Improving Condition and Connectivity of Riparian and Gondwana Habitat in Darlington: Overell

(not documented)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Scenic Rim Regional Council

Landholder

(not documented)

On-ground work

(none)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Scenic Rim Regional Council

(not documented)

(not documented)

24 April 2013

30 May 2013

This project aims to enhance the condition and connectivity of Gondwana and riparian habitat in the Darlington area. With funding provided through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program and with support from Scenic Rim Regional Council, SEQ Catchments is providing support to grazing landholders to help protect and buffer World Heritage Area vegetation, enhance condition and connectivity of remnant and regrowth native vegetation, and improve soil condition and water quality. This project contributes to these overall program goals through supporting the landholder to undertake more ecologically sustainable land management by reducing threats caused by weeds, unmanaged stock access and inappropriate fire regimes.

Work on two properties is being undertaken through this project. The northern property contains mostly regrowth and patches of remnant eucalypt woodland, with vine forest understorey in the gullies. The ‘of concern’ Regional Ecosystem (RE) 12.8.16 (narrow-leaved ironbark and forest red gum woodland) is dominant, with Res 12.8.14, 12.8.3 and 12.8.4 also present. Along the creek, vegetation historically consisted of flooded gum open forest (RE 12.3.2) with elements of ‘endangered’ gallery rainforest (notophyll vine forest) on alluvial plains (RE 12.3.1), and some regrowth of this vegetation community still occurs.

The southern property contains regenerating hoop pine rainforest (RE 12.8.4) and ‘complex notophyll vine forest’ (RE 12.8.3).

The landholder is committed to monitoring and maintaining project outcomes, including:

• establishing four standard photo-points and taking ‘before and after’ photographs to monitor changes in habitat condition and natural regeneration over time
• carrying out ongoing selective weed control and sustainable management practices to maintain ecological values of the native vegetation communities
• enhancing biodiversity in the Upper Albert River catchment by improving the condition and connectivity of riparian and Gondwana habitat in the Darlington area through weed control and re-vegetation
• implementing weed control on 31.9ha habitat, including 1.9ha riparian zone
• planting 1.4ha with appropriate native gallery rainforest riparian species.

This project will:

• improve connectivity and enhance the condition of 31.9ha of native vegetation through the following activities:

Northern property:

• strategic weed control, primarily targeting lantana and Chinese celtis, to encourage natural regeneration and improve habitat values over 11.9ha, including 1.9ha riparian area
• enhance re-vegetation on 1.4ha of riparian area featuring ‘gallery rainforest (notophyll vine forest) on alluvial plains’

Southern property:

• strategic weed control, primarily targeting lantana, to encourage natural regeneration and improve habitat values over 20ha of rainforest.

(not documented)

SEQC1983