If you live in the Darling Riverine Plains you live in the largest and probably the flattest bioregion in NSW. You live in the land of contrasts; of droughts and flooding rains; of flood loving eucalypts; River Red Gum, Coolibah, Black Box and Carbeen; and of vast open plains. Hopefully, after you have read this booklet you will live in a place that you know more about. You will know more about over four hundred species of native fauna that make their home in the Darling Riverine Plains, and you will know more about how to look after their habitat. About the cover: The poster featured here on the cover illustrates the connections between the cultural and natural environments within the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion. It depicts the land uses, typical plants and animals and some cultural values of the area. All these features depend on the riverine environments. Life in the Darling Riverine Plains 2 Knowing what’s on your place: How the Camerons are looking after their place The Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion 4 Knowing what’s around you: Map of the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Native fauna in the Darling Riverine Plains 6 Native fauna: Native habitats About this report 8 About this report: What is habitat? Looking after habitat on your place Northern Riverine Woodlands 10 The habitat: The importance of size: Typical species: Threatened species Southern Riverine Corridor 12 The habitat: Looking after a most important corridor: A whole lot of holes: Typical species: Threatened species Diverse Woodland Remnants 14 The habitat: Looking after our woodland birds: Disappearing emus: Typical species: Threatened species and declining woodland birds Simple Woodland Remnants 16 The habitat: Rehabilitating remnants: Typical species: Threatened species: Declining woodland birds: How the Yates family are looking after remnants: The benefits of not tidying up Grasslands and Shrublands 18 The habitat: The hunting grounds: Typical species: Threatened species: Outfoxed on Kalyanka Red Country Woodlands 20 The habitat: Reptiles and refuge: Typical species: Threatened species Wetlands 22 Wetland habitat: Wetlands of International Significance: The Southerons and their wetland Where to From Here? 24 Knowing you’re not alone: Where to get help: How biodiversity information helps: Contacts and further information Species Lists: fauna recorded since 1970 26 References and Acknowledgments 29 KNOWING WHAT’S ON After his death I wished I had recorded YOUR PLACE more of his nature observations. Their importance to him and his family seemed For many farmers and graziers knowing obvious. They had been part of the reason what’s on their place not only makes them he loved the bush and in particular his better managers, it also makes them happier. farm. They had given him a sense of place A recent personal experience highlighted that many of us can only hope for. He knew the importance of knowing what’s on your where he would be happy to live and happy place. Just as I was asked to complete writing to die. this my father-in-law died. He was much I have found many farmers and graziers to loved by both his family and his community. have these same qualities. They have a He had been a farmer all his life and proud sense of place defined by family, community of his achievements. He inherited nothing and environment. They like knowing what and worked hard to own his own farm. lives on their place and are happy and Like many men of his generation he loved proud to look out for them. being in the bush and spent as much time Hopefully this booklet will give you there as a farm and a family would allow. some ideas on how to look after your He was a skilled observer of nature. He native fauna, many of which you may would often ask me about animals and never see or only see once in a lifetime but plants he had seen either around the farm you will know they are there. And or on one of his bush trips. Many of the hopefully it will enable you and your animals he saw such as hopping mice and children and grandchildren to share in that small snakes are animals that you are sense of place. – Jo Smith unlikely to find in that area today. HOW THE CAMERONS ARE LOOKING AFTER THEIR PLACE – Jim and Rhonda Cameron We are certainly not your conventional farming family. We have resisted the urge to have that big ‘tidy up’. We retain all of our standing dead timber and any fallen logs because we know how valuable these elements are in the whole ecological and economical system. We have a whole farm plan and we have just begun to implement the first stages. Retaining the existing vegetation and habitat areas is one of the key elements and is our starting point. We have identified the most valuable areas and we are fencing them out so they can be retained and regenerate. These areas are still small when you consider the total size of the farm. It has taken hundreds, even thousands of years for nature to create such a diverse, unique environment with so many tree hollows and such a variety of plants. It is a beautiful spot to find hidden treasures such as sugar gliders, owls, birds, bats, lizards and frogs. How can we ever hope to recreate such magnificence once it is removed. Such a powerful decision cannot be made lightly. We have begun to enhance the remnant vegetation with new tree plantings. We have been particular to choose species that are appropriate to the local area and where possible we use seed of local provenance to keep the local gene pool viable. This is not a simple concept to implement but not impossible. We see the need to plant new trees on a property that already has an abundance of trees for many reasons. There are still areas with inadequate shelter for crops and stock. We have a whole farm plan – retaining the existing vegetation and habitat areas is one of the key elements It is well known that increased production levels are achieved when systems have protection from adverse wind conditions. Our farm plan has areas devoted to wind breaks and shelter areas for this purpose, a very long- term plan but by tackling one stage at a time we are beginning to make a noticeable difference. Ultimately, we anticipate our sustainability is improved by all of this groundwork. We intend to continue to focus on our farming and grazing enterprises by producing and marketing our quality produce. By incorporating the native environment we see that we are enhancing the whole property but immediately there is something special when you have just sighted a special bird catching a meal or knowing a rare animal is comfortably going about its business amongst your farming enterprise. The native flora and fauna are really not the threat we sometimes can perceive them to be. Carbeen woodland near Wee Waa Lake Cullamulcha E STURT NATIONAL PARK River Lake Denman Tibooburra PINDERA DOWNS ABORIGINAL AREA River Wanaaring Paroo Lake Burkanoko Milparinka Lake Altiboulka Lake Nichebulla Murphys Lake arrego W Lake Yantara NOCOLECHE Lake Ulenia NATURE RESERVE BOURKE Salt Lake Bullea Lake Utah Lake Muck Lake Darling Tongo Lake Yantabangee Lake Mullawoolka Basin Louth PEERY Poloko Lake GUNDABOOKA Packsaddle NATIONAL Gilpoko Lake NATIONAL PARK PARK Bancannia Lake COTAURANDEE Peri Lake NATURE RESERVE White Cliffs Tilpa MUTAWINTJI NATIONAL PARK Nine Mile Lake MOUNT GRENFELL HISTORIC SITE MUTAWINTJI Kopago Lake HISTORIC SITE C Wilcannia Wongalara Lake Coogee Lake Lake Gunyulka Woytchugga Lake Poopelloe Lake Crow l Cr BROKEN HILL Menindee YATHO KAJULIGAH NATUR KINCHEGA NATURE RESERVE NATIONAL PARK RESERV Ivanhoe Coombah Willandra Creek KNOWING WHAT’S AROUND YOU When it comes to conserving native fauna, knowing what is around you is almost as important as knowing what is on your own place. The Darling Riverine Plains is one of 80 different bioregions in Australia. Each bioregion has its own distinctive climate, geology, landform, vegetation, fauna and land use. Bioregions are considered to be ‘natural regions’ which are important for determining land management and nature conservation needs on both a national and regional basis. Your place lies within the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion. It is surrounded by six other bioregions. St George the bioregion is Boggabilla characterised BOOMI, BOOMI WEST, Cropp BORONGA NRs a River CAREUNGA G M by extensive il Gil NATURE acintyre RESERVE Creek PLANCHONELLA Creek NATURE RESERVE River CULGOA NATIONAL PARK River MIDKIN ARAKOOLA floodplains of Gwydir NR River River NATURE RESERVE Ashford Narran Lightning Gwydir Sev Ridge Collarenebri Moomin Bokhara MOREE Warialda River Creek ten major river NARRAN LAKE River NATURE RESERVE River ulgoa GAMILAROI C NATURE River INVERELL RESERVE Bingara Walgett River Brewarrina Lake Copeton Barwon Wee C astlereagh Waa Bundarra Namoi orton River H WESTERN CENTRAL NARRABRI Pilliga DIVISION DIVISION BRIGALOW KAPUTAR Barraba PARK NR NATIONAL R PARK iver Bogan Creek River Byrock M erri M River MACQUARIE Boggabri Namoi MARSHES Bohena Manilla NATURE erri Lake RESERVE PILLIGA NATURE Keepit Baradine RESERVE Coonamble Bendemeer Macquarie GUNNEDAH WARRUMBUNGLE M NATIONAL ooki TAMWORTH Creek PARK COONABARABRAN Gulargambone River Werris Creek BINNAWAY River NATURE RESERVE River Nyngan Binnaway Quirindi WEETALIBAH Warren Gilgandra NATURE RESERVE QUANDA Murrurundi NATURE RESERVE Coolah Trangie Dunedoo Merriwa Talbragar River DAPPER SCONE NATURE RESERVE Narromine DUBBO Gulgong MUSWELLBROOK Macquarie WELLINGTON TOLLINGO MUDGEE NATURE RESERVE SINGLETON GOOBANG NATIONAL PARK Lake Burrendong WOOGOON Peak Hill Rylstone NATURE RESERVE NNIE E ROUND HILL River Kandos Cessnock E NATURE Trundle RESERVE Molong Condobolin Turon PARKES River THE DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION (*shaded green in the above map) The Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion covers 10,550,000 hectares, which is approximately 1.4% of Australia.