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Seeking community thoughts on planned threatened species work in NSW

Media release: 15 January 2016

Are you interested in saving the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, a small agile marsupial with a distinctive bushy tail? Or the strikingly marked Malleefowl, a ground-dwelling bird known for its loud call? Or the rare and unusual looking Wollemi pine known as the ‘Dinosaur tree’?

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Chief Executive, Terry Bailey today invited the community, ecologists and threatened species experts, to get online and review the latest draft conservation project plans to save 47 (4 iconic, 24 site-managed and 19 landscape-managed species) of the State’s almost 1,000 threatened species.

“Already there are a number of important Saving our Species conservation projects underway across NSW with government and community working together to conduct breeding programs, monitor species and restore habitat areas,” Mr Bailey said.

“This new group of draft conservation strategies, developed in conjunction with species experts are now online and we are looking for community feedback on how we plan to do this important work.

“For many of our species, pest and weed management is key to their ongoing survival. As a result, many of the proposed draft strategies outline ways we plan to best manage either predators or competitors.

 “For example, draft strategies to save the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby currently on exhibition include captive breeding at Waterfall Springs and reintroduction at their old habitat places such as the heritage-listed reserves of Jenolan Caves following control of foxes.

“For the endangered Black Grass-dart Butterfly, a small dark brown-black butterfly with orange markings found on the NSW mid north coast, we can best support its survival in the wild by improving the habitat of another endangered species, Floyd's Grass, which is the sole food source for its young. The butterfly only lays its eggs on the underside leaf of Floyd's Grass.

“Under Saving our Species we are already mapping the occurrence of Floyd’s Grass and these new draft plans include weed control programs that will protect the habitat of this endangered native grass.

“For the shy and elusive Malleefowl bird, counting them is very difficult. New strategies incorporate digital photography and smartphones to improve Malleefowl monitoring which records the birds and their mounds which are made of rotting leaves, sand or soil to incubate their eggs.”

Mr Bailey said securing the survival of these rare and threatened species is a combined effort and the data from these new projects will inform important recovery actions to help secure these species in the wild for the next 100 years.

Following the public exhibition, which closes on Monday 8 February 2016, these strategies will be finalised and added to the other Saving our Species projects that are currently guiding conversation action across NSW.

The draft strategies can be reviewed and comments provided at:http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/ProposedPASAmendments.htm

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/48646673@N07/24087276580/in/dateposted-public/

Contact: Angela Read

Page last updated: 19 January 2016