Removing weeds from the Whitewater Creek Reserve

Tall, spindly Blackwoods tower high above Whitewater Reserve near Kingston in southern Tasmania - a reminder they once competed to survive against blackberries, hawthorns and willows.

Invasive weeds have since been removed thanks to a project run by the Southern Natural Resources Management Regional Committee.

Funding

The project, supported with $35,000 from the Australian Government and contributions from the State Government, now aims to replant the newly rejuvenated seven-hectare reserve and protect habitat for threatened species.

Activities and achievements

Project Manager Barry Hardwick said Whitewater Creek Reserve sits in the middle of one of Tasmania's fastest growing municipalities.

"The development boom in Kingborough poses a significant threat to the municipalities' high conservation value forest and non-forest plant communities for two reasons," Barry said.

"Development pressures on plant communities cause fragmentation, reducing forest viability and also reducing habitat for nationally and state-endangered species such as the Swift Parrot, Forty-spotted Pardalote and others.

"This 'double whammy' means forest communities containing White Gum, Black Gum and Blue Gum are high conservation value forests in their own right. These values are over and above a lot of other communities and thankfully Kingborough Council is keen to manage development so we don't destroy it.

"The Whitewater Creek Reserve is right in the middle of urban Kingston, so establishing a reserve along rehabilitating this seven-hectare riparian reserve is a pretty cool thing to do."

Volunteers re-introduced original plant species into the area, with many of Kingborough's 30 'care' groups provided with 5,000 plants and materials. To date a 1.5 kilometre section of Whitewater Creek and a tributary has been cleared of crack willows and hawthorns. The community and council will combine to plant 17,000 assorted native plants including 1,000 Black Gum.

"One of the biggest problems is the lack of nesting and feeding habitat for birds," Barry said. "The issue requires a long-term strategy as it takes 100 years or more to grow suitable trees for species such as the Swift Parrot."

Another aim is to map Kingborough's priority areas of habitat. Partial surveys show a 50 per cent discrepancy in areas identified as containing Black Gum forests.

"This species is quite often scattered throughout the municipality in other forest communities and it's either completely ignored because it's too small a component, or it's just been incorrectly identified as a particular forest community," Barry said.

"We need to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with accurate information on the extent of these forest communities."

More information

• Barry Hardwick, Project Manager: (03) 6211 8299 or bhardwick@kingborough.tas.gov.au

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

DEWHA  | DAFF  | australia.gov.au  | NAP  | NHT 
Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts