, which is very conspicuous with its long golden awns, abundanl afler, and conpletely absent bellreen fires.

The season of burn alters the sequence of the regeneration. Autumn burns favour the herbaceous species which have plenty of bare ground for seed gerrnination or grolrth from corrns or tubers, before the shrub cover is re-established. Unfortunately it is not only the native species which are aided but also the veldt grass, Gladiolus and Cape Tulip, which are rruch Iarger and more aggressive than the native herbs. Spring burns are more suitable as they give the shrubs time !o become well established before the winter rains and Lhe accornpanyinggrowth of herbs.

On the other hand, seedlings of native species are favoured by suruner or autunn burns. Spring burns may however endanger nesting birds. Therefore selection of a burning regiroe is dependent on managementpriorities. rt is well knordn that sumurerwildfires severely danage adult trees and kill

1A saplings, whereas uild control burns do rninimal damage. One of the former Directors of Kings Park, Dr Watson, had a policy of control burns in small areas, and this provided protection against wildfires, Magnificent displays of wildflowers resuLted, but this was before the advent of veldt grass, Tree deterioration, particulary of the Tuart-Jarrah woodland, has been discusgetl in a paper by Dr Beard in 1967 and by Dr Wycherly in his paper today. Casuarinas are very badly daroagedby fire. I{owever, they do survive, albeit in a nutilated condirion with hollowed out trunks, poor canopy and low foliage (which suppresses undergrowth and increases the fire hazard), Banksiss appear to be the least damagedby fire.

Conc1u s ion

The flowering undergrowth, with its low shrubs, Blackboys and sedges, is very stable, as it is conposed of long Lived slow growing plants weIl adapted to periodic fires (if chese are not too frequent or intense). Providing the canopy or shrub cover is dense veLdt grass does not penetraEe easily. However, non thet the seed is widely distributed any fire or similar dislurbance will encourage its furlher spread.

In concl"usion, anyone involved in ecology soon reaLises that there are no easy ansners to the problens of complex vegelation associations faced r.rith disturbance. Every association, in fact every species, behaves differentl.y in response to fire, drought, conpetition and disturbance. Thus, what is good for one species raaybe bad for another.

More detail on lhe above topic is given in a paper in the Journal of the Royal society of W.A. (1972).

20 NATIONAL PARK MANAGE}'ENI

Co1in Sanders Director, National Parks Authoriry of WA

IMRODUCTION

Netional parks are on the whole, superior elements of the landscape and of

the biological system of a particular region,

In this regard they are usually large areas which are both scenically attractive, and contain a self-sustaining ecosystem. Moreover, national parks are a natural heritage conserved and presented for the comnunityr s recreat ional enjoyrnent and inspiration.

In this regard national parks are generally larger and rnore diverse reserves than mo€t smell bush areas in the Perth Metropolitan Region. Honever, it is lrorth setting national. parks in context nith these smaLler areas.

The Stater s 65 national parks and reserves, vested in the National parks Authority, are sreaa of significant ecenic grandeur and they poasess many attributes attractive to tourists. Last year l.l rnillion peopLe visited them end in this respect the nalional park systen provides a major tourist drawcard.

HISTORYOF NATIONAL PARKS

The world's first national park was established in 1872 at yellotrstone in USA. It was recognised at that time that yellonstone was a region which exhibited very high scenic attractions, as wel.1 as geoLogical feature6 and biological el"enents thaE lrere unique to the aree and were not known (at thst tine), elsewhere in the United States, and in this regard they were of tnationalr significance. Hence the !itLe trNational parkt'.

AustraLia set aside the worldr g second national park, the Royal National Park south of Sydney, in 1879. ltoreover, soon afterward, NSWalso reaerved - the third national park Kuringai Chase, nortt of Sydney on the southern tributaries of the HawkesburyRiver.

2L WesLern Australia rdas rather later, with national parks as such not being established until l93l rhen Yanchep, which had been reserved since 1905 for Caves, Flore and Health, was declared a national park. A few olher so-called national parks in the wider Metropolitan Region were set aside later, and tended to be small areas for parkland or recreation. These do not fa11 within preaent day criteria for naEional Parks. These gmall reserves included John Forrest, tesmrrdie Fal1s, Gooseberry Hill ' Kalamrnda, Serpentine and Walyunga National Parks.

- With regpect to international criteria relating to national Parks the lnternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (which is a division of UNES@), established a definition of national parks in 1959, which enbracee to varying degrees, the many national parks of this State.

"A Nationel Park is a relatively large area (1) where one or several ecosysEenB ere not materially altered by human exploitation and occupa!ion, tthere Plant and animal species, geomorpholog i cs 1 sices and habilats are of special scientific, educative and recreaLive interesE or trhich contains a naturel landscape of great beauty and (2) where the highest conpetent authority of the country has taken stePs to PrevenL or to el,ininate as soon as possible exPloitacion or occuPation in the whole erea and to enforce effectively the resPect of ecological, geonorphoLogi caI or aesthetic fealures which have led to its establishnent and (3) where vioitors are sl.lolted to enter, under special conditions, for inepirational, educative, cultural and recreative purposes"'

In respect of I{estern Australia, the National Parks Authority has published gtate, its ltanagenent Policies which note the! national parks in this inter alia, should meet the following criteria. They should be:

a) spacious area6, outatandingly superior in natural qualities and beauty;

b) large enough to perrnit appropriate public use and enjoyoent together with the continuous and effective managementof the plant and animal coranrnities; c) capable of oanagement perrnitting a wide range of opportunities for

non-urban enjoyment, such activities being subject to the over-riding necessity to preserve the nalural features;

d) containing a diversity of natural resources including f ine scenery and fealures of scientific interest. and

e) having sufficiently low boundary length to area ra!io to withstand the deleterious effecLs of incorupatible neighbouring land use.

Moreover, the Managementpolicies observe that ...

the purpose of National parks is to preserve for all tine, scenic beauty, wilderness, native wild1ife, indigenous plant Life and areas of scientific importance, while also providing for the appreciation and enjoyment of these things by the public in such ways and by such means as will leave them for future generations as little inpaired as possible, tl

In the mid I950rs, the Austral"ian Academy of Science eought the views of the Australian ecientific cornmrni!y on the adequacy of national parks and nature reserves in Austral"ia. rn l{estern Australia a sub-cornmittee of the Australian Academy of science, which included academice and governnent officere, lraa set up in 1958, to prepare a report on the need for reserveg, The docurnent was finalised in 1962, and discuesed the desirabiLity of an extended netnork of conservation reaervea for I{estern Austral.ia besed on the existing structure. other recommendations were made regarcring rand acquisition for future conservation reaerves. Consequently, by the late l950rs and early 1970's, a number of large ecologicarry serf-sustaining national parks were dedicated, including Cape Arid, Cape Range, Chichester Range, Drysdale River, ceikie corge, Itanersley Range, Watheroo ancl Windjana Gorge.

rn 1972' one of the first acrions of the newly estabrished Environmentar Prolection Authority was !o set up a Conservation Through Reserves Connittee (6TRC), This Committee divided Western Australia into tz denographic and geornorpho1og i caI systems, and each of these was considered in respect of representative areas of land lrorthy of reservation, The terms of reference given rto to CTRC were review and update the 1962 j

I recommendations of a sub-coronittee of the Australian Acadeny of Science (wA) with respect to national parks and nature reserves of lhe StaEe,l

Subsequently, the Environmental Protection Authority brought forward, in a series of three rRed Books', its own recommendations for the establishnent of national parks and nature reserves throughout Western Australia. The System 6 area which erubraces the greater Metropolitan Region has yet to be t reporled on by that Authority. (Released May 1984 - editor's note) I I d -T MANAGEME NI OF MTIONAL PARKS l $

The National Parks Authority Act requires the AuthoriEy to develop guidelines for the operation and conservation of its national parks' In this regard, policies have been eslabLished that are framed to: a) conserve the naturel environment, preserve and enhance nalural beeutyi b) control and manage, naintain, study, care and reslore the natural

anrri rnnnont' c) provide and maintain access and facilities for public recreation and utilisation whereby the conmrnity can enjoy the beauty of the natural environment; d) plan and control recreation and utilisation to be compatible ltith the preservaEion of the natural environurent, and e) provide information services and educate the conrm-rnityin relation to the use and enjoynent of the facilities available, and to the understanding and appreciation of the natural feetures'

However, because the State is so large with rnany remote regions ' the Authority has great difficulty in fulfilling these criteria.

If we examine the parks near Perth which are regionally linked to the Metropolitan srmll bush reserves, we can denonstrate tha! about 600 000 people per year use our various recreational areas (see diagrarn).

Elsewhere in the State, tourist dernandsare not as high, but they are

24 r

D]AGRAMMATIC REPFESENTATION OF STAFF DEPLOYMENT l- I Hrme{vruEY I l..l:gJ DaLrt: lrr igait

I G€I(IE GGCE I a/] I nrngrr I -_t I I tn.F cnEx csaTERI I I rlr'tmld | |

r|NTIfNfl REEIfl

150'm Vbltcr l.r iullcr h. HATIEfiI.EYRTllt 1 Rrrllt

currEnml.E I | "- --' f u:rc ----:

@!- ib gfrrtntrd.nt D,E Vlrltcr lal,m h. xrtgnnt (110,@ Ulrttc.) f Rr€.s.

XIiE E lutltll& Prfi( (Ptrficlr) I ? out rdldno5t ||..ttdid P|rtt

FefilFfEnFs.Irax Attota 9rfi€ f$crcP, JD FmE$. tttrlct. EFEf,tIl€' AUOIvt[EY I 6 otJE. (8m'@ Vrdtd.) g nr!.t|

XIEM.E |,EI I Mtmt mFG Urrrd r-Erllx- lruIstE I F.rF

SANCNN REEIBI FgEnu{, nannE I irgidld S|.9.rlrtri|rt 3 R-Eara ZD.O VLttlr. sS,F m certainly localLy concentrated. For example, in the Kirnberley Region, the national parks at Geikie Gorge and Windjana Golge cater for about 15 000 and 4 000 campers respec!ively per touriet season (ApriI to october). In the Pilbara Region, particularly Hamersley Range National Park near Wittenoom (r^rhere there are spectacular gorges) fourism reached 36 000 visitors in 1982. Uoxeover, further tr'est at Millstreaxn National Park, 18 000 tourists were recorded last year, rthilst at Cape Range National Park on the coast near Exmouth. 23 000 visitors were recorded.

This 1evel of tourism places a meaurable pressure on the NPA particularly when it is realised that the Authority has only four resident rangers in the North-lJest, Fortunately, however, the Authority has l3 caravan-based mobile rangers, solne of whom are stationed in the Pilbara and Kinberely Regions throughout the lourist season, to assist in management.

The mid-coast of Western Auetralia has the rnagnificence of Kalbarri, an area which offers the visitor a variety of altractions. 0n the one hand, there is Kalbarri National Park which includes the lturchison corge, the coastal heath which is a riot of wildflowers in spring and early aurtrner, and the coastel cliffs and gorges; and on lhe otherr the town overlooks the beautiful Murchison River estuary l{there both in-shore and off-shore water based recreation is a highlighu. The National Parks Authority estimateg that there are about 140 000 tourist movementaper year within the Kalbarri National Park. Thie figure is derived from honour box coLlecEions which are made at various loalities, and which indicate lhaL nost tourists visit a nurnber of aEtractions within the Park.

Farther south near Cervantes in Nambung National- Park the rnain tourist attraction is the 'Pinnacles Desertr - an area of stark limesrone structurea standing in a barren sandy wilderness. This landscape is well known in pronotional pictures of tr{estern AusEralia. The overall level of vieitation Eo the area is presently unknown. Honever, visitor numbers are sufficiently high for a tourist operator to run a successful bus tour through the area,

In the South llest, the beauty of the Leeuwin-Natura1i ste National Park, the Karri forest at Walpo 1e-Norna1up and Penberton National Parks, and Torndirrup National Park at Albany (which includes the cap, the Blowholes

and the Natural Bridge) are all well known and well visited. Additionally,

26 the mountainous and botanically rich Stirling Range and.Porongurup National Parks have been favoured areas for tourism for many years, particularly during the wildflower season.

To the east is the Fitzgerald River National Park, between Bremer Bay and Ravensthorpe, where approximalely 600 endemic species of flora have been recorded. This national park, like Kalbarri, conbines the various elements of scenic grandeur of the coast and hinterland, with both the mounlainous terrain of the Barren Ranges, and its biological richness as denonstrated by the superb f lora.

In the Esperance region there are four nationaL parks which are visited by tourists following the rrLeeuwin Waytr. These are Stokes and Peak Charles National Parks near ltunglinup, Cape Le Grand National" Park east of Esperance and Cape Arid National Park a further 100 km eestward. Cape Le Grand is a najor tourist attraction for the Esperance region where features of Landforo, flora and fauna and the coast are beautifully interrelated. The sane can be said of Cape Arid National Park, south of BaLladonia, which enconpassea a Large area including Mt Ragged.

The successful managenent of thie diverse suite of national parks which are spread regionally, and which include a range of clinatee and an enormous diversity of land forrns, as well ae of flore and fauna, can only reasonably be oet through the services of a dedicated ranger workforce. In this regard, lhe ranger is the backbone of operations and the interface with the public, assisting the viaitor in his understanding of the environment as well aa providing and maintaining facilities. In addition to these activities in public relations, the national park ranger assists in the scientific aasesamen!of natural areas, as well as instituting appropriate fire management practices. As noted in other papers at this Seminar, Western Australian flora is sensitive to fire, either being stimrlated by it or preferring long periods without. Either way, guch flora exisLs in national parks, and a knowLedge of these plants and of the history of fire in the area, is necessary for successful nanageuent.

Moreover, the National Parks Authority has a dual responsibility to protecE its nany parks froo the ingress of fires onto the reserves, and an equally weighted responsibility to ensure that if fire sEarts in a park, that it doea not escape onto private property. This is an arresone task to fulfil.

?7 In conoequence, the Authority has a Large arnuaL fire nanagelhent ibudget fot' the purpose of constrircting fire breake, fire lines for control burna, cnd for the purchase of appropriate equiprent. This tudget, hotrever, iis inadequate for the task at hand.

In these respects, national park sanageoeflt iB not diesirnilar to that of small bueh reservea, it is juat on a Inrch larget ecale. coNcLusroNs

This paper hag been put foruard in an endeavour to Place in context th€ differences and sinilarities bet$een n€tional parks !g !g and snall bush reServeg.

National Parks end Bnall bu6h areae euffer the same problens and there jie a real need to narehal eufficient nanageoent €upport to protect snd conserv€ these areas, and yet at th€ eame t itre provide opportunities for 'the comrnity to discovef, end to €njoy th€ir h€rltage.

28 }'ANAGE}.IE NI OF MTIONAL PARKS IN TIIE PERTH METROPOLITANREGION

Ron llaterhou se

SuperintendenE, John Forrest National Park

INTRODUCTION

There are nine national parks within the Perth Metropolitan region. These parks have e total area of 8 500 ha and range in eize from Yanchep (approxirnately 3 000 ha) to cooseberry lliLL (33 ha). Five of these parks are eubject to considerable vieitor preaaure with toLal visitor nur$ers of ebout 500 000. Thue, we have I 200 000 feet traraping about in these parks each year, but there is more to park managementthan just feet.

MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND PROBLEMS

Under the National Parks Authority Act, one function of the Authority ig rrto preserve snd enhance the natural beauty of the State, and Eo provide and maintain facilities for the enjoyment of that beauty by Lhe conmrnity.rl

When analysed, this creates problems for nanagenent. How does one enhence the natural beauty or provide facilities for the enjoyuent of that beauty nithout affecting it? Any facility provided would normally Eean the de€truction of part of the environment in the imediate eurrounds. The provision of roads, parking areas, naLk trails, toilets and eo on mrs! be at the expense of the environment, either by physical location, or as a result of the uae of that facility by the pubLic. The physical aspec! is largeLy under our control, as stepe can be leken to ninirnise danage, but the use of the facilily by the public, and the resuLting danage is mrch harder to control. Factors such ag lirter and eroeion quickly becone apparent. The effect of fire and spread of dieback are ru.rch alolrer to show, but are nonetheless importent.

How do lre handle these present day nanagement problerns?

Firstly, todayre managenent has inherited development, that is the layouc and facilities of many years ago. This is particularly the case in yanchep and John Forrest NationaL Parks, and to a lesser exEent in lfalyunga,

Serpentine and Leam-rrdie. Greenmount, Gooseberry Hill, Kalam.rnda and

2A Neerabu? are undeveloped as far as faciXities for th€ pubrliic a,ne conserrned. Thus in the former parks it is the maintenaoce, correctio,o crf fallts and combatting the environmental effects of earLy development, whi ch occupies much of our time.

Secondly, we have the visitor, whom we regard as a VIP, and. ae such,. s.hror:.ld be given every opportunity to enjoy the parks. The problem is, hovever, that the presence of the visitor in the park leads to degradation o.f the p4rk environment, Thus we have the conflict of development and the visitor, versus the environmenE, I{here developnent has been inherited little can be done to resolve tl.le conflict, while there is s.ti11 the maintenance and updating of these facilities to be considered.. ttrieitor inpact can be guided to some exEent by careful managementand planning, for exampLe by discouraging use of paths prone to erosion and by good housekaeping.

Even rrhen use is careful.ly pl.anned degradation still oecurs. The forne of degradation which rmet be faced are as follovsl

Rubbish

The collection of rubbish involvee about 207 of our time, thus i! ia a dorninant factor. I attribute mo6t of the rubbish to Eodern day trends in packaging and disposables, We have throw alray cups, ptrates and even babyrs napkins. In addition there are flip tops, fast food containers end fsncy jackets on bottlee which can be torn into incredibly long strips.

The rnajority of the public are litter conscious, particuLarly if there are easil.y assessible bins available, but sone people donrt seen to care how or rdhere they dispose of thei.r rubbish. The dumpiag of household rubbish in parks is easier to control because nosE of it is traceabl.e, but car bodiee and parts, building rubble, surplus concrete and general junk can rarely be traced. Refreshment retail outlets adjacent !o, or within parks contribute considerably to the litler problems.

We find there are tno prine factors which heLp reduce f.ittering.

The firet is housekeeping, and if road and walk trail verges, picnic areas and the bush are kept free of rubbish, the public tend to respect the

30 cleanliness,

The secold factor is bine. Care and thought should be used in their pLacement, and in deternining that there are sufficient to cope r.rith the rubbish, ln our situation it is important that lids are fitted to the bins. Cats and ravens can pLay havoc nith an open bin and only add to the work of rubbish co1le ct ion.

Erosion

Erosion is a najor probJ.ernin parks aLong the Darling Range. The most gevere erosion is guLlying by water runoff, but sheet erosion at picnic sites and areas where pedestrian traffic is heavy, aleo causes concern. Badly sited tracks, firebreaks, horee lrails and gravel parking areaa are particuLarly prone to rdater erosion, It is essentiel that a continual ervarene6s be maintained, and careful planning done to ensure that any eroeion ie checked before beconing too severe. lle have overcone most of our serioug erosion by filling gulliee, controLling run off and re-siting tracks and paths when possible.

Our method of erosion control on trecks is to fill gulliee and roughly form sith I bulldozer, sheet with gravel where necessary, and finish off nith a grader - the latler being ueed to install. run offs wherever necessary. Pathways, because of the reduced width, need a differen! rlechanical approach. Most of lhe lrork is done by hand, although we have found a bobcat nini loader ueeful, and a laeting job can be achieved by water Y binding the formed path nith a vibrating ro1ler. The control of nater run-off by continual diversion is the rnost effective. Our forns of diversion include continuous one way canber on hillside tracko, left or right carnber to drains away fron the tracks, and for paths h81f buried logs are euccessfully being used to divert lrater. Ripping of unueed tracks is very effective.

Once the initial control work is done continued maintenance is necessary. Tracks sre graded when required, run-offs cleared of silt and debris, and a careful lratch kept to contain any renewal of erosion - a few minutes with a shovel ofteo prevent6 major repairs later.

Erosion control work is expensive in cost and rabour tine. Machinerv hire for e dozer and greder cogts up to $100 per hour, plus our own machinery running costs. Constant supervision is necessary to ensure the desired resultg and rnaxirnumoutput. While lre have overcome moet of our severe erosion, there is sEi1l rnrch to be done in control and maintenance.

Fire

Fire control presents problens in national parks, and mrst be carefully considered. Regular burning, before any plant species reacheg its climax, will eventually destroy that species. Continual burning al.so pronotes annual grasses - particularly in high rigk areas such as road verges. Thug we have the conflict of fire ver6us preservation. Because the dangef of fire escaping into or out of the parks, and any resulting daflger to life and property, it becotee necesaary to lteigh up the vaLue of preservation vereus fire ri sk.

Thus ne endeavour to reach a conproniee, and as insurance agsinst the lrpread of wildfire ve maintsin a buffer zone containing low fuel concentrations around larger park areas, and burn out blocks as they become too dangerous. Ae an additional reinforcement, we place a high priority on our ability to contain an outbreak of fite before it gains an uncontrollable hold.

The NationaL Perks Authority recognises the irnportance of fire mnnsgenent. There are !!ro heavy and nine light duty fire unite avsilable to cover these regional parks. These are radio equipped and are progreseiveLy being updated. Al l ranger staff are trained to the advanced fire courae standard, and senior staff hold a fire weather officerrs certificate. It is aLso policy to naintain a close liaison with neighbouring shires and their brigades, and participate in mrtual fire control as either an attack or backup force.

A point of interest in the ltundaring area is that although the nurnber of firee has increased in the last seaaon, the area of the fires has decreesed. This indicates fast attack and possibly greater efficiency. A disturbing factor though, is the high incident of deLiberately lit fires.

Vandal.i sn

Given that there are about half a rnillion visitors per year to these parks,

?2 the incident of vandalism is relatively low - possibly in the order of 0.012. However, it exists; the roain forms being graffiti, physical danage to structures, brokan bottles and damageto fLora.

Again, housekeeping plays an important part in reducing vandalism. A clean cared for toilet block does not atfract vandals as does an unslrep! block covered in graffiti. Sirnilarly, a fixture such as a rrater tap is lesg prone to danage if its riser is secureLy fixed to a solid stake - an unsupported tap riser invites destruction.

0ther factors, such as using sereen bl-ocks instead of louvres in toiLet blocks, and removing graffiti as aoon as possible diecourage vandalien.

When any facility is being upgraded, thought is given to en€ure that the facility would not be prone to obvious vandaliera. This is having good results, both fron an aesthetic point of view, and in reducing coetly repairs.

REGULATIONBREACHE S

The National Parks Authority has Regulations designed to protect the parks fron damage, and ensure lhaL the public enjoy the parks and the psrk facilities.

Connon breeches include the removal of wood and rocks, taking pets into the parks, unauthorised use of tracks by vehicles and the dunping of rubbish. Mosl of the people apprehendedobviously knolr they are breaching Regulations, but often plead ignorance. In most caaes lre use a policy of educetion rather than prosecution, There are a nunber of reagons for thisn among which are leck of evidence or witneasee, the long proceas of, prosecution, the need to naintain harmonious relations hrith our neighbours - who are ofcen offenders - and reducing the poesibility of retaliatory action,

Nevertheless , I would not hesitate to recommend prosecution for serious breaches such the lighting of fires, deliberate danage, or apprehension a second tine.

33 VISITOR PRESSURE

Visitor pres€ure can have an effect on parks and park nanagement. Facilities, including car parks and the provision of barbecuee and picnic tables! can come under pressures lrhich Dlat be carefully asaessed. Recreational sporfs facilities are often reque€ted, but these should be refused becauge sports ovals and sixnilar fecilities are not conpatib le lrith national parks. It is fortunale that there are increasing nuobers of alternative venues for recrea!ional activities beconing available. I feel thal poesibly these are relieving nationaL parks of aone pressure, but this relief ia nore than offset by the pressure of inherited activitee which date back many years. Policiee !o exert control over these activities are lrorking, generally by compronise which allows the activity to continue, whiLe minimieing the effect on the parko,

CONCLUSION

I have nentioned some of the faclor€ embracing day to day rlanagenent problerns in national parks, but beyond these are facLors which also should be considered. These regional national parks contain a nunber of species of declared rare fLora, an Aboriginal sile or t!ro, Lhe only ceves close to this city which are open to the public, and provide a representative exanrple of Jarrah, V,Iandooand sma1l areas of the almost vaniehed Tuart forests. The undeveloped parks are important in that they provide sanctuaries for wildlife displaced by urban sprawl .

These points highlight the need for preservation, and one mlst be aware of them lahen naking rnanagement decisions, So \re mlst be concerned not only lrith the nillion feet thie year - but also with preeerving e heritage for the millions of fee! of the future. Thie is nhat national oarks are all about !

34 THE PERTIIMETROPOLITAN REGION MTURE RESERVES

Jiu Goodsell and Susan Moore

Reserve Management officers, W.A. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

There are 30 nature reaerves in the Perth Metropolitan Region (here defined a8 the Perth I{ild1ife district, according to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; see map). The region includes 28 Local GovernmentAuthorities. The purpose of lhe nature reservea within this region range fron rDrainage and Faunar to tstildlife Parkr to rFl.ora and l,hrrsery Schoolr to rConservaEion of Flora and Faunar (see table). Thus, lhe Metropolitan nature reaervea (MNR) enconpass a broad spectrum of purposes. Their size range is similarly broad - from the two island reservea (Third Rocks and The Sisters) in Warnbro Sound, of negligible size, Eo Thomsons Lake, nith an area of 509 ha. These reservea occur in l0 of the 28 Local Government Authorities in the region; frorn Wanneroo in the north, to Rockingharuin the south and ltundaring in the ea8t.

The MNRcapture urch of lhe diversity of the Perth region, Five of the 30 nature reaerves are islands, such as Carnac and the Shoallrater Bay Islands. Exarnples of the Swan coaotal plain wetlands are included in Lake Joondalup, Forrestdale Lake and Thonsons Lake Nature Reservea. Further to the east again, Ellen Brook and Twin Swanps represent the upper reachee of the Swan, Finally, on the eaatern boundary of the region, the lrestern margins of the Darling Scarp are repreaented in Copley Dale and Beechina Nature Reaerves. Obviously the MNR encompass a diversity of habitats and are therefore invaLuabLe aa a conservation and educational resource.

A managenent plan is currently being prepared for this group of nature reserves. The plan will be divided into two parts, with the fir6t part describing the reaerves and their surroundings. This includes the reserves' relationships to surrounding lands (eg. what road passes along what boundary), their history and past use, flora and fauna and nacure conservation values, The aforementioned infornation and descriptions vilL be obtained fron existing records and publicationa, and fron Departmental field surveys. The second part of the pl-an details managementobjectives - with regard Eo fire protection, pest control, rehabilitation of degreded areas and public use. This is followed by management strategies which detail how the objectives are to be achieved, based on the information

J) - - - -l

Yanchep 1 I

I .26 t__l 28 25. .l \ c27 2t, 30. Wundowie a I 29 I

1'lo(t to -l t rr I

I I o I l9 a I 15 J PERIH I I l--L-- \ _t 13 iz 9 J

2ir I 1.3 Armadate ( t .- - r

..dlv I tt I (

, I

I

20km

THE PERTH METROPOLITAN REGION NATURE RESERVES (see followlng table for reserve ident ifi cat lon )

JO IIATURERESERVES OF TIIE PERTITMETROPOLITAN REGION

Reaerve Name Area Purpose Vest ing Map Ref. No. (ha) !tu6er

ARMADALEKELMS@TT SHIRE

A24781 Forrestdale 244 Flora & Fauna & I{AWA Lake Recreat ion

37015 Flore & Fauna & WAWA Recreat ion

TOWNOF COCKBURN

7756 33 Drainage & Fauna

A15556 Thorosong 509 Drainage & WAI{A Lake Fauna Research

A26646 Carnac l9 Fauna & I{AIIA Island Recreation

2924r Marsupial 254 Min. for WAWA Research Fieh. & Fauna gtat ion

CITY OF GOSNELLS

32064 I{i ld Iife LA Sanctuary

24504 Cohunu l6 WildLife Park LA ltith polrer to to lease.

3r993 Mary Carro 11 Bird Sanctuary .LA

Park and Park

37 $TI HAI{A SIIIBE

A23961 Bidley Creen llora & LA to Mrreery School

A23958 Ridley Creen Flora & LA tl Chi ldreng Playgrouod

CITY. OF }fitVILLE

A25562 Blue Cum Recreation & I.A L2 $reop I'auna

35065 Alfred Cove Cons. of F lora WAWA 13 & Fauns

MTNDARINC SIIIRE

30567 Beechina 56 Flora & WAI{A t4 Fauna

20765 Recreetioo & LA l5 Bird g8nctuary

t 1140 Flora l5

30681 F lora

10233 Flora t8

3642E tA t9

BOCKIIIG}IAM SHIRE

24204 Shgalwater tr'auna WAWA 20 Bay Icl4nde

38 3r893 Third Rocks Neg . Fauna I{AWA 2l

31894 The Sisters Neg . Fauna WA}IA 22

CITY OF SOUTI{PERTH

33803 Kninana Fauna I{A}IA 23 Ff,eenay

SWANSHIRE

A27620 nllbn Brook 67 Fauna I{AWA

A27627 Tnin Swanpg r )) Fauna WAWA 25

25919 Copley Dale Flora E Feuna WAT{A 26

: WANNEROOSITIRE

7349 Jandabup Lake Fauna Min. for Figh. & Fauna

A21708 Malup I s land 4 Flora & Fauna z8

30809 !{anneroo 39 Research of Min. for 29 Research Flora & Fauna Fi sh. & Station Site Fgune

A3r048 Lake 465 Recrea!ion & LA& 30 Joondalup Flora & Fauna IIAWA

WAWA- !{ester! Australian Wildlife Authority LA - Local Authority

5' given in the first part of the plan.

The plan will be based on a recognition of the value of this reserve systen for both conservation and education.

llo REGEMRATIONOF SMALLBUSH AREAS

Joanna Seabrook Eastern tti1ls Branch of the W.A. Wildflower Societv

Early in I979 rhe Eastern Hills Branch of the W,A. I{ildflower Soceity conceived the idea of growing s Seed Orchard for the ltundaring Shire. Uerubers of the Branch were becoming increasingly conscious of the degradation occurring on road verges, particularl"y in nev housing developments, where all the vegetation wag renoved during road construction and utility installation, GraveI pits, rather erroneously termed Iborrow pit€rr lrere also obviously in need of some form of restoration. The Shire of l.tundaring was approached regarding possible sites for the venture and a gravel pit in Ryecroft Road was chosen. The presence of numerous soil durnps on Ehe area was believed to be advantageous as it would provide nore soil than is usually left in a borrow pit. The Shire were very co-operative and prepared the site by ripping snd distributing the old soil duraps.

Eighteen species of shrubs were choeen using the following criteria:

t. The species used should be local to the ltundaring Shire.

2. The fully grown shrubs should not be too tall. so as not !o exclude line of sight on road verges.

3. Seed should not be too difficult to harveat.

4. They should be attractive flowering shrubs.

5. The plants should be hardy.

Seed iras collected and on 7 May 1979 eight menbers rdent to the site and seed was scaltered along the ground in rows, By the end of June all seedg had germinated prolificaL ly.

With the help of a nachine, this projecr lvas conpleted by eight fairly elderly ladies in less than three hours. Maintenance has been ninimal. No sater lras ever used. The plants survived the following and succeeding su'Iulera nithout any trouble. By the sumtrer of l9g2-g3 (Ehe third sumner).

4I the Branch was able to supply the shire with more than $300.00 north of wildflower seed.

The rdhole project was experirnental and less than a quarter hectare of ground was used. The soil dumps were a great problem because they ltere full of every imaginable weed seed' and as we had sowed the rows too close together the needs could not be mechanically rernoved.

The lessons learned were: l. Rows of plants should be 2'2,5 m aPart to allow for poisoning of weeds and free novement between rows during hervesting of seed.

2. Seecl should be gown fairly thinly, or thinning should be carried out after germinat ion.

3. Any area used should be weed free, or weed eradication should be carried out prior to Planting.

4, Rabbits can be a problem attacking young plants Eonards the end of the first sumner.

This and other experimenta made by menbere of our Branch have proved that any area nay be regenersled quite easily provided seed is aveilable and that the area used is treeted for weede prlor to sowing'

Weed eradication or control is another natler and should be dealt with as a separale subject.

This seed orchard originated as, and still is, an experiment Eo show our Shire, other Shires and interesEed groups the poEenlial of such projecte.

if the difficulties involved in direct sowing of EucalyPt seed can be overcone these could be included in the sowing' This would create endless and h i ther to-unthought-o f possibilities for regeneration.

Recently there has been so rnrch enphasis on growing trees that the need for growing other plants has been overlooked and neglected.

42 THE MAMGEMENt OE A SMALLBUSH BLOCK IN DARLINGTON

P.R.E. Day Eastern liills Branch of the W.A. Vlildflower Societv

This paper deals briefly with sone practical experience gained during about l0 years nanagement of approximateLy 3/4 acre of Jarrah/Marri/Wandoo bush on laterite, just east of the top of the escarpment at Darlington. The land concerned ie residential and coruprises about half my house block plus the adjacent vacant l/2 acre lot. The experience I have gained is, I believe, relevant to the nanagement of many emall bush reeerves and public open apace areas se! aside during subdivison in the hills.

One obvious point that needs to be nade is that in no way is such a snall piece of bush ecologically self-sustaining in its hostile surroundiugs, Intensive rnanagementis essential. My objective has been to conaerve the bush, aa megsured by general observaEion of the health, vigour end diversity of the flora. I hope that this hag al.so norked out reasonably well for the fauna, but I mrst admit to a mrch nore limited knowledge of this aspect.

There are four nain factors which have determined my managementregime. They are eccesa, fire control, weed invasion and dieease. All ate i nterre lated.

Access. This is important if one is to be able. lyithout tranpling on plants, to get right into the bush and enjoy it, eee wha! is going on, carry out well controlled burning, and weed effectively.

Fire control. In the urban siluation we are required ro have firebreaks, and it is sensible to keep fuel. down to reasonable levels. Fuel reduction burning is very inportant for fire safety. periodic burning of most of the bush nrst be carried out.

Weed invas ion. Probably the nosE important, and certainly the most insidious factor. For a smal1 bugh reserve in a residential setting, where the average resident seens ro be hardly aware of the difference betr+een weeds and bush and is not inclined to bend over and pull weeds out (and certainly not until afler they hsve seeded each year) the invasive Dressure

43 is iumense.

While bush left undisturbed appears to be reasonably (but not totally) resigtent to (reed invaeion, the tno previously mentioned factors of access and fire nake additional hu:nan intervention to control \reeds absolutelrr e ssent ial .

Disease. Although I have not had a positive diagnosis carried ou!, the signs strongly suggest the presence of Phytophthora cinnamomi possibly with lirnited viabi 1ity, on this site. A spate of autumn and spring deaths of B lackboys and young Jarrah some 5 or 6 years ago was cause for concern.

These four factors were all taken into account in the following rnanagernent plan, which now seems to have reached a stage of practical stability. l. Winding paths, between 0,5 and 3 m wide have been forned, dividing the ares into about l5 irregular ehaped and different sized segments. The paths wind around trees, large Blackboys (Xanthorrhoea preigsii) and Zamia Palms (Macrozamia riedLii), Prickly Moses (A, puLchella) and Honey Bush (H. lissocarpba) are removed from the edge of the psths for confort. A thick layer of sawdust/buzzer chips is spread after renoval of rootstocks. This aoon compacts to forn a visually attractive and p le assnt-to-nalk on surface which strongly resists weed germination, does not erode in heavy rain, and only requires topping up about every 3 years. The paths serve aa lhe required 3 m firebreaks in places (although they do not run in straight lines on the boundaries), and as additional breaks and access wevs elsewhere.

2. Using the 15 segroents created by the paths, a burning cycle of between 5 and 8 years, depending on fuaL level, is established. Between 2 and 4 segments are burnt each year, This is recorded by colour strading on a plan of the area. Burning is always carried out in late autumn after sorne rain has fa1len, and is arranged to be fairly hot to give good legune germination for dieback resistence. Following the burn all remaining shrub ekeletons are pruned off at ground 1evel and either chopped into small sticks and scattered, or rernoved. This process lengthens the tine period between fuel reducEion burns. A light application of blood and bone is then given (based on the suggestion of forestry officers), to assist the rapid growth of acacia, and Lo raise

44 the general health of the vegetation to help resist any dieback which may be pre sent .

3. By late winter-early spring a massive seed germination and regeneration from rootstocks is evident on the burnt segmenls. At this stage these segments are intensively weeded. Because Lhe native growth is stilL snall, and the background black, weeds are higbly visible. The soil is damp and weeds are readily pu11ed nith no significant disturbance to germinating naEive species, Each square metre is then thoroughly weeded. When conplete, a less intensive follow-up weeding is done on lhe segments burnt the previous year, and perhaps the ones burnt 2 years previously. Very fen weeds germinate in these "2 year oldrl segmenLs,but occasionally thistles or wild oats occur, and these are rerooved before they can set seed. Particular attention is paid to boundaries where weed €eeds frorn adjacent properties attempt to colonise each year.

4. Although the burning cycle is reasonably long, a couple of small segnenLs are being left unburn! indefinitely for cornparison.

5. Due to the importance of the block boundaries in weed incursion fron adjacent lots, a dense screen of species such aB Hakea trifurcaEa, is encouraged to ninimize wind borne penetration. Weed grorrth on boundary road verges is well controLled by spreading bark on any bare areas.

The results so far have been very eatisfying, The bush looks attractive, it appears to be very healthy, and possible dieback deaths have aLmost ceased. Over 70 species have been recorded on lhe 3/4 acre, withou! intensive searching. Weeds are not generally noticeable and appear to be down to an irreducible ruinirnum. The variety of growth stages of the different segnents is visually and scientifically interesting.

While this bush has, if anything, inproved over Lhe last l0 years, tha! on most adjacent lots is rapidly deteriorating. Weeds of every description (there seens to be a new one every year) are displacing native fLora. From my observaLions, a life of betneen 5 and l0 years is the average life span for most bush species once a house is built and the typical conbination of annual spring burning and weed invasion occura. A11 that renains are trees and naybe a few blackboys.

45 I say this not to be critical of others, or to boast, but to point out that for bush lovers all is not losti thar it is possible to successfully conserve the bush in residential areas. The effort required probably sounds excessive fron the above description, but it is not, For most of the year there iB nothing to do. There are onl-y two periods of intensive ectivity: one a! burning time in autumn, and the other at weeding time in early 6pring. Together, these involve a total of about 2-3 man weeks of labour for th'e 3/4 acre (and I am, as you have probably gathered, rather more fussy about that last weed than is really necessary).

I see no reason why sorIp or all of these managementtechniques could not be successfully applied to snal1 public bush reservea (adaptation would be necessary for other than hiIls areas). There is nothing that local council gardeners, suitably re-instructed in these new gardening methods, could not do. And I am sure there are bush lovers who, not having natural bueh of lheir own, would love to help.

Finally, a request to the wildlife authori!ies - a simple manual for weed identification, giving details of habit, propagation, flowering tires, seed lravel and so on - all" regularly updaled, wouLd be of irnmensevaLue.

46 TIiE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE PLANNING AND DESIGN IN RESERVE MANAGEMENI

Marion Blackwe Ll Landscape Consultant, BlackwelL and Cala

You trust be well aware thaE we, as a nation, as well as the majority of us individually, stiLl appear to retain an antipathy to 'rthat scruffy old bush", holding it in little regard - clearing without survey, firing, cutting and running it over, often needlessly and without thought or reaaon, Perhaps this is due to our European ancestry; a result of our forebears coming fron softer climes and having to wrestle with the relentless heat, poor soils and the prickJ.y sclerophyllous scrub in this land of aLternate drought, flood and fire, in order to grow crops for food.

We still continue, unthinkingLy, a nation of despoilers and exploitere; awakening, even now mo€! reluctantly to the deeecration we have wreaked, the mdnace of erosion, deforestation and polLution and the most telling of all, the irrevocable loss of the asset which is our natural heritaee - our environment,

There is never-the-less current evidence that the concentration of populations in urban areas, together with the preasures incurred f rorn living in a technological society, are producing in nan the urge and need Lo get eway fron it all. This eyndrome is known as ,rthe green hunger" _ the desire to geE out into the bueh and away from the noisy oppression of rrcity hustle-bustlerr and rrpeople pressuresrt.

There is currenrly a realisation of the recreaLional value, as nell as the aense of inspiration, to be gained from nature, i.e. the remedial effect of quiet contemplation of the natural environnent, with alt its joys of fauriliarity and of unexpected detail". Who hasnrr felr the joy and refreshrnent of a day in the bush? - an outlet for frustrations and a soother for taut nerves.

In an undisturbed environment, plants rnore than any other faclor present the identity of a place. On any particular site, nature, left alone, by means of selection over many thousands of years, has succeeded rn establishing vegetation of a lype which is suited to that site. Thus the existiog plants which are growing on that site are adapted to iEs

47 conditions and are se lf-maintaining; they are therefore che mos! likely to succeed in that particular habitat. Not only this, but they present in a very definite way the character of that place which is individual and speci f ic .

Parks or public reserves in tiues gone by, were developed ',to provide a strollr', vith grass (together with "keep off the grass signs) and forrnal displays of h igh-roaintenance horticulture, such a6 seasonally bedded annuals - often in monocul.ture. Today peopler s expectations denand a mrch less formal approach, with low mainlenance being a prerequisite, and the provision of a rur-rchwider range of passive accivities. ltuch nore interest in native plant species, and i.n particular in endemics, is currently being shown. There is also a reaLisation thaE bush areas are aesthetically va1uab1e, for bolh their recrea!ion po!entiaL and as a teaching reBource,

Landscape planning and design are tools which can play an irnportant role in the function and managenen! of such bush areas, and thus give best results if applied from the sEart. This particularly applies to the assessmentof the potential zoning and optimal developmen! for such areas.

Before setting aside a reserve iC should be looked at from aesthetic, functional and economic points of view, i.e. what is there, what i6 its status, Ithat is its poten!ial and its durability, what are the pre6sureg and where are they likely to tell. Then, having deterrdned the above, how does one best instigate and then nanage lhe desired functione of the ueer requirements, both current and envisaged, within the design budget. Also, what rnodifications !o the existing status quo would be beneficial to those functions, and to lhe maintenance of ongoing viability; such as paths to prevent trampling; barriers !o prevent vehicular access where undesirable; landscaping to integrate an arneni!ies block, etc.

This planning process can be applied to any project, be it a man-madeor natural environoent (or the integration of the two), in order to zone and set aside specific areas; such as wilderness areas, ac!ive or passive recreationql areas, or high (people) activiLy areas. The use of good design in the implementation of these planning decisions can achieve both visual quality and anenity. An example of lhe procedure in carrying this out involves the following:

48 l. INITIAL SITE ASSESSMENT

This should analyse:

THE SITE ELEMENTS

Vegetation - constitution (i.e. structure and epeciee) - evaluat ion - conservation assesament - fragi lity - education value

Topography existing

necessary modificatione to faci litate the envisaged func!ions frag i 1i ty

Soils exisling prob.lems

conservation measures (resulting from use presaures and other dieturbanceg saLinity prob lems

Wacer drainage patterne water bodiee (exieting and potential)

R CLIMATEAND MI CROCLI I.IATES

Rainfal l Tenperature Aspect wl.nd Evaporat ion

SURROUNDSAND LOCATI0I'IALINFLUENCES

natural and man-made

advantageous and disadvancageous assessed at a continental, regibnal and local leve I (as

49 requiired).

Con,side,r at ions, include:.

Exposure - to coastaL conditions,. cycloljric. inf,Luences:, snon, flood,

6l -

lsr-ra:l iint!u sijo:n\? 0dours, salt fal xout she 1t6r Vierre, to' frame Uy€so'ces to s,creen oubloaks to preserve Bgrq?orrcd .ka,ndecape(e,) Pol lutants Access, - ve'h,icu'lar', public tranepoct,. foot Ava:ilabiliity, o'f servicee

D. I I{IA'TIGIBT.E I MLUENCES

Regio.naL a'nd lqaarl signiif icance OonssrYaEiotl status, Pre.serva.tiron merit Socia.l. a'ppeal - cornrn:ni ey, pr'i,de Sb[}se ofl place Genirus l)oci - sp,irit of Che pJi4ec Fu'tr-r,nep,lanning - propo.sal s. f or th6 afioa

2.. IIG'ACT Ot' THE P&p'PO.SALsbould be a'v..alu'ated", so. a.s: col Pte\ren8 dbg'.nad:a,t'ionr o,f bhe exj.sting: sige. nmp€st o,n' the s,ite. rell4tea to' ttr€, constituen,t site elerlents, the us€r requiremonte,. tbe effect. o,f th3' design irnple,me'ntat ion a'nd th€. feasib,ility o€ o,ngo'ing ma.nia€ement.

fmpacts Eo' be evaluated include the fol.louing:

4.. VISXJ.A!IMPACT$

bo.gh.i.nternatr andi erGternal, inc ludi ngl

50, Details of siting, orientation, materials, colour, texture and form, and the integration of any developnental structures

Avoidance of swsthes and any unnecesaary or unsympathetic c lear ing

B. PHYSICALIMPACTS

- incorporation of functional design elements including services, structures, signposting etc.

Invo lve I :

Alteration of surface and groundrdater sygtens Alteration of microc l irnate Spillages e.g. petrol, oi18, chemicals (including herbicides, pesticides and paint s ) Provision of storage areas including tenrporary anenities, plant and construction materi a 1e Provisions for temporary accese and vehicular parking facilities during construct ion The establishnent of a propagation and/or holding nursery during large job s Fencing - type and siting

3. USERREQUIREITENIS nust be exauined. These usually include a con:bination of the clientt s expectations, the publ.icts needs and visions, and a consideration of future socio-economic developments.

The methods of aseessing these requirenents are many fold and generally involve meetings with councils, local residents and planning authorities. Further to this surveya or pol.ls nay be conducted,

4, EcoNoMIcsoF AcBIEvEME}ns

Involves a coneideraEion of:

Funding sources

Assessoents of possible alternatives, such as conmrnity participation

51 or other voluntary labour Planning of staging to suit funds Ongoing maintenance requirements including the consideration of automated versus manual systertrs (i.e. capital versus maintenance cosEs, for exarnple the reticulation of buj-lt up areas) Vandalism (which r:elates to design, especially rnaterials).

THE PLANNINGPttASE. The need for totaL planning is emphasised. This should be based upon the reserver s purpose and the information gained from the foregoing analyses and assessments, Not only should the development be examined fron an aesthetic, func!ional and economic point of view but it should also be based on an awareness Ehat bush areas add diversity td the urban scene and are an important educational resource, especially for the young.

To be cost effective, carefully considered staging should be used as a design tooL in the efficient inplementation of the project. l,lhere financee are initially restricted this will also enabl.e sequenlial developnent to proceed raEionally as funds become available.

DETAILEDDESIGN PHASE. Good design is the ultimate tool by means of which visual integretion of man-uade elemenls can be gracefully achieved, in sympathy wich lhe existing Land forrn and vegetation. Good design should enhance and develop the potential of the existing site, and should retain or protect where desirable, rather than to develop.

Detailed design involve6 the use of hard Landscaping elemenEs, such as paving materials. Creat care shoul.d be taken in the choice of such elements, par!icularly in regard to texture, colour, forrn and positioning. Signposting, for example, should be attractive, as well as positive in conten!, so as !o engender co-operation. In order to retain che character and individuality of a particular piece of bushland, soft landscaping choices should be based on a palette of suiEable local species. Good design concentrates on special trealment for specific areas, such as entrances and exits. It also ensures suitably planned rnanagement,both in the short and long tern.

ln summary, the retention of sma1l pockeEs of bush in suburban areas provides rnultiple benefits, particularly for passive recreational and T

educational purposes. Landscapeplanning and design are essenEial tools in the conservation and naintenance of such areas. More importantly, they offer the means of realising optimrn development potential for each individual area and the assessment and incorporation of the funcEional requirements' l{ithout proper design considerations it is inevitable that such small suburban bush areas will become unacceptably down-graded through everyday population pressures.

53 TEE ECOLocyOF SMAI,LMAMMALS IN PATCHESOF BANKSIAWOODLAND WITII PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO F IRE

M.J, Bamford and J.N, Dunlop W.A. Institute of Techaology

The effect of fire on sma11mammals is a subject which has only recently begun to receive atEention in Medi terr anean-type ecosystems, incruding the Banksia hloodland of rhe swan coastal plain, The purpose of this paper is to describe a study which is currently in progress in this area and, with reference to the little data avail.able, cox.menton problerns of fire in managementof sma1l bush areas for the conservation of maruna1species.

The study under consideration is being carried out on private property near Gingin, in Banksia Woodland sirnilar to that once found through most of the rnetropolitan area. rt is particularly suitable for a study on the effect of fire on small mammalsbecause it has a conparatively full small marmna1 fauna of five native and one introduced species, and there are several areas of Woodland fron which fire has been excluded for a long period. This fire exclusion has resulLed from paEchy clearing for agriculture ghich left small (75 to 150 ha) areas of woodland surrounded by unimproved pasture. Bush fire policy in the rnetropolitan region leads to burning ac least every seven years nearer perth.

The study is being carried out using pitfall traps and mar:k-release-re captu re wich the same effort, five nights per month, at each site, The post-fire periods of the four sites in the study at Apri1, 1983 (when work began) were 0, 3, 1I and 20 years. Vegetation at the nost recently burnt site was only just beginning to regenerate in August, so floristic comparisons can only be carried out between the three other sites. All sites have a similarly developed tree stratur. doninated by Slender Banksia (Banksia attenuata), but they differ in the characteristics of their undersEorey strata. The three year post-fire areas have a l,cw (under half a metre for the most part), dense understorey containing a wide range of species, while the tweDty year post-fire area has a very dense, mrch Laller understorey, up to two rnetres high in places, and this is dominated by Rough Honey Myrtle (Melaleuca scabra). The eleven year post-fire area is intermediace.

Trapping over the past five months has revealed Ehat most of the srnall

54 mamnal species are present in the three older areas, with no strong preferences as yet apparent (Table 1). However, Ash-Grey Mouse (pseudomys aLbocinereus) seems to favour the floristically rich rhree year lGE?iiE area and, to a lesser extent, the floristically poor twenly year post-fire area. Further: work may shed some light on this aparent bimodality and may reveal habitac preferences in some of the other srnall marnmalspecies.

Table l. lfumbers of small marunalscaught at each of the Gingin sites from April to Augusc, 1983.

Site and Numberof Trap- species 20 Year Il Year 3 Year 0 Year (I250) (r250) (12s0) (r250)

Western Pygmy-possum ( Cercatetus concinnus )

Honey Pos surrl (Tarsipes rostratus )

Ash-grey Mouse (Pseydoraysa lboc inereu s )

crey-be l lied Dunnar! Sninthopsis grisioventer L2 l0 t2

White-beIlied Dunnart S. do I i chura

House Mouse (!tus musculus)

No. of Species

Total Ind ividu a1s L7 24

MammaI species richness and abundance belween the Gingin sites and an area near Jandakoc, where work was carried out some years ago by Davidge (1979), are compared in Tabl-e 2. The Jandakot site has lost its native rodents and Dasyurids, while the introduced House Mouse (ltrs muscu lus ) has great ly increased.

)> Table 2. Comparison of richness and diversity of smal1 mammalspecies at Gingin and Jandakot.

caPture Per I 000 Trap-night Species Jandekot Gingin

Western Pygmy-possun ( Cercatetus concinnus) 0 .47

Honey Pos sum (Tarsipes rostratu€ ) 0.27

Ash-grey Mouse (Pseudornysa lb ocinereu s ) 2.80

Grey-be l1ied Dunnart Sminthopsis grisioventer 8 .00

I.irhite-bellied Dunnart S. do l ichura 0.23

House Mouse (ltus nusculus) 5.20 1.40

Total )..+t I { 'O

The vegetaEion at the Jandakot site differs in sorneways from that in the cingin locality. Although i! is diveree and relatively undisturbed, with little invasion by exotics, it has been subject to more frequent fires, havi.ng been burnt about six years before the study and subject to burns of that frequency for some time. Land surrounding the Jandakot study sice had been subject co a simil,ar fire regine, and most has been burnt in the last six years. Possibly, the periodicity of fires in the Jandakot area, while allowing for regeneration of vegetation, has been too frequent for mamma1 recovery, even wiEh the existence of a mosaic of different aged vegeEation.

In surnmary, the Gingin work shows Ehe potential for sna11 bush areas to support naEive srnal1 mamrnals, but the earlier Jandakot study suggests a problem lrith the use of fire in the managementof such areas. It rlay not be sufficient just to naintain a mosaic of burn ages; it rnay be necessary to have mature or even (by exanination of the vegetation) senescent areas !o act as reservoirs fron which recruitmeut can occur. It rtould seem that while manma1sare able quickly to recolonize an areL after fire, doing so

)o in under three years, their populations will be depleted and ultimately become extinct under fire regimes which advocate frequent burning.

57 BIRDS AND I'AMI'{ALSIN THE MANAGEMENI 0F SI''ALL BUSITLANDRESERVES

Dr Ray Hart R.P. and R,M, Hart, Consulting Biologists

The mamna1 fauna of Perth (i.e. the more or less continuous suburban area on the coastel plain) is very poor - only the Brush-tailed Possum and some baLs are now coumon in the suburbs, and the Short-nosed Bandicoot survives in places. The other species have been elininated and it is now doubtful that any pracEical schene of managenent could return lhese lost species Eo lhe suburbs.

Aquatic birds are sti11 abundant rdithin the suburbs and the presence of nany species can be related almost entirely to the survival of suitable habitat. This is a welL illustraled by a survey (one day in early September)of Shenton Park Lake (4 species), Perry Lakes (8 species), Lake Claremont (13 speciee) and Floreat Waters (16 species). Shenton Park Lake has little vegetation and poor diversity of habitats, Perry Lakes has sone vegetation, Lake Claremont has e reasonable diversity of habitats, while Floreat Watere has been artificially developed to provide a good variety of habitats. These reeults shorrr that suitable management can encourage a large nurnberof species.

In relation to bushland birde I sought to ansner tlro questions -'rdo small reservea have a significant bird fauna?" and "how should the reserves be rnanaged?" All species seen or heard over 90 minutes were recorded, and alI individuals nere counted over this tirne in a 25 o transect. The 90 uinute interval was spread over several mornings (7-10 am) in August or Septenber. This was done for a variety of reserves with Neerabup National Park as a control. In all cases areas of Banksia eucalvpt woodland were selected.

For analysis the birds were considered in four groups:

Group l. Species which have adapted well to the strictly suburban area.

Group 2. Species which enEer the suburban areag commonly buE are as nrch associated with suburban bushland or open apaces.

Group 3. Species which occur vithin the suburbs only in areas of bushland.

58 Group 4. Species which do not normally enter the suburbs. Highly nobile or erratic species ( such as raptors and cockatoos), aerial species and non-native species were exc luded.

In Figures I and 2 the reserves have been arranged by their similarity in bird faune to Neerabup. In Table I this order is comparedwith environnental parameters of relevance to nanagemen!. From Figure 2 it can be seen that many species survive in thege reserve, even in quite small areas.

RESERVE AREA VECETATION I SOLATION TREES BIRDS

Neerabup r 000 u 58 27

Kings Park 300 H 55 t7 Gwelup 40 2 H 72 15

BoId Park 250 5 M M 85 16 Star Snamp 40 2/z t{ M 50 13

Wirele ss Hi 11 45 3 L l, )6 r) Diane11a l0 3/4 L L 23 t2

Attadale 3.5 M H 90 ll

Karrinyup 2/3 M M 38 t2 Hol lywood 6 4 H L 82 1l

Table l. The area (ha), the state of the vegetation (on a ranking scale fron I = pristine to 5 = destroyed), the degree of isolation (low, medium or high), the density of trees (low, necliun or high) and the nunrber of individual birds counted (first colunn) and the nunber of species recorded (second column), for the various reserves.

In Figure I the reserves most similar to Neerabup have Group I as a srnall proportion and Group 3 as a large proportion, and vice versa for the reaerves least resenbling Neerabup. From Figure 2 it can be seen that this trend parallels the progressive loss of Group 3 and 4 species. Group 2 is relatively constant in ell ceses, rt should be noted fron Table I that ihere is no correlation between the number of individuals and the order of

59 'l ,2 NEERABUP 3 l+

KIN65PARK 1 2 3 6WELUP 1 2 3

BOLD PARK 1 2 3 STARSWAMP 1 2 3 WIRELESSHILL 1 2 3 DIANELLA 1 2 3

ATTADA LE 11 2 t3

KARRINYUP 1 2 HOLLYWOOD I 2 3

KIN6S PARK BOTANICGARDTNS

Figure l. The proportion (Z) of each species group counted by the nunber of individuals, for the var iou e reaervea

60 2l 20

l9

l8

17 17 t6 to

l)

14

13 13 IL 12 l'l l1 10 10

E2 g;=l3n;n=EF;F l;i; = to^=--ea -=

Figure 2. The total nunber of species (closed squares) and Group 3 and 4 species (open squares), for the verious reaerveg

67 the reserves.

Considering Table 1, various trends can be seen, The most obvious correlation is with the state of the vegetation. The most species are seen in the least disrurbed reserves (such as Kings Park nith 17 species), less in other reserves (such as Wireless Hill t^tith 15) and the least in the very disturbed reserves (such as Hollywood with 11), The area of the reserve is also important - Harry Sandan Park (Attadale) is in excellent condition but with only 3.5 ha only 11 species were recorded although 4 of these were in Group 3 compared with only 2 at Hollywood,

The degree of isolation of the reaerve is not important in determining the bird fauna. For example, the Dianella reserve is only 500 m frorn the edge of the suburbs but it is in poor condiLion and only 12 species were recorded (a11 bul 2 in Group l or 2). Hoit'ever in at least one case the Burrounds bf the reaerve lrere inportant. The Gwelup reaerve has only a snaLl area of bushLand and in poor condition but it is adjacent to the Karrinyup Country Club which includes extensive buehland, The result is thaE Glrelup has a bird fauna comparable to Kings Park.

From Figure I and Table I, it would eppear that no schemeof managementfor a srnall reserve wi1"1 permit the return of the Group 4 species to the suburbs. Some of these species, such as the Grey Shrike-Thrush, appear to be quite intolerant of hunan presence while others, euch as the Splendid Wren, have been forced out by loss of habitat.

An interesLing observation is that plantings of native plants in garden situations does not attract Group 3 species. This was obvioue in rhe Hollywood reserve where there are exten6ive plantings but virtually no Group 3 species. However, there is little doubt that plantings do attract birds. In the Kings Park botanic gardens (which are the largest plantings of native plants in Perth) there is a unique bi.rd fauna (Figure l) with a complete dominance of Group I but also a significant element of GrouP 4 (essentially honeyeaters attracted to the enormousfood supply).

In this discussion nanagement has been viewed as solely directed aL preserving the native bird fauna. Ilolrever, reserves within the suburbs have another and possibly larger function, which is to encourage birds of any sort as part of the human environment. Birds are typically very nobile and many species appear wilhin the suburbe at tines (such as BLack-shou ldered Kites along the coast). There seems 1ittle doubt that snall areas of bushland are important to these birds. tn addition many species (such as the Spotted Pardalote) nake regular norLh-south movements and small reserves may be important to lhese species as they psss tbrough the suburban area.

OJ HABITAT ACTION IN THE METROPOLITANAREA

Peter t{cui I lan Biologist

t{y approach has always been at the gras6 roote level of biologicaL and ecological - interest training teachers at the primary level and reLying on then to pass on the goepel to their classes.

r first becarne involved in saving palches of bush in the Metropolitan area through encouraging locaL resident anareness of their value. once they became interested r rdouId encourage them to forn Local" rrHabitat Action committeesrr, and in this lray they became involved. The more involvement fron Local residents the better.

'rcrewr At lhis slege the clarenont reachera college nould be brought into action. This lrould involve visiting the site and plotting quadrats and transecta to find out uhat nas there. lle were concerned specifically with cornpiling species liete of plants and animaLs. All this information was cornpiled into a book and this rras then handed over to the ,,Habitat Action fiClaremont Commiltee". This nae. lhe end of the work by the College Crerrr. 'Habitat rt was then the reaponsibility of the Action conmittee'r to take the data to the Local Authority, and armed with this information request Lhat the said area be retained as a Flora and Fauna Reserve, rn most caaea the local authorities nere very agreeable to these requesEa. our succe€ses have included BeLl S$aEp, Star Swanp, Bold park, Wtrite Lake, Thornlie, Coogee Strip and the Dianella Sump.

'rhookedr,. To do rhis job you have to be The CLaremont Icrew" were very enthusiastic and enjoyed thenseLves, Now, the young teachers lrho were ac the clareroont reachers college with rne are scattered around the country and are seLting up lheir own little aclion groups doing what they did with ne in the l'IetropoLitan area.

In concLusion, it is inportant to realise that for these project6 to be successful there mrst be some dedicated people who will continue to Look after the regerve and ensure its continued management. There is no point in establishing a reaerve if no one is willing to look after it.

64 HOLLYWOODRESERVE - A COMMUNITYAFFAIR

C. S. Cannon Gardener, Hollywood Reserve

In 1975 Mr Bill Day, with the support of locaL residents, succeededin his petition to save the bush betneen Smyth Rd and Karrakatta Cemetery, and have it declared an "A" class reserve (see accompanying figure). In the 6 ha of bush on the reserve there are some very large old Jarrahs, Banksias, Tuarts, Casuarinas and a good shrub understorey. Little else could be aeen as the entire area L'as infested with weeds, which becaure a fire hazard during the dry summermonths, Many fires had been through and had burned the centres of many of the large trees, These hollow trees fell over during gales. Each spring as regeneration took place, lhe seedlings nere lost in the fire of the followins sunmer.

The reserve contains a high nunber of species (7t) which sugges! that fery of the original species have been lost despite disturbances and the invasion of exotic epecies, Aree A, indicated on the accompanying map, retains a particularly good remnant of the original vegetation. Area B, although it contains fewer species and is nore degraded than Area A, ig also suiteble for preservation. However, weed invasion is a probLem in both these areas as it is throughout the reaerve.

A replanting program was instigated on the reserve in the hope that the plants would conpete lrith the veldt grass and other weeds, and eventually smother them. This is a long term plan and, to dete, has produced good results. The rdeedregronth becornes less each year as the plants spread. A section is planted each year adjacent to lhe one planted the previous year. Planting is done over sunmer and the plants are nstered until the winter rains begin, and then watered again during the second sunner, By the following sumner the plan! roots should have reached a sufficient depth to nake further watering unnecessary, unless signs of distress are seen,

During the first year of planting, vandals would occasionally pull out trees and leave them lying across the path, or cycle over bushes and break them donn, or drop a match into a bundle of dry weeds and start a fire, which would spread into the Eops of Ehe trees. On apprehending these youngsters, for they were roainly schoolchildren, I would explain the

o) I I

HOLLYW OOD RESERVE

100m

CT o, KARAKATTA CEMEIE.RY cn |!

OJ

o o ] I

WAR =

CEMETERY

KARELLA STREET

66 enormity of what they had done and ask for lheir cooperation in guarding rrtheirrr park. Thus a network of rrwardensrtnas set up and the vandalism eventually stopped. Parental approval was asked for and given. The wardens enjoy belonging to a club and in the school holidays, especially in May and Augustj would pul1 weeds and burn them. This prevents the weeds turning their roots back into the ground after a shower of rain, which the veldt grass is very prone to do.

During winter it is quite safe to pull veldt grnss as alL the seed krhich is going to germinate will have done so. However in suruner, after the seed has ripened and fa1len, it is better not to disEurb the soil surface as germination the following winter wiLl be heavier. In sumrer, it is better to non the weeds and when the regrof,rth reappears in a couple of weeks, the regrowth should be dabbed rdith Roundup - never sprayed. There are several methods, all cheap and easy to use; ..,..,plastic detergent bottles with a sponge rubber wick in the end,.....paint rollers on a long handle, or some other home made invention. Spraying is not recommendedas even on the calne6t day, there is an undesired drift and many plants can be unintentionally killed,

Roundup should not be used after mid-July L'hen the native bulbs begin to sprout. Fron nid-July, until the \reeds aeL seed, nanual pulling, hoeing or a gardener's knife may be used - thatever causes the least soil dieEurbance. After that, the heads of seed should be cut off and burned and lhe remainder of the plant dabbed lvith Roundup.

During the May and August holidays, the wardens pull lupins, by hand, ar the rate of one lol1y per 100 lupins, This soon solved the lupin problem. Lupins are a problern as they enrich the soil and rnrltiply very quickly unless eradicaled. To encourage lhe wardens further their names are written each year on a board atlached to a tree. At the end of the school holidays, a warden's picnic is held and good fun is had by wardens and parents a1ike.

The park is used by other arembers of the local comn:nity such as dog walkers who are encouraged to keep their dogs on leads or on the paths. If the dogs are allowed to run wild, they can kill plants by urinaring on then. If this is explained to the owners they are very cooperative. Also old peopLe froro the salvation Arny village come over looking for orchids

67 and are deLighted to find them. Orchids which haven't been seen for years, because they were hidden by the weeds, can nolr been seen in many areas and seem to thrive in weed free environs. The Tuart Club vieit the reserve each spring. Overseas visitors are brought in by local residents who enjoy showing them a bush area in the middle of Nedl.ands. Children from both primary and secondary school rdalk and cycle through. Visitors to the cemetery wal"k through. The residents of Karella St have become involved as fire spotters; this involves a phone call to the File Brigade if a fire is seen on the reserve at night, on week-ends or public holidays.

REPLANIING

The best results are achieved, particularly in teros of retaining the local character of an area, by planting indigenous species. If a native garden effect ie desired a variety of colourful W.A. native plants can be used.

DISPOSINGOF !iEEDS

If practicable, lreeds should be r.enoved frorn the area. If this is not feasible, weede shouLd be burned on a clear piece of land according to fire permit rules. The local fire officer or Fire Brigede will furnish a1l information ebout eafe burning. No matter what precautions are taken, by the end of Septenber, certain areas will becote a fire hazrd. These eress are best treated by nowing them with rotary nowers, or by using a weed eater to clean around the plants. Then, in the unfortunate even! of a fire occurring, it should not become an uncontrollable wildfire, burning through the tree crolrns.

If a bundle of weede is Lef! in wet ltealher to be picked up by a rubbish lruck, the weeds continue to grow and set seed. In dry weather, a bundle is e temptation to a fire bug. Either way it looks unsightly to leave bundles and the possibility of smothering native plants, which have not shown themselves above ground, is always present. It is better to dispose of the weed bundles as they occur, In Hollywood Reserve, there are established burning areas each season and by the following year they have disappeared end there is no unsightly burnt patch left es small understorey plants take over after the rtinter rain.

During mowing, an occasional plant is cut off at ground level. Plants with

68 underground root stock cos'e back the following year (in a similar uanner !o roses which have been pruned severely). I am not advocating mowing an area f1at, for obvious reasons, but an accidental cutting does little harn.

PLAMINC AND NAMING

A soal1 hole is dug so that the plant will be about 2 cm belolr the ground surface when planted. A handful of Osmocoteis tossed into the bottom of Ehe hoIe. The hole is fil1ed with water. The pLant is planted, watered and firned in. It is kept watered during its first two surnmersby which time it should have developed a strong root system, and should be tapping its own underground water. It is surprising how quickly the area begins to look like natural bush again; usuaLly two years or less, NaureplaEesshould be put in to identify the planted species.

REGENERATION

In Hollywood Reserve, regeneration of naturally occuring species is taking place at a great rate. Grannysr Bonnets (Isotropis cuneatus), Dune Moses (Acacia lasiocarpa), Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (AnigozanEhusnanglesii), Donkey Orchid (Diuris longifolia) and Forest Sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana) are now in their fourth year from seedl.ings (se1f sown). These have regenerated since fire has been excluded from the area.

FAUNA

The bird life has becomemore prolific, and so bird watchers are adding co lhe nunber of park users. I have never seen a snake of any description, bu! r have seen almost every other animal and bird described by Alan and rCommon Susan Tingay in their book Animals in Kings park and perth Gardens', obtainable from the Kings park Board and published in 19g2.

SPREADINGTHE WORD

Get the 1oca1 paper to wrile an article, accompanied by a photo. Spell out the problems "Friends and ask for weed pullers, fire wardens, and of lhe Parkrr. You may have to work quite hard at this, but as the park improves, uore people appear. The publicity has lo be kept up frorn year to year,

69 well ahead of the flowering season. Planning ahead is neces€ary to enaure that an erticle is published when the flowers are at their best (this shouLd also coincicle nith Eo\ting of paths to nake walking through the park as easy as possible). A photographic record should also be kept to show improvement. A photographer could be appointed from the local comnnrnity, possibly a retired pergon ltith an interest in photography.

These are some of the ltaye in which the local residents of llollywood have been involved in naking it a 'rcommrnity Affairrr.

70 COTTESLOE ROADVERGE RESERVE

Mary Edwards and John Cardner Association for Cottesloe Reserve

The developnen! of a flora reserve rrras stinarlated in 1982 by a request, in the CoEtesloe Council Monthly Civic Centre Nevs, for suggested areas of improvenent in the district. The suggested location for the reserve was aLong Broome St (froro the Kindergarten to Forrest St) bordering Seaview Golf Links. The Council responded favourably to the suggestion, rrith the proviso Ehat development was based on comnnrnity effort. The area involved has always been aduired for ils stands of Black Boys and autumn flowering yellow Leschenaultia (Leschenaultia linarioides),

The area was surveyed by Robert powell (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife) who recorded 37 species of native plant, A public meeting fo1lowed, and at this i.t was suggested that the HoLLywoodReaerve plan be used as a model. Advice was given aE an ensuing working bee by Robert Powell and Goldie Cannon (Gapdener, HoLlywood Reserve). I! lras finally decided to follow the Ho).1ywoodplan, although only local plants would be grown.

The Lower or kindergarten area nas selected as a siLe for planting as it was poorLy vegetated. The higher limestone area with its cover of native plants, was to be weeded and left Lo regenerate. This Iimestone area contains soue attractive Grevil.leas and Acacias, and Tenpletonia (Ternpletonia retusa).

one of the main weeds found on lhe reserve is lupins, which are hand-pulled. In rrinter more lupins appear, and these are hand pulled along lrith the veldt grass - before any of therncan set seed.

Busy bees are held on the third sunday of every month and have been responsible for clearing 3 truckloads of rubbish from 3 gullies, as well as the aforementioned weed control work, I.Iindbreaks of Rottnest rea Tree (Melaleuca lanceolata) and pine (Callirris preissii), peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) and Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala), have been planted, as well as Banksias, Hardenbergia, Hibbertia and Grevilrea and other species of the area. The Council has erected a log fence along the edge of the reserve

71 and provided $200 for plants and rnaterials.

A notebook and photos are being kept to record activities, !o show progress and to enable comparisons to be made in the future.

It is hoped to have seats straEegically set for people to enjoy the reserve and the view. The reserve will be available for school children to enjoy nature study, and to enable cottesloe residents to enjoy the plants and f lower s of the area.

72 MANAGEMEMOF STAR SWAMP

W.A. Loneragan Department of Botany, University of Vlestern Australia

Star SwampReserve encompassesa freshwater lake, 4 ha in area, surrounded by approximately 96 ha of bushland. The reserve is located in the suburb of North Beach (3lu.5lrS; 115"45r8) and is bounded by Norrh Beach Road, Marmion Avenue, Beach Road and l{ope Street. This isolated remnant of vegetation is one of the few renaining wetland swampswhich, together with ils associated connrnities, once formed part of a broad we!1and systerq on the SpearwoodDune soils of the Snan Coastal plain (Seddon 1972).

With the population of perth and ite environs commonly predicted to double by the year 2000, lret land remnants such as the Star Snamp Reserve are increasingly being viewed as important sites for recreation, the conservaLion of lret land-dependen! plant and animaJ. speciea, and as centres of interest in the landscape (Systen 5 Srudy Report, 1981).

As a result of representations by the Trigg North Beach Waterman Comnunity Agsociation to the Australian Heritage Cormiseion, the Reserve has been listed on the Register of the National Estate ( Cormonwealth of Australia Gazette, 1983). Folloning further eubniesiong to the Federal Governnenc, by the sane group of concerned citizens, a grant of $3 000 has been nade co develop a managenentplan for the Reserve.

A study group, comprising the author (as co-ordiflator), Mr R.p. McMill.an (zoologist), Dr. L. Tounley (hydrologist) and Ms L. Watson (botanist), has been appointed to undertake the proposed investigation, The objectives which the study group is required to address include:

I. A survey of the Reserve to: updete and extend previous descriptions of the vegelation by Bell er al. (1979), Warson and Bell (f9gl); lisr rhe fauna; and define the hydrological characteristics, a. Identification of areaa of special interest and application, for example for school projects, tertiary level courses and access by handicapped groups.

73 3. A nanagement plan with special emphasis uPon control of weeds and the use of fire.

4. ways of implementing the management plan so as to involve local governnent, Local conmrnity grouPs and specific user grouPs such as schools, tertiery institutions, etc.

At this tiEe the study group has juet cornrnencedite investigations; Eherefore only general coEmeota on the management requirements can be nade.

It is clear frorn the teros of reference thst use of the Re€erve i8 to be multi-purpose including activities of scientific, educational and of passive recreational nature. Given the size of the Reserve (about 100 ha) and thi's m.rltiplicity of uses ' management should be inteneive with considerable involvernent of user grouPs.

A nurnber of potential ProbLems which will irnpinge uPon a eucceggful managenent plan can be readily identified, these include:

1. control of access. At Present the Reaerve is subject to illegel trail-bike and horse riding. While those engaging in these activitiee largely confine themgeLves to exisEing tracks, they are a source of need invasion and a general nuiggnce to legitimate users. Even if the area can be fenced, entry Points will be required for fire-control, wheelchair acceee and generaL public accees. It is unlikely that unauthorized access to the Reserve and vandalisn can be s€tisfactorily conlroiled unless a warden is appointed.

I.{eedand insect control. The Reserve is already known to contain eone 209 species of plants rePresenting some 157 genera in 55 fanilias, of fhese, 752 are species native to Vlestern Australia. While the rweedr renaining 252 of species rePresent introduced or species' theil proportion amongst the nain vegetation tyPes renges ftom 237 (in Banksia dominated woodland) to 487 (I*le1aLeuqa woodland fringing the lake). The Reserve is therefore already considerably invaded by weeds.

It is also known (I{ateon and 8e11, 1981) that nithin the EucalyPtus gonphocephaLa (Tuart) woodland 1itt1e recruitment of trees, killed

74 either through old age or defoliation by insect attacks, is occurring, Unless this problem is halted further substantial weed invasion can be expected. Attempts by the local Comnunity Association to control lupins, using hand-weeding techniques, appear to have sone probability of success, especially if this approach can be integrated with replanting and selective use of weedicides.

Evidence from elsewhere (Baird, I977) indicates that someweed species such as veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina) can be controlLed provided the structure of the natural vegeta!ion, especially of the tree canopy, is naintained,

3. Fire control. ELsewhere in this publicaton Dr p. Wycherley has shown for Kings Park that nnos! of fires shich occur in the park are deliberately lit, and that theBe fires account for the greater ares burnt. It might be anticipated that firee in other Reaervea within the Metropolitan region folLow a sirnilar pattern. If thie essurnption is correct the uee of fire a8 a rnanageEenttool lrithin star srdampReserve is made nore difficult. There is, however, much evidence (largely unpublished) that suggests that native vegetetion benefits from occasional firing through accelerated nutrient recycling, destruction of insect and fungal infestations, regeneration from seed, rejuvenation of noribund plants and increased flowering. The problen is thet research also indicates natural firing cycles may be of the order of lO years or more (van der Moezel, l98l). Fire nore frequent than this intervaL may ul.tinately reduce or elininate fire sensitive species while favouring weed species (Baird, 1977). Sone use of fire will be necessary in Star SwampReserve, if only to reduce the potential hazard to adjoining properties that accumrlated litter would produce. Hovever, this use nust take cognizance of the biology of the species invo lved .

4. I{ater contro 1. T\ro aspects of the waters of the lake bodv invite concern. The first relares to changes in the water table level, which has increased since 1951 (l'tatson and 8e11, 19gl). It is possible that Iocal changes resulting from increased urbanization have been responsible for this increase but it is also possibLe, given the conlinuity of the hydrological system that underlies n'ch of metropolitan Perth, that the changes originate fron more distant sources. The

75 second point of concern is the likelihood of eutrophication occurring. The ruater body receives run-off fron adjoining streets and nhile al the monent water quality appears satisfactory (Bell et a1. 1979), nost lakes close to Perth, compared Itith the more distant Loch McNees 4t Yanchep (wittrin the same wetland systen), contain greater levels of nutrients.

!{hstever the specifics of the initial managementplan one point is certatn. Its successful implenentation will require a progrsnne of monitoring, for without such a programmeit will be impossible to obtain the data neceasary to modify the mansgementprocedures as experience dictates'

Perhaps the most exciting aspect about the Star SwamPReserve has been its method of creation. The ection of a locsl comuunity group in coordinating the activities of interested individuels, educationaLists and scientists, successfully seeking to register the area as pert of lhe National Estate, then obtaining sorne initial funding fron the Federal Government ie a new development. The intention is that implenentation of the managernentp).an will involve local government, the Local conmn:nity and user grouPs, and if successful, this approach may well become a blue-print for the future.

Reference s

Atkins, R.P., congdon, R.A., Finlayson, C.M. and Gordon, p.y. (1977)' Lake Leschenaultia - an oligotrophic artificiaL lake in Western Australia. J. Roy. Soc. W.A. 59 : 65-70.

Baird, A.M. (1977), Regeneration after fire in King's Park, Perlh, western ': Australia. J. Roy soc. w.A. 60 l-22.

Bel1, D,T., Loneragan, W.A. and Dodd, J. (1979). Preliminary vegetation survey of Star SwamPand vicinity, Western Australia. I{'A' Herbarium Res. Notes 2 : 1-21 .

commonwealthof Australie Gazette. No. G43, I Novenfer 1983.

Seddon, g. (L972). Sense of Place. Univ' of I{.A. Pre6s, Nedlands w.A' 274 pp.

76 Systen 6 SEudyReport (1981). Report No. 8 to the Environnental protection Authority, April 1981. covt. printer.

van der Moezel, P.G. (1981). Managementof Natural vegetation in the Badgingarra area for un-rltiple land uses, Hons. Dissertation (unpublished) u.I,l.A.

Watson, L.E. and 8e11, D.T, (1981). The ecology of Star Swampand surrounding bushlands, North Beach, Western Australia. J. Roy. Soc. W.A. 63 : 103-117.

77 BUNGENDORE PARK

Kin Sart i Armsdale-Ke lmscot t Branch of the W,A. Wildflower Society

1. Introduct ion

rrArr Bungendore Park (P1ace of Gum Blosson) is an Class Reserve vested in May 1965 in the then Shire of Armadale-Ke Im€cot t .

The reserve is located some 3 kn south-east of Arnadale and occupies an area of 450 ha (1 ll4 acres). The nain entrance to the Park is fron Admiral. Road, which Leads to the Wungong Dan. There is aleo an entrance off Albany ltighway, The nestern boundary is formed by the Darling escarpnent - an area recognised aa being floristically important, The southern boundary adjoins predoninantly freehold land and in places overLooks the WungongGorge.

The Park was included in the Systern 6 RePort as part of an srea including Reserve 44561 (Bungendore proper), Grevel Resefve Cf0433, land controlled by the Metropolitan RegionaL Planning Authority (l'tRPA) and vacant Crown Land (VCL). In the Green Book, it ItaB recourcnded Ehat the VCL adjacent to Bungendore be included. Iloltever ' apProvaL ltas grented to use part of this land ae a private echool gile' The oPen woodland area lost contained the greatest species concentration of lerrestrial orchids in the Armadale-Ke lmscot t erea.

2, GeneraI

Following nunerous letters from various organisations regarding rubbish dumping in the area, the Bugendore Park Management Commiltee was established by the Arnadale Town Council in June 1981, the ains being the improvement and preservation of this rrArrclass Reserve.

Comnittee nernbership is frora the following organisations:

. Lions Club of Armadale-KelmscotE . I{.A. Wildflower society, Arnadale-Ke luscoc t ,Branch . Forests Department

78 -_T-

EILJNGEI\Itr'OFIE PAtrI}<

ARMADALE

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79 . BedfordaLe Residents Associat ion

The committee is chaired by a councillor frorn lhe Armadale Town Counci1.

A progress report wes subrnitted to Council eerly in October 1982. Along with other information reLating to the Park, the Report outlined che:

. st r ateg ie s . Airns , Progresa to date, and . Future p lans

of the llanagenent Cornmittee.

( Sorneof the information has been uPdated for this paper.)

3. Abstract of STRATEGIES

comnittee will make re conunendat ions on:

(a) the preservation of natural features, flora and fauna to enable people to see and appreciate thern, now and in the fuLure;

(b) the provision of appropriate areas and facilities nithin the Park so that visitors can undertake bushwalking ancl picnicking without damage to the environment; and

(c) the implenentation of appropriate action within the Park to rehabilitaLe and improve the perk environment.

4, Absrrect of AIMS

(a) to carry out a deteiled survey of lhe park and to Produce an inveotory of the Parkr s features incorporating flora and fauna types, natural physical highlights and dieback infection patterns; and

(b) based on the iofornation above, determine road closures necessary

80 to help control the spread of dieback fungus and to protect the bushland; identify areas of special interest; identify areas requiring rehabilitation work and develop areas for pi cni cking, bushwaLking and nature study groups.

Abstract of PROGRESSTO DATE

(a) Park survey -

(i) Delailed maps (1:5 000) have been produced with rhe assistance of the Forests Department. These maps have proved invaluable in determining suitable cour6es of action in the management and conserv€tion of Lhe park. A reduced simpLified map is included for reference.

(ii) ftre Wildflower Society has conmenceda deteiled study of the Park flora - a project expected to take 4 years.

(b) Rehabi litat ion -

Approximately 3 400 seedlings were planred in June I982 and 3 720 eeedlings in June 1983 in and around disused gravel pite. Local species were used - the trees nere donated by Alcoa and Ehe understorey shrubs by the Armadsle-Kelmscott Wildflower Society.

A seeding trial was conducted in 1983 using broadcast sowing. The "reciperr, Forests Department which consists of eeed, fertilizer and salrdust as a buLking mediun, was used.

(c) Rubbish conrrol -

Several busy bees have been organised by the Lions Club. Large volunes of rubbish have been removed, including car bodies.

6. Abstract of FUTUREPLANS

(a) Provision picnic of facilities and rubbish colLection arrangement s ;

(b) 4 000 seedlings to be planEed in 1984 following contour ripping

81 I

and bank battering of gravel pits, Data will be collected to I determine the best seed broadcasting techaiques, Broadca6ting wiLl reduce the need for a high manpower (and womanpower) input into seedling propagation and planting.

(c) a1l unnecessary tracks to be closed off and permanent tracks to be named and identified with road signs,

7 . Abstact of Appendix A

An Appendix to lhe RePort outlined rhe need to preserve local environnents and describes the biological value, and value to the landscape, of rehabilitating using indigenous plant species. Thue, all the understorey plants have been ProPagated from seed collected within Bungendore, thereby ensuring full genetic variability and PreservaEion of local forms.

8 . Publicity

A nurnber of recomendations were made in the Report, one being that the Town Council undertakes to publicise the Park and the work being carried out at present, nith the aim of attraccing interest and asaigtance fron the generaL conrrrnity.

This is being done by:

(a) articles in the local nelrsPaPer;

(b) a static display of text, n:lPs and montage of pictures. Used to date at a Commrnitv Fair and a smsller version at a wildflower exhibition;

(c) a pronotional brochure is being designed to encourage particular service groups to assist in the physical work, under the guidance of the Comnittee;

(d) naming the Park and access roads with signs to give the Park an "identity". At the risk of being accused of bias, the road namea

have a flower theme. The bushwalkins trails will be narnedafter

82 birds or manrnals . A provisional nomenclature nap is included for reference I and

(e) organised bushwalks through sections of the Park. (First lralk planned for 9 October 1983,)

o Prob Iems

(a) RehabilitaEion -

(i) Understorey plants for 1982 rehabilitation were grown in tubes. This resulted in a higher than normal loss, aa planting was carried out rdith the assistance of people not faniliar rriEh the correct techniques for removing the seedlings with minirnumdisturbance. The use of peat pots in 1983 overcame this problem, particularly as a number of children were involved in the planting progrsmme. ( lle used 6cn pols, size no, 522)

,,killed (ii) fn 1982 nany pl"anrs were through kindness,r by over zealous use of fertiliser. This was overcone in 1983 by closer supervision of fewer nurnbers involved in the fertilieing progran,

(b) Unauthorised Park Use -

The activitiee of trail bikes, and of horses spreading dieback, horses spreading other fungi and weeds in their manure, the durnping of rubbish and removal of timber continues to be a problem. Recently there has also been kangaroo shooting in the Reserve.

10. Conclusion

The above informa! ion is a resumd of the work of the Bungendore Committee, Infornation gathered fron other speakers at this Seuinar wi 11 provide differenr ideas and sugges t ions regarding the nanagement of Metropolitan bushland reserves.

83 ,Qc4

Provisional nonenclatory information

a

fl /4. JIY 0 0.s 1

KM BUNGENDOREPARK - NOMENCLATURE-

84 ST RONANIS WELf,RESERVE

Eric Mccrum and Mary Madden tl.A. National Parks & Reserves Association Inc (I.IA}{PARA)

St Ronanrs WeLl- Reserve, with an area of 19 ha, was vested in the york 'rCanping Shire as a Reserverr prior to its vesting in VIANPARAas an "Uistoric Sitet'. Recentty the association has requested thet Lands & rrConserva!ion Surveys adds of Flora and Fauna" to the vesLins order,

St. Ronanrs I{e11 Reserve is located on the north side of the york Road, sorne 15 km west of York. Tts southern boundary fronts the york Road, and it is fenced on all four sides nith access fron york Road.

There are two weLls some 5 m apart. The larger is a "Maryrr well, lined rdith loca1 granite, and it was used to water horses and camel teams travelling to and from York. The second weLl is Lined with convict-rnade bricks, and was used by peopLe as a water aource. The rtl,laryr well was probably constructed within t8 months of the first settlenent at Fremantle in 1829; the second welL wag probably constructed lrhen the convict road depot was slill in use. Two weLls lrere necessary to separate drinking facilities; at the lime of construction of the second well. the Afghans had juet arrived in the colony with caoel. teans.

In 1830 an area of. 5.12 kr2 r"" reserved around the weII for a cownsite. The torrrn of St, Ronan's never came into existence, but the wells renained the last walering place before York for travellers and leamsters for more than 50 yeers. To assist nith the road construcEion from perth to york,.a convict road party was stationed at the lrell in 1850. Even MoondyneJoe - the notorious bushranger - was once held at the St. Ronanrs Well gaol before being taken to York. Rexnnantsof some of the foundations of tnese old buildings are stil1 evident.

By tbe 1960s a farmer whose property adjoined the reserve obtained permission from the York Shire Eo gtaze sheep on the reserve. Partial clearing and supering of the reserve eventualLy nade it indistinguishable fron the surrounding farmland, One side of the main well was pushed in and clearing level1ed what was left of the buildings.

85 WANPARAundertook to revegetate and restore the reserve as part of their acfivities, This is being carried out in a series of yearly projecEs.

The Well RestoraEion

The smaller well has been cleaned out and now has a warning fence around it, with planking over ils opening to help prevent pollution of its water, and possible vandalisra. Fresh waEer suitable for drinking can sti1l be drawn from it.

Because the weIIs hold nater throughout the year, late sumner was chosen as the time to pump the oain well dry to allow removal of the granite atones bulldozed into the well and to rebuild the Iining, ueing these original stones. Daily working bees on this well over the last two years have been hampered by the amount of water in the well. Pumping tine has been lengthened in an attempt to solve this probLern. consultaEion with other towns that have rrMary" wells has assisted I{ANPARA in resloring St, Ronanrs We11.

Additional soil is being used to refill areas irunediately east of the h'e11. Two reasons have been given for bulldozing the waLl of the well - one iras to give sheep easier access to water, whatever the leve1, and the othe.r - to extricate a horse which rnanagedto falL in the well,

Picnic Facilities

A series of l0 m wide hor seshoe- shaped picnic areas were designed, and in 1980 were planted with trees and shrubs. Each 'rnookfi has its opening facing the we1ls. Native treea and shrubs were alternated in each horseshoe perineter to create a wa11 to give privacy to each picnic area. Tables and benches, nade from rough hewn natural timbers, were later installed in three of the bavs.

Generous donations of trees have allowed intensive planting6. Additional trees and shrubs have been planted in rnany of the bayrs perimeters to establish even denser walls; to give each picnic 'rnookfi greater shelter and privacy. These bays were established on the east, north-east and wes! sides of the nain we1l. As the water feeding the lre11s drains from the

86 north, and in the winter overflolrs to the south, those two sides were avoided as picnic areas.

Each year, since the original planting, replacements have been made where damage by sheep and farm machinery has occurred. Initially I{ANpARAhad to place vire guards and posts about each plant to prevent danage by the sheep on the reserve. Sheep were finally barred from the reserve and the guards could be renoved.

Revegetation

In the initial planring opera!ion under!aken by I,IANPARAin 1979, native trees donated by Bold Venture lfur6ery and rnernbers, together with plants purchased by WAMARAfunds, were used. Several planting area€ were chosen.

rn addition to the picnic area itself three other areas rrere selected for planting: the first betrreen the we1.1and the york Road; the second about 40 rn east of the nell; and a third 50 rn north of lhe welL. These were replanted respectively wirh Flooded Gums and casuarinasl a mixture of guus and rrattl.es; and guns, Melaleucas and small shrubs. These three areas were fenced reiLh ringl.ock and barbed wire to keep the sheep out, All three areas rrere norred to establish firebreaks along the fences and clear grass from betrveen the young plants, In 1983 the areaa are thriving.

rn l98l a donation of some 1200 treee from ceorge LulLfitz and fron I{ANPARA rnembers alloted a nagsive planting to revegetate open areas in the north-lrest' and on the eastern boundary, of the reserve. This project has been successful as the 30 c'os eeedlings are nolr over a u€tre Lall. Native plant seeds were also scattered in a variety of areas throughout the reserve. 0n1y noderate germination is evident. However, it nay be some seasons before the seedlings emerge through the grass, Melaleuca and Flooded Gumseedlings were pLanted along the creek areas with some success.

Birds have aLways been present in varying nurnbers, particularly in the nature treea around the wells, and now it appears that kangaroos are using the replanted areas for shelter and feeding,

87 SaIt Areas

Two areas under heavy grazing had becone seriously salt affected. Bet\deen the well and the road saline pools with salt-caked edges were numerous. Most of the surrounding vegetaLion was sparce, with .large expanaes of open ground,

The pools r{rere gutter drained to the east-west flowing strean near the road. Fencing nas erected around the area, and Flooded Gums, Casuarinas and Old Man Saltbush nere planted. Progress has been encouraging. Many trees have thrived, with salt resistant samphire re-covering ruch of the bare ground, and both Flooded Gums and paperbarks are regenerating natura 1ly .

The other salt problen lras aome 250 n west of the well and was a I ha area of bare, BaIt encrueted damp country. A fenced area of about 20 t2 on the north-eaatern side of the salt pan was planted with Tanarisk, Caeuarinae and Eucalyptus sargentii. In later plantings, saltbushes, Casuarinas, Tamarisks and locaL Paperbarks nere planted over u.rch of che area, Already the salt reclarnation area shows inprovement. In the future it rnay be necesaarv to remove the Tanerisk.

Fire ControI

On one occasion the total area was control burned by WANPARAnembere. In the subsequent years less grass has been eviden!, and some native shrubs are regenerating. Fi re breaks are now establ.ished about the picnic facililies and on the inner boundaries of the reserve.

Weed Contro I

several years of mowing and hand pulling of cape Tulip have been carried out and mrch of the picnic area is now free of this vteed. The hand pulled bulbs and foliage were burned. lfuch still needs to be done to eradicate the remaining hectares of this weed, which previously spread freely.

Stinkrdeed pulls have elirainaled most of this weed. Truckloads were carried to an open area on the reserve and burn!. with the absence of sheep, m-rch of the animal distribution of this weed's seed will be elininated. Paddy

88 melons increased dramatically and a special workiog bee was used to collect and destroy the fruits.

Access Act ivi ty

As the roadlcay into the reserve crosses the westward flowing creek close to Ehe road, WANPARAhas approached Main Roads and a civil engineer for suggestions to improve the present ford. Large cement pipes have been stored near the siLe, and uoves are underway to place these in the stream bed and seal the upstrean approach to reduce erosion. Main Roads and the Police Departrnent will be asked !o consider the siting of the entry,

Management Plans

Management plans have been discusged lvilh the Departnen! of Conservation and Environment.

Historical Si te

Approaches have been made to various institutions to €ee whether any graduate would be intere6ted in researching the history of the buildings on the reserve, lrith the purpose of some eventual resloration being undertaken.

Subsequently applications for funds have been nade, the aim being to encourage a postgraduate student to research the buildings, outline the foundations, and supply plans and specifications. Infornation in the Battye Library would assist this research.

SUMMARY

WANPARAis proud ta have begun revegeteting the reaerve and to have achieved such successl restored the well to near original condition; begun Cape Tulip and Stinkweed eradicationl begun a successful desalination ',St. revegetalion scheme; and produced the Ronanrs We1l" historical parnphlet - written by John Rogers (a WANPARAmeruber frorn york). our future planning includes establishnent of a shrub understorey, and with advice from the wildflower society, ne will re-introduce indigenous wildflowers.

89 of An additional unexpected workload has been caused by the recent clearing a granite a narrow strip between the eastern boundary of the reserve and and outcrop on privaEely owned land. This has caused an irunediate erosion silting probleru which has jeopardised our ne\r7planrings'

sti1l offers an consistent with its conmitted use since I830, this reserve inviting picnic stop to casual visitors'

90 MANAG}IENT OF PI NNAROOVALLEY MEI,ORIALPARK

L.J. English Superintendent, Pinnaroo Valley Menorial park (An Additional Paper)

I. IMRODUCTION

Pinnaroo Va1ley Menorial Park is an area of bush situated in the northern MetropoJ.itan corridor, bounded by Whitfords Avenue to the north, lhe proposed Freeway extension to the easl, Padbury housing to che west, and bushland to the soulh (presentLy vested with the M.R.P.A.). It consists of llI ha, within which ll ha have been developed as a Memorial Park, nore corgItonLyknown as a rrcemetery'r.

Pinnaroo is classified a€ sn rrArr Cless Re6erve and is ve€ted in the control of a Board of Trustees, appointed by the l,tinister for Local Government.

2. AII..ISAND TUNCTIONS

2.1 Primary

To provide a Menorial Park in a bushLand setting which will creste an atmosphere of tranquility for a resting pLace of the deceased.

2.2 SecondaryFunc t ion

To creale an area where passive recreation such as walking, smal1 picnics or the quiet enjoyment of nature may take place.

To preserve the natural flora and fauna and to provide areas for research and for nature eppreciation by the generaL public.

3. PoLIcIEs tN RELATIoNTo TIIE FLoRAAND FAUNA

3.I Flora

The Trustees resolved in 1979 that e1l flora planted at pinnaroo would

a'1 be of western Australian origin, This has been followed (erith the knowledge available), with any species not indigenous to lhe area being restricted to introduced garden beds in lawn areas or sone extremely darnagedbush areas close to developed areas.

The remaining natural bush areas have been left to regenerate at their own accord except for weed and fire control. TvJoareas of white sand coastal dunes, where danage has been caused by housing development on the boundary, have been replanted la'ith Carpobotus gggg]sEg r (PiC Face) to stop wind erosion, and then over-planted with plants from the local environspnt. The results have been excellent'

3,2 Fauna

Not having any basic training in this field it is difficult to connenl but observations indicate rhat with the preservation of the natural bush the wild life is rmrltiplying.

Recently sighted were birds such as the Scarlet Robin, Splendid Wrens, Western Rosellas and numerous oLhers. Kangaroos and Western Brush are quite commonwithin the Park.

Two artificial lake complexes have been developed; one with a nalural environment. At this stage only a few ducks have appeared, however, it is hoped that swans will eventually use the lake.

4. WEEDSPRESEM AND POLICY ON REII,IOVAL

Pinnaroo is located on an oId stock route, and cattle rested here unlil they vere Laken into the auction yards or meat ltorks. This was an ideal place for rhis purpose, with Lake Goollelal. to the east, and Lake Malrsonlo lhe wesl.

The constant movement of stock through the area, and the continual disturbance by grazing, bas led to the introduction of nany weed

species, including lupins, clovers, fine leaved grasses and Cape Tulip.

In recent years veldt grass, Doublegees and wild Gladioli have become proninent, probably as a result of frequent fires and the intrusion of

roads into the area. This has resulted in damaged areas of bush which

a2 are easily invaded by weeds.

In 1978 it was decided that chese weeds should be removed and the following nanagementt echniques lrere introduced.

4.1 Lupins

tn 1978 there were approximately 30 ha of lupins, with some areas so thick it was difficult to penetrate on foot. Other areas only had scattered plants. To eradicate this weed ne used a nbrush cutterr on the thicker areas and hand pulled the scattered ones; a two man operation alternating to get maxirnrm use fron the brush cutter. obviousLy timing is essential and flowering tirne was selected to enaure that regenera!ion did not take place. The operation in l97g took approxinately three lreeks. Now in 1983 there are only 3 he of scattered lupins, and these took only tno dayB !o reEove, using the same equipmen!.

4,2. Clover and Narrow Leaved Graeses

No manual approach has been inetigated but I believe that winter burning (i.e. Late July early August), to reduce the fire hazard, is an important part of control, To support this theory I sugges! the fo l lowing.

(a) A late L'inter fire will not destroy the canopy and will leave sone liEter on the ground.

(b) Where there is a build-up of grasses these will carry a fire, destroying any of the previous yearrs dead grasses and also the present year's gerrnination, thus preventing seed set in spr i ng.

(c) UndersLorey pLants that are affected by the fire have the spring to regenerate, and have time to establish themselves before autumn so Ehey can successfully conpete rrith the grasses.

I have tried thi s technique over the past two years with encouraging resu Its,

93 4,3 veLdt Grass

In l98t it became obvious from observations in other areas that if positive steps were not taken towards keeping the bush free of lhis weed, and lhe occurrence of several raajor fires in quick succession being a real possibility, the end result couLd be 111 ha of veldt grass. The eredicalion of lupins left some bare areas and the veldt grass has occupied lhese. The approach taken has been to pull and burn the older plants, and spray the younger ones. It is too early to gauge the effect of these actions; possibly it will take a fire to get a true indication. However. the irnmediate results are encouraging.

I believe thar until all authorities and land owners teke, or are forced to take positive measures, the problem will never decrease because of the nature and manoeuvrability of the seed.

4,4 Doublegee s

Fortunetely we have only a srna11aree infested at this stage. Hotrtever, becauee of the long term viability of the seed, the removal of this weed presents long tern problems. our ePProach at this stage haa been manual pu1ling, spraying, and conPlete reetriction of traffic.

4.5 CapeTulip and Wild Gladioli

If the bush regenerates through protection from fire, and from other weeds, Cepe Tulip and I{i1d Gladioli will eventually disapPear as neither like competition, Particularly the former.

5. SUM}'ARY

I feel that if any area of bush is left to its own devices it will' over a period of !ime, regenerate to its natural sLate; however in an urban setting management problems apPear. To solve these problens vehicle and foot movement xmst be restricted. Fire control and fire hazard reduction burning mrst be selective both in period between burning and the tirne of the year in which it is undertaken.

The renoval and control of weeds is a slow and tedious task, particularly

94 when one's neighbours leave their weeds. To control this there qust be two lines of approach.

(a) Soue form of legislation rnust be introduced to force various bodies to control troublesone weeds,

(b) Where eradication programmes are introduced, i! rm-rst be a 1002 conmitment every year, even if it rneans attacking only small areas

95 TOWNPLANNING IMPEDII'IEMS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Max ltipkins Town Planning Consultant, Max Hipkins and Associates

Most of the previous papers have denonstrated the good job that is being done in the preservation of srnall bugh areas. I could do the same but rather (because I think it would be nore productive) I have chosen to focus on the bad job town planners are doing, largely through no fault of their own. within the Perth melropolitan area, the Metropolitan Region Planning Authority and local councils exercise conlrol over development via Powera granted by l,lestern Australia's Town Planning and Development Act. This Act does not recognise wildlife conservation as a legitinate land use in its own right, which creates severe inpedirnents for the Preservation and managementof bush areas, both large and snall.

The Firsl Schedule to Ehe Act specifies matters which may be dealt lrtith by Town Planning Schemes. The closest references to wildlife conaervalion are as fo l lows :

s.2. ItParks and open spaces generalLy; and particularly public reserves, gardens, playgrounds, sPorts and recreation grounds' public and private canping grounds and reserves, drill grounds, aviation grounds, public squares and other open public sPaces, and fences, railings, monuments, statues' buildings, and other erections or works on parks, open sPaces' public squares, and other public places.rl

S.ll."Conservation of the natural beauties of che area, including lakes and other inland waters, banks of rivers, foreshores of harbours, and other parts of the sea, hill slopes and sumrnits,and valleys.rr

S.l2."The preservation of hisEoric buildings and objects of historical or scientific interest."

Note that there is no direct reference to vildlife, flora, fauna or

fi.sheries, although it can be argued that these items are indirectly

96 covered by broad interpretation of the words 'rparkr', 'rconservation of natural beautyrr and rrobjects of scientific interestrt,

Town Planning Regulations made under the Act specify schene Report subject matter, notaLions and synbols for maps and a rnodel scheme Text, which are to be followed whenever a planning Scheme is prepared. Admittedly the regulations are advisory only and are often varied, but once again there is no direct reference to wildlife conservaEion, flora, fauna or the natural environment generally.

The c losest references are as fo 1lows:

In the Scheme Report subject matter: Part I, which specifies the Planning Data on lrhi ch lhe Planning Scherne is based, reference is nade only to'rorown Land and Regervegrr.

In fhe standard epecificatione for maps and synbols: there is a land rrswamp use notation for or Waterlogged Land'r, irnrnediately followed by a 'rArea notation for to be reclaimedrr. Other notations specified are "Park rrspecial and Recreation Area'r, Reservea for State Forest and ,rUndeveloped Water catchEentrr and Landn (uncoloured). All wildlife arees are, by Lhe Tonn planning definition, either 'rparks and Recreation Area'r or undeveloped, and by inplication are onl-y waiting to be used for some purpose or other, and be given colours on the map.

In the modeL Schene Text:. part II deals with Reservation of Land and part Development thereof; rrr deals with zones and incl.udes within the Table of Pernitted Usei, which is based on a list of 50 use classes, "Public "Rural ',Zoological Recreation", Use and Garden" - these are the cIoses! references to wildlife conservation.

The result is a confusion of definiLions and terninoLogy. By its ornission, wildlife conserva!ion is discounted in importance by urost people associated with town planning and lhe development process,

- There are exceptions of course sone Town planning Schenes have included development controls in areas of significance to wildlife; some have even included tree preservation. However, these subjects are not specifically nentioned in the legislation and regulations and

97 consequently there is legal doubt as to their validitv.

Generally, it is uncommon for Toyn Planning Scheme Reports to co nprehensive ly discuss the natural environnent or for SchemeMaps to identify va luab 1e wildlife habitats, let alone the Text cont ain provisions for the protection of such areas.

Usually, wildlife reserves are included in the general category of 'rPark and Recreation Reserverr. Unless the lands are vested in a State Government agency, such aa Fisheries and Wildlife, there can be pre6sure on Local Councils to use the i.and for grazing or gravel extraction or to up-grade their sporting and recreation facilities 'rPark within the and Recreation Reserverr category, all at the expense of bush areas. Even if parks are linited to rrpassive recreation[, this does not prevenE the rernovaL of na!ive species and other destructive forms of use. In addition, any wildlife areaa not reserved (thal is, areas intended to remain in priva!e ownership), are usually zoned for uses which would neceesitate somedegree of clearing.

The present procedure invites conflict as the Town planning Scheme completely ignores wildlife conservation as a valid land use, and as a result confrontation between conservationists and developers is inevitabLe. In conflict situations the outcome is usually a comprornisel for example, a small part of a lake is kept as a wildlife refuge, while the remainder is deveLoped for recreation. ThuB, the environmen! suffers, as the eco-syslem is reduced in area and degraded to such an extent that it is no longer self-sustainable,

If the issue is inportant enough to involve State GovernmenLagencies such as Fisheries and Wildlife or Conservation and Environment, or a habitat action group, the conservationists may win. But for how long - Councils change, concerned residents move on, people forget. t/ith sma11 bush areas, it is considerably harder to win. More often than not the bush occurs on private property and does not justify the allocation of scarce government resources. Individuals are often powerless to do anything even if they feel strongly. However, there is scope here to harness !he energies of conmrnity minded professionals, enthusiastic landowners and voluntary conservation organisations.

Difficulties occur as present legislation does not clearly accept a

98 simple conservation stralegy such as tree preservation on private property, and thus there is littte likelihood of private interests assuming greater responsibi lity for the protection and managementof smal1 bush areas.

Notnithstanding the €uccesses we have heard abou! today, I would guess thal most would probably readily admit, that snall bush areas will inevitably continue to decline in both in quantity and quality, as the metropolitan region continues to grow.

Can anything be done to protect these bush areas? The recently adopted National ConservaEion Strategy for Australia (NCSA) identified insufficient knowledge and undersEanding of issues, and inadequate planning for integraEion of conservation and developnent, as presenting major obstacles to achieving NCSA objectives - 2Z(g),22(n). The following were listed as priority national acEions for inproving the capacity to manage,

-q. 28(c)"Integrate land use pl.anning and environnental assessnent by encouraging a uultidisciplinary approach (including socio-economic effects) to ensure that conservation and development issues are not addressed in i solat ion. "

"Review, S. 28(g) and where appropriate revise, the charters of single purpose governnent authorities to enable them to take account of both conaervation and development objectives,t'

tllith the current review of western Australiars Environnental protection planning Act, combined Tolrn and Environmental regisration is being considered for this state but is unlikely to becomea reality in the short term. For the present, it is probably more producLive to concentrate on correcting the inbalance of the existing Town planning legislation and regulations, by incorporating reference to wildlife conservation.

The Parks and Reserve Act and the Town planning Act should be arnendedto clearly specify that wildlife conservation, including tree preservation, rs a matter which n4y be dealt with under these Acts. Whether or not this is done, the planning Torsn Regulations should be changed to require an examination physical of the and Natural Environrnent to be included within

99 the Planning Data of the Scheme Report gubject Matter (Appendix C) and there should be a further change Lo include a standard map notation for Wildlife Conservation (Appendix B).

A change of the regulations would be very much easier to achieve than a change of legislation. In fect' the regulations are currently being reviewed and the tine is opportune to Press for change' I suggest that this gathering seriously consider naking a resolution at Lhe end of the dey, to support lhe changes that I have outlined.

The changes would be beneficial to both development and conservation interests as preeumably the nnore eech knolts of the other'a concern' the greater the likelihood that energies currently being directed ,to confronta- tion can be re-orientatetl, 8o Ehet Private interests accept gfeater responsibility for conserving snal1 bush areas'

100 A PERSPECTIVEON SMALLRESERVE MANAGEI,IE NI

Iarl Br igg s Environmental officer, DeparEmentof Conservation and Environment

I MRODUCTION

The Perth netropolitan area, unlike many other metropolitan areas, is fortunate that a large extent of the residential area and countryside have been set aside, under planning and wildlife legielation, for open space purposes, This is evident from the Metropolitan Region Schemef {rig. f) and Local Authority town planning schemes. In addition, there sre a great many small bush areas on private freehold land (e.g, backyard gardens and uncleared rural land), and vacant crown land and other uncleared reaervea dedicated to other purposea.

Although lhere is a Large nunber of small bush areas in lhe perth metropolitan region, only a small nuruber of theee are managedunder formal and comprehensive managenent plans and prograrures. Those snall bush areas forrnalLy set aside for the purpose of protecting the natural environnenr usually lack comprehensive nanagernentbecause of a deficiency in funds for staff, reaearch ancl equiprnent, as diBcussed in the Systen 5 Green Book.2 The remaining small bush areas on private freehold land and other reserves also lack comprehensive nanagement becauae there is no legislation to encourage or enforce the protecEion of uncLeared sreas on private freehold land, and other reserves are awaiting development sone time in the future and there is a lack of funds to provide proper n:inagenent in the interim.

Where there are nanagement plans and progranmes providing protection for snall bush ereas, they generally focus on the arear s local significance, such as the conservation of 1oca1 indigenous flora and fauna. Although the local significance aspec! is appropriate it does not necessarily describe the arears fu11 significance, that is, the managementplans and progranmes often oruit the arears regional significance.

purpose The of this paper is to very briefly outline some of the aspects of regional significance of small bush areas, ao as to highlighr the inportance of managing the existing remnants of, the natural environment in the Perth metropoIitan region.

101 I r.,------

-'---.r- "1 l-_._-_____,,. tl li .*. i i

-t I -1..

ri i I

l 2- I I t f.:t- t-----r.---.i I Hr: a v -t/ l

t.. \J ,#i \ 0 '-r v (

b, /'ry^ I I

<-i--t-_--\.1

77 Land Pu.cha*d lor P.*s 8nd Fe.ealioh =$.{P

5t0t5 m Land ReseNed tor Pad(s Eod Rcare.lrof (Source : MRPAAnnual Report, 19821)

FIGURE l- The Metropolitan Region Scheme reserves for Parks and Recreafion.

ro2 REGIONALSICNIFICANCE OF SMALLBUSIT AREAS

There are many individual characleristics which give a small bush area regional significance. These characteristics can be broadly classified into three functions:

habitst avai lab i 1i ty linkage scientific reference

Not ell functions always apply equally to each area and in many instances only one or tlro of these functions may apply.

These functions have become increasingly inportant !o the natural environmentrs weLl-being, especially since European settlexnent, becauee ru.rch of the PerLh metropolitan region has been cleared !o various degrees, as shordn in Figure 2. The only extensive bush areas are thoee in the northern portion of the Slran Coastal plain, and the cenlral and soutnern portions of the Darling Plateau, The snall bush areas in the remainder of the Plain and Pleteau are the only remnants of the natural environnent and their existence i8 under increasing preasure frorn direct and indirecr ixnpacts essociated lrith both huruen activities and netural eventa. Thue, the management for the protection of the regional characteristica and functions of snall bush areas is important and is discussed in nore detail in the following sections.

HASITAT AVAILABILITY FUNCTION

Thie function is best explained using birds as an example. The presence of many bird species in the Perth netropolitan region is dependent on the continued availability of sufficient suitable habitats, Both nomadic and sedentary birds rely on the presence of good habitat for feeding, breeding and refuge. When sites are disturbed, either by nanrs activities or by naturaL eventa, birds utilizing the area are forced to find alEernative habitats or peri sh.

Exanples highlighting the importance of this regional function are Ehe

foreshore areas of Melville Water, the Fremantle group of islands and the

103 t\\ KSi N

LAND USE

Key llllllllllllcteared Iand LOsslhan 157o natural vegetationcover.

\\\i:Uncleared land 157o or grealernalural v09etationcover. Fffi State Forest

fl,and Act Reserves

r.:.:,:.:.:::rriSignificant populated plBc eB

tilodli6 (Source o5lo15m : Qystem 6 Atlas of Natural rrlllResources J )

FIGURE 2 Degrees of Clearing on Swan Coastal P1ain in the Perth Metropolitan Region.

104 rretlands of the Perth netropolitan region.

Firstly, the foreshore sites of Melvi1le tlater, narnely pelican point, Alfred Cove and the South Perth foreshore (off Krdinana Freeway) provide good feeding areas for nigretory waders as weLl as feeding and nesting areas for nomadic and sedentary birds. If any of these foreshore areas are adversely affected and the habitat degraded, then the other two areaa provide suitabl-e alternative habitats. Also, this and many of the other wetlands, together lrith the coastal fringe and islands, provide habitat for t rans-equetor ia 1 nigratory birds. Thege areas act as stop-over points, nainly because of their reliable food supply. Thus, a portion of the perth metropolitan region is of international significance as recognised by both the Japanese and Australien Governments under the Japan-Australia Agreement'. This Agreenent proclains the need for the protection of certain trsns-equat oria I birds, with emphaeis placed on the enhancement of habitat. Table I liste those trans-equator ia 1 r,nigratory bird epecies which regularly visit the Perth netropolitan region.

. TABLE I

Birde, included in the Japan-Australia Agreeoent, which regularly visit the Perth netropolitan region:

Wedge-tai led Shearwater Wileon's Storrpetre I Red-necked St int Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Comlon Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper Bar-tailed Godlrit White-winged BLack Tern Crested Tern Bridled Tern

Secondly, in the Fremantle group of islands, for example, those in Shoalwater Bay, soue bird species are colonial and nay shift sites fron one island to the next in successive seasona or within one seaaon. For example, there are frequent site changes by the Caspian, Crested, Roseate and tr'eiry Terns due to predation, interference or repealed human disturbance at a previous site. Also, the breeding activities of the pied CormorsnE colonies result in the destruction of the nesting habitat (woody bushes) by the birds each breeding season. This necessitates rhe selection of a new site the following breeding aeaaon. rf these species are to continue breeding successfully perth in the region, sufficient habitat m.rst be

1nF available to permit this moveoent, Another regional significance aspect of the Fremantle group of ielands, in terms of breeding, is that this group of islands is separated from the neareet nesting area by 100 krn.

Thirdl"y, nany wetLands in the Perth netropolitan region provide habitst for water fowl during drought periods, both in the region itself and. in low rainfall areas, particularly to the north and east.

The small bush areas of the Perth netropoLitan region have an iePortanf, regional funccion in providing habitats for breeding, feeding and refuge. For habitat availability the snal1 busb areas mlst be of a suitsble quality, as this quality deternines the habitat value. The habitat value of lhe snall bueh areas having this regional function is, in. Eost casea' under increaging threat fron mants ectivities, guch as site disturbance frorn noise, air and rrater pollution, changeo in ground water tables, recreation, indiscriuinant and Eoo frequen! fires, vandalismr and the introduction of exotics - all of which contribute to the habitat degradation. There are slso natural stresses from drought, disease, fire, f l.ooding and seasonal variatione in clinate. Thus, to engure naxirnrmhabitat availability' such disturbances, especially those derived fron nanrs activities' thould be considered in regional Eanagenent plans and progranoee for small bueh areas in the Perth Eetropolitan area.

LI NKAGEFUNCTION

An important requirement for nornadic birde ie frequentLy occurring siteg which provide refuge and food. For these birds it is necessary to have a rrstepping- I tone" or Linkage system connecting feeding areas. The decline or abeence of certain bird species in the Perth metropolitan region has been attributed to the absence of such suitabLe linkages. Thus the presence of bird species in the Perth area is dependent Eo sone degree on the quality of the linkage systen provided by sna11 bush areas. This quality ie determined by the distanee between sites, the size and tyPe of the site (e.g. large or small water body, dense understorey, or op€n woodland) and the quality of the siters environnent (e.g, degree of human disturbance, amount of food, and nunber of feral cats). Many of the inner Perth snall bush areas have become unsuitable as linkage sites for several bird species because of intrusion and disturbance by the urban population, and general degradation of the habitat.

106 The linkage function is aLso important for the novement of birds through the Parth netropolitan region, especially between najor breeding and feeding sites. For water birds and waders linkages include offshore islands, (including Rottnest Island), coastal beaches and lretlands (such as the Cockburn and Wanneroo wetlands, which chain together with those dispersed throughout the coastal plain). For nonadic birds (e,g, honeyeaters and insectivorous species) mainland woodlands and forests, such as llarrdick Woodland, lilarangaroo, Kings Park and Bold Park are important. These are onLy a few examples of snall bush areas ranging from backyard gardens to larger areas such as Nati.onal Parks,

Another inportant aspect of the linkage function is the maintainence of floraL genetic diversity to ensure guccession of florel species. Meny of the small bush areas are too snall to engure the eurvival of certain floral species, Sone small bush areas may not contain large enough populations of certain species for thern to be self sustaining, and thus must rely on the inporting of seeds and po1len fron more productive surrounding areas. Poll.en is transported by birds, especially the nectar and pollen eaters (e.9. honeyeaters), and by insects and wind. Seed-eating birds are responaible for the novement of seed,

To en€ure the presence of as nany bird species as possible in the Perth netropolitan region and also lo help naintain genetic diversiry of flora1 species, it is necegsary to provide a suitabl.e 'rs tepping-e tone" or linkage aystem throughout the region. A good linkage systeo, that is, one of frequently occurring sitee nith high habitat valuee, assista in encouraging the movement of birde and other animals throughout the Perth metropolitan region. Thus, the regionaL function of linkage ghould be considered as an integral consideration in the production of Eensgenent plans and progrenmes for snall bush areas in the Perth raetropolilan region.

SCIENIIFIC REFERENCEFUNqTION

Although rtroat of the snall bush areas in the Perth metropolitan region are not in a pristine stete, they do indicate aspects of the natural environnenc, especially flora and landscape, prior to European settlement. At a regional scale the distribution of vegetation conplexes on the Slran CoasLal Plain is closely related to soil and topography and furthernore, is represented by a fairly simple paltern as shown in Figure 3.

ro7 VEGETATION COMPTEXES

Key .:':: I Coftesloe 'f Quindatup : Karrakalta BE flerdsman ffiffi Bassendean-rrans ion i:iirii Plniar '€> Ll-jl-lllBassendean t1 :=_= Soulhern River llllllllDardanup ,"""o""%:Guitd tord i::!!!'i!!!Beermullah

'////////T,OartinsScaro

'...... Yanga ;';i Forresttield

5. r0 15 (Source : System 6 Atlas Natura 1 Resource s

FIGURE 3 Vegetation Complexes on the Swan Coastal pfain in the Perth Metropolitan Region.

108 The relatively sinple distribution pattern and the north-south orientation of the vegetation complexes enables a comparison of environments both IongitudinalLy and laterally. For example, a comparison of wetland flora and fauna can be urade both within a vegetation complex, saY, at the northern and southern extremities of Cottesloe or Bassendeanvegetation cornplexes, as well as between vegetation complexes, such as along an east-west transect from the Quindalup to the Guildford vegetation complex, This siruple distribution over such a large area of the perth metropolitan region permils the relatively accurate measureoent of environmental changes in any one vegetation conplex, For example, the affect of urbanisation on small bush areas located on elevated topography, Iowlands or wetlands can be measured by using undisturbed sites as controls found in the same vegetation complex outside the urban area.

A uore moderale aspect of this reference function is the provision of varying types of bush land in the urban and rural areas for educational purposes as well as for aesthetic reasons. In terms of aesthetics, the existing distribution of small bush areas provides examples of different landscapes between the coastal plain and the Darling Scarp, and at the same tirne breaks the monotony of the urban and industrialised environment.

DI SCUSSION

The three functions of available habitat, linkage and scientific reference are very important: to lhe well-being of aninal and fLoral species; for scientific measurement of the environment; and in providing natural bush settings in urban and rural areas. Thus, smal1 bush areas. whether on reserves having conservation or open space purposes, on other reserves awaiting future development, or on private freehold land, play an integral role in the quality of cornnunitylife in the perth netropolitan region.

At present there is little formal managemen!of reserves se! aside for open space or conservation purposes, or for other uncleared reserves awaiting future developrnent; nor is there any legislation which encourages or enforces the protection of bush areas on privare freehold 1and. This deficiency is recognised in the System 6 Stuily2 and one of the main thrusEs "larger,, of the Study is to pronote the setting aside of (i.e. over 20 ha) sma11 bush areas for conservation purposes (see Figure 4). It also recognises the regional significance of sna11 bush areas in the perth

1flq _z

r@, E nnEa.d '///z .3t on.coftbund.rt

FIGURE 4 Recommendation Areas in the Metropolitan Reqion in the System 6 Green Book2.

110 Eetropolitan area and has recoomended the creation of regional Parks to ensure a co-ordinated regional aPproach to the planning and managementof habitats and linkage systems including Land Act reserves' and government and orivate freehold land.

In conclusion, the small bush areas in the Perth netropoliton region are remnants of Ehe pre-European environment and thus rePresenE the only rrnaEurelrr habitats available. i{ithout Proper managementof these areas their habitat value is degraded, reducing their ability to support popuLations of indigenous flora and fauna and resulting in a relatively poor opportunity for the movenent of animals, especially birds, throughout the region, as well as threatening the succession of flora species' This could lead to a decline in the bird species present and a loss of vegetation species. Thus, the sltrall bush areae require managementPlans and programnes rrhich lake into accoun! their value in the regional conlext.

REFERENCES

'Metropolitan Region Scheme : uetropolitan Region Plenning Authority Annual Report, MRPA,Perth, 1982.

'Department of conservalion and Environment : Syslen 6 Study (Green Book), Perth, Apri 1 l98l .

Departnent of Conservation and Environment : Atlas of NaturaL Resources, Darling Systen, I{estern Australia, 1980.

Governments of Japan and Australia : Agreeoent between the GovernEent of Japan and the Government of Australia for the ProtecLion of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of Extinction and Their Environment.

L11 MAMGEMEMPLANNING FOR METROPOLITANBUSH AREAS

Robert Powe11 I,l.A. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

THE NEEDFOR MANACEIIEMPLANNI NG

Once we have decided to pregerve an area of bush ne rnust lhen consider how best to rnanageit. The two main aims of managenent are (l) to rnaintain the arears natural features (or, if it is degraded, bring it closer to its natural condition), end (2) to encourage the public to enjoy it and learn from it.

In the preceding papers we have read about the varied factors that affect bush areaeg many of these are strongly inter-related, for example natural vegetation, weeds, fire and peopLe. 0n the one hand, virtually all the manageroentproblems - repeated fires, weeds, erosion, rubbish dumping - are ceused direc!ly or indirectly by people, 0n the other hand, people can gain rmrch pleasure and knowl.edge fron bush areaa, and, noreover, can develop an interest in helping to managethem (e.9. by weeding).

So the value of a bueh area wil.l depend very nrch on how well it is managed. Good managenent requirea a managementplan, so that principLes and procedures can be thought ou! in advance and followed through. Without public aupport a plan is unlikely to succeedi the preparation of a managementplan must therefore involve the public.

THE PROCESSOF I.{ANAGEMEl{I PLANNING

I believe lhere are four inportant steps in nanagernentplanning:

1. Study of Reserve

IaIe need to knorrr the plant species and their distributions in the reserve. It is also helpful to knon which ones are less likely to continue to survive in the reserve, and which ones are of special interest - for example, those with a restricted occurrence in general. tJe should also find out as much as \re cao about the various groups of animal species that inhabit or use the reserve. The reserve's higtory

tr2 (including fire history) and present managementprob lerns should also be noted.

L. Draft Plan

The draft plan should be widely circulaEed so it reaches nost people likely to use the bush area, This can be done by publishing an article in the Local newspaper summarizing the draff plan and stating where copies may be obtained. In cases where the area is of regional rather than local significance (e.g. Bold park, which contains Reabold Hill, the highest hil.l on the coastal plain in the metropolitan area), draft plans shoui.d be pubLicised more wideLy, by an article or advertisement in one of the main newspapers.

Commentson the drsft plan shouLd be invited. The case for preserving the bush sbould be carefulLy argued in the draft plan, to ensure that people understand and support Ehe plan. It is especially important to gain the support of persons living next to or very near Lo the reserve, and it is a good idea to have special discussions wich them.

Pub1ic Ree Donse

Summarizing the public subnissions and rnaking this sunmary available indicates to the public that their conmenta have been seriously considered, and that they are activeLy invol"ved in the planning process.

4. Final Plan

This should acknowledge the public submissions received and wnere possible should include suggestions made in these submissions.

It should be circulated widely.

Preparing a nanagement pran in this way wirl do much to increase public interest and support.

113 PROVIDINGTIiE DETAILS

The Ewo Model Manageoent Plans that follow are prelirninary attenpts to provide guidelines for writing managementplans, The first is for an area, of good quality bush, as may be found in an outer suburbl the second is for a small area of bush thet has been modified by various pressuries. Both of them contain provisions for: public use; fire conlrol; weeding; removal of rubbish; erection of barriers where necessary; and taking of photographs for monitoring.

The second Model Managenent Plan includes additional measures aimed a! bringing the vegetation closer !o iLs natural staEe. These are: the removal of any non-local plants that have been pLanted; the planting of 1oca1 species; wacering; and the avoidance of pruning. These require more understanding of our bush and its ecology than most of the measures lhaL are listed in both Models. They are explained under Managenen!Measures 2, 4, 5 and 9 of the second Model, and I wish here, too, to expand on these:

Removal of non-1oca1 Plant s

Since the airn is to pronote bush (i.e., a natural as soc iat ior.r, of, species), all non-Iocal species - those that are not natural to the site - should be removed.

Planting of Local Species

Planting tends to destroy the naturaL character of the vegetation, and therefore should not be carried out unLess absolutely necessary. One should not be in a hurry !o plant: natural regeneration (as is encouraged by weeding) should be tried for the first few seasons.

Planting mrst of course be confined to loca1 species. Furthermore, since ruost plant species vary a lot genetically, the propagating

material should be collected at or near the site.

Finally, planting mrst be in sympathy with the type (or types) of vegetation present. We must take care to avoid changing its composiEion and slrucEure (e.g. the rnassed planting of jarrah seedlings might turn

114 jarrah-banksia a woodland into a jarrah forest). If the vegetarion is oot uniforo throughout the reserve, the plantings of individual species must be within the zones in which they already occur.

Watering

The purpose of watering is rnerely to help newly planted seedlings through their first summer; watering is otherwise generally harmful to bush. Watering mrst therefore be specific and be done by hand. A bush reaerve is no place for installing reticulation.

Avoidance of Pruning

The lopping of trees and pruning of shrubs are wideepread practices in Perth. ln bueh areas, with their ernphasis on the natural, such pruning is clearly inappropriate. Unpruned Erees and shrubs offer an immense varie!y of forms. Dead branches are very informative, because in attempting to determine lrhy they are dead we can learn about ecology. They contribute to the overall structure of the plant. They are also important biologically, providing hollows for birds, bats end reptiles. r ehourd be pLeased to receive any coomenta you have on the Model Managemenl Plans .

frf MODELI

MODELMANAGE lIE NT PLAN FOR AN AREA OF GOODBUSH IN AN OUTERSUBURB OF PERTH

PART ONE : GEMRAL

The purpose of this management plan is to retain the area of bush located ac (see attached plan) for the wildlife it contains and for people's enjoymen!, Bush areas suPPort not only many species of loca1 plants but also a greet diversity of essociated anirnals, especiatrly invertebrates ( insects, spiders, etc.). By retaining areas of bush we can becone familiar with local flora and f an:na. Such areas are noat appnopriate and convenient sites on which schools (both prinery and secondary) could, conduct field studies as part of their biotrogy courses. Even for Ehose peraons uninterested in learning about local flora and fauna, bush areas can provide a restful change fron the nany developed parks, and an historical insight into the past state of their local environment.

It should be remenbered that there !'i11 not aLways be bush around Lhe suburb of OnIy fifty years ago there was extensive areas of bush in and around such suburbs as Nedlands, Attad€le and MosmanPark, but very little remains today: it has been replaced by roads and houses and largely artificial parks and gardens. In some of these older suburbs, residents are taking an increased interest in small remnants of bush, both in planning for their retention and manageoent, and in carrying out \teeding and other nanagementpractices.

The System 6 Study Report recogaised the value of retaining areas of bush, rthe and recommendsthat in the Metropolitan Region growth and regeneration of local indigenous flora should be encouragedr or words to that effect.

This particu lar area contains large nunber of plant species: ( nurober) (see attached list ) . Most of these species are typical of ttre soi l-type of tbis site: (soil-type). Some of them, for

examp1e (species), are virtually confiued to these soils,

lrhi Ie others, for example, (species), are of more widespread. occurrence and are also found growing on

(soil-types). A particularly inleresting feature is thaL the species are

by no neans uniformly distributed ( species ), for example,

-tro grow mostly at (part of area ) , whereas (species) are largely confined to (part of area). This is probably because

Since this plan involves the retention of the area as bush (i.e., a natural association of species), no planting will be undertaken. The planting of species that do not grow here would only detract fron the total effect, and serve as a perpetual reminder of hunan interference. Even the planting of species that do grow here couLd easily interfere nith the nstural patterns of the distribution of the various species (see above). In the nqenagemenE of degraded areas of bush it is sorne!imes necesaery to plant where there are bare patches to speed the proces6 of recovery (taking great care f,o plant only local species propagated from seed or cuttings taken from naturally occurring pLants on or near the site), but this is quiEe unnecessary in this area, with its good cover of vegelation.

Term of Plan

The t erm of this nanagenent plan is 10 years. After l0 years the ManagementMeasures (below) will be reviewed Lo determine their effectiveness, and a new managementplan produced, either rcith the aane or with nodified llanageme n t Measures. The Managenent Aims of the new pLan will rernain u na I tered .

PART TWO : PLAN FOR I'{ANAGEME Nt

Management Aims

I To protect Ehe local vegetation and maintain it in a state as close as possiLle to its natural one.

2. To encourage the use of the area by school children and others in such way as to help then develop a faruiliarity wich local vegelation and an understanding of its ecology,

Management Measures

Public Use

777 (i) The careful design of pathways around or through the area to encourage people to keep to them and thus not trample the vegetaEion.

(ii) The use of signs, 1abe1s, etc., to help peopl.e to learn about loca1 veget at ion.

2. Weeding when and where necessary - for the purpose of reducing competition from introduced plants, and thus encouraging the growth and regeneration of naturally occurring plants. lt rril1 be adequately supervised to enaure that disturbance to naCurally occurring plants is minirnal. If necessary, advice will be sought froe the Departnent of Fisheries and Wildlife.

? Any rubbish that has been dumped will be pronptly removed. Rubbish has several harnful effects. It looks unsightly and encourages further dumping. By accing as a fertilizer it harrus local plants and at the saEe time encourages weeds. It may create a fire hazard and may harbour vermi n.

4. Meaures to ControI Fire

(i) Weeding (No. 2) wl11 help reduce the incidence and impact of fire.

r/;i\ The ploughing or mowing of minor firebreaks eround lhe borders of the erea if necessary. Internal paths r{i11 act as further firebreaks, and will help confine any fires that occur, preventing tbern fron burning the entire area.

(iii) Using re I ident s near the area to volunteer as fire informers, to

not i fy the (body ) of outbreaks of fire,

Frequent fires cause exEensive damage, by injuring and thinning the natural vegetation and reducing the leaf litter on the ground, and by encouraging weed growth. Vegetation that has been recently burnt is more accessible to people, and is thus vulnerable to Eranpling and soil disturbance. In this Plan the aiur will be to maintain an

interval of a! least l5 years between fires. Vegetation that remains

118 unburnt for longer sti1l is of scientific interest because it provides informetion on plant longevity and reproduction in the absence of fire.

The erection of barriers, where necessary, to encourage people to keep off fragile areas (e,g. steep slopes); and the erection of temporary fences if necessary, to protect, from trampling, areas that have been accidentally burnt.

5. ,The taking of photographs fron fixed pointe every two years, anal their careful examination. If they indicate any deterioration in the plant cover' the cauges of the deterioration and appropriate remedial action can be carefully considered. If necessary, advice will be sought fron the Departnenr of Fisheriee and Wildlife.

'I 10 i

}IODEL 2

I,IODEL I''ANAGEMENT PLAN FOR A SMA].I AREA OF SEMI-NATURAL BUSH IN AN INMR IIETROPOLITANSUBURB

PART ONE : GENERAL

The purpose of this managementplan is to retain the area of bush located aE (see attached plan) for the wildlife it contains and for people's enjoynent. Even small areas of bush suppor! not only many species of local plants but also a great diversity of associated animals, especially invertebrates (insects, spiders, etc.). By retaining areas of bush we can become faniliar with some of the local flora and fauna, Such areas are nost appropriate and convenient sites nhere schools (both primary and secondary) can conduct field studies as part of their biology couraes. Even for those persons uninterested in learning about local flora and fauna, bush areas can provide a restful change fron the many developed parks, and a historical insight into Ehe past state of their local environment.

Aress of bush in the Metropolitan Region are fast disappearing as the ciEy continues to expand, Moreover, remnants that do survive rarely stay in a natural or near-natural state. The reesons for this are Ewofold. Firstly, they are subjected to heavy pressures, such as rubbish dumping, tranpling and frequent burning. Secondly, non-local plants are often planted within them, which delracEs from their naEural character, qowever, if vell managed, bush areas can not only retain, but also irnprove, their natural condition. ltanagement techniques ernployed in recent years have increased the cover and even the diversity of the local vegetafion of a reserve in Hollywood. In Fremantle, the vegetaEion cover in a srnalL bush area has increased si.mply as a result of less frequent burning.

The System 6 Study Report recognised the value of retaining areas of bush, and recornmends that in the Metropolitan Region rthe growth and regeneration of local indigenous flora should be encouraged' or words to that effecL.

This parEicular area has in the pas! been subjected to rnany of the presaures mentioned above, which have caused changes in its appearance.

Trees have been danaged and lhe understorey has becorne sparse and

720 fragmented. Introduced plants, especially ( species), have become abundant. Nevertheless, ( nu$er ) of the or ig ina 1 species survive on the reserve (see aEtached list). I,lost of these species are typical of lhe soil-type of this site: ( soi 1- type ) . Sorne of them for exarnole (species), are virtually confined lo Ehese soi1s, whiLe others, for example, (species), are of nore widespread occurrence and are also found growing on (soil-types). An especially interesting feature is that the species here are by no means uniformly distributed ( species) exarnple, grow mostly at _ (part of area ) , wherea ( species ) are largely confined (part of area). This is probably because

Since this pLan involves the reEention of the area as bush (i.e. , a nature 1 aesociation of species), any planting that is undertaken should be strict ly of loca1 species (i.e. those species that ere natural to this particular site) and will be done in such a way as to preserve the natural characcer of the area (see Part 2 - Plan for Management. 4. flanting). Increasing the cover of natursl vegetation should be achieved, as far ag poesible, by natural regeneration rather than planting.

Tern of Plan

The term of this management plan is 10 years. After l0 years the ManagementMeaaures (below) wi 11 be reviewed to determine their effectiveness, and a new managenen! plan will be produced, either with the same or wilh modified ManegementMeasures. The ManagementAims of the new plan witl remain unaltered.

PART TWO : PLANFOR MANAGEME NT

Management Aims

l. To protect the local vegetation and rnaintain it in a state as close as possible to its natura.l one.

2. To encourage the use of the area by schoor children and others in such a rrray as to help them develop a faniliarity with local vegetaCion and an understanding of its ecology.

L27 Management Measure s

Public Use

(i) The careful design of pathways ar'ound or through the aree lo encourage people to keep to Ehem and Ehus not tranple the vegetaLion.

(ii) The use of signs, labels, etc. ' to help people to learn abou! loca1 vegetat ion.

2. The removel of the non-local. treee and shrube that have been pLanted in the area, This should be done:

(i) in winter, so the local plants do not suffer from the sudden removal of shade during surnmer

(ii) with as little disturbance as possible Eo the soil and the IocsI vegetetion.

Although it is always sad to remove plants' the removal of the non l-ocal plants is necessary to enable the area to develop a natural Plant association, suitable for biological field studies and ag a harmonious reminder of the past 6tste of this part of (suburb).

3. weeding will be carried out to reduce comPerition frorn introduced plants, and thus encourage the gro\dth and regeneration of local Plants' It will be adequately supervised to enaure thar disturbance !o naturally occurring plants is ninimal. lf necessary, advice will be sought frorn the Departnent of Fisheries and Wi1dlife.

4, Plantings should onl-y be necessary in bare areas and only specres occurring naturally on the siter ( i.e. the species in the aEtached list) should be used' They will be ProPagated from seeds or cuttings collected fron the site itself or nearby sites nith a similar soil-type, Seeds and cutEings so collected may be given to a nursery for propagation on the understanding that no substitutes will be accepted. No nursery plants should be used.

122 Wherever natural regeneraEion can be utilized to revegetate bare areas, this is preferable to plantingr and planting should be regarded as a prelirninary measure, to be discontinued once plant cover has increased.

Plants experiencing their first sunmer after planting should be watered. Such walering will be no more than once a week, and to be done individually by hand. No general \ratering will be undertaken, because it is liab le !o harm some species and upset the natural balance.

6. Any rubbish that has been duropedwill be pronptly rernoved. Rubbish has several harrafuI effects. Not only does it looks unsightly and encourage further dumping, it also acta as a fertiLizer, harming local plants and encouraging weede. It may also create a fire hazard, and harbour veruin.

7. Measures to Control Fi re

/i \ Weeding (No. 3) will help reduce the incidence and inpact of fire.

The roowing or ploughing of minor firebreaks around the borders of lhe area if neeessary. Internal paths will act aa further firebreaks, and wil.l help confine any fires that occur, preventing them fron burning through the entire area.

(iii) The asking of re s idenEs the aree to volunteer as fire informers, to notify the (body) of outbreaks of

Frequent fires cause extensive danage, by injuring and thinning the natural vegetation and reducing the leef litter on the ground, and by encouraging weed gronth. Vegetation that has been recently burnt is more accessible to people, and is thus vulnerable to trampling and soil disturbance. In this plan the airn will be to naintain an interval of at least l5 years between fires. Vegetation that renains unburnt for longer still is of scientific interest because it provides informa!icin

on plant longevity and reproduction in the absence of fire.

12? 8. The erection of barriers where necessary, to encourage people to keep off fragile areas (e.g. steep sLopes); and the erection of temporary fences if necessary to protect, from trampling, ereas tha! have been accidental ly burnt ,

9. The evoidance of any sort of pruning of 10cal Plants excePt Idhere absolutely neceseary. The natural structure of a plant is an important aspect of its beauty; it is also very infornative, since different I plants grow in different ways for different reesons. Dead branches are as informative as living branches. If a branch nrst be pruned, for example to make a path passable, it should be cut conpletely off, leaving no stump.

10, The teking of photographs fron fixed Points every tlto years, and their careful examination. If they indicate any deterioration in the Planl cover, the causes of the deLerioraiton and appropriate remedial action can be carefully considered. If necessary, advice will be sought from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

I tNote: If the nurnber of remaining local species is very 6m411 indeed it

may be desirable to plant other species that ere almost certein to I have originally grown on the si!e. Advice should be sought from the DeDartment of Fisheries and Wildlife.

124 CAPABILITY ASSESSMENIAS A PREREQUISITETO DEClSION MAKING

Keith E. Lindbeck Project Environmental Siientist Dames& Moore, South perth

The decision to develop a parcel of land for urban use has been based, in the uajority of cases, on the land rrbeing there", raEher than the attribuEes of the land being suitable for a particular use. HisEorically, a decision to develop a parcel of land has simply been rnadeon the prernise thal the land adjacent to the Last development was available, No capabiLity assessmentof these parcels of land was undertaken.

With the developroent of environnental atrareness in the la!e 1960s, developers were forced to look nore closely at their land prior to approval for development, and to preserve areas within the developrnent as rropen space". The nininum percentage of open space was Laid down by law but could include drainage 1ines, srr1al1unusually shaped areas, and natural features, such as swanps .

In addition, lhere was little co-operation between developere of adjoining land areas. Consequently, developments could take place without the incorpora!ion of large areas of open space, unless the pLanners were able Lo have an input into the decision naking process. Thus, remnants of areas developed were smal1 areas unsuitable for retention as natural areas. c. Tyler Mi1ler, Jr., in his book rrLiving in the Environmen!'r has identified a nurober of goals that ain at preserving a rich diversity of spaces that Eatch the diversity of hurnanneeds. These include:

Aestheti.cs - preservaLion of visually pleasant and beautiful places EsEab lishment of recrealion areas Preservation of unique historic or culEural sites Provision of physical and ecological buffer zones between and within urban areas

Provision of habitats for birds and other forms of r,rildrife Ehat can live in or near urban areas.

To achieve the goals, the areas suitab le for preservation nust be identified as the firsc step. To achieve the identification of these areaa, an assessment of the physical atcributes of the total area (on a regional basis) rqust be undertaken. This is capability assessment.

Capability Asse s sment

Cepab.ility assessmenL is the identification of lhe physical attributes of an area and the assessmentof the effecl each attribute, either iodividually or in coubination, wiLl have on lhe developuent of a Particular Parcel of land.

Various methods are available for capability essessment. Aerial photographic interpretation I'ith field checking ruay be used to produce reconnaissance level assessnents, More detailed surveys can then be undertaken on the areas that appear suitable for development, The detailed surveys, undertaken at napping scales between 1:5 000 to 1:25 000 usualLy involve intensive fie 1d surveys,

Attributes which require idenrification include:

. Geology, landform, soils . ConteEporarygeomorphic processes . Fauna and flora . Surface and groundwater hydrology . Historic sites . Archaeological and erhnographic sites . Current regional land rrse ttith the collection of this base data, an assessDent can be made of the capability of that land parcel. Areas thaE are not suitable for urban development are, lherefore, available for uses such as open space or bushland.

The capability assessment can involve the use of roap overlay systerns such as expoundedby McHarg (1969), a uatrix sysEen as used in Canada, computer roapping techniques, or sinply subjecEive personal aasessment.

McHarg (1959) napped aIl the individual attributes using pastel napping colours for suitable areas and graded to dark colours for those unsuitable. By overlaying the roaps, the lighter coloured suitab Le areas are clearly

distinguished anong the dark colours, Even within this system, subjective decision must be nade of the rel.evan! value of each attribute in deciding what colour tone should be used. This system, with nodification, has been most useful at the legional scal.e of mapping,

Matrix systeos are usually coElputer programrnes that are conplicated and require "weighting" of attributes. These systems are not perceived to be suitable a! the 10ca1 scale for use by cor.rncils or developers. Cornputer mapping is also generally beyond the scope of council capability, personal subjective assessnent is the most widelv accepted and used method. An individualrs assessment should always be forlowed up by round teble discussion to achieve a balance between the ideas and requirements of both planners and users.

The capability assess!'ent procedures therefore identify those areas suiteble for conservation, active and passive recreation, residential, and conmercial 0r industrial uses. rt is the areas which are identified as being suitabLe for conservati.on and passive recreation in which we are interested.

The assessment of land capability on the broad scale is advantageous to 1oca1 councils which adninister these snall bush areas. The principal atrributes of the areas have been identified and councils are then able to carry out nore detailed surveys according to their requirements. The capability assessnent is able to place each bush area in the regional setting such pressurea that that r'ay not be identified at the 1oca1 level can be identified at the regional sca1e.

Conclus ion

For too long, suall bush arees sirnply have been forued fron the 'rLeftoversrl of urban development. The identification and assessment of capability of land for use as srnall bush areas must take priority over ad hoc developnent strategies.

References

McHarg, I.L. (f969). Design with Nature. (Falcon presg : Philadelphia). Mi1ler, c,T. (1975). Jnr. Living in the Environmenr. Prob lens and Alternatives. (Wadsnorth: Belnont, Calif.)