Northern Tablelands 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 Gondwana Rainforests of over 592,000 hectares, in 93 reserves spread conserving, protecting and managing the Australia World Heritage site, high altitude over the escarpments, tablelands and very significant values of our parks, and granite peaks and the wild rivers of the western slopes of northern NSW. in providing opportunities for engaging Macleay River 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 Warialda/Gunnedah • 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, Washpool National Park. A Richards 1 NPWS Region ! Sydney 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 Northern Rivers 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 Inverell 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 Gwydir River SCA H Tingha Plateau SCA d Guy Fawkes River 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 Mount Kaputar 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 Mount Yarrowyck 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 Oxley Highway i e Mummel Gulf SCA v v e i Wauchope r R l K e a e Back River 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 Manning River ! 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 Hastings River 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.