Enhancing Lowland Subtropical Rainforest Along Ewen Creek at Crohamhurst: Sanders

(not documented)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Brush Turkey Enterprises

Landholder

(not documented)

On-ground work

(none)

Australian Government (Caring for our Country program)

Brush Turkey Enterprises

(not documented)

(not documented)

13 June 2013

30 June 2013

In November 2011, lowland subtropical rainforest (LSR) was listed as a critically Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Within the Upper Stanley and Mooloolah catchments, LSR has been reduced in extent by 92% since European settlement as a result of clearing for agriculture, forestry and peri-urban development. The remaining patches often occur as narrow, broken riparian corridors.

This project aims to enable the restoration and reconnection of areas of LSR within the project area. With funding received through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program, SEQ Catchments is providing support to landholders to help reduce the fragmentation of LSR. This will be achieved through promoting more ecological sustainable land management by reducing threats caused by weeds, unmanaged stock access and inappropriate fire regimes. In addition, natural regeneration of the LSR community will be promoted and re-vegetation, where appropriate, of LSR species will be undertaken.

This property contains a narrow fringing community of lowland subtropical rainforest along Ewen Creek with a significant area of tall open eucalypt forest (RE 12.9-10.14) with areas of lowland rainforest along the main gully. The gallery rainforest along Ewen Creek is mapped as endangered regrowth vegetation, based on pre-clearing mapping identifying the original vegetation as RE 12.3.2/12.3.1; however, it has all the characteristics of lowland subtropical rainforest.  

This project will enhance the condition and connectivity of approximately 0.5ha of lowland gallery rainforest along Ewen Creek through the following activities:

• strategic environmental weed control undertaken by the Brush Turkey Enterprises contracting team and the landholder
• establish 330m of electric fencing along Ewen Creek to control stock access and encourage natural regeneration within gallery rainforest. 

Proposed project monitoring and maintenance:

• establish three photo-points and take ‘before and after’ photographs
• improve condition and connectivity of lowland subtropical rainforest in the upper Stanley River catchment
• establish 330m of electric fence along Ewen Creek.

(not documented)

(not documented)

SEQC2042