Title: Helping National Parks to manage pests in NSW
[Narooma News 17 Aug] -- A MEETING on Friday at the Narooma Golf Club was the first of 14 regional forums scheduled across NSW to help the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) identify local pest priorities and develop regional pest management strategies. The NSW Government has committed to providing an extra $40 million in funding for pest and weed management in NSW parks and they are asking for information and ideas from regional communities. About 30 people attended the meeting including representatives from NPWS, Livestock Health Protection Authority, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley shire councils, Southern Rivers CMA, Department of Primary Industries, Landcare and Forests NSW. Landholders were also present taking the opportunity to voice their concerns and to share in the brainstorming session to develop strategies to protect the local biodiversity.
WEED IDEAS: NPWS regional manager Tim Shepherd, NPWS pest management officer Stephen Raczkowski, NPWS coastal director Terry Bailey and ESC invasive species co-ordinator Paul Martin at the meeting to help protect our precious natural environment.
NPWS pest management officer Stephen Raczkowski says one of the main problems in the Narooma district is foxes that are threatening hood plovers, little terns and pied oyster catchers. NPWS’s work with threatened species relies heavily on co-operation with landholders who become active wardens for a site reporting back to NPWS.
Weed species causing significant problems locally, according to Mr Raczkowski, are sea spurge, bitou bush and lantana. The successful germination rates of weed seeds caused by high summer rainfall have prompted NPWS to be particularly vigilant.
“Invasive species are a landscape issue affecting all land managers, which is why all land managers, need to keep working together to tackle the problem,” NSW Environment minister Robyn Parker said.
NPWS manage almost 9 per cent of NSW land, and staff run programs with locals targeting foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs, feral goats, deer, horses, rabbits, cane toads and numerous types of weeds.
Ms Parker says foxes and cats are the biggest cause of extinction among native Australian mammals and at least 1665 weed species have established in natural environments in NSW, 340 of which have been identified as highly invasive and a significant threat to biodiversity.
Once key local issues and priorities have been identified by NPWS a draft of each regional strategy will go on public exhibition for further comment and broader community consultation. The regional pest management strategies are due to be finalised in December 2011.
