WALLUMATTA NATURE RESERVE PLAN OF MANAGEMENT NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Sydney, February 1999 This plan of management was adopted by the Minister for the Environment on 9 February 1999. Acknowledgments: The valuable input and assistance of Nicole Davis, Noela Kirkwood-Jones, Marjorie Gosling, Alison Ramsay and Peter Beard in the preparation of this plan of management is gratefully acknowledged. Cover photograph: Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest in Wallumatta Nature Reserve. This vegetation community was listed as an endangered ecological community in October 1998. Photo by Alison Ramasy. Crown Copyright 1999. Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. ISBN 0 7310 7683 4 FOREWORD Wallumatta Nature Reserve is a small reserve, only 6.195 hectares in size, located in the Sydney suburb of East Ryde. It is bounded by sealed roads and residential development. Although small in area, the nature reserve conserves a rare example of open forest on Wianamatta Shale soil. The reserve is also important because it includes species from both wetter and drier shale forests as well as Hawkesbury Sandstone vegetation. This plan of management emphasises the conservation of the reserve’s uncommon Wianamatta Shale vegetation and the promotion of public understanding and awareness of the value of this small remnant area of bush within Sydney. It also recognises the local residents who were instrumental in pressuring for dedication of the reserve, and since then have provided outstanding assistance in bush regeneration and weed control on the reserve. Under this plan of management the loop walking track and information brochure for Wallumatta Nature Reserve will be upgraded, the bush regeneration program will be continued, and on-going scientific investigation and environmental education will be encouraged. In accordance with section 76 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, this plan of management for Wallumatta Nature Reserve is hereby adopted. Pam Allan Minister for the Environment CONTENTS Page No. 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2 2.1 NATURE RESERVES IN NSW. 2 2.2 WALLUMATTA NATURE RESERVE 2 2.2.1 Location and Regional Context 2 2.2.2 Significance of Wallumatta Nature Reserve 4 3. OBJECTIVES OF MANAGEMENT 6 3.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVES 6 3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR WALLUMATTA NATURE RESERVE 6 4. POLICIES AND FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT ` 7 4.1 NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE 7 4.1.1 Geology, Soils and Landforms 7 4.1.2 Native and Introduced Plants 9 4.1.3 Native and Introduced Animals 12 4.1.4 Fire Management 13 4.1.5 Cultural Heritage 15 4.2 USE OF THE AREA 16 4.2.1 Promotion, Interpretation and Education 17 4.2.2 Research 18 4.2.3 Management Operations 19 5. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 21 6. REFERENCES 23 1 1. INTRODUCTION The National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 requires that a plan of management be prepared for each nature reserve. A plan of management is a legal document that outlines how the nature reserve will be managed in the years ahead. The procedures for the adoption of a plan of management for a nature reserve are specified in the Act: - where a plan of management has been prepared, the Director-General is required to refer the plan to the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council for its consideration and advice; - the Director-General is required to submit the plan to the Minister, together with any comments or suggestions of the Advisory Council; and - the Minister may adopt the plan without alteration or with such alterations as the Minister may think fit, or may refer it back to the Director-General and Council for further consideration. Once a plan of management has been adopted by the Minister, no operations may be undertaken within the nature reserve except in accordance with the plan. Although not a requirement under the Act to exhibit plans for nature reserves, a draft plan of management for Wallumatta Nature Reserve was placed on public exhibition from 21st November 1997 until 16th February 1998. Seven submissions were received which raised a total of 10 issues. All comments received were referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council for its consideration and advice. The comments and suggestions of the Advisory Council were in turn considered by the Minister before adopting this plan. Additional information or enquires on any aspect of the plan can be obtained from Lane Cove National Park, Lady Game Drive, Chatswood 2067 or by telephone on ( 02 ) 9412 1811. 2 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 2.1 NATURE RESERVES IN NEW SOUTH WALES Reserving areas for nature conservation as a general purpose was introduced into Australia with the establishment of the Royal National Park in 1879. Nature reserves in New South Wales arose out of fauna reserves. Fauna reserves were first established under the Fauna Protection Act 1948, which was replaced by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1967. Under the latter Act, fauna reserves were re-classified as nature reserves. The 1967 Act has since been replaced by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. Under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, nature reserves are areas of special scientific interest containing wildlife or natural environments or natural phenomena. The purpose of nature reserves are defined in the Act as: (a) the care, propagation, preservation and conservation of wildlife; (b) the care, preservation and conservation of natural environments and natural phenomena; (c) the study of wildlife, natural environments and natural phenomena; and (d) the promotion of the appreciation and enjoyment of wildlife, natural environments and natural phenomena. Nature reserves are valuable refuge areas where natural processes, phenomena and wildlife can be studied. They differ from national parks which include as a major objective the provision of appropriate recreation opportunities. 2.2 WALLUMATTA NATURE RESERVE 2.2.1 Location and Regional Context Wallumatta Nature Reserves covers an area of 6.195 hectares within the Sydney Metropolitan area. It was dedicated in November 1990 over land previously owned by the New South Wales Department of Health and cared for by the nearby Macquarie Hospital. The reserve is located on the corner of Twin Road and Cressy Road, East Ryde (see map, page 3). It is located within suburban Sydney, only 10 kilometres from the Central Business District, and surrounded by residential development, hospital facilities and sealed roads. 4 Wallumatta Nature Reserve protects one of the last remaining areas of native forest on shale soils within Sydney. Practically all fertile shale soils were cleared for farming in the nineteenth century, and as a result the majority of bushland reserves within Sydney are situated on the less fertile Hawkesbury sandstone soils, which support markedly different vegetation. Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve on Mona Vale Road at St Ives is also on shale but contains a wetter tall open forest with different species, while the shale west of Parramatta supports a drier woodland community. 2.2.2 The Significance of Wallumatta Nature Reserve Wallumatta Nature Reserve was established to protect its Wianamatta shale vegetation. Its dedication was largely due to the efforts of community groups to preserve this small area of natural bush from urban development. At that time it was also recognised as being of importance as an area for students to study this vegetation community as it is one of the few stands of open forest on shale soil that is conserved in the Sydney metropolitan area. Benson and Howell (1994) estimated that only 0.5% of turpentine/ironbark forest on Wianamatta shale soils remains within the Sydney region. Wallumatta Nature Reserve is located in a ‘transition zone’ between Wianamatta shale and the more prevalent, less fertile Hawkesbury sandstone. The reserve contains soils derived from both rock types as well as an area where the soils are a mix derived from the two. The vegetation of the reserve reflects the soils and therefore there are distinct changes in plant species throughout the reserve. The vegetation of Wallumatta Nature Reserve is also important because it contains species from both the wetter shale forests of the north shore of Sydney and drier shale woodlands west of Parramatta. The range of soil and vegetation types within the reserve makes it a valuable area for environmental education and research. It is used by students from the nearby primary schools, horticulture school and universities for education and research purposes. A number of students have undertaken major projects based on the reserve. Wallumatta Nature Reserve is part of a number of parks and reserves across Sydney which provide habitat for native animals. A wildlife corridor between the reserve and the nearby Lane Cove National Park is provided by a number of small local council reserves along Kittys Creek. Although little physical evidence remains of past use of the reserve by Aboriginal or European people, the past Aboriginal occupation of the area is recognised in the name of the reserve and the reserve has an interesting recent history as part of the struggle to protect small remnant bushland within Sydney from development. The importance of Wallumatta Nature Reserve was recognised in 1986 when an Interim Conservation Order under the NSW Heritage Act was placed over the area 5 to protect it from residential development. In 1990 the reserve was also listed by the Australian Heritage Commission on the Register of the National Estate. Wallumatta Nature Reserve is predominantly used by local residents, many of whom take great pride