Visited the Pinnacle on Sat and
Sunday.
Interesting birds included female satin
flycatcher, probably at least 2 pairs of scarlet robins, a few golden whistlers.
Many grey fantails. 12 dusky woodswallows. A young honeyeater I couldn’t
identify, perhaps fuscous. No sitellas or speckled warblers, although they
have been resident for years in the past. A small purple pea (Swainsona sericea-
listed as threatened in NSW) was seen in flower.
The Pinnacle is 80-90% improved pasture, with a substantial
proportion of that planted to trees by Pinnacle Env Group, in the
past.
Only perhaps 10% of the NP is ‘natural
ecosystem’. The best spot is a patch on the Western edge we call the Stringybark
forest. Perhaps 2 years ago 2/3rds of this patch was burnt. On perhaps last
Monday or Tuesday the remainder 1/3 of this patch was burnt. The Stringybark
forest is the patch where the speckled warblers, varied sitellas and small
purple pea live (and was flowering). The base of not only mid-story shrubs, but
mature trees were targeted for burning around.
Just East of the Stringybark forest is a
reasonable patch of Yellow box-Red gum trees (endangered ecosystem) mostly aged perhaps 200
years old. SE of the Stringybark F was a gully planted with gum trees by
Pinnacle Env Group about 20 years ago, for erosion
control.
The majority of YB-RG mature trees and mid-age
replanted trees were burnt around the base and now look very sick or are
dieing.
I believe this burning ‘regime’ is
unacceptable.
Burning the whole native ecosystem of
stringbark forest in only a couple of years has removed the majority of lower
and mid story shrubs, and burning bases of trees has virtually changed this
ecosystem to a woodland. It has removed any potential for ‘refugia’, and the
speckled warblers have now almost certainly moved. It has opened it up for
colonisation by
weeds.
The Pinnacle, particularly in the whole area
burnt is covered by 2cm tall grass, recovering slowly after drought, and
therefore ‘fuel reduction’ is not an excuse.
I will be taking this further with the
conservation council, with a more considered response, but this email is a
heads-up for those Park care groups whose sites are targeted for burning over
Autumn (see below). Don’t assume your threatened ecosystems or species will be
protected.
Benj Whitworth
ps- and no,
we didnt get a pamflet in the mail.
--------------------------------------------------------
FYI
Minister for
Territories and Municipal Services today announced details of the ACT
Government’s autumn controlled burning program, which will help minimise the
fire hazard in and around Canberra.
“Weather permitting, a total of 19
burns will be carried out as part of the annual program to reduce the amount of
fuel in bushland areas, and to complement the extensive physical removal of fire
fuel that has been conducted across the ACT,” Mr Hargreaves
said.
“The program is aimed primarily at
protecting public and private assets adjacent to bushland areas. It will also
help reduce the intensity of fires should they occur—making them easier to
control—and give rural fire fighting personnel the
chance to maintain their firefighting
skills.”
Mr Hargreaves said the autumn
controlled burns would be conducted according to
the provisions of the Strategic Bushfire Fuel
Management Plan, and would include the following
areas:
|
·
Potters Hill -
Namadgi National
Park
·
Mount Ainslie-Majura - between Mt
Ainslie Summit Rd and Power line
Trail
·
Mount Ainslie-Majura - between management trail
and houses along Duffy St Ainslie
·
Uriarra and
Pierces Creek - debris removal burns
·
Bruce - O'Connor
Ridge - above Dryandra St to south of
YHA
·
Aranda Bushland -
adjacent to the urban interface |
·
The Pinnacles
Hawker
·
Googong
Foreshores - between Queanbeyan River and Googong
Foreshores
·
Black Mountain - behind Botanical Gardens
adjacent to Black Mt Summit
Rd
·
Kowen Forest - along Jacks
Break
·
Kowen Forest - South
Kowen Escarpment
·
Bruce-Mugglestone
Pl
·
Giralang Pines -
Warrambool close
·
Garran - parkland
between Garran and Hughes
·
Nicholls -
Temperley Ridge 5/150
·
Ngunnawal-Burrumarra Av to
Mirrabei
Dr
·
Kambah -
Bissenberger
Cres
·
Wanniassa Hills
·
Stirling Ridge -
With the National Capital Authority |
“The burns will be conducted by
experienced fire managers from Territories and Municipal Services, the Rural
Fire Service, RFS Volunteers and some cross border assistance from local
brigades in NSW. All these burns will be conducted by highly trained fire
fighters.
“Safety is very paramount in all
burns. The burns are also undertaken with consideration for the ACT’s ecological
and heritage values, and in weather conditions that will minimise the impact of
smoke on residential areas and major institutions. However, some temporary smoke
cover is inevitable if we are to adequately manage the risk of future
bushfires.
“People with asthma and other
respiratory conditions are advised to stay indoors if they are affected by
smoke, and consult their doctor should they have any
difficulties.
“Before burns are undertaken,
residents in adjacent areas will be advised through a letterbox drop. Residents
will also receive advice through media releases to local media outlets, which
will contain details on the ACT Handy Map grid reference location for each
hazard reduction. The Emergency Services Agency, the Australian Federal Police,
Air Traffic Control will also be advised,” Mr Hargreaves
said.
