Goulburn Mulwaree
Indicator: Fire
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Goulburn Mulwaree
Available data indicate that at least 341 hectares of land were burnt in Goulburn Mulwaree Council area during the current reporting period from prescribed burns. No information was available on the areas burnt by wildfires. No information was available on the effects of fire on fire sensitive vegetation communities that occur in the Council area.
The NSW Rural Fire Service considers there should be no prescribed fire in populations of 13 threatened plant and animal species that occur in the Council area.
High fire frequency is considered a threat to at least five vulnerable or endangered plant and animal species known to occur there, and inappropriate fire frequencies may put more threatened plant and animal species at risk (NSW Scientific Committee 2008). Fire is considered a priority management action for one threatened fauna species and two threatened plant species (DECC 2008c). Inappropriate fire frequencies may put more threatened plant and animal species at risk.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council area may have occurrences of 11 threatened communities listed nationally or in NSW, or both (DECC, 2008a; DECC, 2008b; DEWHA, 2008a) (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). At least five of these communities are threatened by inappropriate fire regimes (DECC 2008b; DEWHA 2008b). No information was available to assess the impact of fire on these communities during the current reporting period.
A bush fire risk management plan was prepared for the Council during the previous reporting period and is still applicable during the current to guide fire management strategies and measures there.
Occurrence of fires
Available data provided by the NSW Rural Fire Service indicate that 341 hectares of land were burnt in Goulburn Mulwaree Council area during the current reporting periods, all for prescription burns.
Impacts of fires on native species and communities
Native animals and plants respond differently to fire. Some can persist under a range of fire regimes. However, in many cases, too frequent fire may harm species by killing them, preventing them from spreading, depleting the soil seed bank, or modifying their habitat. Planning for threatened species recovery in relation to fire may mean implementing variable fire regimes and excluding those that are detrimental. Fire management may involve managing hazard reduction activities such as slashing and mowing, to prevent these activities from impacting on species and their habitats.
The impact of fires on native plant and animal species and ecological communities varies with factors such as fire type, intensity and frequency, season of occurrence, and scale and patchiness of the burn. It may also be affected by broader human induced ecological factors such as infestation by weeds, changed hydrology and vegetation clearing.
No information is available on the effects of wildfires and hazard reduction burns on vegetation communities within the Goulburn Mulwaree Council over the reporting period. The bushfire characteristics of major vegetation types in the Goulburn Mulwaree Council are outlined in the their Bush Fire Management Plan (EBFMC 2000, Section 2.2.3).
Impacts on fire sensitive species and communities
No information is available on the impacts of fire on fire-sensitive communities occurring in Goulburn Mulwaree Council area. Although rainforest communities in the region generally do not support bushfires (except in extended drought periods) because of their high fuel moisture levels, limited ground fuel, closed canopies and relatively fire resistant understoreys (EBFMC 2000), fire is never-the-less considered by some to be the greatest single threat to rainforest. The NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) recommends there should be no prescribed fire in rainforest vegetation.
Potential impacts on threatened species and communities
The NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) recommends that there be no prescribed fire in populations of 13 threatened species (11 plants, one bird, one reptile) recorded in Goulburn Mulwaree Council area.
Of the remaining threatened plant and animal species that occur in the area, high frequency fire is considered to be a threatening process for two plant species (Grevillea councilsii; Bynoe's Wattle, Acacia bynoeana), two mammals (Spotted-tailed Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus; Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcensis) and one bird (Glossy Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus lathami) (NSW Scientific Committee 2008). Other threatened plant and animal species present in the Council area may also be at risk if subject to fires at an inappropriate frequency.
There are four priority actions under the "habitat management: fire" recovery strategy in the Goulburn Mulwaree Council. These actions apply to three threatened species, populations and communities. Priority actions to conserve the Eastern Bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis) include to exclude prescription burns from 100m from cave entrance, ensure smoke/flames of fires do not enter caves/roosts in artificial structures, and prepare fire management plans for significant roost caves, disused mines, culverts, especially maternity and winter roosts (DECC 2008c).
Priority actions to conserve Wingella Grivillea (Grevillea molyneuxii) includes providing map of known occurrences to Rural Fire Service and seeking a fire frequency of no greater than once every five years on Bush Fire Risk Management Plan(s), risk register and/or operation map(s). Priority actions to conserve the Lacy Pomaderris (Pomaderris elachophylla) include providing a map of known occurrences to Rural Fire Service and seeking inclusion of mitigative measures on Bush Fire Risk Management Plan(s), the risk register and/or operation map(s) (DECC 2008c).
Goulburn Mulwaree Council area may contain 11 threatened ecological communities listed as endangered or critically endangered within NSW or nationally (see Ecological communities) (DECC 2008a; DECC 2008b; DEWHA 2008a) (note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). Eight threatened ecological communities are listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, three are listed under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
At least five of the ten threatened ecological communities with occurrences in the Council area are considered at risk from inappropriate fire regimes and/or high intensity fires (DECC 2008b, DEWHA 2008b). No information is available on the extent to which any of these communities have been affected by fire during the current reporting period.
Robertson Basalt Tall Open-forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion, Mount Gibraltar Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion, and Southern Sydney sheltered forest on transitional sandstone soils in the Sydney Basin Bioregions are all threatened by inappropriate fire regimes.(DECC 2008b).
Significant ecological damage may result from fire in the 'Montane peatlands and swamps of the New England Tableland, NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands and Australian Alps bioregions'. Inappropriate fire regimes are considered a threat to the 'White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum woodland' and 'Natural temperate grasslands of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the ACT' communities (DECC 2008c).
Potential impacts on other species and communities
Important remnants of native vegetation may occur in travelling stock reserves, cemeteries and crown reserves. No other information was located on the extent to which such communities in the Council area may be threatened or have been affected by fire.
Fire management
Laws and policies
The Rural Fires Act 1997 is the main state government law relating to fire management in NSW, although the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 also contain clauses relating to fire and fire management. For more information on these laws, see government laws and policies.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has developed several policy documents and guidelines relating to fire management, including the Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code (RFS 2003) and Planning for Bushfire Protection (RFS and Planning NSW 2001). The former lists threatened species, threatened populations and endangered ecological communities to be addressed when undertaking hazard reduction burns, and specifies conditions relating to the use of fire and mechanical forms of hazard reduction for each species, population or community. The planning document outlines planning considerations to be taken into account for developments in bushfire prone areas.
Mulwaree-Goulburn Bushfire Management Committee
The Mulwaree-Goulburn Bush Fire Management Committee developed a Bushfire Risk Management Plan during the current reporting period (M/GBFMC 2003). This document maps bushfire risk across the Council area and outlines strategies that land managers will undertake to manage identified bushfire risks. The plan addresses protection of natural and cultural values and protection of life and property, and also provides information relating to threatened species, populations, communities and critical habitat. It refers to approved recovery plans and the specific fire management requirements for each species or community.
Council and other land management agencies are required to develop their own programs for implementing the strategies outlined in this bushfire risk management plan. Under the plan, Goulburn Mulwaree Council has sole responsibility to communicate the plan's objectives and strategies to private land managers and to ensure the strategy is implemented in the Council area.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
Planned hazard reduction of reserves and the cleaning-up of dumped vegetation prunings (e.g. at Tallong) help reduce bush fire hazard although there is more that can be achieved.
Other agencies
The Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board has a management plan for travelling stock routes which includes monitoring grazing for bushfire management on travelling stock routes within the board area. Actions within the Goulburn Travelling Stock Reserve Management Plan relating to fire include (Goulburn RLPB 2003):
- ensure fire management plans promote biodiversity by undertaking mosaic burnings
- discourage use of campfires
- include bushfire management strategies in individual reserve management plans that complement vegetation management strategies
- ensure management burns are approved
- reduce threat of fire to adjoining lands and Board infrastructure.
References
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008a) list of Endangered Populations, Endangered Ecological Communities, Critical Habitat and Key Threatening Processes that may potentially occur within the BOOROWA LGA provided by ACT Commissioner for the Sustainability and the Environment from Threatened Species Data Officer Spatial Data Programs Department of Environment and Climate Change
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008b), Threatened Species – species, populations and ecological communities in NSW, search on endangered ecological community, viewed 14 June 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/home_species.aspx
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008c), Threatened Species – species, populations and ecological communities in NSW , Recovery and threat abatement, Eurobodalla Council Council, viewed 13 October 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/pas_lga_recovery_details.aspx?lga=Goulburn Mulwaree%20Valley%20Council%20Council&type=habitat+management:+fire
Department of Environment , Water, Heritage and the Arts (Commonwealth) (2008a) Environmental Reporting Tool, Database Report, viewed October 2008, http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/erin/ert/ert_dispatch.pl?loc_type=lga&search=Search&report=ert
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Commonwealth) (2008b), Biodiversity, search on endangered ecological community viewed October 2008, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/index.html
Goulburn RLPB—see Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board
Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board (2003) Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board TSR Function Management Plan, Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board.
M/GBFMC—see Mulwaree/Goulburn Bush Fire Management Committee
Mulwaree Goulburn Bush Fire Management Committee (2003) Bush Fire Risk Management Plan, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Goulburn.
NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code for Asset Protection and Strategic Fire Advantage Zones, NSW Rural Fire Service.
NSW Scientific Committee (2008) Ecological consequences of high frequency fires - key threatening process declaration, final determination, accessed 13 October 2008, http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Ecological+ consequences+of+high+frequency+fires+key+threatening+process+declaration.
