Recovery plan for the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin Title: Recovery plan for the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin Prepared by: Rod Fensham, Winston Ponder and Russell Fairfax Title page clockwise from top: Fenced spring in the Barcaldine supergroup; GAB discharge spring located in South Australia; GAB discharge spring wetland from Mulligan River supergroup; Mud mound in the Eulo supergroup. © The State of Queensland, Department of Environment and Resource Management 2010 Copyright protects this publication. Except for the purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited without the prior written knowledge of the Department of Environmental and Resource Management. Inquiries should be addressed to PO Box 15155, CITY EAST, QLD 4002. Copies may be obtained from the: Executive Director Sustainable Communities and Landscapes Department of Environment and Resource Management PO Box 15155 City East Qld 4002 Disclaimer: The Australian Government, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Resource Management, South Australia Department for Environment and Heritage and the New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, facilitates the publication of recovery plans to detail the actions needed for the conservation of threatened native wildlife. The attainment of objectives and the provision of funds may be subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, and may also be constrained by the need to address other conservation priorities. Approved recovery actions may be subject to modification due to changes in knowledge and changes in conservation status. Publication reference: Fensham R.J, Ponder, W.F. and Fairfax, R.J. 2010. Recovery plan for the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin. Report to Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane. 2 Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................4 1. General information............................................................................................................5 Conservation status ...........................................................................................................5 International obligations .....................................................................................................5 Affected interests ...............................................................................................................5 Consultation with Indigenous people ..................................................................................5 Benefits of this plan to other listed species and ecological communities .............................6 Social and economic impacts.............................................................................................6 2. Biological information ........................................................................................................6 Community description.......................................................................................................6 Spring dynamics and community ecology...........................................................................9 Distribution.........................................................................................................................12 Important community locations...........................................................................................12 3. Threats ................................................................................................................................14 Identification of threats.......................................................................................................14 1. Aquifer draw-down .........................................................................................................14 2. Excavation of springs.....................................................................................................18 3. Exotic plants ..................................................................................................................19 4. Stock and feral animal disturbance.................................................................................20 5. Exotic aquatic animals ...................................................................................................21 6. Tourist visitation.............................................................................................................21 7. Impoundments...............................................................................................................22 Areas and populations under threat....................................................................................22 Threats summary...............................................................................................................22 4. Recovery objectives, performance criteria and actions....................................................23 Overall objectives ..............................................................................................................23 Specific objective 1: Ensure flows from springs do not decrease (lower than natural variability) and are enhanced in some areas...........................................................23 Specific objective 2: Achieve appropriate tenure-based security to protect against future threatening processes..................................................................................25 Specific objective 3: Minimise impact of stock and feral animal disturbance and manage total grazing pressure ...........................................................................................25 Specific objective 4: Minimise the threat of exotic plants and aquatic fauna, and reduce their effects......................................................................................................26 Specific objective 5: Ensure that impoundments do not degrade spring values...................27 Specific objective 6: Maintain populations and improve habitat for endemic organisms where required using monitoring and adaptive management .............................27 Specific objective 7: Engage custodians in responsible management of springs...............................................................................................................................28 Specific objective 8: Develop community education and extension programs......................28 Specific objective 9: Provide clarification and further information to the current EPBC listed ecological community to aid identification...........................................................................29 Specific objective 10: Co-ordinate the implementation and evaluation of recovery plans relating to GAB springs...............................................................................29 Summary table...................................................................................................................30 5. Management practices........................................................................................................32 6. Cost of recovery ($) ............................................................................................................33 7. Evaluation of recovery plan................................................................................................34 References ..............................................................................................................................35 Appendix 1: Cultural history ..................................................................................................41 Appendix 2: Species endemic to spring wetlands from GAB discharge spring wetlands..................................................................................................................................42 Appendix 3: Additional information on EPBC Act listed species associated with GAB discharge spring wetlands…………………………………………………………………………….44 3 Executive summary Community This recovery plan is for the community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin. Conservation status ‘The community of native species dependent on natural discharge of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin’ (hereafter GAB discharge spring wetlands) is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Habitat and distribution summary GAB discharge spring wetlands are located on the northern, western and southern margins of the Great Artesian Basin in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. Threat summary The main threats are: • Aquifer draw-down • Excavation of springs • Exotic plants • Stock and feral animal disturbance • Exotic aquatic animals • Tourist access • Impoundments Overall objectives The overall objective of the recovery plan is to maintain or enhance groundwater supplies to GAB discharge spring wetlands, maintain or increase habitat area and health, and increase all populations of endemic organisms. Summary of actions The actions required to recover this community include: controlling flow from strategic bores;