Region Achievement Report 2015-2016 M Price

WHO WE ARE KEY PARTNERSHIPS Reserves in the east protect mountain and ...... gorge country landscapes which include The Northern Tablelands Region manages We work with and for our communities in rainforests of the of over 592,000 hectares, in 93 reserves spread conserving, protecting and managing the World Heritage site, high altitude over the escarpments, tablelands and very significant values of our parks, and granite peaks and the wild of the western slopes of northern NSW. in providing opportunities for engaging Macleay catchment. experiences. The Strategic Programs Team and Regional Across the region’s rural tablelands Administrative Support Team work from We foster important partnerships with and slopes, significant areas have been our Armidale office, and there are three Aboriginal groups, reserve neighbours, protected, such as Torrington State management areas: Walcha, Glen Innes and communities in adjoining towns and villages, Conservation Area, Warrabah National Park Tenterfield. We also have depots in Armidale, local government, the Rural Fire Service, and Kwiambal National Park, where unique Yetman and Bingara. Local Land Services, Forestry Corporation, landscapes and remnants of the original local members of NSW Parliament and New England Tableland and Nandewar Bio- WHAT WE DO special interest groups. regions are conserved...... Such a diverse geographical range means Our region is responsible for the WHERE WE OPERATE a correspondingly rich diversity of wildlife management of: ...... and vegetation types is found in our reserves Our region stretches across 51,000 square • national parks and reserves - from tall well-watered forests that are kilometres of northern NSW, from the QLD home to the powerful owl to islands of drier • park assets border in the north to Walcha and Tamworth woodlands where nectar-loving birds such in the south and from / • people in parks as the spectacular regent honeyeater survive in the west to half way down the Great in the midst of farmland. • native plants and animals Escarpment in the east. Offering experiences such as dramatic • fire and incidents It covers all or part of 13 Local Government waterfall views, wild-water kayaking, Areas, six NSW electorates and five Federal • pests and weeds peaceful riverside camping and Aboriginal electorates. or European cultural trails, our region offers • Aboriginal cultural heritage plenty for visitors to explore and enjoy. • historic heritage

• appropriate fire suppression, protection and management across the reserve system

• wilderness and wild rivers.

RIGHT: Billyrimba Lookout, . A Richards

1 NPWS Region ! Northern Tablelands

QLD Tooloom NP M Maryland NP r ac ive in re R ty Captains Creek NR nty re aci R M iv er Yabbra NP Du ma res q R ive Cataract NP Bru r xner WayDthinna Dthinnawan NR Dthinna Dthinnawan NP Boonoo Boonoo NP Bald Rock NP Yetman Brux y Bruxner H ner Way a ighway hw ig H er Basket Swamp NP xn ru Maroomba SCA Donnybrook NR B r e Burral Yurrul NR iv Tenterfield R Timbarra NP sq Gibraltar NR Currys Gap SCA Burral Yurrul NP re Demon NR a y Mount Mackenzie NR a m w u h D Tenterfield g i Taringa NRKwiambal NP H Bluff River NR y l l a w e h w ig e Crooked Creek NPTorrington SCA H Washpool SCA N d n la g n Burnt-Down Scrub NR Northern Plains Arakoola NR E w e River N Bolivia Hill NR Severn Capoompeta NP Washpool NP Severn River NR

Gw Butterleaf NP y yd ydir Highwa ir Fladbury NR Gibraltar Range NP Gw Hig hw Nullamanna NP ay Kings Plains NP Mann River y G a Warialda SCA w hw y Glen Innes ig di H Barool NPNymboida NP r H ir ig yd h w wa G Warialda NP y Glen Innes Mann River NR Nymboida SCA ghway wydir Hi Barayamal NP G Gw r ydi y ive r Ri Goonoowigal SCA a R Bingarave w yd r h Bo g Bingara SCA i SCA H

Tingha Plateau SCA d NP

n

Gwydir River NP a l

g

n

E

Serpentine Ridge NP w Warra NP Single NP e

Stonewoman AA N

Indwarra NP Little Llangothlin NR Guy Fawkes River NP r r e e v i iv Northern Tablelands R R le n The Basin NR y o fo t r NP r Mother Of Ducks Lagoon NR be o A H Ironbark NR Booroolong NR Dorrigo Horton Falls NP Avondale SCA

N Woodsreef SCAStony Batter Creek NR a M Duval NR

m a

o n Cathedral Rock NP

i i Linton NR NR l

R l a y Armidale r iv a ve R w i e h r ig Yina NR R i x New England NP v H y K Hobden Hill NP Warrabah NP d t e n S a la m r g n Imbota NR i l a E r w o e North Coast i N H

i g

h w y wa a gh Georges Creek NR y Hi Watsons Creek NP nd gla Cunnawarra NP En Watsons Creek SCA w Ne Oxley Wild Rivers SCA Watsons Creek NR Carrai SCA Walcha Macdo nald Riv er Carrai NP y O hwa xle Hig y Hi y xley O ghw ley Highwa O x ay Walcha Ox le Oxley Wild Rivers NP y H r ay ig e hw Gunnedah h v g w A i i a p H y sl y ey R xle ATamworth R O rm ive r h ida Aberbaldie NR le c R t Melville Range NR o i Wondoba SCA ad

w

o

r Willi Willi NP

r

a Werrikimbe NP

Y K a m i la r o i Werrikimbe SCA M H ig o h Cottan-Bimbang NP w Ngulin NR o a k y Cottan-Bimbang SCA Trinkey SCA i Mummel Gulf NP R r i e Mummel Gulf SCA v v e i Wauchope r R l K e a e NRTuggolo Creek NR m P il a Tomalla NR Nowendoc NP r o i H i g Curracabundi NP h Lower North Coast w a B y a rn a y r a d w h R ig iv H Central Coast Hunter e 0 c 60 i r if c a Blue Mountains I Kilometres P

! Major towns Motorway

" NPWS work locations Primary road

NPWS areas Arterial roads

NPWS estate Major rivers

2 ...... KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2015/16

LANDSCAPES AND AQUATIC SYSTEMS ......

Mother of Ducks Lagoon near Guyra has benefited from improved water catchment after new drainage pipes increased water runoff to the lagoon and at the same time reduced flooding at Guyra’s golf course. The lagoon provides important habitat for threatened species like Lathams snipe.

Watsons Creek Nature Reserve is now free of livestock, and restoration and rehabilitation of its riverbanks has begun. This reserve is an important refuge for wildlife and the works will play an important role in protecting the water quality of the Macdonald River.

NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ......

Bush Blitz, Australia’s largest nature The Caring for Country crew at Hoppy’s Lookout, overlooking Kemps Pinnacle, a culturally discovery project, visited Oxley Wild Rivers significant feature in Willi Willi National Park. P Thomas National Park this year, recording multiple new species and collecting endangered and very rare plants for botanic garden • surveys for mouse in Caring for Country collections in order to secure these rare Carrai National Park Building on the successes of an earlier species in ex-situ populations. • completion of a five-year plan to survey program, this year’s Caring for Carrai Glen Innes Area continued the long- running the region’s flora which commenced and Kunderang Country Aboriginal Parks survey of spotted tailed quolls in Guy with Oxley Wild Rivers and Washpool Partnership project continued to increase Fawkes River National Park. This is the most National Parks and culminated with understanding and connection of community extensive survey of its type and is significant Nowendoc, Mummel Gulf and Carrai to country and build relationships to guide as it is monitoring quoll populations in areas National Parks management. inhabited by wild dogs • flora vegetation audit for Nowendoc, Six culture camps were held in Oxley We conducted several other surveys to Mummel Gulf and Carrai National Parks Wild Rivers and Carrai National Parks, in monitor populations of threatened species conjunction with Thungutti and Kempsey • a targeted reptile survey throughout and or vegetation conditions: Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Warrabah National Park and part of Dunghutti Elders Corporation. The camps • ground and aerial surveys for brush- Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. were successful in documenting new tailed rock wallabies in Green Gully, Aboriginal sites, reviving cultural camping Oxley Wild Rivers National Park HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND and re-connecting communities to places CONNECTING COMMUNITIES they had only heard about from Elders - ...... places they would normally be unable to visit The Old Camp due to distance, the need for 4WD vehicles Stories of survival at the Old Camp on the and the logistics of camping out. Western Common were generously shared by the Aboriginal people of Tenterfield and The tasks completed on the camps included: surrounds as part of an Aboriginal Park • interpretation of Aboriginal cultural Partnerships project. The site of Tenterfield’s heritage around East Kunderang former fringe camp is now within Currys Gap homestead State Conservation Area. • recording of new sites, with training The resulting film, based on oral histories from experts in site recording recorded with knowledge holders in September 2014, documents the history of • weed spraying within an Aboriginal the camp, the lives of those that lived there Area that is not accessible to normal and their contribution to the development spraying equipment of Tenterfield in the latter half of the 20th • rehabilitation of an Aboriginal century. stockmen’s hut site, including accurate Project partners including the Moombahlene recording of remaining infrastructure Local Aboriginal Land Council, Tenterfield and removal of encroaching vegetation Shire Council, Aboriginal knowledge holders and weeds. Spotted tailed quoll captured during and their descendants from across northern threatened species surveys. NSW attended the premiere in Tenterfield.

3 ABORIGINAL JOINT MANAGEMENT ......

Parks play an important part in building the resilience of Indigenous communities. We support the aspirations of Aboriginal people to protect their cultural heritage, to be involved in the management of their traditional lands and to improve connection to country and community wellbeing.

We are continuing to work with Aboriginal People to establish joint management of Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve near Armidale.

VISITOR FACILITIES ......

We continue to provide visitor experience opportunities that are sustainable and meet the needs of our visitors. This year the following improvements were completed: • an upgrade to Dandahra visitor precinct at Gibraltar Range National Park from one of several lookouts in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. H Clark • improvements to Falls Road bridge in VISITOR EXPERIENCES Boonoo Boonoo National Park ...... • safety upgrades including five new Old Cedar Creek cottage is being renovated Dthinnawan, Washpool, Basket lookout platforms at Wollomombi for on-line booking, making the Green Gully Swamp, Boonoo Boonoo, Bald Rock, Falls, two at Dangars Falls and one Track in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park a Kwiambal and Capoompeta national lookout at in Oxley Wild standard five-night walk. This 65 kilometre parks Rivers National Park. New stairs and route goes deep into the Apsley-Macleay • constructing and restoring horse yards extensive safety handrail replacements gorges, one of the largest gorge systems in at holiday house accommodation in were also part of the safety Australia. Walkers stay in restored stockman Boonoo Boonoo and Washpool national improvement program. huts along the way. parks • a hitching post for horse riders was Northern Tablelands Horse Riding • signposting horse riding opportunities installed at Billyrimba, in Washpool Work Plan in Dthinna Dthinnawan, Washpool, National Park. Basket Swamp, Boonoo Boonoo, Bald Our implementation of this plan included: Rock, Kwiambal and Capoompeta • modifying gates on the Bicentennial BELOW: A group of intrepid walkers enjoy national parks and Torrington SCA National Trail to allow safer horse their Green Gully Track experience, staying • continuing to pilot wilderness horse access in Gibraltar Range National Park in heritage huts on this challenging multi-day riding in Mummel Gulf National Park hike in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. • working with local horse riders to test and carry out associated monitoring. B Piper horse riding opportunities in Dthinna

4 Four Bull Hut visitor accommodation in Washpool National Park and the adjacent historic McCliftys Hut (below). A Richards VISITOR EXPERIENCES ......

Accommodation options offered in the region’s parks allow visitors to relax under a roof within the beautiful natural surrounds of a national park or reserve.

Many have historic heritage and some are remote and rustic like Four Bull Hut in Washpool National Park. It caters for groups such as horse riders and motorcycle touring groups as well as those keen on mountain bike riding, birdwatching, reading and photography. Lavender Vale Cottage (above) and Homestead (below) offer comfortable Nearby attractions include historic places to stay in Kwiambal National Park. McClifty’s Hut, Four Bull Falls, Mangleson’s A Richards Mill site, Billyrimba Lookout, and Billyrimba Falls.

The accommodation experience at Four Bull Hut was enhanced this year, with a new fire pit and generator storage facility. Future planned work includes bathroom renovations and a solar system.

In a curious twist, the makeover of accommodation in Kwiambal National Park was carried out by builder Peter Taylor, who once helped build a drying shed on the property when it was a tobacco farm.

The refurbished and renamed Lavender Vale Homestead and Lavender Vale Cottage both provide comfortable and well equipped accommodation for large groups of people and are a welcome respite after a big day in the park.

5 PEST AND WEED MANAGEMENT ......

Our Pest Management Strategy continued to focus on the control of wild dogs, pigs and goats through integrated control programs.

Rangers and field officers in association with Dr Guy Ballard from Department of Primary Industries and the Invasive Pest Cooperative Research Centre continued to monitor and track wild dog, cat, fox and quoll movements in Oxley Wild Rivers, Werrikimbe, Nowendoc and Guy Fawkes River National Parks.

Horse trapping and rehoming in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is an ongoing operation, with horses removed from the Halls Peak campground area. We target pest species like this fox seen in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. A range of grasses, lantana, blackberry, thistle, burr and fireweed were treated FIRE MANAGEMENT across many reserves in the region, and ...... a major multiple-tenure honey locust Opportunities to complete prescribed hazard reduction burns. Of these, 14 were on eradication program was carried out along reduction burns were limited by heavy reserves, burning 2,900 hectares. the Mann River. Tropical soda apple has rainfall in early Spring. We still managed to We established some new asset protection been a target for control in the Walcha Area. reduce fuel loads over 9,400 hectares in 18 zones on new reserves, mostly with urban burns. interfaces in the Inverell area. Further mechanical reduction was Our staff continued to maintain their completed across the region’s asset firefighting capacity and commitment to high protection zones, focusing on protection of standards of training and preparedness. private property and heritage assets on, or adjacent to, reserves. We also continue to review flora survey data to analyse and standardise vegetation Our staff attended 15 wildfires, mainly thresholds and classifications for fire caused by lightning or escaped hazard analysis.

TOP and ABOVE: Hazard reduction burning by Glen Innes Area team, August 2015

6 Duffer Creek Gibraltar Range National Park. R Cleary

PRIORITIES FOR 2016/17 ......

Our key priorities for next year are aligned Visitor Experiences with the NPWS Strategic Directions Statement and relate to asset management, • Provide sustainable visitor experiences people in parks and native plants and that meet the needs of our visitors animals. We will also continue to deliver on • Complete upgrades to East Kunderang core business including fire and incident Homestead including new verandah management, priority pest and weed decking and outdoor dining area management, protected area management and Aboriginal joint management. • Implement the horse riding plan for Northern Tablelands Region. Asset management Pest Management • Assess asset relevance and performance under the Asset • Carry out critical actions from the Stewardship Strategy to prioritise regional pest management strategy capital investment, asset maintenance, • Implement wild dog control programs decommissioning and asset disposal. across our reserves. This will reduce our maintenance liability and contribute to long term Fire Management Ashford Caves in Kwiambal National Park. financial sustainability. • Implement the region’s hazard S Cottrell Native plants and animals reduction program

• Participate in Saving Our Species • Maintain high state of wildfire projects on-park to maximise the preparedness. number of threatened species secured Business improvements in the wild. CONTACTS • We will continue to implement Zero in ...... Heritage Parks to ensure we get everyone home NPWS NORTHERN TABLELANDS REGION without harm, every time • Aboriginal Joint Management - Work to 1st Floor, 85 Faulkner Street establish and support agreements for • Implement outcomes of Government (PO Box 402 ) shared management of Mt Yarrowyck Sector Employment Act reform and Armidale NSW 2350 and the West Bundjalang lands. NPWS restructure as they apply to Phone: (02) 6776 0000 Fax: (02) 6771 1894 Northern Tablelands Region Email: NPWS.NorthernTablelands@ environment.nsw.gov.au

7 Appendix 1 Northern Tablelands Region parks and reserves (May 2016)

Reserve Area Hectares

Northern Table- No. Reserve name Reserve No. Glen Innes Tenterfield Walcha lands Region

1 Aberbaldie NR N0902 285.4 285.4 2 Arakoola NR N0804 3155.79 3155.79 3 Avondale SCA N0646 315.48 315.48 4 Back River NR N0727 730.79 730.79 5 Bald Rock NP N0001 8905.84 8905.84 6 Barayamal NP N1045 177.71 177.71 7 Barool NP N0139 11156.52 11156.52 8 Basket Swamp NP N0134 2803.22 2803.22 9 Bingara SCA N1079 1980.12 1980.12 10 Bluff River NR N0809 1755.23 1755.23 11 Bolivia Hill NR N0816 1783.58 1783.58 12 Boonoo Boonoo NP N0056 4800.37 4800.37 13 Booroolong NR N0729 966.08 966.08 14 Burnt-Down Scrub NR N0762 363.69 363.69 15 Burral Yurrul NP N1048 1029.72 1029.72 16 Burral Yurrul NR N0941 1336.43 1336.43 17 Butterleaf NP N0137 3003.1 3003.1 18 Butterleaf SCA N0693 712.23 712.23 19 Capoompeta NP N0138 4276.44 4276.44 20 Carrai NP N0119 7921.05 7921.05 21 Carrai SCA N0655 4453.31 4453.31 22 Cottan-Bimbang NP N0123 15886.57 15886.57 23 Cottan-Bimbang SCA N0671 104.83 104.83 24 Crooked Creek NP N1164 727.83 727.83 25 Cunnawarra NP N0121 5600.32 5600.32 26 Curracabundi NP N1097 3724.68 3724.68 27 Currys Gap SCA N0684 218.87 218.87 28 Demon NR N0717 889.21 889.21 29 Doctors Nose Mountain NR N0940 66.43 66.43 30 Donnybrook NR N0179 276.25 276.25 31 Dthinna Dthinnawan NP N1053 27699.07 27699.07 32 Dthinna Dthinnawan NR N0919 1872.48 1872.48 33 Duval NR N0738 242.64 242.64 34 Fladbury NR N0968 114.89 114.89 35 Georges Creek NR N0431 1263.1 1263.1 36 Gibraltar NR N0812 160.64 160.64 37 Gibraltar Range NP N0012 25381.82 25381.82 38 Goonoowigal SCA N1085 1049.26 1049.26 39 Guy Fawkes River NP N0013 31682.2 31682.2 40 Gwydir River NP N1057 4699.89 4699.89 41 Gwydir River SCA N1086 3412.65 3412.65 42 Hobden Hill NP N1166 826.53 826.53 43 Horton Falls NP N1058 260.18 260.18 45 Imbota NR N0739 218.3 218.3 45 Indwarra NP N0135 931.87 931.87 46 Ironbark NR N0568 1652.24 1652.24 Continued next page

Abbreviations: AA = Aboriginal Area, KCR = Karst Conservation Reserve, HS = Historic Site, NP = National Park, NR = Nature Reserve, OEH = Office of Environment & Heritage, RP = Regional Park, SCA = State Conservation Area

8 Northern Tablelands Region parks and reserves (May 2016) - continued

Reserve Area Hectares

Northern Table- No. Reserve name Reserve No. Glen Innes Tenterfield Walcha lands Region

47 Kings Plains NP N0067 8208.75 8208.75 48 Kwiambal NP N1059 781.8 781.8 49 Kwiambal NP N0156 7663.96 7663.96 50 Linton NR N0526 666.42 666.42 51 Little Llangothlin NR N0531 254.21 254.21 52 Mann River NR N0569 7222.15 7222.15 53 Maroomba SCA N1125 1905.1 1905.1 54 Maryland NP N0143 2292.48 2292.48 55 Melville Range NR N0824 842.76 842.76 56 Mother Of Ducks Lagoon NR N0452 199.38 199.38 57 Mount Mackenzie NR N0808 140.81 140.81 58 Mount Yarrowyck NR N0555 586.11 586.11 59 Mummel Gulf NP N0129 14052.53 14052.53 60 Mummel Gulf SCA N0660 1150.23 1150.23 61 Ngulin NR N0742 1242.32 1242.32 62 Nowendoc NP N0130 17337.35 17337.35 63 Nullamanna NP N1063 292.59 292.59 64 Nymboida NP N0055 34232.54 34232.54 65 Nymboida SCA N0662 506.97 506.97 66 Oxley Wild Rivers NP N0043 148932.56 148932.56 67 Oxley Wild Rivers SCA N0691 1496.37 1496.37 68 Serpentine Ridge NP N1169 353.68 353.68 69 Severn River NR N0473 5831.35 5831.35 70 Single NP N0151 2562.58 2562.58 71 Somerton NP N1066 0 0 72 Stonewoman AA N0308 1.87 1.87 73 Stony Batter Creek NR N0811 562.44 562.44 74 Taringa NR N0914 1338.98 1338.98 75 The Basin NR N0480 2272.06 2272.06 76 Timbarra NP N0180 1771.5 1771.5 77 Tingha Plateau SCA N1156 3411.75 3411.75 78 Tomalla NR N0754 596.61 596.61 79 Torrington SCA N0628 30352.22 30352.22 80 Tuggolo Creek NR N0755 638.87 638.87 81 Warialda NP N1069 1600.26 1600.26 82 Warialda SCA N1093 2902.73 2902.73 83 Warra NP N0153 2017.4 2017.4 84 Warrabah NP N0064 2884.06 2330.83 5214.89 85 Washpool NP N0061 41870.93 26961.27 68832.2 86 Washpool SCA N0665 2480.74 2480.74 87 Watsons Creek NP N1171 333.41 333.41 88 Watsons Creek NR N0534 1391.91 1391.91 89 Watsons Creek SCA N1035 519.6 519.6 90 Werrikimbe NP N0042 15880.43 15880.43 91 Werrikimbe SCA N1044 201.84 201.84 92 Woodsreef SCA N1172 330.35 330.35 93 Yina NR N0743 98.29 98.29 Grand Total 193229.69 143277.61 255872.9 592380.2

Abbreviations: AA = Aboriginal Area, KCR = Karst Conservation Reserve, HS = Historic Site, NP = National Park, NR = Nature Reserve, OEH = Office of Environment & Heritage, RP = Regional Park, SCA = State Conservation Area

9 Appendix 2 Government electorate boundaries in the Northern Tablelands Region (May 2016)

Local Government areas within the Northern Tablelands Region

No. Local Government Area Glen Innes Area Tenterfield Area Walcha Area

1 Armidale Regional x x

2 Clarence Valley x x

3 x x

4 Gwydir x x

5 Inverell x x x

6 Kempsey x

7 Liverpool Plains x

8 Port Macquarie-Hastings x

9 Tamworth Regional x x

10 Tenterfield x

11 Upper Hunter x

12 Uralla x

13 Walcha x

NSW electorates within the Northern Tablelands Region

No. State Electorate Glen Innes Area Tenterfield Area Walcha Area

1 Clarence x x

2 Lismore x

3 Northern Tablelands x x x

4 Oxley x

5 Tamworth x x

6 Upper Hunter x

Federal electorates within the Northern Tablelands Region

No. Federal Electorate Glen Innes Area Tenterfield Area Walcha Area

1 Cowper x

2 Lyne x

3 New England x x x

4 Page x x

5 Parkes x x

10 Appendix 3 Volunteer groups active in the Northern Tablelands Region

No. Group/Project name Type of work Glen Innes Tenterfield Walcha

1 Regional Advisory Committee Community engagement - planning and advice x x x

2 Dutchman Rd culvert installation General infrastructure and maintenance x

3 Volunteer staff assistance General infrastructure and maintenance x

4 Mountain Bike Track Construction Visitor infrastructure x Team Goonoowigall SCA

5 Visitor survey Glen Innes area Visitor infrastructure x

6 Volunteer Ranger and Field Officer Pest animals x

7 Work Experience Adam Baillie Visitor infrastructure x

8 Breaking Barriers On park ecological conservation x

9 Asset Protection Zone Fire management x in Torrington SCA

11