© Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), 2005 This work is copyright, however material presented in this plan may be copied for personal use or published for educational purposes, providing that any extracts are fully acknowledged. Apart from this and any other use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Department of Environment and Conservation. The NPWS is part of the Department of Environment and Conservation Department of Environment and Conservation 43 Bridge Street (PO Box 1967) Hurstville NSW 2220 www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Requests for information or comments regarding the recovery program for Pimelea spicata should be directed to: The Director General, Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) C/- Coordinator Pimelea spicata recovery program Biodiversity Conservation Section, Metropolitan Branch Environment Protection and Regulation Division Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) PO Box 1967 Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: (02) 9585 6678 Fax: (02) 9585 6442 Cover photograph: Pimelea spicata in flower growing amongst grasses at Mt Warrigal in the Illawarra Photographer: Martin Bremner This Plan should be cited as following: Department of Environment and Conservation (2005) Pimelea spicata R. Br. Recovery Plan. Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Hurstville NSW. ISBN: 1 74137 333 6 DEC 2006/181 Approved Recovery Plan for Pimelea spicata Pimelea spicata Recovery Plan Executive summary This document constitutes the formal Commonwealth and New South Wales State Recovery Plan for the small shrub Pimelea spicata (Thymelaeaceae), and as such considers the conservation requirements of the species across its known range. It identifies the future actions to be taken to ensure the long-term viability of P. spicata in nature and the parties who will carry out these actions. Pimelea spicata is listed as endangered in the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as endangered in the schedules of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The species is a NSW endemic with a relatively scattered distribution occurring in two disjunct areas, the Cumberland Plain (western Sydney) and coastal Illawarra (south of Sydney). There are 30 known extant populations of P. spicata, 25 within the Cumberland Plain and five within the Illawarra coastal region. The majority of populations are small and isolated and the species possesses a restricted area of occupancy of only 17ha. The local extinction of at least two populations has been recorded and there are an additional four populations that may be extinct. In western Sydney, P. spicata is associated with the endangered ecological community Cumberland Plain Woodland and in the Illawarra associated vegetation includes coastal grasslands and tall open forest. Extensive clearing of the Cumberland Plain and coastal Illawarra for urban and rural development has destroyed much of the natural habitat of the species and the remaining habitat is restricted, degraded and highly fragmented. The main threats to the survival of the species are further habitat loss as a result of residential development and habitat degradation, particularly from weed invasion. Other threats include; roadside and parkland maintenance activities (slashing and spraying of herbicide), inappropriate fire regimes, dumping of rubbish and garden waste, and grazing and associated trampling. The overall objective of this recovery plan is to ensure the continued and long-term survival of P. spicata in the wild by promoting the in-situ conservation of the species across its natural range. Specific recovery objectives include: • conserve P. spicata using land-use and conservation planning mechanisms; • identify and minimise the operation of threats at sites where P. spicata occurs; • develop and implement a survey and monitoring program that will provide information on the extent and viability of P. spicata; • provide the community with information that assists in conserving the species; • raise awareness of the species and involve the community in the recovery program; and • conduct research that will assist future management decisions. It is intended that this recovery plan will be implemented over a five year period. The total cost to implement the Plan is $49,000 over five years, although this does not include site management costs or the costs associated with the preparation and implementation of management plans for community land, as these costs are yet to be determined. Lisa Corbyn Bob Debus MP Director General Minister for the Environment Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) i Approved Recovery Plan for Pimelea spicata Acknowledgements This recovery plan is based on a previous Conservation Research Statement and Recovery Plan for Pimelea spicata (NSW NPWS 1993) and incorporates the outcomes of recovery actions implemented under the draft plan (Nash and Matthes 1995; NSW NPWS 1997; Tozer and Robertson 1998). A number of people contributed significantly to the 1993 plan and the implementation of recovery actions, including; Maria Matthes, Sharon Nash, Geoff Robertson, Merin Tozer, Dessalegn Ayallew, and Janelle Brooks. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) wishes to acknowledge the following individuals and organisations for their contributions to the development of this recovery plan: • Tony Willis, Julie Matarczyk, Doug Benson, and Jocelyn Howell for providing information and discussions on the ecology of Pimelea spicata. • The following people and their organisations for providing information during preparation of this recovery plan; Diana Picone (Bankstown City Council); Fiona Barnwell and Carolyn Adamcewicz (Blacktown City Council); Rob Corby (Camden Council); Phillip Cleaton (Camden Golf Club); Deryck Linden (Camden Lakeside Country Club); Emma Stephenson (Campbelltown City Council); Katrina Jensz (Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage); Ken Turner (Department of Planning); Ian Tait (Ecosearch); Brian Wilson (Ecotone Ecological Consultants); Teresa James (Environmental Consultant), Rachel Cumming and Michelle Englehard (Hawkesbury City Council); Maree Costigan (Holroyd City Council); Ian Perkins (Ian Perkins Consultancy Services); Peter Stuckey (Kiama Municipal Council); Rebecca Ward (Liverpool City Council); Deb Little, Lotte von Richter, and Richard Johnston (Mount Annan Botanic Gardens); Maria Matthes, Martin Smith and Lyndal Kaye (Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW)); Marlene Spinks (Penrith City Council); Alison Scobie (Shellharbour City Council); Chelsea Wilson (Sydney Catchment Authority); Pam Browne (Wilson Crescent Community Group); and Daryl Wells. • Mt Annan Botanic Garden for allowing monitoring of seedling survival within the gardens. • Department of the Environment and Heritage (previously Environment Australia) through the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust Program for the provision of funding to prepare this recovery plan and also the previous Conservation Research Statement and Recovery Plan. ii Approved Recovery Plan for Pimelea spicata Table of Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................ii 1. Introduction................................................................................................................................................ 1 2. Legislative context...................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Conservation status..................................................................................................................... 1 2.2 Recovery plan preparation .......................................................................................................... 1 2.3 Recovery plan implementation.................................................................................................... 1 2.4 Relationship to other legislation and planning instruments ........................................................ 2 2.5 Environmental assessment .......................................................................................................... 2 2.6 Key threatening processes........................................................................................................... 3 2.7 Critical habitat............................................................................................................................. 3 3. Taxonomy and description........................................................................................................................ 4 4. Distribution, abundance and land tenure ................................................................................................ 4 4.1 Current distribution..................................................................................................................... 4 4.2 Historical distribution.................................................................................................................. 7 4.3 Population size and area.............................................................................................................. 7 4.4 Land tenure and zoning..............................................................................................................