Draft NSW & National Recovery Plan Recovery Plan for the Peach Myrtle (Uromyrtus australis) Draft for Public Comment November 2003 © NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2003. 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 (NSW), no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from NPWS. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 43 Bridge Street (PO Box 1967) Hurstville NSW 2220 Tel: 02 9585 6444 www.npws.nsw.gov.au Requests for information or comments regarding the recovery program for the Peach Myrtle (Uromyrtus australis) are best directed to: The Uromyrtus australis Recovery Co-ordinator Threatened Species Unit, Northern Directorate NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Locked Bag 914 Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Tel: 02 6651 5946 Cover illustrator: Adam Gill This plan should be cited as follows: NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service 2003, Draft Recovery Plan for the Peach Myrtle (Uromyrtus australis), NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Hurstville. ISBN 0 7313 66727 Draft Recovery Plan Uromyrtus australis Recovery Plan for the Peach Myrtle (Uromyrtus australis) Foreword This document constitutes the formal National and New South Wales State Recovery Plan for Uromyrtus australis and, as such, considers the conservation requirements of the species across its known range. It identifies the actions to be taken to ensure the long-term viability of Uromyrtus australis in nature and the parties who will undertake these actions. Uromyrtus australis is included as Endangered on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and Endangered on the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Uromyrtus australis (Family Myrtaceae) is a shrub or small tree of warm temperate rainforest from the Nightcap Range in north east NSW, where it occurs in National Parks and State Conservation Areas. The future recovery actions detailed in this Recovery Plan include: (i) monitoring to detect trends in the population, (ii) research into ecology and (iii) surveys of under-sampled habitat. It is intended that this Recovery Plan will be implemented over a five year period. Actions will be undertaken by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. BRIAN GILLIGAN Director-General NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Page i Draft Recovery Plan Uromyrtus australis Acknowledgments The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have prepared this plan in consultation with specialist plant ecologists. The Plan is largely based on a draft Recovery Plan prepared by consultant botanist Nick Wilson under contract to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Nigel Cotsell, Nick Sheppard, Maria Matthes, John Hunter and Lynn Baker of the Threatened Species Unit, Conservation Programs and Planning Division, Northern Directorate, NSW NPWS, coordinated the project in turn and Dianne Mackey and Katrina McKay finalised the Plan. The consultant wishes to thank numerous people who provided information about Uromyrtus australis including John Hunter (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service), Robert Kooyman (Earth Process Ecological Services), Gordon Guymer (Queensland Herbarium) and Peter Wilson (National Herbarium of NSW). Barbara Stewart (Landmark Ecological Services) assisted in locating a report authored by her and Annette McKinley on the distribution of Uromyrtus australis. Maurizio Rossetto (Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney) provided information on the genetic study of threatened plants. Robert Kooyman (at times with associates) undertook much of the survey work that forms the basis for the current distribution and population knowledge underpinning this Recovery Plan. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Page ii Draft Recovery Plan Uromyrtus australis Table of Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... ii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 2 Legislative Context .................................................................................................................1 2.1 Legal Status ...................................................................................................................................1 2.2 Responsibilities under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 .......................................1 2.3 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ...............................................2 2.4 Relationship to other legislation....................................................................................................2 3 Species Information................................................................................................................4 3.1 Description and taxonomy.............................................................................................................4 3.2 Distribution....................................................................................................................................6 3.3 Land tenure....................................................................................................................................8 3.4 Habitat ...........................................................................................................................................8 3.5 Life history and ecology................................................................................................................9 3.6 Ability of species to recover........................................................................................................10 4 Threats and Management Issues.........................................................................................10 4.1 Current threats .............................................................................................................................10 4.2 Potential threats ...........................................................................................................................11 5 Previous Recovery Actions...................................................................................................11 6 Proposed Recovery Objectives, Actions and Performance Criteria ................................12 7 Implementation.....................................................................................................................16 8 Social and economic consequences..........................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 9 Biodiversity Benefits.................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 10 Preparation Details...............................................................................................................18 11 Review Date...........................................................................................................................18 12 References..............................................................................................................................18 13 Acronyms Used in this Document .......................................................................................19 Appendix 1 Submission: Draft Recovery Plan.........................................................................20 Appendix 2 Public Authority responsibilities ...........................................................................22 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Page iii Draft Recovery Plan Uromyrtus australis Figures Figure 1 The fruit, flowers and foliage of Uromyrtus australis............................................................................5 Figure 2 The distribution of Uromyrtus australis in north east NSW. .................................................................7 Tables Table 1 Some diagnostic characteristics separating Uromyrtus australis from superficially similar Myrtaceous shrubs and small trees..................................................................................................6 Table 2 General location data for Uromyrtus australis, estimates of population sizes and reservation status of the land concerned. ...........................................................................................................8 Table 3 Estimated costs of implementing the actions identified in the recovery plan. ...............................17 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Page iv Draft Recovery Plan Uromyrtus australis To make your submission as effective as possible, 1 Introduction please: Uromyrtus australis A.J.Scott is found only in north S refer to the section or action of the plan you wish east New South Wales (NSW) on the Nightcap to address; Range where an estimated 800–1000 plants occur S briefly explain the reasons for your comments, across 45 locations. The species was first recorded providing source information or examples where in 1953 and is typically located in warm temperate possible; and rainforest. S provide your name and address to enable receipt This document constitutes the formal National and of your submission to be acknowledged. State Recovery Plan for Uromyrtus australis