NSW Central Murray State Forests

Three discrete but inter-related areas of State Forest on the Murray and Edward Rivers – the Millewa forest, Koondrook-Perricoota forest and Werai forest were designated as a Ramsar site in May 2003. In July 2010 the Millewa forest became the Murray Valley National Park and Murray Valley State Conservation Area and the Werai forest was vested in the Minister for the Environment for transfer to the traditional owners. The Koondrook-Perricoota Forests remain under the management of NSW Forests. A change of name to the “Central Murray Forests Ramsar site” to recognise these changes in the management of the forests is proposed with the next update of the Ramsar Information Sheet.

These are internationally important wetlands as they meet the following Ramsar nomination criteria:

Criterion 1 - Representative, rare or unique wetland types

The Ramsar site is the largest complex of tree-dominated floodplain wetlands in southern Australia. The Millewa Forest together with the Barmah forest in Victoria is Australia’s largest parcel of River Red Gum forest. Although the forests have been harvested for timber for 150 years, the Millewa forests retains trees aged greater than 200 years and areas which are structurally equivalent to undisturbed forest. There are also other wetland types which are in the bioregion such as floodplain lakes, meadows and reed swamps.

Criterion 2 – Nationally listed threatened species and ecological communities

The Ramsar site supports eight threatened species listed at the national or international scale - the Australasian bittern, Australian painted snipe, superb parrot, swamp wallaby grass, trout cod, Murray hardyhead, silver perch and Murray cod.

Criterion 4 - Species at a critical stage in their life cycles or a refuge in adverse conditions

The Ramsar site supports fauna during migration, provides drought refuge and supports breeding. Eleven species of migratory birds listed under JAMBA, CAMBA or ROKAMBA use the site for a number of these functions. The site is also important for colonial nesting waterbirds during times of inundation and for breeding of native fish.

Criterion 5 - Based on waterbird numbers

Although it is difficult to count waterbirds aerially in this site because of the dense forest canopy, experts estimate on the basis of available evidence that the site regularly supports 20,000 waterbirds or more.

 

Criterion 8 – Important fish habitats and/or migration paths on which fish stocks depend

The Ramsar site provides migratory routes between habitats in the Murray river, anabranches and floodplains. Native fish move into off-stream areas on rising flows, and make refuge movements into deeper waters during low flow periods. Many species spawn on the floodplains.