Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area

236 Pages·2011·5.27 MB·English

Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area
Vehicle Tracks Assessment:
Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts
A Report commissioned by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
June 2007
Department of Primary
Industries and Water

ARTHUR-PIEMAN CONSERVATION AREA
Vehicle Tracks Assessment:
Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts
A Report commissioned by the
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
June 2007
Resource Management & Conservation Division
Department of Primary Industries and Water
Hobart, Tasmania
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts i
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IMPORTANT NOTE
This report was commissioned by the Parks and Wildlife Service to assist a process to determine
appropriate management of vehicular tracks in Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. The
recommendations in the report are based on an assessment of natural values (geoconservation,
flora and fauna) only. They do not take account of cultural values, which are the subject of a
separate assessment, and other factors. Decisions concerning management of the vehicle tracks
are the responsibility of the Parks and Wildlife Service.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Resource Management and Conservation Division of the Department of Primary Industries and
Water prepared this report with input from Michael Comfort, Rolan Eberhard, Richard Schahinger, Chris
Sharples and Shaun Thurstans. Comments were received from the following RMC staff: Michael Askey-
Doran, Jason Bradbury, Sally Bryant, Stephen Harris, Ian Houshold, Michael Pemberton and Greg
Pinkard. Staff from the Parks and Wildlife Service at Arthur River provided assistance in the field and
generously shared their collective knowledge. Air photos used in this study were orthorectified by Matt
Dell and John Corbett.
The Arthur-Pieman Vehicle Tracks Assessment Project was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust through
Cradle Coast NRM.
Citation: Resource Management and Conservation Division (2007). Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area.
Vehicle Tracks Assessment: Geoconservation and Biological Values. Report commissioned by Parks and Wildlife
Service, Tasmania. Resource Management and Conservation Division, Department of Primary Industries
and Water, Hobart.
ABBREVIATIONS
APCA Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area
CFEV Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystem Values Project, DPIW
CHAH Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria
DPIW Department of Primary Industries and Water (Tasmania)
DTAE Department of Tourism, Arts and Environment (Tasmania)
EPBC Act Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
GIS Geographic Information System
NRM Natural Resource Management
ORV Off-road vehicle
PWS Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania), DTAE
RFA Regional Forest Agreement
RPDC Resource Planning and Development Commission (Tasmania)
TASVEG Tasmanian Vegetation Monitoring and Mapping Program, DPIW
TGD Tasmanian Geoconservation Database
TSP Act Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995
Plant nomenclature follows Buchanan (2005) except where otherwise noted.
Grid coordinates given in the text are referenced to the Geodetic Datum of Australia 1994 horizontal
datum, zone 55 (Australian Map Grid).
Cover photo: Pedder River on Kenneth Bay, Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts ii
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CONTENTS
1. SUMMARY................................................................................................................................1
2. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................2
3. BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................8
3.1.Off-road vehicles in the APCA..................................................................................................................8
3.2.Land systems.................................................................................................................................................8
3.3.Environmental impacts of off-road vehicles..........................................................................................11
3.4.Administrative context...............................................................................................................................12
4. METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................17
4.1.Geoconservation Assessment...................................................................................................................17
4.2.Flora Assessment........................................................................................................................................18
4.3.Fauna Assessment......................................................................................................................................18
5. RESULTS................................................................................................................................20
5.1.Condition of priority tracks......................................................................................................................20
5.2.Geoconservation.........................................................................................................................................21
5.3.Flora..............................................................................................................................................................30
5.4.Fauna............................................................................................................................................................42
5.5.Rehabilitation...............................................................................................................................................51
6. RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................52
6.1.General recommendations........................................................................................................................52
6.2.Specific recommendations........................................................................................................................53
7. REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................60
8. APPENDIX 1. Track descriptions..........................................................................................67
9. APPENDIX 2. Results of air photo interpretation................................................................163
10. APPENDIX 3. Sites of geoconservation significance...........................................................169
11. APPENDIX 4. Threatened flora records and plant communities........................................214
12. APPENDIX 5. Threatened and significant fauna records....................................................219
13. APPENDIX 6. Results of preliminary rehabilitation assessment.........................................222
Table 1. APCA priority tracks assessed in this study...............................................................................................3
Table 2. APCA land systems.......................................................................................................................................9
Table 3. Sites of geoconservation significance in the APCA...............................................................................23
Table 4. Threatened flora recorded within 500 m of the APCA priority tracks...............................................31
Table 5. Plant communities at risk from tracks and ORV activity in the APCA..............................................35
Table 6. Threatened and conservation significant fauna.......................................................................................42
Table 7. APCA shorebird surveys, Autumn 2006..................................................................................................45
Table 8. APCA shorebird surveys, Spring 2006.....................................................................................................46
Table 9. Orange-bellied parrot: key feeding sites in the APCA...........................................................................48
Table 10. Marrawah skipper: key sites in the APCA.............................................................................................49
Table 11. Wetlands along the APCA priority tracks..............................................................................................50
Table 12. Summary recommendations for specific tracks....................................................................................54
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts iii
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Figure 1. APCA priority tracks: Mawson Bay to Eva Point...................................................................................5
Figure 2. APCA priority tracks: Eva Point to Johnsons Head..............................................................................6
Figure 3. APCA priority tracks: Johnsons Head to Pieman River........................................................................7
Figure 4. Land systems within 500 m of the APCA priority tracks....................................................................10
Figure 5. Current access policy for the APCA priority tracks..............................................................................16
Figure 6. Quaternary coastal sediments and landforms in the APCA (2001 air photos).................................27
Figure 7. Mobile sands in the APCA (2001 air photos)........................................................................................28
Figure 8. Threatened flora within 500 m of the APCA priority tracks...............................................................32
Figure 9. Distribution of buttongrass heath, sticky daisybush and southern grasstree....................................40
Figure 10. Threatened and significant fauna recorded within 500 m of the APCA priority tracks...............43
Figure 11. APCA priority track recommendations................................................................................................59
Plate 1. ORV in deflated area containing palaeosols near Interview River (Track 402)..................................20
Plate 2. Big Eel Dune – a relict aeolian landform near Temma being eroded by ORVs (Track 309)...........20
Plate 3. Track braiding on poorly drained section near Pieman Head (Track 601)..........................................21
Plate 4. ‘Circle work’ in wetland adjacent to track at Greenes Creek (Track 309)...........................................21
Plate 5. ‘The Bowl’ – a sandblow dedicated for ORV use at Arthur Beach (Track 211)................................21
Plate 6. Sandblow formed on former vehicular track near Italian River (Track 501)......................................21
Plate 7. Eroded gravels invading vegetation adjacent to track on Mt Balfour (Track 330).............................21
Plate 8. Eroded material advancing down gully on Mt Balfour (Track 330).....................................................21
Plate 9. Dune buttercup (Tracks 401, 501 & 601).................................................................................................34
Plate 10. Lime fern at creek crossing (Track 203)..................................................................................................34
Plate 11. Northwest heath affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi (Track 330)........................................................34
Plate 12. Southern grasstree affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi (Track 203).....................................................34
Plate 13. Marram hummocks with exposed slates and granites (Track 601).....................................................34
Plate 14. Sea spurge invading coast speedwell habitat (Track 501).....................................................................34
Plate 15. Poa rodwayi grasslands (Track 501)............................................................................................................41
Plate 16. Dune-barred Freshwater aquatic herbland (Track 501)........................................................................41
Plate 17. Wet herbfield damaged by ORV activity (Track 601)...........................................................................41
Plate 18. Succulent saline herbland (Track 225).....................................................................................................41
Plate 19. Coastal heathland on sands near Rupert Point (Track 601).................................................................41
Plate 20. Coastal mosaic inland from Rupert Point (Track 601).........................................................................41
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts 1
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1. SUMMARY
The natural values (geoconservation, flora and fauna) of sixty-eight priority vehicular tracks identified by
the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area Off-road Vehicle Consultative Group have been assessed. The
tracks traverse highly erodible terrain, notably extensive wind-blown sands, siliceous gravels on steep
slopes and deep organic soils prone to bogginess, and are mostly in very poor condition. Significant
geoconservation, flora and fauna values are present. Impacts to natural values are extensive, and likely to
increase in scale and severity unless managed effectively.
The general recommendations of this report are:
1. Manage vehicular tracks in accordance with the Tasmanian Reserve Management Code of Practice 2003.
2. Protect soils by avoiding unnecessary disturbance of vegetated and mobile dunes, blanket bog peat soils and steep slopes
on siliceous colluvium.
3. Clearly identify tracks available for public use, through the provision of signs and/or information provided to visitors.
Other tracks should be closed off.
4. Exclude quad bikes and trail bikes from those parts of the APCA south of Temma.
5. Initiate a scientific investigation into the history and causes of sand mobility in the APCA, in order to determine
appropriate management of the aeolian (dune) landforms.
6. Develop a beach weed management program consistent with the Tasmanian beach weed strategy, with initiatives directed
at removing and containing the spread of weeds in key areas.
7. Review opportunities to develop additional walking tracks; some tracks currently used by vehicles may be suitable for
redevelopment as walking tracks.
8. Develop effective systems for monitoring the condition of vehicular tracks in the APCA.
9. Develop a computerised system for issuing and recording ORV permits.
10. Prepare a rehabilitation plan to address existing serious erosion problems.
Specific recommendations on individual priority tracks include recommendations supporting the current
policy regarding closure of certain tracks to vehicular access, in accordance with the Arthur-Pieman
Conservation Area Management Plan 2002. Closure of the Sandy Cape to Interview River Track, which is
currently available for access under permit, is also recommended. Seasonal closure of other tracks is
recommended, to reduce the risk of disturbance to nesting shorebirds, degradation to soils and/or further
spread of Phytophthora cinnamomi where susceptible vegetation types are present.
This report was commissioned by the Parks and Wildlife Service to assist a process to determine
appropriate management of vehicular tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. The
recommendations in the report are based on an assessment of natural values (geoconservation,
flora and fauna) only. They do not take account of cultural values, which are the subject of a
separate assessment, and other factors. Decisions concerning management of the vehicle tracks
are the responsibility of the Parks and Wildlife Service.
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts 2
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2. INTRODUCTION
The Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (APCA) is an area of approximately 100,000 ha in northwest
Tasmania (PWS 2002). Traditionally, the major use of the area’s coastal zone has been for seasonal stock
agistment, a practice that continues today. The area is popular as a location for outdoor activities including
camping, hunting, fishing and four-wheel driving. In recent years the impact on the environment of some
of these activities has become more noticeable. The increasing popularity and improvements to the
performance of off-road vehicles (ORVs), including four-wheel bikes (quads), has been an important
factor in driving use of the area, and there is now an extensive network of vehicular tracks in all coastal
and some inland parts of the APCA. In many places the impacts extend off established tracks into
adjacent areas of boggy or sandy ground, which are targeted by some off road-vehicle users. The extent of
the tracks and the scale of impact at some sites constitute a significant source of land degradation within
the APCA.
The Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area Management Plan 2002 (PWS 2002) recognises that current ORV
practices within the reserve are not environmentally sustainable and at times conflict with other
recreational activities in the reserve. Accordingly, the Plan establishes an Off-Road Vehicle Consultative
Group to review the current system of managing ORV use in the APCA and report to the Parks and
Wildlife Service. The Plan specifies that the review will include at least the following elements:
• the identification of all tracks within the APCA and determination of their function, condition and
possible alternative routes;
• the preparation of a management response to each track identified, addressing a checklist of social
and environmental effects;
• recommendation of enforcement measures that could be adopted;
• identification of measures that will minimise conflicts between recreational vehicle use and other
reserve users; and
• identification of methods of minimising and mitigating impacts to the natural and cultural values of
the APCA.
A team representing earth science, flora and fauna expertise within the Resource Management and
Conservation Division of the Department of Primary Industries and Water prepared this report to assist
the Off-Road Vehicle Consultative Group in fulfilling the requirements of its project brief. The report
covers sixty-eight tracks identified as priorities by the Consultative Group (Table 1; Figures 1–3;
Appendix 1).
It is important to note that land management in the APCA, including management of off-road vehicles, is
the responsibility of the land manager — the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. However, off-road
vehicles are a Statewide issue that requires a coordinated response by land managers, police and the
community. The effectiveness of approaches to managing off-road vehicles in the APCA (and elsewhere)
will be constrained unless supported by initiatives to increase awareness amongst users of off-road vehicle
impacts. There is also a need to address issues concerning unregistered vehicles and under-age drivers, and
ensure that there are opportunities for off-road driving experiences at locations where this is an
environmentally sustainable activity.
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts 3
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Table 1. APCA priority tracks assessed in this study
Track Name Length (km) Land System* APCA Mgt Zone**
101 Mawson Bay Track 2.79 Temma Recreation
107 Church Rock to Arthur River Track 3.96 Temma Recreation
202 Dam Circuit Track 5.18 Temma Visitor Services & Rec’n
203 Ridge 1 Dam Track 1.96 Temma/Thornton Recreation
205 Windmill Track 1.39 Temma/Thornton Visitor Services & Rec’n
207 Prickly Wattle Track 1.53 Temma Visitor Services
208 Davidson to Arthur Beach Track 1.32 Temma Visitor Services
209 Firebreak Horseyards Track 1.64 Temma/Thornton Visitor Services & Rec’n
211 Bowl Track 1.80 Temma Visitor Services
212 North Bullock Hill Track 1.74 Temma Recreation
213 Middle Bullock Hill Track 0.75 Temma Recreation
214 South Bullock Hill Track 1.12 Temma Recreation
215 Arthur Beach to Sundown Track 3.96 Temma Visitor Services & Rec’n
216 Old Kelp Track 0.26 Temma Recreation
217 Track Through Sundown 1.88 Temma Recreation
218 South Bottle Creek Track 0.92 Temma Recreation
220 Shepherds Track 1.89 Temma Recreation
222 Nelson Bay Sarah Anne Track 3.57 Temma Recreation
224 Sarah Anne Inland 0.95 Temma Recreation
225 Sarah Anne Coastal Track 0.96 Temma Recreation
226 Sarah Anne Central Track 0.27 Temma Recreation
227 Central Couta to Temma Track 8.08 Temma Recreation
229 Camp Elsewhere Track 0.73 Temma Recreation
231 Pollys Bay Track 0.75 Temma Recreation
232 Lady Kathleen Bay Track 0.40 Temma Recreation
303 Richardson Track 2.11 Temma Visitor Services & Natural
304 Dartys Corner Track 0.95 Temma Natural (Controlled Access)
305 Big Eel Track 1.87 Temma Natural
306 Bens Top Track 2.93 Temma/Thornton Natural
308 Dartys to Gannet Point Track 7.85 Temma Natural
309 Temma to Greenes Creek Track 14.31 Temma/Thornton Natural (Controlled Access)
310 No Mans North Track 0.39 Temma Natural
311 No Mans South Track 2.08 Temma Natural
312 Possum Creek Track 1.65 Temma Natural
313 Balfour Track 14.03 Temma/Thornton/Balfour Natural (Controlled Access)
314 Bird Fence Track 0.71 Temma Natural
315 Greys North Track 2.26 Temma Natural
317 Gannet South Track 0.61 Thornton Natural (Controlled Access)
318 Gannet Gulch to Smiths Gulch Track 1.41 Thornton Natural
320 Swampy Loop Track 0.22 Thornton Natural
322 Smiths Gulch South Track 0.21 Thornton Natural
323 Brooks Creek Backtrack 0.21 Temma Natural
324 Ordnance Point Track 0.39 Temma Natural
325 Greenes Point Track 0.28 Temma Natural
326 Carvings Track 0.19 Temma Natural
327 North Track Carvings 0.14 Temma Natural
328 Burkes Track 2.26 Thornton Natural
330 Mt Balfour Track 4.23 Balfour Natural
331 Yafflers Hole Track 0.17 Temma Recreation
332 Dawkins Track 0.18 Temma Natural
333 Bird Fence South to Coast Track 0.28 Temma Natural
APCA Vehicle Track Assessment: Geoconservation, Flora and Fauna Values and Impacts 4
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Track Name Length (km) Land System* APCA Mgt Zone**
401 Thornton Falls Track 3.04 Temma Natural
402 Kenneth Bay Track 10.98 Temma Natural
403 Pedder Park Track 0.84 Temma Recreation
404 Airport Track 3.14 Temma Recreation & Natural
405 Sandy Cape Inland 1 Track 2.03 Temma Recreation & Natural
406 Sandy Cape Inland 2 Track 1.07 Temma Natural
408 Cutting Track 2 2.69 Temma Recreation & Natural
409 Club 24 Track 0.39 Temma Recreation
410 Kitchen Track 0.42 Temma Recreation
411 Loop Track 0.30 Temma Recreation
412 Cape Fishing Tracks 2.80 Temma Natural
413 Cape Fishing Track 2 0.58 Temma Natural
501 Sandy Cape to Interview River 22.44 Temma Natural
503 Interview Mine Track 7.63 Temma/Thornton Natural
504 Interview to Elliots Track 6.08 Granite Creek/Thornton Natural
601 Interview River to Pieman River Track 11.42 Granite Creek/Neasey Plains Natural
602 Elliots Track 14.56 Granite Creek/Neasey Plains Natural
* Land system after Richley (1978).
** APCA Management Zone as per the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area Management Plan 2002 (PWS 2002).