Far WestRegionAchievement Report 2015-2016

WHO WE ARE................................................................................................

The Region manages 25 reserves totalling around 1,250,000 hectares, as well as three former State Forest areas which are currently in the process of being transferred to Aboriginal ownership.

The Region consists of four management areas: West Darling Area (incorporating Mutawintji National Park), Bourke Area, Lower Darling Area (incorporating the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area), and the Strategic Programs Unit (based in Broken Hill).

WHAT WE DO................................................................................................

We strive to deliver the many social, cultural, environmental, health and economic benefits of parks to communities. We recognise that parks play an important part in building the resilience of indigenous communities, particularly in the Far West Region.

We support the aspirations of Aboriginal people to protect their cultural heritage, to be involved in the management of their traditional lands, and to improve connection to country and community wellbeing.

The Far West Region is responsible for managing

• national parks and reserves

• park assets

• people in parks

• native plants and animals

• fire and incidents

• pests and weeds

• off-park wildlife licencing

• Aboriginal cultural heritage

• historic heritage

• appropriate fire suppression, protection and management across the reserve system.

Strong community partnerships include joint management arrangements with Aboriginal communities and conservation agreements with private landholders.

We engage in cooperative management of reserves in partnership with Traditional (Aboriginal) Owners. Mutawintji National Park was the first park in NSW to be handed back to the Traditional Owners. Other non-statutory co-management arrangements are in place for Toorale, Kinchega, Culgoa/Ledknapper, Gundabooka and Paroo-Darling National Parks.

We support the Tar-Ru Board of Management as it progresses towards the transfer of the freehold title of the Tar-Ru Lands to the Barkandji Native Title Claimant Group.

We also work closely with the Far West Regional Advisory Committee, with a focus on reserve planning and management.

WHERE WE OPERATE................................................................................................

Arid landscapes of the Far West support a brilliant array of native species, and the region is the site of 30,000 year old Indigenous rock carvings. The World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region

Malleefowl is a ground-dwelling bird found mostly in Mallee Cliffs National Park. This Australian bird is an endangered species increasingly affected by habitat loss and degradation. The Malleefowl conservation project aims to reverse population decline through conservation, predator control, and community outreach. M Irvin

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J S

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contains a system of Pleistocene lakes formed over the previous two million years. It includes Lake Mungo, believed to be the world’s oldest ritual cremation site. Aboriginal people lived on the lake’s shores for at least 50,000 years.

The Region is unique in that it shares borders with three other states (Queensland, South Australia and Victoria) with management issues commonly crossing boundaries.

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QLD

VIC

SA

Yathong NR

Nombinnie NR

Oolambeyan NP

Kalyarr NP

Yanga NP

Narran Lake NR

Macquarie Marshes NR

Sturt NP

Mutawintji NP

Mungo NP

Mallee Cliffs NP

Tarawi NR

Nocoleche NR

Toorale SCA

Paroo-Darling NP

Kinchega NP

Gundabooka NP

Paroo-Darling SCA

Toorale NP

Ledknapper NR

Culgoa NP

Gundabooka SCA

Pindera Downs AA

Mungo SCA

Mutawintji NR

Kemendok NP

Nearie Lake NR

Euston RPKemendok NR

Mutawintji HS

Hay

Cobar

Junee

AlburyEchuca

Forbes

Leeton

CorowaCobram

Temora

Kerang

Bourke

Nyngan

Mildura

Wodonga

Ivanhoe

Griffith

Hillston

Menindee

Swan Hill

Balranald

Wilcannia

Deniliquin

Narrandera

Yarrawonga

Condobolin

Brewarrina

Wagga Wagga

Broken Hill

West Wyalong

White Cliffs

Lightning Ridge

Bogan River

Darling River

Murrumbidgee River

Edward River

Murray River

Paroo

River

Barwon River

BirrieRive

r

Bokha

raRive

r

Macquarie

River

War

rego

Rive

r

YandaC

reek

Wakool River

Yancannia Creek

Wakool River

Murray River

Darling River

Murray River

West Darling

Bourke

Lower Darling

BARRIER HIGHWAY

STURT HIGHWAY

COBB

HIGHW

AY

MITCHELL HIGHWAY

MID WESTERN HIGHWAY

SILV

ERC

ITY

HIG

HW

AY

RIVERINA HIGHWAY

CO

BBH

IGH

WAY

COBB

HIGHW

AY

STURT HIGHWAY

SILVERCITY

HIGHWAY

STURT HIGHWAY

BARRIER HIGHWAY

Far West

Western Rivers

Northern Plains

Southern Ranges

! Major towns

" NPWS work locations

NPWS areas

NPWS estate

Motorway

Primary road

Arterial roads

Major rivers

! Sydney

NPWS RegionFar West

I 0 150

Kilometres

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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2015/16.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS................................................................................................

Saving our Species

The NSW Government’s exciting re-wilding program, in which locally extinct native mammals will be re-introduced inside predator-free enclosures, embraces two parks in the region.

Mallee Cliffs National Park in the south-west and Sturt National Park were identified as having suitable habitat for a range of species to be reintroduced.

The final list of species for each park will be confirmed, but among the species likely to be included are the greater bilby, brushtailed bettong, burrowing bettong, greater stick-nest rat, bridled nail-tail wallaby, numbat, western barred bandicoot and western quoll.

Pest animals will be removed from fenced areas before the mammals are introduced and intensive pest control programs in adjacent park areas will be a key feature.

The NSW Government is partnering with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the Wildlife Restoration and Management Partnership led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to deliver this project. The UNSW-led partnership will undertake the project at Sturt National Park while the AWC will work at Mallee Cliffs National Park.

TOP: Greater bilby.W Lawler, Australian Wildlife Conservancy ABOVE: Western quoll.A Smallacombe, Australian Broadcasting Commission

All aspects of the program, including fence locations and construction, are still being finalised through contract negotiations and will be subject to standard environmental impact assessment processes.

This initiative will be a significant contribution to the State’s Saving our Species program, which aims to secure the maximum number of threatened species in NSW over the next 100 years.

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ABOVE: Joint Management Committee, for Culgoa National Park and Ledknapper Nature Reserve. S Martin LEFT: Fencing at Old Gerara Springs, Ledknapper National Park. S O’Sullivan

ABORIGINAL JOINT MANAGEMENT................................................................................................

Aboriginal Joint Management is a principal focus for our region. We successfully implemented programs associated with the Aboriginal co-management of Toorale, Gundabooka, Culgoa/Ledknapper, Paroo-Darling, and Kinchega National Parks.

Wilga stone tool cataloguing workshop

Over 400 stone artefacts ranging from large grinding dishes to thumb sized stone flake tools at Wilga in Paroo-Darling National Park have been officially catalogued by the Traditional Owners and transferred to new and improved storage. The variety of artefacts included grinding dishes, stone axes, flaked tools, anvils and ochre.

The cataloguing workshop involved teaching the Paroo-Darling National Park Co-management Committee new skills that they can apply to future projects.

Each item was given a unique identifying number, measured, photographed and wrapped in bubble wrap with an ID tag. The committee continued the work, cataloguing all 409 non-sensitive artefacts stored at Wilga, before they were transported to new storage.

The Culgoa National Park & Ledknapper Nature Reserve Joint Management Committee met at Old Gerara Springs in Ledknapper Nature Reserve to discuss future management of Old Gerara Springs - a significant site for the Murrawarri community and ‘Home of Mundaguddah’.

ABOVE and LEFT: Wilga stone tool cataloguing workshop, Paroo-Darling National Park. J Doyle

Murrawarri Aboriginal community members were also involved in a fencing project in Ledknapper Nature Reserve where they worked with NPWS staff to construct a fence to protect Old Gerara Springs, a culturally and ecologically significant site, from pest animals and weeds.

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ABORIGINAL JOINT MANAGEMENT................................................................................................

Human remains identification training

Identifying human remains in the field was the focus of a three day training session with expert Dr Colin Pardoe.

Regional NPWS staff, The Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council, co-managers of Kinchega National Park, and the Paroo-Darling National Park Co-management committee for Paroo-Darling National Park attended an eye-opening session that debunked the previous way to identify human bone – that it sticks to spit. They learnt:

• fresh unburied bone will stick to spit on a finger

• human bone has much thicker walls

• old buried bone will have curved breaks like a broken glass jar while fresh bone with breaks will have splinters.

• how to look at the substrate the bones were in and the positioning of the body as clues to the person’s origin.

This engaging and rewarding three days increased the confidence of site monitors as well as giving NPWS staff the chance to work alongside the co-management members and talk about management options. Aboriginal Park Partnerships Funding Program provided the funding to hire Colin Pardoe.

HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES................................................................................................

Better protection for Kinchega National Park Woolshed

Built in 1875 of corrugated iron and river red gum, the beautiful historic Kinchega Woolshed is a vast and very well preserved classic piece of Australian pastoral heritage, where six million sheep were sheared over 97 years of operation. This historic building is listed on the State Heritage Register, the National Trust of Australia register, and the Register of the National Estate.

Because of its significance, protecting the woolshed from fire is essential. A major upgrade of the water supply pipeline was completed, additional water tanks were added to increase water storage capacity and improve head pressure, and a state-of-the art fire detection and suppression system was installed.

ABOVE: Workshop on how to identify human remains. J Doyle

ABOVE LEFT: Heritage machinery on show at the woolshed. J Doyle

LEFT: Kinchega woolshed. J Doyle

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VISITOR FACILITIES................................................................................................

New Toorale National Park signage

We have completed visitor improvements, as part of the Toorale and Gundabooka Nature Tourism Action Plan (NTAP) in conjunction with traditional owners and the broader community.

Exciting and innovative information signs, sculptural interpretation pieces and directional signage were installed, completing Stage Two of the NTAP interpretive project during 2015/16.

Walking tracks, car parks and an environment-friendly wastewater treatment system were also completed.

Mungo Woolshed protection

Significant works were also completed on the Mungo Woolshed to better protect and share its heritage values.

THIS PAGE: Installations and signs at Toorale homestead and Mt Talowla. Design and photos by triggerdesign.com.au

TOP LEFT: Recording fuel re-accumulation and monitoring fire response in Sturt National Park. S Guest

RIGHT: Mungo National Park hazard reduction burn, Autumn 2016.

BELOW: Hard at work helping Tasmanian fire-fighting effort 2016. S Guest

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PEST AND WEED MANAGEMENT................................................................................................

The region implemented the Supplementary Pest Control program, partnering with experienced and skilled volunteer shooters to help reduce pest animals in Gundabooka National Park and State Conservation Area. With traditional owner support the program will continue to remain a key element of the pest management strategy in Gundabooka. We have also improved the systems, tools and resources for measuring our pest and weed performance and better communicating outcomes.

FIRE MANAGEMENT............................................................................................

We completed 10,392 hectares of prescribed burning across the region in 2015/16.

Due to seasonal drought, the Far West Region remained largely unaffected by wildfire, with only relatively small incidents managed adjacent to Ledknapper Nature Reserve and within Euston Regional Park.

We also supplied assistance to areas outside our region, some of our staff deployed to Tasmania through the summer months of early 2016, and assisting our colleagues in bushfire response and burning operations across NSW during the year.

Other key achievements in regional pest management during 2015/16 were:

• wild dog control and fox control programs at Mutawintji, Ledknapper, Nocoleche, Kinchega, Sturt and Paroo-Darling National Parks

• aerial shooting of wild pigs at Paroo-Darling, Kinchega National Parks, as well as Toorale National Park and State Conservation Area. This program has been conducted annually to reduce feral pig numbers to a more manageable level and allows for other control techniques to be used more efficiently as part of an integrated pest management program.

PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CAPABILITY...............................................................................................

Asset management is a key priority in our stewardship of $3.64 billion of NPWS assets. The Asset Maintenance System (AMS) field mobility project increases efficiency by supplying field staff with a simple-to-use iPad app that enables direct entry of AMS transactions, including notifications, work orders and data updates, to be completed in the field.

Zero in Parks work health and safety actions included training for safe operation of four wheel drive vehicles.

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Mutawintji Historic Site. J. Spencer

PRIORITIES FOR 2016/17................................................................................................

Special areas of focus are:

Protected Area Establishment and Management

• Undertake cyclic risk management inspections and treatment across extensive visitor sites and mitigate high risks

• Support the assessment of infrastructure condition and relevance to inform investment, maintenance and decommissioning decisions.

Native Plants and Animals

• Support the management of native plants and animals under responsibilities established by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974

• Actively engage with projects for reintroducing locally extinct small mammals at Sturt and Mallee Cliffs National Parks

• Improve our understanding of bushfire risk and better understanding tolerable fire intervals in our ecological communities

• Better understand how climatic variability can modify risk across many of the values we manage for.

Heritage

• Actively and positively engage in Aboriginal joint management projects to manage parks and reserves in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Park Experiences

• Link conservation and tourism more closely to deliver transformational park experiences that engage and inspire our communities and visitors

• Complete specific visitor focused works, such as the Gundabooka & Toorale Nature Tourism Action Plan as well as actively seek innovation to increase demand in visitation across all our parks

• Celebrate 50th anniversary of Kinchega National Park, with opportunities for the public to participate.

Pest and weed management

• Improve systems, tools and resources for measuring our pest and weed performance and better communicate its outcomes

• Build and maintain strong relationships with neighbours, Western Local Land Services (LLS) and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to ensure a

landscape approach to pest and weed risk is developed and implemented across the Region.

Fire and Incident Management

• Maintain asset protection zones according to Reserve Fire Management Strategies as well as an ambitious prescribed burning target of >3,000 hectares (well above the 800 hectare requirement), in particular to treat grassy fuels that promote the rapid spread of wildfire

• Prepare to face the challenges of more severe fire seasons.

Workplace People, Culture and Capability

• Implement the Zero in Parks program and prioritise workplace health and safety in everything we do.

CONTACTS.............................................................................................

NPWS FAR WEST REGION183 Argent Street, (PO Box 788 )Broken Hill NSW 2880Phone: 08 8080 3200Email: NPWS.FarWest@environment.nsw.gov.au

Appendix 1Far West Region parks and reserves (May 2016)

Reserve Area Hectares

No. Reserve name Reserve No. Bourke Lower West Far West Area Darling Area Darling Area Region

1 Culgoa NP N0099 37803.48 37803.48

1 Euston RP N1131 3235.94 3235.94

3 Gundabooka NP N0100 63997.74 63997.74

4 Gundabooka SCA N1027 25410.71 25410.71

5 Kemendok NP N1132 9914.23 9914.23

6 Kemendok NR N0586 1064.89 1064.89

7 Kinchega NP N0017 44533.13 44533.13

8 Ledknapper NR N0868 47917.63 47917.63

9 Mallee Cliffs NP N0044 58103.67 58103.67

10 Mungo NP N0049 122720.56 122720.56

11 Mungo SCA N1157 5781.54 5781.54

12 Mutawintji HS N0217 597.8 597.8

13 Mutawintji NP N0113 67761.4 67761.4

14 Mutawintji NR N0726 6719.6 6719.6

15 Nearie Lake NR N0460 4362.9 4362.9

16 Nocoleche NR N0527 71181.86 71181.86

17 Paroo-Darling NP N0175 177340.52 177340.52

18 Paroo-Darling SCA N0678 41591.54 41591.54

19 Pindera Downs AA N0306 11775.42 11775.42

20 Sturt NP N0032 324676.29 324676.29

21 Tarawi NR N0721 33508.75 33508.75

22 Toorale NP N1144 30640.13 30640.13

23 Toorale SCA N1145 53664.14 53664.14

Grand Total 330615.69 238692.48 674995.7 1244303.87

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Abbreviations: AA = Aboriginal Area, CCAZ = Community Conservation Area Zone, KCR = Karst Conservation Reserve, HS = Historic Site, NP = National Park, NR = Nature Reserve, OEH = Office of Environment & Heritage, RP = Regional Park, SCA = State Conservation Area

NSW electorates within the Far West Region

Lower WestNo. State Electorate Bourke Area Darling Area Darling Area

1 Barwon x x

2 Murray x

Appendix 2Government electorate boundaries in the Far West Region (May 2016)

Local Government areas within the Far West Region

Lower WestNo. Local Government Area Bourke Area Darling Area Darling Area

1 Balranald x

2 Bourke x

3 Brewarrina x

4 Broken Hill x

5 Central Darling x x

6 Cobar x x

7 Unincorporated x x

8 Wentworth x

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Federal electorates within the Far West Region

Lower WestNo. Federal Electorate Bourke Area Darling Area Darling Area

1 Farrer x

2 Parkes x x

Appendix 3Volunteer groups active in the Far West Region

No. Group name Type of work Strategic Bourke Lower West Programs Darling Darling

1 Regional Advisory Committee Community engagement - planning x x x x

and advice

2 Far West Region National Parks On park ecological conservation x

Volunteer Program

3 Friends of West Darling Area Community programs and education x

National Parks

4 Toorale National Park Bush On park ecological conservation x

Regeneration

5 Supplementary Pest Control Pest animals x

- Gundabooka NP & SCA

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