Minyirr Park Weed Management Recommendations 2018 Authors: Malcolm Lindsay (Environs Kimberley), Louise Beames (Environs Kimberley), Michael Wysong (Nyamba Buru Yawuru) and Chris Parker (Nyamba Buru Yawuru). The Kimberley Nature Project Yawuru Country Managers Environs Kimberley Nyamba Buru Yawuru [email protected] [email protected] (08) 9192 1922 (08) 9192 9600 www.environskimberley.org.au www.yawuru.com Environs Kimberley and Nyamba Buru Yawuru saw a need to develop weed management recommendations for Minyirr Park in consultation with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and other relevant stakeholders. This work was funded by DBCA, Rangelands NRM, the Western Australian Government NRM Program and the Australian Government’s National Landcare and Indigenous Protected Area Programs. This draft has been informed by the working knowledge of key stakeholders through workshops and comments on drafts, with particular thanks to the Nyamba Buru Yawuru Land and Sea team and Curtis Robinson and the rest of the Yawuru Rangers. Historical documents have also provided essential material and are acknowledged in the reference section. This report remains the copyright of Environs Kimberley and Nyamba Buru Yawuru. Please contact the authors for any further information. Images throughout the document were taken by Stephen Reynolds, Malcolm Lindsay and Kylie Weatherall. Contents Background Information ......................................................................................................................... 3 Habitats ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Monsoon Vine Thickets – Mayingan manja balu ............................................................................ 5 Pindan country – Bundurrbundurr.................................................................................................. 6 Previous Weed Mapping and Management ....................................................................................... 6 Organisations directly involved........................................................................................................... 8 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Weed mapping .................................................................................................................................... 9 Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Limitations .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Weed species and abundance ............................................................................................................ 9 Weed Distribution ............................................................................................................................. 11 Priority Ranking ................................................................................................................................. 14 Minyirr Weed Management Activities 2018 ......................................................................................... 16 Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................................... 18 References ............................................................................................................................................ 19 APPENDIX 1: Weed Survey methodology ............................................................................................. 21 APPENDIX 2: Weed maps of records by species, note scales change ................................................... 23 APPENDIX 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 48 Minyirr Park Weed Recommendations 2018 | 2 Background Information Yawuru Country extends across the lands and waters in and around Rubibi (the town of Broome) from Bangarangara to the yalimban (south) to Wirrjinmirr (Willie Creek) to the guniyan (north), and banu (east) covering Roebuck Plains and Thangoo pastoral leases, in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia (Yawuru RNTBC 2011). Minyirr Park is an important part of Yawuru country and is known for its protection and healing qualities and is a sacred bilyurr (spirit) place for Yawuru people. Minyirr Park is identified as containing three of the nine Yawuru Habitats as defined in the Yawuru Cultural Management Plan (Yawuru RNTBC 2011) including; Niyamarri (Sand dunes), Bundurrbundurr (Pindan country), Mayingan manja balu (Vine thickets -lit. plenty fruit trees). Through the work of Yawuru Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal people, and with the support of local environmental groups such as the Broome Botanical Society, Minyirr Park was established in 1999 as a conservation reserve. For many years the park was managed by the Minyirr Park Rangers including Mickelo Corpus, Franz Hoogland and Richard Hunter through the Rubibi Aboriginal Land, Heritage and Development Council, and supported by the Shire of Broome (SOB) and the Kimberley Land Council (KLC). Later, in 2006 Yawuru people were recognised as Native Title Holders of the Broome area and surrounds and in 2010 entered into two Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) with the WA State, the Shire of Broome and other Parties. This resulted in the creation of a Yawuru Conservation Estate (Figure 1) to be jointly managed by Yawuru, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA, formally Department of Environment and Conservation) and the SOB. Minyirr Park falls within the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park(In-town Reserves) which is jointly managed by Yawuru and the SOB. The Yawuru Park Council, comprised of Yawuru and SOB representatives, is responsible for the management of the Minyirr Buru Conservation Park with assistance from DBCA. Figure 1. Yawuru Conservation Estate Minyirr Park Weed Recommendations 2018 | 3 Broad management priorities and aspirations for the area are outlined within the 2011 Yawuru Cultural Management Plan and more specific priorities and management actions are found in the Yawuru Minyirr Buru joint management plan, together with maps of the whole of the MBCP. Figure 2. Location of Minyirr Park (Red) and additional Minyirr Buru Conservation Park. Minyirr Park Weed Recommendations 2018 | 4 Habitats Monsoon Vine Thickets – Mayingan manja balu Mayingan manja balu (Vine thickets -lit. plenty fruit trees) and Niyamarri (Sand dunes) habitats in Minyirr Park are host to the ecosystem identified as Monsoon Vine Thickets on the coastal dunes of Dampier Peninsula. This ecosystem was recognised by the Federal Government as Endangered in 2013 (Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999) due to the increasing degradation from land clearing, wildfire and weed invasion. Monsoon Vine Thickets (MVT) are scattered in a network of small and large patches from Broome north around the coast of the Dampier Peninsula and are one of the Kimberley's most endangered plant communities. The MVT are the most southern dry rainforest-type ecosystem in Western Australia, surviving so far south into the arid zone only because of the Peninsula’s hydrogeology leading to a shallow freshwater table at the coasts. MVT are ecologically significant, representing less than 0.01% of the Peninsula in area, yet containing 25% of the species as well as an array of rainforest-aligned animals. Although variable in size and distribution, patches of MVT are interconnected by frugivorous animals like bats and birds which play an important role in seed dispersal. Hence the protection of existing MVT are important not only in their own right but also as seed sources for neighbouring patches that may have been impacted. MVT are culturally important to Aboriginal groups throughout the region, containing a very high density of plants with useful properties (e.g. food, artefacts, medicine) and often contain restricted ceremony areas and law grounds. It is therefore important to liaise with Traditional Owners before entering or conducting any works within MVT. The MVT of Minyirr park lie in the swale and lee of the coastal dunes, transitioning into the pindan woodland habitat inland. The extent of MVT in Minyirr Park has reportedly decreased over the years, according to both anecdotal observations and comparisons with historical imagery from 1949 (Trudgen 1988). This has occurred due to clearing for development, weed infestation, altered hydrogeology and inappropriate fires including by the infamous Shire staff member “Smokey Bear“(1978-1982), who would burn the area as often as it would burn to stop illegal camping by Inside the Monsoon Vine Thicket Minyirr Park Weed Recommendations 2018 | 5 “hippies” (Trudgen 1988). The Minyirr MVT are some of the most southern on the Dampier Peninsula, containing less species than northern patches due to decreased rainfall (Black et al. 2010). For more information on Monsoon Vine Thickets see Black et al. (2010) and Bellfield et al. (2012). Pindan country – Bundurrbundurr The Bundurrbundurr (Pindan country) of Minyirr Park supports numerous important bush tucker and medicine species. The area previously