Shire of Northam LOCAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY February 2015 DOCUMENT TRACKING Item Detail Project Name Shire of Northam Local Biodiversity Strategy Project Number File location Prepared by Renata Zelinova Approved by Status Version 1 LastNumber saved on Disclaimer This document may only be used for the purpose for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the contract between the client and Nam Natura Consulting. The scope of services was defined in consultation with the Shire of Northam, by time and budgetary constraints imposed by the client, and the availability of reports and other data on the subject area. Changes to available information, legislation and schedules are made on an ongoing basis and readers should obtain up to date information. The Nam Natura Consulting accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report and its supporting material by any third party. Information provided is not intended to be a substitute for site specific assessment or legal advice in relation to any matter. Unauthorised use of this report in any form is prohibited. www.walga.asn.au 1 Acknowledgements: This report has been prepared through the Local Biodiversity Program, an initiative of the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) in partnership with the Department of Planning (DoP) and the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), funded through the State Natural Resource Management (NRM) Program 2012-2014. The Local Biodiversity Program wishes to acknowledge the following people for their involvement in the Shire of Northam Local Biodiversity Strategy. Project team Renata Zelinova, Local Biodiversity Program Manager (WALGA) Danielle Matthews, Senior Planning Officer – Local Biodiversity Program (DoP) Jason Batory, Batory Spatial Teik Oh, GIS Analyst, Fluffy Software P/L Shire of Northam Phil Steven, Executive Manager Development Services Bronwyn Southee, Senior Planner Stakeholder Reference Group: Cr Kathy Saunders, Shire of Northam Rowan Hegglun, Wheatbelt NRM Peter Weatherly, Avon Valley Environmental Society Inc Teresa Bryant, Office of Environmental Protection Authority Robert Huston and David Jolliffe, Department of Parks and Wildlife Julia Murphy, Greening Australia www.walga.asn.au 2 Contents Acknowledgements: ...................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 7 1 Context..................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 Benefits of biodiversity conservation ................................................................. 12 1.2 Definition of Conservation, Protection and Retention ........................................ 13 1.3 Legislative and Policy Framework ..................................................................... 13 1.4 Regional Natural Resource Management Strategies ........................................ 17 1.5 Local Strategic and Planning Context ............................................................... 18 2. Biodiversity Assets ................................................................................................. 20 2.1 Regional context ............................................................................................... 20 2.2 Geology, Landforms and Soils .......................................................................... 21 2.3 Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 23 2.3.1 Diversity of vegetation ............................................................................. 24 2.3.2 Protection status of vegetation ................................................................ 27 2.4 Threatened species and ecological communities .............................................. 29 2.5 Waterways and Wetlands ................................................................................. 33 2.6 Ecological linkages ........................................................................................... 37 2.7 Threats to biodiversity....................................................................................... 39 3 Prioritisation of Local Natural Areas for Biodiversity Conservation ........................... 42 3.1 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 42 3.1.1. Criteria for determining conservation significance .................................. 43 3.1.2. Connectivity and patch size analysis ...................................................... 45 3.1.3 Opportunities and constraints to local natural area protection ................. 47 3.1.4 Identification of representation targets and the Target Areas .................. 52 3.2 Conservation Priorities ...................................................................................... 56 3.2.1 Target Areas and Selected Reserves ..................................................... 57 3.2.2. Connectivity ........................................................................................... 59 4 Implementation ........................................................................................................ 65 4.1 Integration of biodiversity into the local planning framework ............................. 66 4.2 Bushland Management Tools ........................................................................... 71 4.2.1 Local Government Natural Area Management Strategy ................................. 71 4.2.2 Private Landholder Incentives Strategy.......................................................... 72 4.3 Communication................................................................................................. 73 www.walga.asn.au 3 4.4 Local Government Capacity Building ................................................................ 74 5 Action Plan ............................................................................................................... 75 References ................................................................................................................. 79 GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 84 APPENDIX A: Local Planning Framework Summary .......................................................................... 87 Shire of Northam Local Planning Strategy (2013) ....................................................... 87 Shire of Northam Local Planning Scheme No. 6 (2013) – an extract of provisions for biodiversity ............................................................................................ 88 APPENDIX B: National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) Information Hierarchy ....................... 93 APPENDIX C: Description of vegetation mapped in the Shire of Northam .......................................... 94 APPENDIX D: Retention and protection status of vegetation in the Shire of Northam ........................ 96 APPENDIX E: Shire of Northam species report Summary (NatureMap) ............................................. 16 APPENDIX F: Ecological criteria for remnant vegetation prioritisation in the Shire of Northam (Adapted from Del Marco et al 2004) .......................................................................... 40 APPENDIX G: A Morphological Classifier for Remnant Vegetation .................................................... 43 APPENDIX H: Limitations of the native vegetation prioritisation and connectivity analysis ................. 60 APPENDIX I: Target Areas – Notes on opportunities to improve protection status of priority vegetation ................................................................................................................... 62 Appendix J: Proposed Target Areas and Crown reserves proposed for extension or change of reserve purpose to conservation (Local Biodiversity Program, 2014) ...................... 71 APPENDIX K: How to use the on-line Environmental Planning Tool .................................................. 72 www.walga.asn.au 4 References Glossary List of Appendices APPENDIX A: Local Planning Framework Summary APPENDIX B: National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) Information Hierarchy APPENDIX C: Description of vegetation mapped in the Shire of Northam APPENDIX D: Retention and protection status of vegetation in the Shire of Northam APPENDIX E: Shire of Northam species report Summary (NatureMap) APPENDIX F: Ecological criteria for remnant vegetation prioritisation in the Shire of Northam (Adapted from Del Marco et al 2004) APPENDIX G: A Morphological Classifier for Remnant Vegetation APPENDIX H: Limitations of the native vegetation prioritisation and connectivity analysis APPENDIX I: Target Areas – Notes on opportunities to improve protection status of priority vegetation APPENDIX J: Proposed Target Areas and Crown reserves proposed for extension or change of reserve purpose to conservation (Local Biodiversity Program, 2014) APPENDIX K: How to use the on-line mapping viewer, the Environmental Planning Tool www.walga.asn.au 5 Abbreviations AW – Avon Wheatbelt Bio-region BVA – Beard Vegetation Association CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation DAFWA – Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia DEC – Department of Environment and Conservation DPaW – Department of