Palerang
Indicator: Fire
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Palerang
Programs to reduce the level of fuel available to burn in a bush fire were undertaken in the Council area during the current reporting period. Examples of hazard reduction strategies include hazard reduction slashing and trittering. Available data indicate that at least 3.5 hectares of land were burnt in Palerang Council area during the current reporting period from prescribed burns.
The New South Wales (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. 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 nine threatened plant and animal species that occur in the council area. High fire frequency is considered a threat to at least nine vulnerable or endangered plant and animal species known to occur there (NSW Scientific Committee, 2008), and inappropriate fire frequencies may put more threatened plant and animal species at risk. Fire is considered a priority management action for one threatened fauna species and two threatened plant species (DECC, 2008c).
Palerang Council area may have occurrences of six threatened ecological communities listed nationally or in NSW (DECC, 2008a; DECC, 2008b; DEWHA, 2008a) (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). Five of these communities are threatened by inappropriate fire regimes (DECC, 2008b; DECC, 2008d, 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 area 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 3.5 hectares of land were burnt in Palerang Council area during the current reporting periods, all for prescription burns. Programs to reduce the level of fuel available to burn in a bush fire were undertaken in the Council area during the current reporting period. Examples of hazard reduction strategies undertaken include hazard reduction slashing and trittering.
Seven wildfires occurred within Palerang Council area during the current reporting period; however no information was available on areas burnt by these wildfires.
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 Palerang Council area over the reporting period. The bushfire characteristics of major vegetation types in the eastern half of the council area are outlined in the Tallaganda Bush Fire Management Plan (TDBFMC 2001, Section 2.2.3).
Impacts on fire sensitive species and communities
Nine fire sensitive communities that occur in the council area were affected by fire during the previous reporting period, including rainforest. The NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) recommends there should be no prescribed fire in rainforest vegetation. Rainforest communities are particularly vulnerable to burning; fire is considered by some to be the greatest single threat to this vegetation type.
No information is available on the impacts of fire on fire-sensitive communities occurring in Palerang Council area.
Potential impacts on threatened species and communities
High frequency fire resulting in the disruption of life cycle processes in plants and animals and loss of vegetation structure and composition is listed as a key threatening process on Schedule 3 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The NSW Rural Fire Service (2003) recommends that there be no prescribed fire in populations of nine threatened species (five plants, three birds, and one amphibian) recorded in Palerang Council area.
Of the remaining threatened plant and animal species that occur in the council area, high frequency fire is considered to be a threatening process for two vulnerable plant species (Monga Tea Tree, Leptospermum thompsonii; Pygmy Cypress Pine, Callitris oblonga) and seven endangered or vulnerable animal species. Other threatened plant and animal species present there may also be at risk if subject to fires at an inappropriate frequency (NSW Scientific Committee, 2008).
High frequency fire is considered to be a threatening process for eight endangered or vulnerable animal species that occur in the Council area (NSW Scientific Committee, 2008). Refer Table 1 below:
| Order | Common name / Scientific name |
|---|---|
| Mammals: | Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) |
| Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus obesulus) | |
| Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculates) | |
| Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) | |
| Birds: | Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) |
| Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus) | |
| Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) |
There are four priority actions under the "habitat management: fire" recovery strategy in the Palerang Council area. These actions apply to three threatened species, populations and communities. (DECC, 2008c).
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.
Priority actions to conserve Wingello Grevillea (Grevillea molyneuxii) includes providing maps 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).
Palerang Council area may have occurrences of six threatened ecological communities listed nationally or in NSW (DECC, 2008a; DECC, 2008b; DEWHA, 2008a) (Note: threatened ecological community lists are generated based on Bioregions). Five of the six threatened communities with occurrences in the Council area (see Ecological communities) are considered at risk from inappropriate fire regimes and/or high intensity fires (DECC, 2008b, DEWHA, 2008b). No information is available on the impact of fire on these communities during the current reporting period.
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. River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner bioregions is threatened by frequent burning which reduces the diversity of woody plant species.
Inappropriate fire regimes are considered a threat to the White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum woodland, White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands and Natural temperate grasslands of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the ACT communities (DECC 2008c; DEWHA, 2008).
Potential impacts on other species and communities
Areas of peat occur in Tallaganda State Forest, Morton National Park and the Snowball area in Krawarree (TBFMC 2001). Peat is particularly vulnerable to burning.
Important remnants of native vegetation may occur in travelling stock reserves, cemeteries and crown reserves. No 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.
Tallaganda District Bushfire Management Committee
The Tallaganda District Bush Fire Management Committee developed a Bushfire Risk Management Plan during the previous reporting period (TDBFMC 2001). This document maps bushfire risk across the previous Tallaganda Shire (now part of Palerang 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. Palerang 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.
Palerang Council
Palerang Council has provided the NSW Rural Fire Service with spatial data on vegetation types and their condition, collated from various sources, to enable the service to update its maps of fire prone land in the council area. A new Lake George district plan that will cover Palerang is currently under development.
Other agencies
Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) management plans may incorporate fire management, and detail all works for fire management to be undertaken on reserves. The Braidwood Rural Lands Protection Board has a TSR management plan in place which includes fire management. The Board is represented on the local Bushfire Management Committees and has protocols in place to organise hazard reduction activities with the Rural Fire Service in consultation with neighbouring property owners, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Council. Actions within the Braidwood Travelling Stock Reserve Management Plan relating to fire include (Braidwood RLPB 2002):
- monitor fuel levels on reserves
- develop strategies for controlled burns with the local Rural Fire Service
- where possible use grazing to minimise bushfire fuel levels
- reduce threat of fire to reserves and adjoining lands.
References
DECC – see Department of Environment and Climate Change
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 Palerang, 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, Palerang Shire Council, viewed 13 October 2008, http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/pas_lga_recovery_
details.aspx?lga=Palerang%20Valley%20Shire%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 communit, viewed October 2008, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/index.html
DEWHA - see Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
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.
TDBFMC—see Tallaganda District Bush Fire Management Committee
Tallaganda District Bush Fire Management Committee (2001) Bush Fire Risk Management Plan, Tallaganda Shire Council, Braidwood.
