Department for Environment and Heritage Management Plan Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula 2007 www.environment.sa.gov.au This plan of management was adopted on 31 May 2007 and was prepared pursuant to section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and section 31 of the Wilderness Protection Act 1992. Published by the Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, Australia © Department for Environment and Heritage, 2007 ISBN: 1 921238 81 X Cover photography: Open mallee woodland typical of the Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula (courtesy of Sharon Gillam, DEH) This document may be cited as ‘Department for Environment and Heritage (2007) Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula Management Plan, Adelaide, South Australia’ FOREWORD Covering an expanse of 155,204 hectares, the nine reserves included in this plan conserve some of the largest remnants of intact mallee vegetation on the Eyre Peninsula. The diverse mallee vegetation communities protected within these reserves stretch over scenically diverse landscapes such as ancient ranges, inland dunes, and undulating plains. Importantly, they provide significant habitat to numerous species of conservation significance, both plants and animals. Hambidge and Hincks Wilderness Protection Areas were, together with Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area on southern Eyre Peninsula, the first wilderness protection areas to be proclaimed on mainland South Australia. They are also some of the oldest reserves in South Australia, having first been declared as Flora and Fauna Reserves in 1941. The reserves provide a place of natural beauty for all South Australians to enjoy, with the wilderness protection areas encapsulating the wild and rugged splendour of pre-European vegetation on the central Eyre Peninsula. Furthermore, the reserves, together with the numerous Heritage Agreements surrounding them, form an important corridor of remnant vegetation, contributing to the objectives of the “East meets West” initiative of the NatureLinks program. In a region where much of the landscape has been altered, the Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula will be managed to conserve their outstanding biodiversity and wilderness values. The plan defines a series of objectives and strategies for their future management. The draft plan for the Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula was released for public exhibition in November 2005. At the close of the comment period, seven submissions were received, raising issues including fire management and visitor access. All comments and concerns were considered by the West Consultative Committee, the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Council, and the Wilderness Advisory Committee prior to adoption of the plan. I now formally adopt the plan of management for the Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula under the provisions of section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and section 31 of the Wilderness Protection Act 1992. I encourage you to read the plan and visit and enjoy these exceptional reserves. H ON GAIL GAGO MLC M INISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula Management Plan 2007 i TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD......................................................................................................................................................... i 1 PARK LOCATION AND FEATURES ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 NatureLinks ..................................................................................................................................... 3 2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.......................................................................................... 5 2.2 Wilderness Protection Act 1992................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Wilderness Code of Management ............................................................................................. 6 2.4 Native Title Act 1993 ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.5 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.......................................... 6 3 VISION ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 4 ZONING...................................................................................................................................................... 8 5 WILDERNESS PROTECTION ....................................................................................................................... 9 6 MANAGING NATURAL HERITAGE.......................................................................................................... 10 6.1 Geology, Soils and Landform .................................................................................................... 10 6.2 Hydrology ..................................................................................................................................... 10 6.3 Native Vegetation ...................................................................................................................... 11 6.4 Native Fauna ...............................................................................................................................14 6.5 Introduced Plants ........................................................................................................................ 17 6.6 Introduced Animals..................................................................................................................... 17 7 MANAGING FIRE..................................................................................................................................... 19 8 MANAGING CULTURAL HERITAGE........................................................................................................ 21 8.1 Indigenous Heritage ................................................................................................................... 21 8.2 Non-Indigenous Heritage........................................................................................................... 21 9 MANAGING TOURISM AND RECREATION............................................................................................ 23 9.1 Visitor Use...................................................................................................................................... 23 9.2 Visitor Access ...............................................................................................................................23 9.3 Visitor Facilities ............................................................................................................................. 24 9.4 Commercial Tourism ................................................................................................................... 25 10 MANAGING RESOURCE USE.................................................................................................................. 28 10.1 Exploration and Mining .............................................................................................................. 28 11 INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY ............................................................................................................... 30 12 MANAGING RESERVE TENURE ............................................................................................................... 31 12.1 Public Utilities................................................................................................................................31 SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES .................................................................................................. 33 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................. 37 APPENDIX A: WILDERNESS CODE OF MANAGEMENT ................................................................................ 39 APPENDIX B: MINIMUM IMPACT CODE ....................................................................................................... 43 APPENDIX C: CONSERVATION STATUS CODES............................................................................................ 46 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location ....................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Features and Access – Barwell and Bascombe Well Conservation Parks....................26 Figure 3. Features and Access – Hincks Wilderness Protection Area and Conservation Park...27 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Department for Environment and Heritage acknowledges the Lock Community Reference Group for its advice during the planning process for this management plan. Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula Management Plan 2007 iii 1 PARK LOCATION AND FEATURES The Mallee Parks of the Central Eyre Peninsula Management Plan encompasses nine reserves on the Eyre Peninsula (South Australia), collectively covering 155,204 hectares (Figure 1). The reserves have been proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 or the Wilderness Protection Act 1992 to conserve remnant