Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan

Draft for comment

September 2015 Prepared for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River

Ecosystem Solutions Pty Ltd PO Box 685 Dunsborough WA 6281 Ph: 08 9759 1960 Fax: 08 9759 1920 Email: [email protected] www.ecosystemsolutions.com.au

Limitations Statement

This report has been solely prepared for the Shire of Augusta Margaret River. No express or implied warranties are made by Ecosystem Solutions Pty Ltd regarding the findings and data contained in this report. No new research or field studies were conducted other than those specifically outlined in this report. All of the information details included in this report are based upon the research provided and obtained at the time Ecosystem Solutions Pty Ltd conducted its analysis.

In undertaking this work the authors have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information used. Any conclusions drawn or recommendations made in the report are done in good faith and the consultants take no responsibility for how this information and the report are used subsequently by others.

Please note that the contents in this report may not be directly applicable towards another organisation’s needs. Ecosystem Solutions Pty Ltd accepts no liability whatsoever for a third party’s use of, or reliance upon, this specific report.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 2 Contents

1 Introduction ...... 4 2 Purpose and Scope of this Management Plan ...... 4 3 Legislative and Policy Framework ...... 4 4 Site Description ...... 5 5 Social Values ...... 6 5.1 Aboriginal Values ...... 6 5.2 Recreation ...... 6 6 Biological Environment ...... 6 6.1 Soil Landscapes ...... 6 6.2 Flora ...... 7 6.3 Vegetation ...... 8 6.4 Fauna ...... 13 6.5 Summary ...... 15 7 Threats ...... 16 7.1 Wildfire ...... 16 7.2 Introduced Plants ...... 23 7.3 Feral & Pest Animals ...... 27 7.4 Dieback Disease ...... 28 7.5 Inappropriate Access/Rubbish Dumping...... 29 8 Management Actions ...... 31 8.1 Introduction ...... 31 8.2 Guiding Principles ...... 31 8.3 Management Actions ...... 32 9 Maps ...... 35 10 References ...... 46 Appendices ...... 48

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 3 1 Introduction

Witchcliffe is a small rural settlement approximately eight kilometres south of Margaret River. It is located within an agricultural region characterised by vineyard and rural properties. Its proximity to Margaret River and the growth in the region has resulted in growth in rural-residential development in and near the town centre.

To the west of the town, is a significant area of native vegetation, which is comprised of a number of reserves. These reserve provide residents with recreational and social activities while supporting key ecological and biological values.

The reserves are also adjacent to proposed future development and it is vital that they are managed to minimise any potential bushfire risk to nearby residents.

This Management Plan incorporates elements of recreational and social uses, the native flora and fauna, and potential bushfire hazards to maintain and enhance these biological and cultural values while minimising the risk from bushfire for adjoining landowners.

2 Purpose and Scope of this Management Plan

The objective of this Management Plan is to protect and enhance the environmental, social and heritage values of the reserve whilst ensuring the safety of the adjoining landholders.

This plan outlines the values of the Reserve and the threats to those values.

Management strategies are outlined to achieve this, based on the principle that the safety concerns of landowners and users of the reserve are considered without negatively impacting on the conservation values.

Fire management guidance and recommendations are proposed within this plan that follow this principle.

3 Legislative and Policy Framework

There are a broad range of legislation, policy, consultations and guidelines that apply to the reserves and the proposed management actions. The following have been considered in the preparation of this plan.

 Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 1974;  Bushfires Act (1954) WA;

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 4  Shire of Augusta Margaret River Local Planning Strategy (2011);  Shire of Augusta Margaret River Local Planning Scheme No.1 (2011);  Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1990);  State Planning Policy 3.4: Natural Hazards and Disasters;  State Planning Policy 6.1: Leeuwin-Naturalise Ridge;  Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972;  Wildlife Conservation Act (1950) WA.

4 Site Description

The total area covered by this management plan encompasses approximately 47 ha directly west of the town site itself. The area consists of:

 Reserve 35113 (3.68 ha) – Vested with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River for recreation;  Reserve 47049 (4.55 ha)– Vested with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River for recreation;  Reserve 22815 (4.5ha) – Vested with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River for recreation;  Reserve 22471 (0.8 ha)– Vested with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River for recreation;  Reserve 29166 (22.8 ha) – Unvested Crown Land; and  An area of Unallocated Crown Land (2.84 ha) between Reserves 22815 and 22471.

The area also includes a section of the Busselton to Flinders Bay Rail Trail (Wardandi Track). The section north of Redgate Road within the reserves boundary has been completed. The section to the south is still to be constructed.

A remnant of the Chapman Brook also flows through the south west section of Reserve 29166.

These reserves are shown in Map 1. The combined areas shown in Map 1 is referred to as the Study Area within the rest of this plan.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 5 5 Social Values

5.1 Aboriginal Values

A review of the registered sites with the Department of Indigenous Affairs show that no known sites exist within the Study Area. The closest registered site is that of the Boodjidup Brook (No. 24131) which is 700 m to the north west of the Study Area.

While no known sites exist within the reserves and no formal indigenous consultation process was conducted as part of this plan, the management actions outlined within this plan are aimed at restoring or maintaining the ecological values of the area which would be considered consistent with maintaining indigenous values and culture in the area. The Shire will need to further address indigenous values if changing of vesting or purpose of the Study Area is progressed.

5.2 Recreation

The Study Area and its surrounds are a popular site, valued and used by the community for a variety of recreational pursuits. There are numerous tracks through the Study Area which provide easy walk trail for bushwalking or similar pursuits. There is a proposed trail head for the Wardandi Track within the Study Area as well as an old railway siding in the northern section of the Study Area, providing historical as well as recreational activities. There was evidence of trail bike riding, which would not be compatible with the objectives of this plan and is discussed in more detail below.

6 Biological Environment

6.1 Soil Landscapes

Soil-Landscape systems are areas with recurring patterns of landforms, soils and vegetation and are used by the Department of Agriculture to maintain a consistent approach to land resource surveys.

The Site is within the Leeuwin Soil-Landscape Zone which is underlain by the Leeuwin Complex of granites and gneiss. Over this has formed the lateritic plateau of the Cowaramup Uplands system which has been dissected by a number or relatively shallow, undulating valleys collectively known as the Wilyabrup Valleys (Tille and Lantzke, 1990). There are three soil landscape systems within the Study Area, all of them falling within the broader category of the Cowaramup Upland System which is described as:

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 6  Cowaramup Upland System (216 Co) – Lateritic plateau in the Leeuwin Zone with sandy gravel, loamy gravel and grey sandy duplex soils. Principle vegetation is Jarrah-Marri forest.

The 3 Soil Landscape Units found within the Study Area are:

 216CoCOd2 – Cowaramup Deep Sandy Rises Phase – Sandy rises and flats on aeolian sand over weathered mantle and/or granite in the Margaret River district. Pale seep sands with some gravelly pale deep sands and pale shallow sands. Jarrah-marri-banksia-sheoak woodlands dominate.  216CpCOu – Cowaramup Undifferentiated Upland Phase – Lateritic flats, low rises and gentle slopes on weathered mantle over granitic rocks in the Margaret River district. Loamy gravels, duplex sandy gravels, semi wet soils and grey deep sandy duplex soils. Marri-jarrah forest and woodland dominate.  216CoCOw – Cowaramup Wet Flats Phase – Poorly drained flats and depressions on weathered mantle over granite in the Margaret River district. Semi wet and wet soils with grey deep sandy duplexes and pale sandy earths. Marri-Jarrah-Paperbark – Teatree forest woodland and scrub dominate. These are shown in Map 2.

6.2 Flora

A systematic flora survey of the Study Area was not conducted as part of this management plan. An analysis of the data held on the Departments of Parks and Wildlife’s (DPaW’s) reveal that 33 monocot species and 91 dicotyledon species have been documented within a 2 km radius from the centre of the Study Area.

A formal spring threatened flora survey has not been conducted over the Study Area in the past, so the actual presence of rare or endangered flora is uncertain, however of the database analysis, the following 17 rare, endangered or priority species are within 5 km of the Study Area:

 Caladenia lodgeana (Lodges’ Spider Orchid) (Critically Endangered);  Banksia nivea subsp uliginosa (Swamp Honeypot) (Endangered);  Caladenia excelsa (Giant Spider Orchid) (Endangered);  Caladenia hoffmanii (Hoffman’s Spider Orchid) (Endangered);  Caladenia huegelii (King Spider Orchid) (Endangered);  Caladenia winfieldii (Majestic Spider Orchid) (Endangered);

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 7  Centrolepis caespitosa (Endangered);  Gastrolobium papilio (Butterfly leaved Gastrolobium) (Endangered);  Lambertia echinata subsp occidentalis (Western Prickly Honeysuckle) (Endangered);  Sphenotoma drummondii (Mountain Paper Heath) (Endangered);  Banksia squarrosa subsp argillacea (Whicher Range Dryandra) (Vulnerable);  Drakea micrantha (Dwarf Hammer Orchid) (Vulnerable):  Synaphea macrophylla (P1)  Synaphea sp Redgate Road (J.Scott)(P1)  Acacia inops (P3)  Conospermum paniculatum (P3)  Meeboldina thysanantha (P3).

A survey by a local botanist (Kay Lehman) was conducted in February 2006 and another by Jane Scott was conducted in 2011. These surveys revealed 55 floristic families containing 198 species (145 native and 25 introduced). A copy of this is included in Appendix A.

6.3 Vegetation

The mapping of Mattiske and Havel as part of the Regional Forest Agreement categorises three vegetation complexes within the Study Area, which are all part of the Cowaramup vegetation association (Map 3). These are defined as:

 Cowaramup Uplands (C1) - Open to tall open forest of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla-Banksia grandis on lateritic uplands in the hyperhumid zone.

 Cowaramup Uplands (Cd) - Woodland of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla-Banksia ilicifolia on sandy rises and low woodland of Melaleuca preissiana on lower slopes in the hyperhumid to humid zones  Cowaramup Valleys (Cw2) - Woodland of Eucalyptus marginata subsp. marginata-Corymbia calophylla on slopes and low woodland of Melaleuca preissiana- Banksia littoralis on depressions in perhumid and humid zones.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 8 Comparing the current extent to the pre-European extent of each of these complexes, the following percentages remain (WALGA, 2007):  Cowaramup C1 – 37% of remaining (Only 14 % of the remaining extent is within formal and informal reserves): 42% remaining on a Shire basis:  Cowaramup Cd – 64% remaining (only 18% of the remaining extent is within formal and informal reserves): 76% remaining on a Shire basis; and  Cowaramup Cw2 – 23% of present extent remain (Only 4% of the remaining extent is within formal or informal reserves): 23% remaining on a Shire basis. In vegetation management priority is given to those vegetation types with less than 30% remaining. While Cowaramup Cd has more than this, Cowaramup C1 is very close and Cowaramup Cw2 is less than this. It is also important to note that only less than 20 % of these vegetation types are within formal (national parks, nature reserves) or informal (shire managed land or vacant crown lands) reserves.

As part of this management plan, a survey of the vegetation types within the Study Area was conducted. The vegetation was assessed using the releve method whereby the following information was collected at unmarked survey sites;

 GPS coordinates,  Dominant or important plant species and the differing strata layers, within approximately 10 m radius of the observer,  Notes on vegetation structure using the method of Muir (1977),  Vegetation condition score (Keighery, 1994),  Surface soil texture and colour.

A standardised field data sheet was used to collect field data (Appendix B). A releve point was taken where the native vegetation composition or structure changed and used as the basis to delineate finer scale vegetation types within the Study Area. A systemised and structured flora survey was not conducted as part of this management plan.

Most of the Study Area could be broadly defined as Jarrah/Marri woodland with some areas of Banksia and Melaleuca. There was considerable variation in the mid and understory areas of the Study Area, however without mapping to a micro level, thirteen generalised vegetation types were identified. The exact boundaries were difficult to locate, however approximations are made in Map 4 based on changes in

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 9 dominance.

Using the approach described by Keighery (1994: adapted from Muir, 1977 and Aplin, 1979), the vegetation types are described floristically and structurally as (Map 4):

 Vegetation Type 1 – Jarrah- Marri-Bossiaea Forest: Open Forest of Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla, over Tall Open Shrubland of Agonis flexuosa, E. marginata and C. calophylla, over Open Heath of Bossiaea linophylla, A. flexuosa, E. marginata and C. calophylla over Low shrubland of B. linophylla and Xanthorrhoea preissii with Very Open herbland of Hibbertia hypericoides, H racemosa and B linophylla. This comprises less than 1% of the native vegetation areas of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 2 – Jarrah- Marri-Acacia Woodland: Tall Open Woodland of Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla, over Open Forest of E. marginata and C. corymbia, over Tall Closed Shrubland of Acacia divergens and Taxandra parviceps over herbland of Lomandra spp, Billardiera spp and closed sedgeland of Juncus pallidus, Lepidosperma squamatum, Mesomelaena tetragona with Hardenbergia comptoniana climbers. This comprises 1.5 % of the native vegetation areas of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 3 – Jarrah- Marri-Mirbelia Woodland: Tall Open Woodland of Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla, over Open Forest of E. marginata and C. Corymbia, over Tall Shrubland of Mirbelia dilatata, over herbland of Lomandra spp, Billardiera spp and open sedgeland of Lepidosperma squamatum, Mesomelaena tetragona with Hardenbergia comptoniana climbers. This comprises less than 1% of the native vegetation areas of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 4 – Marri-Jarrah-Taxandra-Sedgeland: Corymbia calophylla and E. marginata woodland over Tall Closed Shrubland of Taxandra parviceps, T. linearifolia and A. divergens scattered low shrubs over Lomandra sp. and Lepidosperma squamatum sedgeland over mixed pasture species scattered grasses. This comprises 5% of the native vegetation areas of the Study Area. It has been mentioned by local experts that a population of Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) exists in this section, however this was not found during this survey.  Vegetation Type 5 – Marri-Jarrah-Mirbelia -Taxandra Woodland: Woodland of Corymbia calophylla and Eucalyptus marginata over Tall Shrubland of Mirbelia

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 10 dilatata and Taxandra parviceps over low shrubland of Leucopogon australis, over herbland of Lomandra spp, Billardiera spp and open sedgeland of Lepidosperma squamatum, Mesomelaena tetragona with Hardenbergia comptoniana climbers . This comprises 12% of the native vegetation areas of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 6 – Marri-Jarrah-Agonis: Corymbia calophylla and Eucalyptus marginata tall open forest over Corymbia calophylla, Eucalyptus marginata and Agonis flexuosa low woodland over Acacia myrtifolia, Corymbia calophylla and Podocarpus drouynianus tall open shrubland over Hovea elliptica, Pteridium esculentum, Podocarpus drouynianus and Persoonia longifolia open heath over Leucopogon verticillatus, Macrozamia riedlei, Acacia sp. and Conostylis sp. low open shrubland over Lomandra sp. and Lepidosperma squamatum very open sedgeland over Hibbertia hypericoides scattered herbs over *Briza minor and annual pasture species scattered grasses. This comprises the majority of the Study Area covering 56% of the area.  Vegetation Type 7 - Marri-Jarrah-Agonis: Corymbia calophylla and Eucalyptus marginata tall open forest over Corymbia calophylla, Eucalyptus marginata and Agonis flexuosa low woodland over Taxandra parviceps, T linearifolia, Corymbia calophylla and Podocarpus drouynianus tall open shrubland over Hovea elliptica, Pteridium esculentum and Podocarpus drouynianus open heath over Leucopogon verticillatus, Macrozamia riedlei, Acacia divergens and Conostylis sp. Scattered low shrubland over Lomandra sp. and Lepidosperma squamatum very open sedgeland over Hibbertia hypericoides scattered herbs with Hardenbergia comptoniana scattered climbers. This comprises 12% of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 8 – Marri Open Area – Open Woodland of Corymbia calophylla, over scattered shrubs of Podocarpus drouynianus and Leucopogon australis, over very open herbland of Hibbertia hypericoides with scattered climbers of Hardenbergia comptoniana. Ground layer is minimal. This comprises 8% of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 9 - Marri-Jarrah -Taxandra woodland - Open Forest of Corymbia calophylla and Eucalyptus marginata, over Tall shrubland of Taxandra, E. marginata and C. Corymbia, over low shrubland of Patersonia umbrosa var xanthina, Taxandra and Corymbia regrowth, over herbland of

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 11 Hovea chorizemifolia and Hibbertia hypericoides. This comprises 3 % of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 10 – Scattered Tall trees of E. marginata and C. calophylla over Open Forest of E. marginata and C. calophylla, over Tall shrubland of Mirbelia dilatata and Xanthorrhoea preissii, over very open sedgeland of Lepidosperma squamatum, Mesomelaena tetragona and Leucopogon australis, over very open grassland of annual pasture grasses and occasional climbers of Hardenbergia comptoniana. This comprises just under 2% of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 11 – Marri-Jarrah-Peppermint – Open Forest of C. calophylla and E. marginata, over Tall open shrubland of Agonis flexuosa, E. marginata and C. calophylla, over shrubland of A. flexuosa, E. marginata and C calophylla, over Low Open Shrubland of X. preissii, Pteridium esculentum, over open herbland of Hakea chorizemifolia and Hibbertia hypericoides with extensive areas of Hardenbergia comptoniana and Kennedia carinata. This comprises 2.5% of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 12 – Marri-Jarrah-Peppermint-Bossiaea; Open forest of C. calophylla and E. marginata, over Tall open scrubland of Agonis flexuosa, C. calophylla and E. marginata, over Open heathland of Bossiaea linophylla, E. marginata, C. Corymbia and A. flexuosa, over low shrubland of B. linophylla, X. preissii and Pteridium esculentum, over open sedgeland of Lomandra spp, and Leucopogon australis, over Open herbland of B. linophylla and Hibbertia hypericoides, over grassland of annual pasture grasses. This comprises 1.5 % of the Study Area.  Vegetation Type 13-Marri-Peppermint – Mesomelaena; Low Open woodland of Corymbia calophylla, over Tall shrubland of Agonis flexuosa, over scattered shrubs of Xanthorrhoea preissii, over sedgeland of Mesomelaena tetragona and assorted sedges, with some scattered annual grass weeds. This comprises less than 1% of the Study Area.

Vegetation condition was assessed using the scale developed by Keighery (1994) which is the standard for the region (Appendix C). These are shown in Map 5 and are tabulated in Table 1.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 12 Table 1: Vegetation Condition within the Study Area.

Condition Area (m2) Percentage

Very Good 313,704 78%

Good-Very Good 28,336 7%

Good 41,033 10%

Degraded –Good 3,741 1%

Degraded 14,431 4%

Overall, approximately 85% of the Study Area is in Good or better condition, with only 5% being considered to be Degraded or partly degraded.

Local botanists provided input that the vegetation communities within the south west corner (Vegetation Types 1 through 4) may contain Threatened Ecological Communities, but have not been formally described. This detail has not been confirmed as part of this management plan, but should be a source of future research.

6.4 Fauna

A search of the Department of Parks and Wildlife’s NatureMaps database and the Australian Governments’ Protected Matters database reveals that 279 animal species have been formally recorded within a 5 km radius of the Study Area: 7 amphibians, 51 birds, 2 fish species, 11 mammal species and 10 reptile species. Of these, 7 are classified as rare, endangered or priority species). Table 2 lists these species and their conservation status.

Table 2: Endangered or Threatened Fauna found within 5 km radius of Study Area

Species Common Name Conservation Status

Calyptorhynchus latirostris Carnaby’s Black Critically Endangered Cockatoo Geocrinia alba White Bellied Frog Critically Endangered

Botaurus poiciloptilus Australasian Bittern Endangered Pseudocheirus occidentalis Western Ringtail Possum Endangered

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 13 Species Common Name Conservation Status

Calyptorhynchus banksii Forest Red Tailed Black Vulnerable naso Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii Baudin’s Black Vulnerable Cockatoo

Dasyurus geoffroii Chuditch Vulnerable Phascogale tapoatafa Brush tailed Phascogale Threatened subsp. tapoatafa Hydromys chrysogaster Water Rat Threatened Apus pacificus Fork Tailed Swift Protected by international agreement Ardea ibis Cattle Egret Protected by international agreement

Ardea alba Great Egret Protected by international agreement Pandion haliaeetus Osprey Protected by international agreement Merops ornatus Rainbow Bee-Eater Protected by international agreement

Note that a fauna survey was not conducted as part of this management plan, however the author is aware of the Study Area supporting Western Ringtail Possum, Quenda and providing habitat values for black cockatoo species.

Dr Boyd Wykes conducted a bird study of the Study Area from February 2011 to March 2013 which revealed 57 bird species that either utilise or have been observed near the Study Area. Details are shown in Appendix D.

From this survey, it is shown that a number of small passerine species, such as the red winged fairy wren, utilise the Study Area. These species nest near the ground (approximately 300 mm) in accumulated litter and dense vegetation areas (Rowley, et al, 1988). Further studies have shown that populations of Red Winged Fairy Wren can take up to ten years to recover after fire (Russell & Rowley, 1998). This information is considered in recommendations for fire prescriptions in Section 7.1 below.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 14 6.5 Summary

Overall, the Study Area is a large bushland remnant within a growing urban and rural environment. It provides important habitat for a number of significant flora and fauna species. There is a high degree of diversity of vegetation types within the Study Area and more than 85% of it is in very good condition. The vegetation communities within the Study Area are under reserved and some of its vegetation is highly cleared from their pre European extent. The biodiversity values of the Study Area are significant and ongoing management will be required to maintain and enhance those ecological values into the future.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 15 7 Threats

7.1 Wildfire

Fire influences the majority of Australian terrestrial ecosystems and many endemic Australian species are threatened by inappropriate fire regimes (State of the Environment Report, 2001). Fire is a natural environmental factor which can decrease, maintain or enhance the native vegetation, depending on the nature of the fire regime and the ecosystem properties. Fires burn differently in different vegetation types, even when they have the same fuel load and are adjacent to one another; similar fires can have very different effects (Whelan, 1995).

A particularly difficult fire management issue for areas of conservation is where fuel build up has the potential to impact on the values in and nearby an area as a result of wildfires/bushfires. These values can include the ecological/biological elements as well as the human assets such as homes, community centres and other amenities that can be destroyed by a large, out of control wildfire.

A fire regime is the sequence of fires typical of a given area (Lindenmayer and Burgman, 2005) and has four key components (Gill, 1975):

 fire intensity;  fire type (e.g. crown or ground fire);  between fire interval (or frequency); and  season.

Each one of these components has an impact on the vegetation. The ideal would be to replicate the fire regime that existed in the past. However, with the changing land uses and fragmentation of bushland area, natural fire regimes have significantly changed in most areas. With fragmentation comes increased disturbance from surrounding areas and increased weed invasion. The invasion of small bush areas by weeds, especially herbs and grasses, has led to dramatic changes in the types of fuels available for fires. Grasses that dry off in summer provide a greater quantity of fine fuels which will easily carry a fire. After burning, these grasses return in greater abundance, thus making the fire problem worse. It is usually difficult to determine what the original fire regime might have been for a particular vegetation type and although much of Australia’s vegetation is adapted to cope with fire, it has not necessarily evolved with the current fire regimes.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 16 There are two ways in which plants respond to fire:

 The whole plant is killed and a new generation grows from the seeds (these are called Reseeders);  Only parts of the plant are killed and new growth arises from stems or rootstocks under the ground (called Resprouters) (Hussey and Baxter, 2006).

The biology of the plants is only one aspect, fire effects are also dependent upon the:

 Fire frequency;  Fire intensity;  The time of year.

Fire Frequency

For Reseeders to persist after a fire, they must have been able to reach maturity and set seed before they are burnt again. This is further complicated by plants having different strategies for seed storage, with some dropping seed which is stored in the ground, while others hold seed on the plant itself. Since plants vary in the length of time they take to achieve this, the frequency of fires will have a distinct effect on the composition of the plant communities. To preserve the conservation values of the Study Area, it is important that fires do not occur more frequently than the time needed for all the plants to reach maturity and set seed. As a general rule of thumb, the interval between fires should be at least twice as long as it takes the slowest maturing plant to flower and produce seed and before the older plants are no longer able to reproduce.

Fire Intensity

The intensity at which a fire burns depends upon many factors including, the time of year, air temperature and humidity, the amount and moisture of the fuel and the soil and wind strength (Hussey and Wallace, 1993). Note that a dense layer of grasses greatly increases the fire intensity at ground level, regardless of the season. Fires of different intensity favour the regeneration of different plants, and low intensity fires tend to be patchy, leaving areas of vegetation unburnt.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 17 Fire Season

There are three possible fire seasons, each having considerable differences in their impact (Hussey and Wallace, 1993), not only to the biological consequences, but to issues such as erosion and soil condition.

Midsummer/autumn

 Fire is usually hot and intense, the fire front is tall and fast-moving;  It consumes most above ground material;  It is very likely to burn down mature trees;  It is likely to cause high mortality to native fauna;  Will break the dormancy of some buried seeds, e.g. Wattles.

Winter

 It has a low intensity, the fire front is low and slow moving, may go out at night;  Is patchy, with areas left unburnt;  It disrupts flowering and seed set for some plants;  In does not crack dormancy of buried seeds;  It encourages growth of grass weeds;  It disrupts the breeding cycle of some fauna;  Is survived by most adult fauna.

Spring/Early Summer

 Is of low/moderate intensity, some, but not all, tree crowns will be scorched;  It does not consume all ground organic material, some patches will be left unburnt;  It will destroy that year’s seed crop for many plants;  In stimulates surface seed germination;  It does not crack dormancy of buried seed;  It may kill many young animal, though adults may escape and there will be colonisation of burnt areas from unburnt areas;  It will encourage the growth of already established perennial grass weeds;  It helps resprouting plants grow well over summer and out compete seeders;  It may weaken seedlings so they do not survive the autumn break of the season.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 18 Disturbance is a key factor in opening up the bush to change, and fire is a major disturbance. Small and isolated remnants, such as the Study Area, are subject to more disturbing factors placing them under greater stress making them less resilient to changes.

One of the major threats that occur after fire is weed invasion. Having opened up the bushland by reducing canopy and/or shrubs, it is very easy for weed invasion to occur from the edges. With an area like the Study Area, surrounded by gardens and grassland areas, it would not take long for weeds from the edge to invade the whole width of the vegetation. This would lead to a change in the community structure, which will provide different resources for fauna.

The Study Area is classified as an extreme bushfire risk, given the amount of vegetation with the Study Area and the proximity to adjoining residential properties.

As part of this Environmental Management Plan, and the burn history of the Study Areas was determined from discussion with the Witchcliffe Bushfire and Fire and Rescue Brigades. The exact boundaries of the burn history is not specific, however the timings and dominant areas are shown in Map 6.

A field assessment of the amount of fuel within the Study Area was also conducted. Knowledge of the type, arrangement and quantity of fuel available to support a fire event allows the potential bushfire risks to be assessed and quantified. It also allows for planning to reduce these fuel load and hence reduce the potential risk to the plants and animals in the Study Area as well as the houses and assets in the adjoining development/s

This assessment focused on the fine fuels that burn readily in a bushfire. Fine fuels are those that readily burn in the continuous flaming zone at a fire’s edge. They contribute the most to the fire’s rate of spread and flame height. Typically, they are dead plant material, such as leaves, grass, bark and twigs thinner than 6 mm thick and live plant material thinner than 3 mm thick. Once ignited, these fine fuels generally burn out within two minutes (Hines, et al, 2010).

Fuels in bushland can be divided into four layers, each based on its position in the vegetation profile moving from the ground upwards; Surface Fuels, Near surface Fuels, Elevated Fuels (including Bark Fuels) and Canopy Fuels.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 19 Fuel assessments were conducted within the Study Area by making a visual assessment of each of these four structural layers based on the guidelines produced by Hines, et al, (2010). A copy of the template used is included in Appendix E. The four structural assessments were then totalled to provide a total fire fuel load for each of the sites.

Twenty five sites were assessed in the Study Area and fire fuel loads were determined at each location. The location of these sites are shown in Map 7.

Overall fire fuel loads were found to be high, confirming the extreme fire risk to the Study Area and the neighbouring houses.

Fire fuel loads varied between 5 to 30 + tonnes per hectare. The resultant fuel levels of the sites are shown in Map 7. The areas along the western boundary that adjoin the newly subdivided area and the eastern section of the northern area that are adjacent to the houses on Mammoth St have some of the highest fuel layers. Ideally, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Department of Parks and Wildlife recommend fuel loads of around 8 tonnes per hectare as being an appropriate target for bushland areas. At this fuel level, fire intensity is reduced to a point where suppression effort is possible and likely to succeed in all but the worst of bushfire danger days. Note that it is the fine fuels that provide the bulk of the fire height and rate of spread, however there are numerous logs and thicker branches that can increase intensity and burning time. This coarse fuel should be constantly monitored during any fire to try to prevent ignition.

Biological diversity benefits from bushland areas having a diversity of habitat areas, which can be obtained by introducing planned fuel reduction burns, in small, manageable areas over a suitable length of time to allow plants to mature and set seeds before the next round of prescribed burns and also provide benefits for the native fauna present.

A full botanic survey of the Study Area has not been conducted and as such a comprehensive list of species within the Study Area does not exist. Ideally, the frequency of a prescribed burn should be determined by knowing the life cycle of the most fire sensitive species within the area, and then planning at least two or more life cycles of that species between burns. This ensures continuity of that species as it has time to germinate, grow to maturity and then set seed, and another generation cycle before any fire impact. Burrows, et al, (2008) conducted a study of a suite of native

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 20 plant species and determined the post fire juvenile period for different categories of species with different fire response strategies. The longest juvenile period for a category of species was 48-60 months (i.e. 4-5 years). This category included Banksia, Leucopogon and Melaleuca species. While the exact species are not present within the Study Area, this research provides a good generic indicator. This report concluded that in forested, flammable habitats, the conservative minimum fire intervals between lethal fire events was about 6-8 years.

Fuel accumulation rates (the amount of fire fuels that naturally accumulate from leaves, branches etc.) for eucalyptus forest/woodland in the south west of Western Australia has been calculated at approximately 0.75-0.8 tonnes per hectare. Therefore a 10 year cycle between burning events, will result in a fuel load of 7-8 tonnes per hectare accumulating, which is within the acceptable fuel limits as recommended. This also would fit within the modelling of bird species that utilise ground level litter for nesting habitats, such as the Red Winged Fairy Wren, as discussed in Section 6.4.

For this management plan, burning zones have been determined by breaking up the area into 5 cells based on the existing track network and/or the vegetation of the area (Map 8). The boundary between Cells 2 and 3 will utilise the existing track on the eastern side and a new track will be established by selectively clearing in the least significant area to allow emergency vehicles to access the western track and also provide a burn boundary for the cells.

By utilising a progressive prescription of fuel reduction burns at 10 yearly intervals, within each cell, the floristic values of the Study Area should not change and the bushfire hazard for the neighbouring residents should not exceed 8 tonnes per hectare. This is the assumption used in determining the appropriate fuel reduction burning cycle in Section 8 Management Actions. It should be noted that the Study Area has many potential hollow bearing trees which may provide habitat for black cockatoo and other hollow nesting species. These trees have not been formally identified or marked. Prior to any burning in each cell, it is recommended that an awareness of the location of these stag trees be considered during the fuel reduction. The aim is to minimise both the impact on these trees and the potential for prolonged burning should fire enter these hollows.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 21 Given the biodiversity values within the Study Area, it would be recommended that any prescribed burns occur in spring depending on the season’s weather. During this time, the ground is still wet and this would facilitate a patchy burn resulting in heterogeneous habitats. Discussion with the Witchcliffe Brigade confirm that most of the previous planned burns have occurred in October or November and have been successful in providing fuel reduction, heterogeneous patterning and ease of suppression/control. The wetter Karri areas within the south west corner will have difficulty with ignition and this will result in less fire impacts in these areas with this type of prescription.

Access for bushfire suppression is available using the existing tracks and the proposed new internals central track in the South West Section, however this should be formalised to enable all weather access.

It would be recommended that the track around the southern large section be surfaced with limestone to allow for fire appliance to access for suppression in a bushfire. Limestone will also minimise the risk of the spread of dieback with the Study Area.

This will require the existing track to be maintained to a width of at least 5 m and a height of at least 5m. This can be carried out with only minor pruning of the existing vegetation and will not require any removal of any of the native species present.

It would also be recommended that the major access track that follows the old Rails to Trails track (Wardandi Trail) be upgraded to a 5 m wide limestone track with vertical clearance of 5 m to enable the all-weather access for a 3.4 Fire Appliance for fire suppression activities. This also can be upgraded with minimal impact on the existing native vegetation.

The central track to the old gravel pit will be closed but the additional track separating Fire Cells 2 and 3 will also be constructed to the above standards to allow emergency service access and facilitate recreational trails. The track around with old gravel pit will be consolidated and made into a circular turn around area for a fire appliance. Specific details will be determined by discussion with DFES, the Witchcliffe Brigades and the Shire.

All of the proposed track, especially those in the western and southern boundary will require careful consideration for the location of passing lanes and/or a turning T at strategic locations. Suggested locations are shown in Map 9, however the specific

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 22 locations will target the more degraded areas and sites where minimal impact on the vegetation will occur after site inspections and liaison with all parties.

The Witchcliffe Fire Station is located on the north eastern section of Fire Cell 1. This station houses the Witchcliffe Bushfire Brigade and the Fire and Rescue Service. They operate a 3.4 urban Tanker, a 1.4 light tanker and house the Margaret River brigades 12.2 tanker. There are two 120kL water tanks at the station, providing sufficient water for suppression activities. There is also water available in the western development from a development water tank (in line with Section A3.2 of Planning for Bushfire Protection, 2010). There is a dam to the north east of the Study Area as well as a large dam to in agricultural land to the east. Full details of the fire services available for the Study Area, i.e., water sources, access tracks and gates are shown in Map 9.

With the biological and ecological values present and known within the Study Areas and the knowledge that fuel reduction burns will occur within the Study Area, it provides a good opportunity for potential research into broad pre and post fire impacts issues. These opportunities should be made aware to educational and research facilities.

There is an area of Unvested Crown Land (UCL) immediately south of the Petrol Station/Shop area on Redgate Road. This area has bushland vegetation overhanging the fenceline and adjoining buildings. There is a Memorandum of Understanding with DPaW and DFES to manage fire risks in UCL and this area requires the establishment of a separation distance between the bushland and the houses/building to maintain a defendable space during a fire event. The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is in discussion with DFES to incorporate this to occur during the 2015-2016 season.

7.2 Introduced Plants

The natural process of plant dispersal is usually slow and selective. Human induced plant dispersal can occur as rapidly as human transport systems operate. There are about 10,000 named species of flowering plants described in Western Australia and 90% of them are natives. The other 10% (~1,000) have been introduced to the State (Hussey, et al, 1997).

Some high priority weeds that are, or may become, a problem to agriculture or the environment can be formally “declared” under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1996. When it is declared, a plant is placed in one or more

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 23 categories according to the control strategies considered appropriate. Landowners with declared plants on their property are obliged to control then at their own expense.

Environmental weeds are plants that establish themselves in natural ecosystems and proceed to modify natural process, usually adversely, resulting in the decline of the communities they invade. They usually have no legal standing.

Impacts of environmental weeds on ecosystem function include:

 Resource competition;  Prevention of seedling recruitment;  Alterations to geomorphological processes;  Alterations to the hydrological cycle;  Changes to the soil nutrient status;  Alterations to fire regimes;  Changes to the abundance of indigenous fauna; and  Genetic changes. (CALM, 1999).

The impacts weeds have can vary between weed species. The Environmental Weed Strategy for Western Australia (CALM, 1999) ranks the potential effects of weed species based on three criteria:

 Invasiveness: the ability of the species to invade bushland in good or excellent condition;  Distribution: the current or potential distribution of the species including consideration of known history of spread distribution elsewhere in the world; and  Environmental impacts: the ability of the species to change the structure, composition and function of ecosystems. This results in each Environmental Weed species have a rating of High, Moderate, Mild or Low. This management plan uses this approach to rank and prioritise weeds for control.

Environmental weeds require management to ensure the long term survival of the natural ecosystem. The management and control of environmental weeds should be seen in the context of the restoration of the environments they invade (CALM, 1999).

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 24 Environments undergoing disturbances often provide opportunities for weed species to establish and grow. Most weeds are spread by human activities, although a few invade by themselves through the dispersal of seed by wind. The main sources include the dumping of garden refuse, via machinery (car tyres, graders, tractors) or through human movement through tracks etc.

The principle mechanisms for weeds establishing in an area include:

 Elevated nutrient levels (either run-off or fertiliser drift);  Physical disturbances to the soil;  Increased soil moisture from shading or reduced water infiltration; and  Increased light at the margins of vegetation. Underlying Weed Control Principles

The major goals of controlling weeds within bushland areas are to allow the bush to regenerate and maintain and enhance its conservation values. The Bradley method of bush regeneration is one method that suits many situations as it does not involve replanting and allows native plants to re-establish themselves (Bradley 1971, Bradley, 1988, Buchanan, 1989). This approach involves the systematic removal of weeds to allow native plants to re-establish. While the approaches used in this strategy are based upon the Bradley method, we also utilise the appropriate and prudent use of herbicides to control weeds in certain circumstances (e.g. when the density of weeds is too high, or the physical removal is likely to enhance spread), which is not one of the original tenants of the approach. That being said, the underlying principles of the Bradley method are still advocated in our approach. These are listed below.

 Always work from areas of native plants in good condition, and then move outwards towards more weed infested areas. Starting in areas of good condition provides an opportunity for these areas to remain in good condition and because the density of weeds is less, the feasibility of removing weeds from these areas and restoring ecological functions to the patch is higher. Starting by removing weeds scattered though otherwise weed-free bush prevents the deterioration of these areas.

 Make minimal disturbance. Most weeds need disturbance and sunlight for successful regeneration. By minimising the disturbance to the site, the chances of another suite of weed species replacing the one removed is reduced. Any soil that is disturbed should be returned in its original

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 25 layers to ensure that any native seed stored in the soil will be able to germinate. This also applies to the natural mulch layers in a work area. After weeding, it is recommended that mulch from the surrounding area be added to any gaps that result, to minimise weed regeneration and enhance natural regeneration.

 Let native plant regeneration dictate the rate of weed removal. Weeds need to be removed at a rate that allows for natural regeneration to occur; this is especially the case in areas where revegetation is not occurring. If a large area of weeds is removed at one time, the likelihood of another type of weed replacing the one removed is increased. If a small area is weeded at a time, native regeneration can occur at its own rate.

Weed Survey

The Site was traversed by foot in January to April 2015, and weeds were identified and mapped.

Weeds identified during the process were recorded using Trimble Juno T41 Handheld Computer and ArcPad 8.1 ®.

Subsequent visits to the Study Area during June 2015 reveal a much higher population/occurrence of Arum Lilies and Watsonia spp than found in the formal survey.

The major weeds found are listed in Table 3. The property ranking within this table is based on the ranking of the draft WA Environmental Weed Strategy.

Table 3: Weeds from the survey and their priority.

Common Name Species Name Priority Ranking Arum Lily Zantedeschia aethiopica High Dock Rumex spp High Watsonia Watsonia spp High Grasses Mixed species Moderate Broom Genista monspessulana Moderate Flinders Range Wattle Acacia iteaphylla Moderate

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 26 Table 4 provides estimates of the abundance of the weeds found. The locations are shown in Map 10. Where clumps of the same specie were located and individual plants could not be determined, the area of the clump was recorded.

Table 4: Weed density

Species Number/Area Notes Flinders Range 3 plants Individual found in the gravel pit Wattle area on the southern section (grubbed out during survey) Grasses 5,358 m2 Includes Tambookie Grass Interspersed with Watsonia areas Arum Lily 9 plants Will me much higher with late winter survey Broome 1 plant In northern section, along track area (grubbed out during survey). Dock 3 plants Watsonia 21 Plants and 938 m2 Likely to be higher with later survey.

Overall, the weed burden within the Study Area is low, with main areas of weed invasion being the narrow northern section and a small area on the south west corner where grass weeds have impacted on the bushland and increased the potential fire risk.

Appendix F outlines a summary of weed control techniques based on recommendations by the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators and the control techniques advocated by Brown and Brooks (2002).

Within the grass areas, particularly adjacent to Mammoth St are populations of Tambookie Grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) and African Love Grass (Eragrostis curvula) which should be specifically targeted as they provide high levels of fine fire fuels which increase the fire hazard in these areas adjoining residential areas.

7.3 Feral & Pest Animals

Non-native animals such as rabbits, foxes and feral cats, become pests in bushland areas and have a detrimental effect on the local fauna and flora. They prey on native animals, compete for food and shelter and cause damage to native plants by grazing, trampling and digging. Control methods for feral animals include shooting, poisoning and exclusion fencing. There are numerous regulations covering the use of firearms and the use of poisons is controlled under the Health Act and the Agriculture

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 27 and Related Resources Protection Act. The main feral and pest animals within the Study Area are rabbits, foxes and feral cats, though some feral bee hives were observed. These are shown in Map 10.

7.4 Dieback Disease

Dieback is a plant disease caused by an introduced, soil borne water mould of the genus, Phytophthora. There are a number of different species present in the south west, however the most common and destructive is Phytophthora cinnamomi (Department of Conservation and Land Management, 2004). This organism lives in soil and plant roots and is spread by water or the movement of infected soil and roots. This commonly occurs by human activities such as road making, extracting soil or gravel, vehicles or boots carrying infected soil or planting infected seedlings. It can also be transmitted by direct water flow and by animals moving infected soil or roots (Bailey, 1995; Smith, 2003; Department of Conservation and Land Management, 2004). The pathogen may spread slowly (about 1-2 m/year) by moving within and between plant roots, more rapidly by dispersal of its spores through sub-surface or over surface water flow or most quickly of all though the agency of animals or humans (Hill et al., 1994). Spore production reaches a maximum in spring in moist soils and if these soils are transported on feet, vehicles of machinery conditions favour the development of new centres of infection (Shearer and Tippett, 1989).

A review of current methods of managing the problems caused by P. cinnamomi, concluded that eradication of the pathogen was not feasible at either local or regional scale (Podger, 1999). Therefore, management is the only viable strategy.

Two key management strategies are presently recommended; constraining the spread of the pathogen; and reducing its impact where it is present (Environment Australia, 2001).

To constrain the spread, it is first vital to know the areas of infection and the areas clear of infection. Secondly, strategies are needed to keep the pathogen from the uninfected areas. These can include quarantine (this is not likely to be effective or acceptable for the Study Area) and hygiene (including clean down areas, signage, track and firebreak programmes and fire response strategies (access, water sources, etc.). This will have considerable difficulties considering the open access of the Study Area for activities such as walking, cycling, etc.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 28 One effective treatment has been found for controlling the pathogen in infected areas which involves the use of the chemical, phosphite. The chemical has been shown to be effective in inducing resistance when sprayed or injected at low dosages, appears to have a low toxicity for mammals, breaks down rapidly in soil and can be applied as a low-volume aerosol by hand or low flying aircraft (Environment Australia, 2001). It is however, expensive, labour intensive, requires skilled operators and can produce toxic effects if used at levels above the tolerances of plant species (Environment Australia, 2001).

No dieback surveys were conducted during the development of this management plan. However a study was conducted as part of the Wardandi Trail development (Biologic Environmental Solutions, 2012) which confirmed the northern section of the Wardandi Trail section as infested with Phytophthora cinnamomi. The southern section of the trail was classed as Uninterpretable. These results are shown in Map 11.

There are numerous healthy areas of Banksia and Xanthorrhoea species, which would indicate that some areas of the Study Area are not impacted by phytophthora as yet. However, future management should consider that the Study Area does have dieback within it and care is needed, particularly in wet conditions, to minimise movement of machinery through the Study Area.

7.5 Inappropriate Access/Rubbish Dumping.

There are numerous tracks within the Study Area. Three coming off Redgate road into the southern section and one central track in the northern section. There is a major access way and service route that runs north-south through the entire Study Area, following the Wardandi Trail (the old Busselton to Augusta Railway line), which has been completed in the section north from Redgate Road. The southern section has still to be completed as at September 2015 and this section and links up with the boundary track on the southern boundary of the Study Area. There is also an access track in the centre of the southern section, which provides access to the old gravel pit.

All of these tracks are accessible by vehicles and enable the dumping of rubbish within the bushland area. Two areas of dumping were identified during the surveys, with a refrigerator in the southern section and some disused machinery in the northern section.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 29 These items should be removed as research has shown that the presence of rubbish and dumped material encourages further dumping.

It is also recommended that the central track from Redgate Road south, to the old gravel pit, be closed off restricting access.

The upgrading of the access to the southern outer perimeter track, the new proposed central track and the main track following the railway line, as discussed in Section 7.1 above will enable these tracks to be used for walking as well as bike riding. The stable surface will also facilitate walking trails for all levels of walkers.

It is recommended that boom gate be installed on the access to the new internal tracks on the southern section, this includes both tracks that access Redgate Road, the southern boundary track access to Bussell Highway and the internal track that separates fire cells 2 and 3. The locations of these are shown in Map 9. These boom gates should be simple designs of concreted metal posts supporting the gate and lock mechanism. A copy of the keys should be kept with the Witchcliffe Brigade for emergency access.

Given the confirmed presence of dieback in the northern section of the Wardandi Trail, it is recommended that the present Telstra services track for the southern section be used as the walkway for this trail. This track is already cleared and very close to the proposed trail, negating the need for any further removal of native vegetation or the potential for dieback spread from machines used in the construction of the trail.

There is a current track that follows the eastern edge of the southern section, along Bussell Highway. It is recommended that this track be maintained and manage as a recreational walking track, which will provide a number of circular walking trails around the Study Areas.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 30 8 Management Actions

8.1 Introduction

The following management actions have been developed based on the results of the field investigation, consultations, literature reviews and the overall purpose and objectives for the Study Area as mentioned in Section 2 above.

8.2 Guiding Principles

A number of principles are used to guide the management actions that follow.

1. The values of the biological and ecological assets in the Study Area are to be retained and enhanced by the actions of the plan. 2. The bushfire fuel reduction measures prescribed, are to be conducted in acknowledgement of both protection of human life and assets as well as the maintenance or enhancement of the biological values of the Study Area.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 31 8.3 Management Actions

The following management actions are designed to address the issues and threats to the natural, social and cultural values of the Study Area.

General Management

G1  The dumped items (fridge and machinery) should be removed High from the Study Areas to discouraged further dumping

G2 The consolidation of all of the Study Areas into land vested with the Medium Shire of Augusta Margaret River will provide longer term security and management options for the implementation of proposed management of the Study Area.  The Shire of Augusta Margaret River should investigate the opportunity to have Reserve 29166 vested in the Shire for the purposes of recreation or conservation.  The area of Unallocated Crown Land (2.84 ha) between Reserves 22815 and 22471 should also be considered to be vested with the Shire.

Weed Management

W1  Control the weeds on the outer edge of the southern section as High the highest priority. As the bushland areas here are of higher quality, there is a better ecological return for focus on these areas.

W2  Control the other weeds in the southern section as resources Medium become available.

W3  Treat other weeds based on priority utilising the most recent Medium recommended treatment methods prescribed by the Department of Agriculture.

W4 The inside areas of the old gravel pit should be revegetation with Low locally native plant species to reduce the potential for weed regrowth

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 32 Fire Management

F1 Implement a fuel reduction burn programme for the Study Area High based on 10 year burning cycles.  Cell 5 being implemented in the winter/spring of 2015 to reduce the fire risk to the adjoining urban areas for the summer of

2015/2016. The number of cells treated in any one burn event will be dependent upon brigade resources and weather and will require liaison and negotiation between the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and the Witchcliffe Brigades.

 Cell 1 should be implemented during early spring or late winter in 2016.  Cell 2 and 3 should be implemented in 2018-2019.  Cell 4 should be implemented in 2023, however some small areas

of very high fuel (mainly elevated fuels from dead plants) exist on the eastern boundary of this cell. These areas should be burnt before 2023 and could possibly be used as a smaller demonstration site to show community members the process and approach of a small targeted burn.  Records of burning practices (time, season, resources used and results) should be maintained by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and used to determine and amend future burning activities based on a minimum of 10 years between burns to minimise risk to flora and fauna

F2 Formalise three main access tracks for fire suppression activities. High  Establish a limestone 5 metre wide track along the current western and southern track (shown as Track A on Map 9). There should be a vertical clearance of 5 m above the track. The track should be located to minimise the removal of any native species, apart from selective pruning to allow vertical clearance.  Establish a 5 metre wide limestone track along the current central track (Shown as Track B on Map 9). There should be a vertical clearance of 5 m above the track. . The track should be located to minimise the removal of any native species, apart from selective pruning to all ow vertical clearance.  An additional track (Track C) following the existing track from Track B to the old gravel pit area, should be extended, in the path of least significance, to the western edge of the Study Area to join Track A. This track also should be of limestone construction resulting in an access of 5 m wide and have vertical clearance of 5 m.  Passing lanes and turning Ts should be strategically established in places where the impact on vegetation is minimised (e.g.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 33 already weed infested areas). Draft locations (not field verified) for potential passing lanes are shown in Map 9.

F4 Care is required to ensure that hollow bearing trees or stags are not Medium unnecessarily burnt during any fuel reduction burns

F5 Map 9, which shows the access points, water points and tracks, Medium should be provided to the Witchcliffe Bushfire Brigade and the Witchcliffe Volunteer Fire and Rescue Brigade for their reference.

F6 The vegetation in the north east corner of the southern section, Medium directly behind the petrol station and buildings need to be pruned back from overhanging the fenceline and a defendable space needs to be established separating the bushland and the buildings.

Access Management

R1 The access to the old gravel pit should be permanently blocked off High at Redgate road and the track allowed to naturally regenerate

R2 Boom gates should be installed on the Redgate Road entry to the High southern section of the Study Area to restrict entry. Boom gates should also be installed at the Bussell Highway section of the southern boundary track. A copy of the keys should be kept with the local fire services to enable access during any fire events.

R3 The track on the eastern side of the southern section, along Bussell Medium Highway should be established and maintained as a walking track

Signage and Interpretation

S1 Appropriate interpretive signage of the flora and fauna values of the Low Study Area should be developed and installed, as resources become available. They should be designed to educate local community users of the site on the plants and animals and other biodiversity values of the site.

Monitoring & Review

M1 A register of management actions for the Study Area should be Medium developed and maintained to enable a throughout review of the activities conducted. Details of the specific action, the responsible person/group, the results and an analysis of those results should be conducted at a regular intervals. This will enable further refinement on the management actions with respect to specific treatments and/or timings of these actions.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 34 9 Maps

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Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 45 10 References

Bradley J. (1971). Bush Regeneration. Mosman Parklands and Ashton Park Association, Sydney. Bradley J. (1988) Bringing Back the Bush: the Bradley method of bush regeneration. Landsdowne Press. Sydney. Brown, K, and Brooks, K. (2002). Bushland Weeds: A practical guide to their management. Environmental Weeds Action Network. Buchanan RA. (1989) Bush Regeneration – Recovering Australian Landscapes. TAFE Student Learning Publications, NSW Burrows, N.D., Wardell-Johnson, G, and Ward, B. (2008). Post Fire juvenile period of plants in south west Australia Forests and implications for Fire Management. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 91. Pp 163-174. CALM (1999). Environmental Weed Strategy for Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management. Dieback Working Group (2005). Managing Phytophthora Dieback in Bushland: A Guide for Landholders and Community Conservation Groups. W. W. F. F. Nature. Perth, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management (2004). Best practice guidelines for the management of Phytophthora cinnamomi - Public Consultation Draft. Department of Conservation and Land Management. Environment Australia (2001). Threat Abatement Plan for Dieback caused by the root-rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi. Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia. Foreman, R. T. T. (1995). Land Mosaics: The Ecology Of Landscapes and Regions. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Gibson, N., B. Keighery, G. Keighery, A. Burbidge and M. Lyons (1994). A Floristic survery of the southern Swan Coastal Plain. Unpublished Report for the Australian Heritage Commission, Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Conservation Council of Western Australia (Inc.). Gill, A. M. (1975). "Fire and the Australian Flora: A review." Australian Forestry 38: 4-25. Greening Western Australia (1995). Managing Perth’s Bushlands. Eds: Scheltema,M & Harris, J. Greening Western Australia. Grumbine, R. E. (1994). "What is Ecosystem Management?" Conservation Biology 8(1): 27-38. Hanski, I. and D. Simberloff (1997). The Metapopulation Approach: Its History, Conceptual Domain and Application to Conservation. Metapopulation Biology: Ecology, Genetics and Evolutions. I. Hanscki, A. and M. E. Gilpin. New York, Academic Press. Havel J.J. and Mattiske E.M. (2000). Vegetation mapping of south west forest region of Western Australia. Part 6, maps (MAP). Department of Conservation and Land Management, 7 maps. Hill, T. C. J., J. T. Tippett and B. L. Shearer (1994). "Invasion of Bassendean Dune Banksia woodland by Phytophthora cinnamomi." Australian Journal of Botany 42: 725-738.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 46 Hines, F., Tolhurst, KG, Wilson, AAG, and McCarthy GJ. (2010).Overall Fuel Hazard Assessment Guide. 4th Edition July Department of Sustainability and Environment. Victoria Australia. Hussey, B. M. J. and A. Baxter (2006). The Use of Fire in Small Remnants. Wildlife Notes. L. f. Wildlife., Department of Conservation and Land Management. Hussey, B. M. J. and K. Wallace, J. (1993). Managing your Bushland. Como, Western Australia, Department of Conservation and Land Management. Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Cousens, R.D., Dodd, J., & Lloyd, S.G. (1997). Western Weeds: A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. Plant Protection Society of WA Inc. Keighery, B. J. (1994). Bushland Plant Survey: A Guide To Plant Community Survey for the Community. Perth, Western Australia., Wildflower Society of WA (Inc). Kelly, LT, Bennett, AF, Clarke, MF, and McCarthy, MA (2014). Optimal fire histories for Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation Biology 29, No. 2 . 473-481. Lindenmayer, D. and M. Burgman (2005). Practical Conservation Biology. Collingwood, Victoria, CSIRO Publishing. Molloy, S., O’Connor, T, Wood, J. & Walrodt, S (2007). Addendum for the South West Biodiversity Project Area. Western Australian Local Government Association. West Perth Western Australia. Powley, I, Russell, E., Brown, R., and Brown, M. (1988). The Ecology and breeding biology of the red winged fairy wren (Malurus elegans). Emu 88(3). 161-176. Russell, E and Rowley, I. (1998). The effects of fire on a population of red-winged fairy wrens Malurus elegans in Karri forest in southwestern Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology. 4: 197-208. Smith, F.G. (1973). Vegetation Survey of Western Australia, 1:250,000 series. Busselton & Augusta. Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Perth, WA. Sneeuwjagt, R. J. and G. B. Peet (1998). Forest Fire Behaviour Tables for Western Australia, Department of Conservation and Land Management. State of the Environment Report (2001). Biodiversity. Commonwealth of Australia. Canberra. Tille, P. J. and N. C. Lantzke (1990). Busselton - Margaret River - Augusta. Land Capability Study. Land Resources Series No 14. Perth, Agriculture WA. Whelan, R. J. (1995). The Ecology of Fire. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 47 Appendices

APPENDIX A: Flora Survey details – Jane Scott (2011) & Kay Lehman (2006) Family Species Family Species Anarthriaceae Johnsonia lupulina Gentianaceae *Centaurium tenuiflorum Anthericaceae Agrostocrinum Goodeniaceae Dampiera alata stypandroides Dampiera linearis Caesia micrantha Dampiera trigona Chamaescilla corymbosa Goodenia eatoniana Johnsonia lupulina Scaevola calliptera Thysanotus manglesianus Scaevola glandulifera Apiaceae Platysace tenuissima Scaevola microphylla Asteraceae *Cotula turbinata Velleia trinervis Craspedia variabilis Haemodoraceae Anigozanthos flavidus Lagenophora huegelii Conostylis aculeata subsp Trichocline spathulata aculeata Apocynaceae *Vinca major Conostylis laxiflora *Caryophyllaceae *Silene gallica var gallica Conostylis setigera subsp *Chamaecytisus *Chamaecytisus palmensis setigera Haemodorum laxum *Chasmanthe *Chasmanthe floribunda Haemodorum spicatum Colchicaceae Burchardia multiflora Iridaceae *Gladiolus undulatus Burchardia umbellata *Ixia aff maculata Cyperaceae Cyathochaeta avenacea *Sparaxis bulbifera Lepidosperma pubisquameum *Romulea rosea Mesomelaena tetragona *Watsonia meriana var Tetraria octandra bulbillifera *Watsonia versfeldii Dasypogonaceae Lomandra purpurea Patersonia occidentalis Lomandra nigricans Patersonia umbrosa var Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium esculentum xanthina Dilleniaceae Hibbertia inconspicua Juncaceae Juncus pallidus Hibbertia cunninghamii *Juncus microcephalus Hibbertia hypericoides Lamiaceae Hemigenia rigida Droseraceae Drosera erthrorhiza Lauraceae Cassytha racemosa Ericaceae Astrolobium sp Nannup Lindsaeaceae Lindsaea linearis Epacridaceae Andersonia caerulea Lobeliaceae Isotoma hypocrateriformis Astroloma ciliatum Lobelia gibbosa Astroloma pallidum Lobelia tenuior Leucopogon australis Loganiaceae Logania serpyllifolia subsp angustifolia Leucopogon capitellatus Logania vaginalis Leucopogon propinquus Menyanthaceae Villarsia latifolia Leucopogon elater Villarsia parnassifolia Leucopogon verticillatus Mimosaceae Acacia browniana var Sphenotoma capitatum browniana Euphorbiaceae Poranthera huegelii Acacia divergens Fabaceae *Chamaecytisus palmensis Acacia extensa Fumariaceae *Fumaria capreolata Acacia gilbertii *Fumaria muralis *Acacia iteaphylla

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 48 Family Species Family Species Acacia mooreana Thelymitra crinita Acacia myrtifolia Thelymitra flexuosa Acacia stenoptera Thelymitra macrophylla Acacia varia Thelymitra fuscolutea Myrtaceae Agonis flexuosa Orobanchaceae *Orobanche minor *Leptospermum laevigatum Oxalidaceae *Oxalis pes caprae Corymbia calophylla *Oxalis purpurea Eucalyptus marginata Papilionaceae Bossiaea linophylla *Eucalyptus maculata Bossiaea ornata Eucalyptus diversicolor Chorizema rhombeum Kunzea baxteri Daviesia cordata Melaleuca incana Daviesia decurrens Taxandria parviceps Daviesia inflata Orchidaceae Caladenia attingens subsp Daviesia preissii attingens Gastrolobium bilobum Caladenia citrina Hardenbergia comptoniana Caladenia ferruginea Hovea elliptica Caladenia flava Hovea chorizemifolia Caladenia infundibularis Hovea trisperma Caladenia longicauda subsp clivicola Kennedia coccinea Caladenia macrostylis Kennedia carinata Caladenia rhomboidiformis Mirbelia dilatata Caladenia rhomboidiformis Pultenaea drummondii X citrina Sphaerolobium medium Cyanicula sericea Viminaria juncea Cyrtostylis huegelii Poaceae Austrodanthonia spp *Disa bracteata Austrostipa spp Diuris jonesii Pittosporaceae Billardiera floribunda Diuris longifolia Billardiera laxiflora Diuris longifolia Billardiera variifolia Diuris laevis Cheiranthera preissiana Elythranthera brunonis Marianthus candidus Eriochilus dilatatus Marianthus tenuis Lyperanthus serratus Podocarpaceae Podocarpus drouynianus Microtis media Primulaceae *Anagallis arvensis Prasophyllum brownii Proteaceae Banksia grandis Pterostylis aff nana Comesperma ciliatum Pterostylis barbata Comesperma confertum Pterostylis recurva Grevillea quercifolia Pterostylis vittata Hakea amplexicaulis Pterostylis aff nana 2011 Hakea lasianthoides Pyrorchis nigricans Hakea lissocarpha Thelymitra antennifera Hakea lourie Thelymitra benthamiana Hakea oleifolia

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 49 Family Species Hakea ruscifolia Persoonia longifolia Petrophile diversifolia Ranunculaceae Clematis pubescens Restionaceae Hypolaena exsulca Hypolaena pubescens Loxocarya cinerea Rhamnaceae Trymalium ledifolium var rosmarinifolium Rubiaceae Opercularia echinocephala Opercularia hispidula Rutaceae Boronia crenulata Philotheca spicata Santalaceae Leptomeria squarrulosa Sapindaceae Dodonaea ceratocarpa Dodonaea viscosa Stackhousiaceae Stackhousia monogyna Tripterococcus brunonis Stylidiaceae Stylidium amoenum Stylidium caespitosum Stylidium eriopodum Thymelaeaceae Pimelea rosea Pimelea spectabilis Tremandraceae Tetratheca hirsuta Tremandra diffusa Tremandra stelligera Typhaceae *Typha orientalis Xanthorrhoeaceae Xanthorrhoea gracilis Xanthorrhoea preissii Zamiaceae Macrozamia riedlei

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 50 APPENDIX B: Revele Data sheet example.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 51 Appendix C: Keighery Vegetation Condition Scale. (after Keighery 1994)

Category Description Pristine Pristine or nearly so, no obvious signs of destruction. Excellent Vegetation structure intact, disturbance affecting individual species and weeds are non-aggressive species. For example damage to trees caused by fire, the presence of non-aggressive weeds and occasional vehicle track. Very Good Vegetation structure altered, No obvious signs of disturbance. For example disturbance to vegetation structure caused by repeated fires, the presence of some more aggressive weeds, dieback, logging and grazing. Good Vegetation structure significantly altered by very obvious signs of multiple disturbances. Retains basic vegetation structure or ability to regenerate to it. For example disturbance to vegetation structure caused by very frequent fires, the presence of some very aggressive weeds at high density, partial clearing, dieback and grazing. Degraded Basic vegetation structure severely impacted by disturbance. Scope for regeneration, but not to a state approaching good condition without intensive management. For example, disturbance to vegetation structure caused by very frequent fires, the presence of very aggressive weeds, partial clearing, dieback and grazing. Completely The structure of the vegetation in no longer intact and the Degraded area is completely or almost completely without native species. These areas are often described as “parkland cleared” with the flora composing weed or crop species with isolated native trees or shrubs.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 52 Appendix D- Bird Survey Data (Dr Boyd Wykes)

Species Witchcliffe Reserve Emu None during surveys but one casual record Quail and Button-quail spp no records Australian Shelduck one pair, winter nest hollows Accipiter spp very occasional Wedge-tailed Eagle very occasional Square-tailed Kite very occasional Nankeen Kestrel very occasional Common Bronzewing occasional, mainly summer Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo small groups, summer-autumn Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo small groups throughout year; one likely nest record Purple-crowned Lorikeet very occasional Feb-Mar Western Rosella occasional throughout year Australian Ringneck throughout year but some gaps Red-capped Parrot very occasional Elegant Parrot at tree hollows in winter once Fan-tailed Cuckoo occasional spring-summer Shining Bronze-Cuckoo spring-summer Southern Boobook Casual records at night and at roost; including with fledglings Tawny Frogmouth One casual record of roosting pair Australian Owlet-nightjar occasional calling at night Laughing Kookaburra throughout year, nesting, 2+ groups Sacred Kingfisher no survey records; one casual record Red-winged Fairy-wren abundant, all year, breeding Splendid Fairy-Wren very occasional, on edge Spotted Pardalote common, absences late summer-autumn Striated Pardalote common, absences late summer-autumn White-browed Scrubwren common, absences late summer-autumn Weebill Very occasional - one winter record Western Gerygone common, absent Apr-Aug Inland Thornbill common throughout year Western Thornbill Very occasional - one summer record Yellow-rumped Thornbill occasional on edges White-naped Honeyeater common, absences in summer Red Wattlebird throughout in low numbers, summer absences Brown Honeyeater low numbers, N sections, spring-early summer

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 53 Species Witchcliffe Reserve New Holland Honeyeater low numbers, N sections, spring-early summer Western Spinebill very occasional, N sections White-breasted Robin low numbers throughout year, mainly N sections Western Yellow Robin occasional, throughout, spring & autumn Scarlet Robin occasional, spring and autumn Varied Sittella occasional, absent summer Golden Whistler common throughout, late summer gaps Rufous Whistler one autumn record Grey Shrike-thrush Regular in low numbers, gaps late spring-summer Western Shrike-tit no records Grey Fantail common throughout Willie Wagtail absent Magpie-lark absent Grey Butcherbird one autumn record Australian Magpie occasional on edges Dusky Woodswallow occasional overhead and on edges Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike occasional, through site and seasons Australian Raven several groups throughout year Welcome Swallow once oh Tree Martin occasional oh Silvereye common throughout Red-eared Firetail very occasional, N sections

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 54 Appendix E: Fire Fuel Data Collection Sheet (from Hines et al, 2010).

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 55 Appendix E: Weed Control Approaches. 1- Weeds with Underground Reproductive Structures Removal Techniques:

Hand Removal of Plants with a Taproot  Remove and bag seeds or fruits;  Push a narrow trowel or knife into the ground beside the tap root, carefully loosen the soil and repeat this step around the taproot;  Grasp the stem at ground level, rock plant backwards and forwards and gently pull removing the plant; and  Tap the roots to dislodge soil, replace disturbed soil and pat down. Crowning  Remove and bag stems with seed or fruit;  Grasp the leaves or stems together so the base of the plant is visible;  Insert the knife or lever at an angle close to the crown;  Cut through all the roots around the crown; and  Remove and bag the crown. Herbicide Treatment – Stem Swiping  Remove any seed or fruit and bag; and  Using an herbicide applicator, swipe the stems/leaves. Considerations:  Further digging may be required for plants with more than one tuber;  Some bulbs may have small bulbils attached or present in the soil around them which need to be removed;  It may be quicker and more effective to dig out the weed;  Protect native plants and seedlings; and  For bulb and corm species the most effective time to apply herbicide is after flowering and before fruit is set. Exotic vegetation should be removed and stockpiled in a clear area away from adjoining bushland. This stockpile should be removed from the site at a convenient time. As part of the regular maintenance of the restored area any re-growth of the exotic plant species should be removed and disposed of appropriately. 2- Small Hand-Pullable Plants Removal Techniques:

Hand Removal  Remove any seeds or fruits and carefully place into a bag;  Grasp stem at ground level, rock plant backwards and forwards to loosen roots and pull out; and  Tap the roots to dislodge any soil, replace disturbed soil and pat down. Considerations:  Leave weeds so roots are not in contact with the soil, e.g. hang in a tree, remove from site or leave on a rock.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 56 3- Woody Weeds Removal Techniques:

Cut and Paint (Woody weeds to 10 cm basal diameter)  Make a horizontal cut close to the ground using secateurs, loppers or a bush saw; and  Immediately apply herbicide to the exposed flat stump surface. Considerations:  Cuts should be horizontal to prevent herbicide from running off the stump, sharp angle cuts are hazardous;  Herbicide must be applied immediately before the plant cells close (within 30 seconds) and translocation of herbicide ceases;  If plants resprout cut and paint the shoots after sufficient re-growth has occurred; and  Stem scraping can be more effective on some woody weeds. Stem Injection  At the base of the tree drill holes at a 45 degree angle into the sapwood;  Fill each hole with herbicide immediately; and  Repeat the process at 5 cm intervals around the tree. Frilling or Chipping  At the base of the tree make a cut into the sapwood with a chisel or axe;  Fill each cut with herbicide immediately; and  Repeat the process at 5 cm intervals around the tree. Considerations:  Plants should be actively growing and in good health;  Deciduous plants should be treated in spring and autumn when leaves are fully formed;  For multi-stemmed plants, inject or chip below the lowest branch or treat each stem individually; and  Herbicides must be injected immediately before plant cells close (within 30 seconds) and translocation of herbicide ceases. 4- Vines and Scramblers Removal Techniques:

Hand Removal  Take hold of one runner and pull towards yourself;  Check points of resistance where fibrous roots grow from the nodes;  Cut roots with a knife or dig out with a trowel and continue to follow the runner;  The major root systems need to be removed manually or scrape/cut and painted with herbicide; and  Any reproductive parts need to be bagged.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 57 Stem Scraping  Scrape 15 to 30 cm of the stem with a knife to reach the layer below the bark/outer layer; and  Immediately apply herbicide along the length of the scrape. Considerations:  A maximum of half the stem diameter should be scraped. Do not ringbark;  Larger stems should have two scrapes opposite each other; and  Vines can be left hanging in trees after treatment. 5-Grass Weed Removal Techniques

Hand Removal  Remove any seeds or fruits and carefully place into a bag;  Grasp stem at ground level, rock plant backwards and forwards to loosen roots and pull out; and  Tap the roots to dislodge any soil, replace disturbed soil and pat down. Considerations:  Remove weeds from location to prevent re-infestation Spot Spraying.  Use a small hand sprayer or backpack  Adjust the nozzle to a single stream spray  Spray appropriate herbicide onto the target plant. Considerations  Avoid spraying non-target species  Shield neighbouring non-target species with a bucket or other protection.  Special shields can be used to protect non-target species and to ensure that stream of herbicide from sprayer does not drift onto non-target species. Blanket Spraying  Use backpack sprayer or machinery based equipment  Used in areas of dense weeds with no native vegetation or when using a selective herbicide (e.g. Fusilade ®) Considerations  If any native species present, make sure they are not affected by the selective herbicide.

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 58 Suggesting Weed Control Methods

Species Priority Control Methods Timing Control Notes*

Grasses Moderate Hand weeding, Herbicide Aug-Oct Spray at 3-5 leaf stage with Fusillade 10 ml/10L (500ml/ha) + wetting agent; repeat over following 2 years. wiping, Spot spraying, Blanket spraying

Arum Lily High Hand weeding, Herbicide April-Nov Difficult to dig out in most sites. wiping, Spot spraying (Zantedeschia aethiopica) Spot spray metsulfuron methyl or chlorosulfuron 0.4g/15L + wetting agent (Pulse). Higher concentrations in one litre hand held sprayer applying a single squirt to leaves avoids off target damage. Best results when plants are 8-12cm high. Respray 2 months later to get missed growth.

Glyphosate 1:100 in June to Oct – Several applications may be needed. Use bioactive glyphosate in wet areas to avoid animal impacts.

Try to spray before flowering to stop seed set.

Dock Moderate Spot spraying April-Nov Spot spray with 1% glyphosate in early bud stage. Hand removal can spread root fragments which will germinate. (Rumex spp)

Acacias Moderate Hand pull small plants, Anytime, but ideally Basal Bark treatment with a picloram/triclopyr mix in autumn, can also try an injection with a 50% Herbicide autumn for chemical glyphosate mix or cut and paint with herbicide control

Broom Moderate Hand pull small plants, Winter-spring Hand pull seedlings; cut and paint -100% glyphosate or foliar spray 1% glyphosate – repeat treatment Herbicide winter/spring (Genista monspessulana)

Watsonia High Spot spraying Just as flower spike Wipe individual leaves glyphosate 10% or spray dense infestations 2,2 DPA 10g/L plus wetting agent or in emerges at corm degraded areas – 1% glyphosate (Watsonia spp.) exhaustion(spring)

Witchcliffe Reserves Management Plan P a g e 59