Gondwana Link Stirling Ranges to Fitzgerald River in South Western Australia

STIRLINGS TO THE FITZGERALD

‘It’s mind boggling for a biologist to be here. This is one of the most extra-ordinary places in the world’.

Michael Soule, Wild Country Science Council,
after a trip to the region in May 2004.

Background
Achievements to date
Future work

Background
Clearing of the land between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Parks only started after the Second World War. Some has even been cleared in the past decade, though tighter Government regulations are now in place.

Fortunately, the clearing has not been as extensive and all consuming as in other parts of WA. Large areas of bush have been left, some in the Corackerup and Peniup Nature Reserves, and some on land originally allocated to farmers.

Situated between National Parks that are world recognised for their mega-diversity, we can expect this area to be similarly rich. While only limited biological survey work has been undertaken, so far, we now know that a number of rare and endangered plants are restricted to this area, along with rare fauna that also occur in the nearby national parks, such as the Western Whipbird, the Dibbler and the Tammer Wallaby. Also, the area is rich in species such as the black gloved wallaby and the malleefowl, which are often observed in thickets and moving across roads.

Because it has been so recently cleared, this part of Gondwana Link will be easier to restore than other areas, provided we move fast. Some of the farmed areas are so recently cleared they still retain the ability to regrow if tractors and stock are removed. Damaging environmental weeds which choke regenerating bush, such as South African lovegrass, have not quite reached the area. And, most importantly, the large areas of remaining bush have only been separated from each other relatively recently, so should contain the full complement of species they had before clearing commenced.

Many areas that have been cleared are proving unprofitable, or too fragile to farm, so we hope it will be possible to secure and restore a link between the two national parks without causing significant disruption of the farming community. In fact, some of the new industries we are investing are aimed at strengthening both the local community and the local economy.

Achievements to date
Implementing the Gondwana Link vision formally commenced in this area in 2002, when the Bush Heritage Australia purchased 'Chereninup Creek Reserve'. Chereninup is an 877 ha property of exceptional conservation value originally marked for clearing. It is the most diverse of all the Bush Heritage reserves. Chereninup included 60 ha of land cleared for cropping in the late 1980s. This was replanted during 2003, through a joint project with Greening Australia, in what is thought to be the largest single biodiversity revegetation project seen in Australia to that date. A total of 50,000 seedlings and 50kg of seed from over 50 species of naturally occurring native plants were used. Volunteers planted 10,000 of the seedlings on National Tree Day in July 2003. Click here for more information on Chereninup Creek Reserve.

Aerial view of the revegetation site and bush on Chereninup. Photo: A. Keesing.

Volunteers at National Tree Day, Chereninup, 2003. Photo: A. Keesing.

In December 2002 some private supporters, Eddy and Donna Wajon, purchased another large bushland block on the Corackerup Creek, now known as Chingarrup Sanctuary. Much of this property had been cleared in the past, but is now regenerating rapidly. Eddy and Donna are working with the Reconnections project to replant native species over 48 ha of their property.

Bush Heritage Australia purchased an additional reserve (Monjebup Creek Reserve) in the region in June 2007. Monjebup is over 1100 hectares and forms nearly 10kms of linked vegetation, including breakaway country, creeks in deep valleys, a number of rare species, and wide variety of soil and vegetation communities. This reserve lies between two existing nature reserves and plays a very important role in creating an ecological linkage between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Parks.

Monjebup Creek Reserve. Photo: Marie Lochman/Lochman Transparencies

Reconnections is a partnership between Greening Australia WA and Shell Development Australia which undertakes large-scale revegetation. Plantings undertaken by the Reconnections project will have a range of outcomes, focussing both on pure biodiversity and mixed biodiversity plantings with potentially commercial native species, both of which will have a range of benefits, including nature conservation and carbon storage. Over 6 years the Reconnections project aims to plant 800 ha for diversity and 400 ha for ecologically useful commercial production.

Restoration of diverse bushland begins. Photo: B Heydenrych

Greening Australia have purchased a key property in this part of the Gondwana Link. Nowanup totals 754 ha including 400 ha of particularly diverse and biologically rich bushland and 354 ha of cleared land. The bushland is now protected by a conservation covenant. The cleared land is being restored in a number of ways. Most will be revegetated for biodiverse bush while the balance will be used to trial endemic plants for commercial use - sandalwood, melaleuca broombush (for brush fencing) and bush poles. Greening Australia also plan to develop Nowanup as a study and visitor education facility.

Eucalyptus vesiculosa is found only on Nowanup and at a few other locations. Photo: Marie Lochnam/Lochman Transparencies.

Yarrabee Wesfarmers Reserve was jointly purchased by Greening Australia and Australian Bush Heritage Fund early in 2006. Yarrabee is a 923 ha property that adjoins the Stirling Range National Park and was purchased as our best option for making an ecological connection to the Park. The property has 323 ha of bushland which ranges from tall marri/jarrah woodland to low mallee heath. It contains the largest area of proteaceous rich vegetation occurring in the Stirling to Fitzgerald link. During the winter of 2006 and 2007 the 600 ha of cleared land will be planted and direct seeded with 120 species of naturally occurring native plants.

Yarrabee Wesfarmers Reserve is adjacent to the Stirling Range National Park. Photo: A Keesing

The most recent property purchase is in the more western part of the Stirlings to Fitzgerald section of Gondwana Link. In April 2007 Greening Australia purchased a 2406 ha farm not far from Jerramungup. The property is around one third bush which varies from moort thickets, stands of sheoak, yate woodland to mallee heath. Two creeks converge on the property and there are pools all year round. Regeneration of cleared land will substantially increase the areas of upland yate woodland and significantly reduce pressure on the creek system.

A Functional Landscape Plan has been developed for this region, in which key people with knowledge of the area's fauna, flora, hydrology, geology and general ecology have documented what they perceive to be the steps required to protect, enhance and restore the natural ecosystems. This plan was then circulated for wider input and discussion. The FitzStirling Functional Landscape Plan can guide work done by all groups in the area. It will be regularly updated as new knowledge becomes available, particularly through the work of The Wilderness Society's Dr. Simon Judd, Gondwana Link Science Coordinator.

Work is also underway to develop investment opportunities involving native plant based industries. Much of the initial work has focussed on sandalwood.

South Coast Natural Resource Management (SCNRM) Southern Incentives programs have helped a number of farmers fence and revegetate areas, particularly waterways and wetlands. SCNRM have also assisted landholders to put protective covenants over their bushland.

SCNRM has received funding over three years for a project "Restoring connections between people and land in south western Australia". This project will fund work by the Noongar community to establish a number of sites, in both the South Coast and South West regions, where ecological and cultural significance is jointly restored and celebrated. The project has grown out of ongoing discussion between the regions, Noongar representatives and Gondwana Link partners.

SCNRM are also funding two other programs in the area. The first is to establish 600 hectares of native revegetation in the Gondwana Link area between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Parks. The second is the development of a 'Biodiversity values, education and promotion package' for the south coast region of Western Australia. This package will facilitate community education on the natural diversity of the area, its value, how it can be conserved and to build greater awareness of the global significance of the region.

Noongar Elders, respected leaders of the Indigenous group from this area, have been involved in discussions on planning the restoration and other uses of Gondwana Link properties. It is wonderful to be working together to 'heal the country'.

Future work
By July 2006, the conservation values on over 5,300 hectares of bushland in this region had been secured. With the help of your donation, more bushland will be secured in the future. Negotiations are underway at present for additional land purchases.

Large scale restoration programs, including the Reconnections project, will continue. In 2003 our largest single revegetation site was 60 ha, in 2006 it was 600 ha. Restoration programs will also developing new techniques and equipment to enable efficient and improved restoration programs. Cleared land that has been acquired will be revegetated as biodiverse bush or used for ecologically sustainable industries.

Fundraising is critical as funds are required for additional property purchases, restoration projects and investigating/promoting alternative industries.

We will continue to work and talk with landholders and community groups. The support of the locals is pivotal to the success of Gondwana Link.