Conservation in Focus at Bathurst Conference

Conservation will be in the spotlight when 150 industry leaders and delegates descend on Bathurst from May 16 to 17.

Conservation in Action: Research to Reality will bring together people from across natural resource management including scientists, policy makers, program managers and specialists who implement works in the field.

Think waterways, natural landscapes, native flora and fauna, and threatened species – these are some of the topics that will be discussed over the two day event.

Conference committee member Mick Callan said it was a unique chance to have the biggest names in conservation under the one roof.

“We’ll have a variety of case studies presented as well as research findings and some educational talks – it will be a great snapshot of the work that is done every day across the country in conservation,” he said.

“One of Australia’s most respected environmental scientists Dr Ian Lowe will present a keynote address on day one of the conference. With a swag of awards and honours to his name, including the Centenary Medal for contributions to environmental science and the Eureka Prize for promotion of science, his presentation is one not to be missed”.

Additionally, an array of speakers are locked in to attend including critically endangered Regent Honeyeater researcher Ross Crates, coordinator of the NSW recovery program for the endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Dr Deborah Ashworth, and reptile and rocky outcrop expert Dr Damian Michael.

A series of supporting events have been organised to complement the conference program with workshops, field trips, social events and a photography competition all accessible to people who may not be able to attend the full conference.

The conference is being organised as a partnership between Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Central Tablelands Landcare and the Central West Councils Environment & Waterways Alliance.

Conservation in Action: Research to Reality will be held on May 16 and 17 at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre. A full conference program and a link to register can be found at http://www.cwcewa.com.au/conservation-in-action-2018/

With as few as 5,000 breeding pairs left in the wild, the Superb Parrot needs all the help it can get. Fortunately, Laura Rayner is on the case studying their breeding ecology with a focus on hollows. Laura will discuss her work at the Conservation In Action Conference in Bathurst on May 16 to 17.

Battling Bushland Weeds at Mount Panorama

Weed control is taking place this week in a reserve at Mount Panorama to improve the condition of the Box Gum Grassy Woodland, an endangered vegetation type that once dominated large areas of the landscape within the Bathurst Region.

Noxious and environmental weed control is occurring in the Inner Track Reserve to rehabilitate 25ha of this woodland. Many birds depend on healthy woodlands for survival including the Diamond Firetail, a species of finch whose conservation status is listed as vulnerable in NSW.

Mayor Graeme Hanger OAM said the program is part of a valuable effort to reduce  the  presence  of  weeds throughout the region and greatly welcomed recent grant funding that has been provided to undertake the project.

“The project is supported by Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government,” he said.

The weeds that are being targeted are forming a mid-canopy that is altering light  levels,  restricting  native  regeneration,  and providing excessive amounts of fleshy fruit resulting in an increase in exotic bird species.

These  weeds  will  be  replaced  with  dense prickly native shrubs such as Kangaroo  thorn and Bursaria, which will be planted in clusters to provide habitat for small woodland birds as well as reduce the potential for future weed re-invasion and erosion. Revegetation is proposed for Autumn 2018.

Recovery of the Mac

The Sofala Branch of the Central Acclimatisation Society (CAS) has been awarded a Habitat Action Grant from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) to enhance and rehabilitate degraded recreational fish habitat along the Macquarie River, through a project titled “Recovery of the Mac”. Funding for the project is provided from the Freshwater Recreational Fishing Trust via the sale of recreational fishing licences, Central Tablelands Local Land Services and Central West Councils Environment and Waterways Alliance

The Sofala Branch of CAS has teamed up with Bathurst Regional Council, Central Tablelands Local Land Services with support from OZ Fish Unlimited. The project will include modification to existing weirs, installing strategically placed large rocks in sections of the Macquarie River to create fish habitat to benefit native fish species and removal of invasive plants. Works will be followed up by planting native trees which provide far superior habitat for native species

Fish passage is currently blocked by two rock weirs that are located within the river adjacent to the Macquarie River Bicentennial Park, Bathurst. As part of the grant funded project, fish passage improvements will be undertaken by removing selected rocks from a small section (approx. 2m wide) from the centre of each existing rock weir structure. The removed rocks will then be placed on the riverbanks adjacent to the weirs to reinforce these areas.

Modification to these weirs will allow fish, including threatened species such as Murray Cod and Trout Cod, to move upstream and downstream through this section of the river. It will also leave the Bathurst Waterworks Weir as the only man-made barrier to fish passage between Burrendong Dam and Ben Chifley Dam (404km).

The works, which are expected to commence within the coming weeks, will be carried out with the assistance of Bathurst Regional Council and under the supervision of DPI (Fisheries).

The project will improve fish habitat in the Macquarie River and compliment recent and future native fish restocking including the National Trout Cod Recovery Program in the Bathurst District and enhance recreational fishing opportunities for local and visiting anglers

For further information contact:

Sofala CAS
Col Gordon
Phone: 0414 758 558
Email: codgordon@hotmail.com

Image courtesy of Col Gordon: Weir modification works to allow native fish passage on the Macquarie River