Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Saving a biodiversity 'hotspot' in the Border Ranges
Richly varied animal and plant species coupled with the striking landscape of the Border Ranges have attracted humans for thousands of years.
Today however, population and landuse pressures have turned much of this area on the New South Wales and Queensland border into a biodiversity 'hotspot'. In other words, it's urgently in need of protection. Under threat are some 97 rainforest plant species, 31 fauna species and one ecological community.
Help has come in the form of a visionary cross-regional approach that's helping protect these threatened species across two states.
The Border Ranges Cross Regional Biodiversity Project is one of the first large-scale projects to deal with these issues across an entire bioregion.
Funding
The three-year project, managed by the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, received $2.2 million from the Australian Government in 2004. The New South Wales Government has also provided support.
Project partners include South East Queensland Catchments, the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation and the former Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources (now Department of the Environment, Water Resources, Heritage and the Arts).
Activities
"Much of this large-scale coordinated project replaces individual recovery plans and focuses on protecting a variety of species," said Project Manager Peter Boyd.
"We're developing an integrated Multi-Species Rainforest Recovery Plan targeted to the hotspots. Other key aims are to protect high conservation value ecosystems and river systems and involve the local community in protecting threatened species."
Peter stresses the project's close involvement with local community groups and individuals.
"This is important, because a large proportion of the land involved in the project area is privately owned," he said.
"One fantastic outcome has been in the Upper Clarence area where we helped landholders develop property management plans. Here 12 properties totalling around 11,000 hectares made biodiversity conservation and threatened species an integral part of their planning agenda.
"We're also encouraging landowners to protect old growth eucalypt forest by placing conservation covenants on areas identified on their land."
An implementation strategy for protecting threatened species has been completed. Projects undertaken so far range from property planning workshops for landholders, to weed control and fencing, population monitoring and habitat surveys.
More information
- Peter Boyd, project manager, Northern Rivers CMA: (02) 6672 5608 or peter.boyd@cma.nsw.gov.au
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