OXLEY WILD RIVERS NATIONAL PARK, OXLEY WILD RIVERS STATE CONSERVATION AREA, CUNNAWARRA NATIONAL PARK AND GEORGES CREEK NATURE RESERVE PLAN OF MANAGEMENT NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Part of the Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) June 2005 This plan of management was adopted by the Minister for the Environment on 27 June 2005. Acknowledgments: This plan is based on a draft plan prepared by staff of the Northern Tablelands Region Office of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, with the assistance from Head Office and Northern Directorate Planning Group staff. Cover photograph: Kunderang Brook by Roger Mills, NPWS. Valuable information and comments were provided by the Northern Tablelands Region Advisory Committee and other organisations and individuals during community consultation and review of the draft. The planning process leading to the development of this plan involved the collection and use of information, which for reasons of document size has not been included in the plan. For additional information or inquiries on any aspect of the plan, contact the NPWS Northern Tablelands Region Office at 87 Faulkner Street (P.O. Box 402), Armidale 2350, or by phone at (02) 6776 0000. © Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) 2005: Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. ISBN 1 74122 041 6 FOREWORD Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Oxley Wild Rivers State Conservation Area, Cunnawarra National Park and Georges Creek Nature Reserve are located on the eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands of NSW, 350km north of Sydney and 15km south-east of Armidale. Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Tamworth are all within 140km. Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA) World Heritage Area. The park also contains the Macleay Gorges Wilderness and the Kunderang Wilderness. These four parks are significant because they contain diverse plant communities, including rainforests, eucalypt forests and woodlands, heath and swamps; a large number of threatened fauna species and rare and threatened plant species; spectacular gorges, cliff lines and deep, steep sided valleys illustrating on-going geomorphological processes associated with the Great Escarpment; a range of Aboriginal sites with traditional and contemporary values; the historical Kunderang East homestead; and the remains of Australia’s first commercial hydro-electric scheme. Recreation facilities in the parks include easily accessible lookouts and other facilities at spectacular escarpment locations; an extensive network of gorges, rivers and wilderness areas; and extended horse riding, bicycling and walking on the Bicentennial National Trail. Primary management emphasis will continue to be given to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the areas, and in particular the World Heritage values. This will involve protection of significant vegetation communities, threatened and biogeographically significant plant and animal species, Aboriginal and historic heritage, and geomorphological features. Opportunities for ecologically sustainable recreation, tourism and educational use will continue to be provided, including use of the existing gorge rim locations on the edges of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, the Bicentennial National Trail and Kunderang East homestead. All facilities will be designed to promote enjoyment and understanding of the special features of the parks and reserve, with emphasis on appreciation of the World Heritage values. This plan of management establishes the scheme of operations for Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Oxley Wild Rivers State Conservation Area, Cunnawarra National Park and Georges Creek Nature Reserve. In accordance with Section 73B of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, this plan of management is hereby adopted. Bob Debus Minister for the Environment TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................1 1.1 LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL SETTING ................................................................1 2. MANAGEMENT CONTEXT...............................................................................................................4 2.1 LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY FRAMEWORK ..............................................................................4 2.2 OBJECTIVES FOR WORLD HERITAGE AND WILDERNESS AREAS .....................................6 3. KEY VALUES AND MANAGEMENT DIRECTIONS .....................................................................8 3.1 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................................................8 3.2 MANAGEMENT DIRECTIONS ......................................................................................................9 4. CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.............................................11 4.1. GEOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ...................................................................................................11 4.2. NATIVE PLANTS..........................................................................................................................13 4.3. NATIVE ANIMALS.......................................................................................................................16 4.4 ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ............................................................................................................18 4.5 HISTORIC HERITAGE...................................................................................................................20 5. PARK AND RESERVE PROTECTION ...........................................................................................23 5.1 SOIL EROSION...............................................................................................................................23 5.2 CATCHMENT PROTECTION .......................................................................................................23 5.3 INTRODUCED SPECIES ...............................................................................................................24 5.4 FIRE MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................................28 6. PUBLIC USE OF THE PARKS AND RESERVE ............................................................................31 6.1 INFORMATION AND PROMOTION............................................................................................31 6.2 RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.................................................................................................32 7. RESEARCH AND MONITORING....................................................................................................45 8. MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.....................................................................46 9. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION..............................................................................................................48 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................................56 APPENDICES: Appendix 1: Rare or Threatened Australian Plants (ROTAP) known to occur in the planning area....................................................................................................................................................58 Appendix 2: Threatened fauna species known to occur in the planning area................................60 Appendix 3: Visitor facility classifications.............................................................................................62 Appendix 4: Australian World Heritage Management Principles......................................................63 TABLE: Table 1 : Existing and proposed visitor facilities for the planning area. ..........................................35 FIGURES: Figure 1: The planning area and its regional setting............................................................................3 Figure 2: The planning area, public access and visitor sites ....................................inside back cover Figure 3: World Heritage and declared wilderness areas .........................................inside back cover 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 LOCATION, GAZETTAL AND REGIONAL SETTING Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Oxley Wild Rivers State Conservation Area, Cunnawarra National Park and Georges Creek Nature Reserve (collectively referred to as "the planning area) are located on the eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands of NSW, 350km north of Sydney. The city of Armidale lies 15km to the north-west of the nearest section of the planning area, while Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Tamworth are all within 140km. The planning area lies within the local government areas of Armidale-Dumaresq and Walcha shires. The planning area is part of a broad contiguous belt of relatively undisturbed forested land along the Great Escarpment, adjoining New England National Park to the north-east, The Castles Nature Reserve, Carrai and Willi Willi National Parks to the east and Werrikimbe National Park to the south (see figure 1, page 3). Adjacent lands on the tablelands have largely been cleared for grazing but there are large areas of native vegetation to the east, in both public and private ownership. Oxley Wild Rivers National Park was established through the amalgamation of several smaller existing reserves in 1986 and, with recent additions, the gazetted