Red Hill Bush Regeneration Group 16 Nelson Place
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Land Management Issues (Term of References 1 and 3)
Park Administration (Term of Reference 4)
Yours sincerely Julie Toms President Red Hill Bush Regeneration Group 19 February 2010 SUBMISSION OF THE RED HILL REGENERATORS Comments on Terms of ReferenceTerm of Reference 1Assess the condition of the forests, woodlands and grassy woodlands, including the effects of grazing by stock and/or kangaroos, vertebrate pests and weeds In considering this term of reference it is essential to recognise that condition is only a temporal state. Equally important as assessing current condition are the questions what can management achieve in relation to improving condition and what gradual loss will continue unless current management practices are modified. Too frequently, currently degraded areas are destroyed as areas of little worth, without consideration of how easily they could be improved or the future potential conservation value they could have. The temporary state of condition is well illustrated by Red Hill’s vegetation. In 1997 around 54% of the Red Hill woodland remnant was dominated by woody or herbaceous weeds. By 2005 that figure had dropped to around 14%, today woody weeds occupy less than 1% of the remnant area and herbaceous plants are dominant over less than 10% of the remnant. The Draft Woodlands for Wildlife Action Plan 27 (2003) mapped about 10% of the vegetation on Red Hill as substantially and severely modified, 10% as secondary grassland (moderately modified) 65% as moderately modified and 15% as partially modified. Today over 50% meets the criteria of being partially modified (high condition) and only around 5% would be classified as substantially or severely modified (low condition). Over a 15 year time span a dozen threatened or rare plants have been monitored on Red Hill. Most have shown dramatic increases including a 300% increase in the number of the endangered Button Wrinkelwort. Unfortunately the only clump of Native Mint (Mentha dimentia) was slashed as part of fire control measures, and is just hanging on. Exotic perennial grasses such as Chilean Needle Grass and African Lovegrass pose the biggest threats to Red Hill’s vegetation and the Group has spent hundreds of hours controlling these species. Unfortunately the spread of both species has been aided by slashing on public land, and failure to control infestations on private leases. Frequent slashing appears to favour Chilean Needle Grass over native perennial grass tussocks, while contaminated machinery and slashing undertaken while it is bearing seed appears to have spread the grass widely. Exotic perennial grasses have also been left to flourish on neighbouring land, including the Federal Golf Course and the 3ha lease adjacent to Kent Street owned by Hindmarsh Pty Ltd. The Red Hill Regenerators has undertaken some control on both parcels of land (to stem the source of spread) but it would appear that the current lessees have done nothing in this regard. Recommendations:
Whereas the condition of Red Hill’s vegetation and native plants has steadily improved, monitoring indicates the reverse for the woodland bird fauna. This is a widespread phenomenon but undoubtedly has been exacerbated on Red Hill (and elsewhere in Canberra Nature Park) through the thinning of the shrub layer. This has occurred in two waves. The first wave was a massive reduction in woody weed growth from 1990 to about 2005. In 1989 woodland weeds covered 20% of the eastern half of Red Hill, since then hundreds of thousands of woody weeds (covering in total tens of hectares) have been removed and percentage cover of woody weeds is now less than 1%. Concerned about what impact removal was having on woodland birds, one of the Group’s members, Darren Evans, undertook a Master’s thesis (through Canberra University) and concluded that most woodland birds favoured a medium level of woody weed invasion (around 10-15% from memory). Removal of woody weeds resulted in a marked decline in both woodland bird diversity and abundance. However, over time as native wattles and eucalypt saplings began to replace the woody weeds, the diversity and abundance of bird species began to return to what it was prior to weed removal. However before a pre-weeding level was reached the second wave of shrub removal occurred. On Red Hill, for up to 100m from residential properties, most of the wattle and eucalypt saplings were removed as part of fuel reduction measures. This resulted in significant reduction of about 20% of the available bird habitat on Red Hill. Like most reserves within Canberra Nature Park, much of Red Hill reserve is steep hilly land. The flatter land with deeper, moisture and nutrient rich soils abuts the edge of the reserve and houses. Thus it was the prime, highly productive habitat that was largely impacted by fuel reduction programs. Woodland birds that ten years ago were common on Red Hill are now either absent (e.g. Varied Sitella, White-winged Triller) or rare (e.g. Scarlet Robin, Double-barred Finch). In recent years there has been a real problem with proliferation of tracks on Red Hill as well as their widening by down-hill cyclists. Recommendation
Term of Reference 2 Identify actions to protect and enhance these areas, including land use or boundary changes while taking into account their purpose, values and location and the status of indigenous species and communities protected in the nature reserve system As detailed in Appendix 1, the woodland remnant of Red Hill is one of the most significant of its vegetation type in Australia. Like other areas in Canberra Nature Park, undeveloped gazetted road reserves dissect the heart of the remnant and would have devastating impacts if ever developed. Two undeveloped gazetted road reserves exist on Red Hill, both supporting threatened or rare species and containing high quality endangered woodland. In relation to increasing impacts associated with climate change and the increasing fragmentation of the ACT’s lowland vegetation a valuable way to conserve Red Hill’s conservation values is to increase both the size and connectivity of the protected woodland remnants. In all about 50ha of endangered woodland, that is a contiguous component of the Red Hill remnant, exists outside the current conservation reserve. Given the high conservation value of the remnant and its unsuitability for anything but a conservation use, the boundary of the reserve should be amended to include these areas. These areas include approximately 15ha of open space land in the north-west portion of Hughes (Block 57), all of the land zoned urban hills and ridges and most of the adjoining land zoned for community facilities (Block 24 -between Rusden Street and Hindmarsh Drive in Garran) and about 20 ha of land currently within the concessional lease held by the Federal Golf Course. There is approximately 15ha of high quality endangered Yellow Box-Red Gum woodland within the north and north-western portions of the Federal Golf Course Lease. The lessee has a poor record of woodland management, which includes tree felling, dumping of spoil, building and garden refuse, and only rudimentary weed control. The Red Hill Regenerators has spent over 100 hours controlling weeds in this 15ha area. The Group understands that the Golf Course lessee is not adverse to this area being added to the adjoining nature reserve. An additional 4.25ha of land occupies the eastern section of the golf course lease (adjacent to the golf course access road). Although pines have been planted in part of this area it still has considerable conservation value, both in its own right and as an important component of the wider Red Hill remnant. It is dominated by, and contains, over 300 natural Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum and Apple Box trees. A hundred of these trees have a trunk circumference (at 1m above the ground) of at least 50cm. Fifty-three of the trees have a circumference above 150cm and about 60 of the native trees meet the criteria of being regulated trees requiring the approval of the Conservator of Flora and Fauna before they can be removed. The trees comprise a significant proportion (at least 5% of the total) of hollow bearing trees found on Red Hill. Hollows appear to be a limiting resource, as all nest boxes (about 50) that have been placed on Red Hill have been readily utilised, largely by native possums and birds. The 4.5ha also supports at least 58 native plant species, while the treed component largely supports a native understorey and meets the Commonwealth definition of critically endangered Yellow Box – Red Gum woodland. Thirteen of the plant species recorded in this area are considered as ‘important species’ by the Commonwealth. Although woody weeds are currently common, much of this area could be gradually restored, with care taken, so that its current excellent structural woodland bird habitat is retained. The Federal Golf Club is currently proposing an inappropriate residential development over this area. Recommendations
Terms of Reference 3 Review existing land management programs and practices for Canberra Nature Park and areas that adjoin them. This is to include, but will not be limited to, agistment, leasing, culling arrangements, Land Management Agreements or plans of management which may apply
Throughout this time Red Hill Regenerators (and it would appear government staff) have rarely consulted the Canberra Nature Park Plan of Management, with it being too generalised a document for it to be of practical use. There is also the issue that on Red Hill the plan has no statutory basis as the Planning and Development Act 2007 does not apply to designated land. Thus the plan is essentially both impracticable and unenforceable. There have been discussions regarding establishing an operational plan to guide a program of activities. However, because of the immediate focus on weeds, particularly woody weeds, activities have usually been agreed verbally between PCL and the Group and usually no more than a year ahead at a time. The Australian Natural Heritage Charter details the ten management steps that are required to make sound decisions for managing and restoring natural heritage places. Steps 1- 4 are about gathering appropriate information. In light of this information Step 5 develops a conservation policy, while Steps 6 - 10 are about developing, implementing and constantly reviewing a plan. The Steps are shown below. A major failing of the Canberra Nature Park Plan of Management is that it only addresses steps 6 - 9. Steps for a developing a conservation plan Step 1: Obtain and study evidence about the place Step 2: Identify/contact people or groups with an interest in the place Step 3: Determine the natural significance of the place Step 4: Assess the physical condition and management issues Step 5: Develop a conservation policy Step 6: Determine the management strategies and conservation processes which will be used Step 7: Decide on responsibilities for decisions, approvals and actions Step 8: Prepare the conservation plan Step 9: Implement the conservation plan Step10: Monitor results and review the plan The inadequacy of the Plan and how that has led to poor management is best exemplified by how the Plan fails to identify significant features and how government management has subsequently occurred blind to these features and to their detriment. For example, the Management Plan identifies that Red Hill is important because of two geological sites and that it is the habitat of endangered Button Wrinkelwort. As detailed in Appendix 1, this ignores that the Red Hill woodland remnant as a whole is of national importance, with a multitude of values. Red Hill contains one of the largest remaining remnants of it’s the Yellow Box – Red Gum woodland type in Australia. It supports one of the highest diversities of woodland plants recorded in South-Eastern Australia, and it is significant habitat for 10 threatened and 20 regionally uncommon plant, bird, lizard and grasshopper species. It is a prominent wooded back-drop to the Parliamentary Triangle and contains historic red-flowering plantings, which Walter Burley Griffith directed to be planted to enhance Red Hill's Landscape value. Exposures of metamorphic hornfels and volcanic dacite are regionally significant examples of their type and an important educational feature. Perhaps it is the lack of appreciation of Red Hill’s high value, and that the Planning and Development Act 2007 (or its predecessor) does not apply, which explains why over 30 infrastructure development or protection projects have occurred on Red Hill over the last 20 years and why they have never been subject to impact assessments other than a ‘tick a box’ one page form, a description of works and at best an on ground inspection by PCL staff (who may not be aware of the range of values that could be impacted and who may not have had the skill or knowledge to identify significant features). Infrastructure developments located on Red Hill in the last 20 years include at least three fibre optic cables, two telecommunication towers, culvert construction near Mugga Way, a gas pipeline, a water pipeline, a water pumping station, clearing and fencing around existing water tanks, three separate installations of water infrastructure on existing pipelines or water tanks, replacement of powerline poles and regular clearing under powerlines (some times as much as a 50m swathe). Major park management impacts that have had adverse impacts include widening, grading and creating fire trails, fire fuel reduction and removal of trees from the 1:100 year flood protection cut-off drain that rings part of the reserve. In total these activities have cleared tens of hectares of endangered woodland and removed hundreds of trees and thousands of shrubs. They have directly destroyed threatened and protected species and habitat of other threaten species. The cumulative impact has seen significant degradation of around 20% of the Red Hill Nature Park. The Red Hill Regenerators has repeatedly requested copies of the impact assessments undertaken for the works, but has only ever been supplied a one page ‘tick a box’ assessment. As far as is known the National Capital Authority has only ever assessed one of the activities, a telecommunication tower, and it was at NCA insistence that the proponent move the tower from the preferred weed infested location outside the reserve to a location inside the reserve on high quality woodland supporting regionally significant plant species. The lack of assessment and knowledge of potential impact has resulted in many inappropriate and unnecessary impacts. For example widening of a fire trail destroyed about 10 plants of the endangered Button Wrinkelwort. If widening had just occurred on one side of the existing track the plants could have been avoided without impacting on the width of the track. Similarly recent inspection/repair of the gas pipeline involved digging pits with the spoil being placed on relatively undisturbed understorey of endangered woodland, when it could have been stored on part of an adjacent track, or at least could have been placed on geothermal material for a minimum period of time. Other examples include vehicles being parked on top of threatened plants, bulldozers and heavy machinery being needlessly driven tens of metres into the bush, with blades down (it appears just so the machinery was parked out of sight), slashing of plants leading to their near extinction from the woodland remnant, and concrete waste being hosed down onto high quality understorey. Linked to the lack of works assessments is that there appears to be little supervision of works undertaken within Red Hill Nature Park and no prosecution when works are undertaken in an illegal manner. For almost a decade Red Hill Regenerators have being urging the Government to ensure that ACTEWAGL conduct its on-park activities in an exemplary manner. A promised MOU has never eventuated, while illegal activities continue. In 2008 Parkcare groups met with ACTEWAGL and government representatives to try and improve the situation. Attachment B includes a list of shoddy and apparently illegal activities of concern to Parkcare groups and provided to ACTEWAGL in 2008. ACTEWAGL did respond in a positive manner for a while, but lately seems to be reverting to poor practice. Attachment C documents a list of poor practice concerning fire management sent in a letter to the ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TaMS) in 2008. ACTEWAGL is not the only organisation or individual not being prosecuted for undertaking apparently illegal activities within Red Hill Nature Park. As far as the Group is aware, in twenty-one years there have been no prosecutions or infringement notices issued regarding illegal activities on Red Hill. This is despite dogs being walked off- leash on a daily occurrence, bike riders utilising unapproved tracks on a weekly basis, horse-riding and wood collecting occurring several times a year, rubbish dumping and littering being regular occurrences, and motor bike, car and heavy machinery incursions occurring infrequently. There was (around the year 2000) a fairly successful programme of encouraging adjoining neighbours to stop incursions into the reserve, but other than this there have been little attempt to dissuade illegal activity. The ongoing flaunting of regulations continues to be detrimental to the Park’s conservation values and management. A factor that compounds the lack of law enforcement, the lack of impact assessment and lack of detailing the values of Red Hill and their specific location, is that there has been a fairly constant and rapid churn of rangers responsible for the Nature Park. This has left little time to establish localised knowledge and expertise or working relationships with volunteer groups. Around 30 different rangers have had responsibility For Red Hill Nature Park over the last 20 years. Part of the churn seems to be related to PCL organisation restructures, which have seen staff shuffled around and former agricultural, forest or parks and gardens staff taking on conservation ranger roles for which they are not well qualified. In addition, the relative low remuneration of ACT conservation rangers (around $20,000pa less than equivalent positions in NSW), has seen some of the most competent staff move outside of the ACT. Terms of Reference 4 Identify any urgent actions and longer-term changes that are needed to improve the management of these areas. This is to include identifying successful management measures that should be retained Matters regarding this Term of Reference have been detailed and discussed above, and lead to the following recommendations: Recommendations
Terms of Reference 5 Identify knowledge gaps, research or survey needs, and compliance and monitoring requirements that may be necessary to support improved management programs and practices while taking into account the context of the areas and effects of climate variability The Red Hill Regenerators plan to undertake a count of kangaroos on Red Hill, following a methodology suggested by Ken Fletcher in PCL. The Group does not consider kangaroo grazing to be a current issue but wish to establish a baseline from which to document fluctuations in kangaroo population. In 2010 the Group, with assistance from PCL, plan to identify and map rabbit warrens to enable more effective control of this pest species. Long term monitoring counts of significant plant species have been established by the Group, and will be continued to ensure that activities which the Group undertakes are favourable to these plants. Long term vegetation monitoring could be improved. Long term plots have been established by the Group. However, the experimental design of these monitoring plots has resulted in them being of value in only demonstrating major changes such as the change from weed to native understory dominance. The woodland bird monitoring should continue, as reduction in numbers is of particular concern and restoring woodland bird habitat should be a major focus of future management. There is at least one important invertebrate on Red Hill, the Perunga grasshopper. Given that Red Hill is one of the largest and most plant diverse woodland remnants of its type remaining, it is likely that other significant invertebrates could exist on the Hill. There should therefore be an invertebrate survey undertaken. It is not known whether there has ever been an archeological survey undertaken of Red Hill, despite the large amount of development activity and the known abundance of sites at nearby East O’Malley. A survey should therefore be undertaken in conjunction with the local Aboriginal community, and this is probably true of much of Canberra Nature Park. Terms of Reference 6 Identify ways for ensuring effective communication and involvement of stakeholders, including Aboriginal people, whose actions potentially, indirectly or directly, affect these areas Continuation of Parkcare is an effective means of communication and stakeholder involvement. The Aboriginal community should be asked how they would wish to be engaged.
Loss of woodland bird habitat is a key issue that could be offset by plantings in suitable parts of Red Hill. It may be appropriate to establish a team of professional bush regenerators within PCL to undertake such works. Such teams have worked well in undertaking offset works for developments undertaken in local councils across Australia. A dedicated team, with assistance from volunteers such as this Group, would build up expertise and would encourage synergies across the ACT. Terms of Reference 8 Identify the evidence justifying the need for managing grazing pressure in the context of sound reserve management practices Up until 1995 cattle grazed on Red Hill. Since their removal the quality and diversity of the understorey on Red Hill has increased dramatically. Summer growing and ‘green” native grasses have in many areas largely replaced previous expanses of summer dry exotic annuals such as wild oats, brome grass and thistles. Cattle were briefly introduced to a part of Red hill following the 2003 fires. Cattle targeted some of the rarer species in this area (eg Linum trigrum) and may have hindered their recovery. We do not consider that the current level of kangaroo grazing is having a significant detrimental effect, though some of the rare pea plants such as Lotus australis and Desmodium brachypodium seem to be preferentially and heavily grazed, by what it is assumed to be kangaroos. ATTACHMENT A: Red Hill - Statement of Significance Summary: Red Hill contains one of the largest remaining remnants of its woodland type, anywhere in Australia. It supports one of the highest diversities of woodland plants recorded in South-eastern Australia, and it is significant habitat for 10 threatened and 20 regionally uncommon plant, bird, lizard or grasshopper species. It is a prominent wooded back-drop to the Parliamentary Triangle and contains historic red-flowering plantings, which Walter Burley Griffith directed to be planted to enhance Red Hill's Landscape value. Exposures of metamorphic hornfels are a regionally significant example of their type and an important educational feature. Full Statement of Significance Red Hill supports one of the largest remaining remnants of endangered Yellow Box - Red Gum grassy woodland in Australia. This woodland type once covered over 25,000 square kilometres, in a belt stretching from Melbourne to South Queensland. Over 90% of this vegetation belt is now cleared.1 The woodland on Red Hill is a component of the White Box - Yellow Box - Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands, which was listed nationally as critically endangered on 17 May 2006.2 Yellow Box - Red Gum Grassy Woodland has been listed as endangered in the ACT since 19 May 1997.3 YellowBox - Red Gum woodland has been highly fragmented and generally exists as isolated patches smaller than 5ha in area.4 “In terms of size, connectivity, diversity and condition, the ACT remnants are exceptional, especially the presence of larger patches (over 100 ha) in good condition.”5 There are no Yellow Box - Red Gum remnants greater than 100ha in Victoria or the Murray catchment of NSW6, and there are no remnants of 200ha or greater in southern NSW7. Remnants greater than 200ha are extremely rare. There are only four remnants left in Australia of 1000ha or more and all are in the ACT8. Red Hill supports a Yellow Box - Red Gum woodland of about 250ha. It is a vital component of the second largest Yellow Box - Red Gum woodland remnant in Australia that covers about 1,200ha from Red Hill to East O'Malley - Symonston-Mugga Lane and Callum Brae. Although Hindmarsh Drive will be a barrier to some species, most woodland plant and animal species will be able to disperse across it. Because of its relatively large size and that much of the understorey is in good condition, Red Hill supports one of the highest native plant diversities recorded in a YellowBox - Red Gum woodland remnant anywhere in Australia. About 175 native woodland species have been recorded on Red Hill. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has a data-base of plant species records from about 800 grassy ecosystem (grassland + grassy woodland) sites across south-eastern NSW and the ACT. Fewer than 5% of these sites have a recorded diversity of over 100 species9. It is relevant that remnants of particularly high quality have been targeted in the surveys. Given the size and diversity of its endangered woodland it is not surprising that Red Hill supports important populations of many rare or threatened species:
Most of Red Hill is composed of metamorphic rock, but Silurian volcanic rocks outcrop behind Garran in the south-west of the Nature Park. The nationally vulnerable and aptly named Pink-tailed Worm Lizard (Aprasia parapulchella) has twice been recorded under Red Hill's volcanic rocks. This legless lizard feeds on ants and moves through their burrows. It is rarely seen and even in known habitat many hundreds of rocks have to be overturned to locate it. Red Hill is likely to support a viable and significant population of this lizard17. The invertebrate fauna of Red Hill is yet to be surveyed, but as a large woodland patch it is likely that Red Hill would support populations of invertebrate species of conservation significance. On 22 October 2006 three females of the threatened flightless Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea), were observed near Davidson’s Trig. This grasshopper has an X across its back, blue “shoe” colouring at the extremity of its feet and reduced wings. The Grasshopper was previously observed in the early 1990s, behind Calthorpe's House18. The red soil of Red Hill is caused by weathering of rocks called hornfels. Hornfels are created when sedimentary rock is metamorphosed, without melting, by contact with very hot, molten rock. Red Hill contains some of the best exposures of hornfels in the region and is an important geological education site19. The best examples of hornfels on Red Hill are the hard rock outcrops between the summit restaurant and the golf course access road, in the old quarry 50m south-west of the restaurant and rock outcrops above Strickland Street, Deakin. Hornfels is a hard rock and very weathering resistant. This explains why Red Hill remains as a fairly flat and long ridge rising above surrounding plains. In designing Canberra, Walter Burley Griffith saw Red Hill as an important landscape element, with the prominent ridge-line forming the backdrop to the Parliamentary Triangle. Eighty year old plantings on Red Hill are another important association with Walter Burley Griffith and also with the ACT's first Government Nursery Chief, Charles Weston. By the turn of the nineteenth century much of the higher vegetation on Red Hill had been cleared. Burley Griffith called for replanting and the cessation of grazing. Grazing continued until 1997, but plantings occurred from 1917 until the early 1920s. Burley Griffith's replanting schemes for Canberra's hills had different coloured shrubs on each of the hills, Mt Ainslie was to be pink, Mt Pleasant white and of course Red Hill was to be planted with red flowering plants. About 5,000 plants of Callistemon citrinus (Crimson Bottlebrush) and Grevillea rosmarinifolia (Rosemary Grevillea) were planted under Weston's direction. The Bottlebrush were planted in rows just to the east of the kiosk. The original plantings can still be observed as bottlebrush is able to resprout following fire. The Grevillea was planted adjacent to the summit road, just above the Golf Course road junction. Grevilleas are killed by fire, but the plantings have set seed so that these red flowering plants also remain on Red Hill. Footnotes
Attachment B Examples of observed deleterious work practices by ACTEWAGL in Red Hill Nature Park |