AWNRM Plan - Excerpt

State of THE region

uw R eg i on K

ar i Yaalt ji- yaalt ji Ngaranyi.

State of the Region Introduction

It should be noted that this is the first time an attempt has been made to compile and assess the

The State of the Region report is a starting point for

available information around the Region’s health,

all other parts of the AW NRM Plan. It describes the

trend and NRM-related stewardship. The ratings are

current health, or ‘state’ of ‘people’, ‘country’ and

based on information from several sources—the

‘water’ in the Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources

knowledge of the AW NRM Board and its staff; the

Management (AW NRM) Region and identifies

knowledge of Aboriginal community members;

threats to them.

and limited baseline information from government agency staff working in the Region. The ratings

Outlining the health and trend and related

do, however, provide a starting point for future

information allows the Board to develop a strategic

assessment and monitoring of NRM in the Region.

direction and provides a baseline from which

In the future, reporting will be centred around the

to set targets to guide future NRM action and

monitoring and evaluation of key indicators relating

investment. In addition, identifying areas of missing

to health, trend and NRM-related stewardship.

or insufficient knowledge (refer to Appendix B) allows the Board to plan for further research in

Key stakeholders include:

these areas.

•• the AW NRM Board •• regional communities •• investors in natural resources management in the

The State of the Region also provides a tool for engaging people in NRM. By identifying new partnership opportunities, it can help bring capable and interested groups together. In addition, identifying threats to ecological assets can help focus understanding, planning and action on

Region, including social or community projects

•• the Government of South Australia •• the Australian Government •• the broader South Australian and Far West communities.

specific landscapes, ecological communities or species, as well as fine-tune actions related to

The nine landscapes

particular issues or activities.

For the purposes of strategic and program planning Importantly, the State of the Region can also help

and reporting, the Alinytjara Wilurara NRM

cultivate a strong regional identity by drawing

Region has been divided into nine landscapes.

together existing information and then presenting

This effectively breaks a huge region into smaller

it in a useful and accessible way.

42 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Pl antu ng ura

w i nk

i pa r a ni , k a

ny i a r a g n ya 9 pa

areas with distinct characteristics. Grouping

Landscape descriptions

information by landscape allows for easier

The description of each landscape contains:

organisation of assets, values, threats, areas of

•• a summary that describes the special qualities of

missing knowledge, etc. A landscape approach also aids strategic planning across the Region and reflects the philosophy of working on problems at the landscape-scale considering the whole natural ecosystem.

.

that landscape

•• a people section that discusses people in the landscape

•• a country section that provides information

on soils, habitats, flora and fauna (specifically endemic and threatened species)1

The landscape boundaries are primarily based on:

•• land and sea divide (two ‘seascapes’—Bunda Cliffs, including Merdeyerrah Sandpatch and

•• a water section that provides a summary of

groundwater and surface waters and their usage, if known.

Head of Bight; and Yalata Coast—include coastal lands as well as the marine areas within the

Landscape report cards

Region’s boundaries)

The report card for each landscape contains:

•• the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of

Australia (IBRA) regions, which provide a logical breakdown based on vegetation ‘bio’ and geography ‘geographic’

•• the soils and landforms of the Region, which

separate out the APY Ranges from the plains to the south and east; and the Nullarbor Plain from the Great Victoria Desert

•• logic for management and reporting of program and project activities.

•• a health rating, which is supported by an evidence table

•• a trend rating, which is supported by an evidence table

•• a helping hand rating, which is supported by an evidence table

•• a cause for concern section which describes the

Patch burning, Walalkara Photo: Kerrynne Liddle

potential threats facing the landscape.

Ratings are presented both visually and in words.

The following page shows a map of the landscapes.

NOTE: In areas that lack baseline information and

Illustrated maps are also included within each

monitoring, this rating is likely to be based only on

landscape section.

expert opinion and anecdotal observations. The Board intends to review and refine these ratings in

State of the landscapes

the future.

Each landscape has its own section in this report.

Explaining the rating system

1. A full list of each landscape’s flora and fauna of conservation significance (that is, those rated at the state and national levels) is provided in Appendix H. 2. The Gippsland report card series provided the basic conceptual framework for the AW NRM Plan State of the Region rating system, <www.ginrf.org.au/reportcard/ list.asp>.

These sections contain baseline information to describe the current condition, or ‘state’, of the

An icon rating system has been developed to make

landscape through a ‘report card’ that rates the

the State of the Region into a visual tool and to

health, trend and level of NRM-related stewardship.

allow for quick referencing2. These ratings are used

They also include photos and animal illustrations

to evaluate the overall health, trend and NRM-

that reflect unique aspects of each particular

related stewardship (helping hand) of each of the

landscape.

landscapes. They are also used to rate the individual aspects that make up the broader categories (for example, the ‘fauna’ aspect of the health rating or the ‘planning’ aspect of the helping hand rating).

Part 2: State of the Region 43

Pl

ya n n n a

ga

9 ku t j u a r u g n u ng k

kut ju arkani, ka t jara manti palya

Figure 2.1: The nine landscapes of the Region [Inset: The Region shown in relation to South Australia]

8

8

9

7

6

3 5 4 2

1

0

80

160

Kilometres

Key 1. Bunda Cliffs (including Merdayerrah Sandpatch) 2. Yalata Coast 3. Nullarbor Plain 4. Yalata Lands (including Colona and Pintumba) 5. Yellabinna and Yumbarra 6. Great Victoria Desert 7. Southern APY 8. APY Ranges 9. Eastern APY and Tallaringa

44 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

palu t jara kut ju

pa t jing ur u kurakura .

Health rating The health rating provides an indication of environmental health, including the condition of coastal and marine areas, soil, land, water, and biodiversity.

•• marine sediment stability and coverage •• quality of seawater •• pressure from introduced marine pests.

The rating for health is related to the rating for

Figure 2.2: Key for health rating icons

Health

trend, and the two are often discussed together as ‘health and trend’.

A Excellent

baseline) for measurement is challenging. This

NOTE: In areas that lack baseline information and

B Good

report card does not try to compare today’s health

monitoring, this rating is likely to be based only on

to the original state before the introduction of

expert opinion and anecdotal observations. The Board

foxes and rabbits. If it did, the health would be

intends to review and refine these ratings in the future.

Given that this is the first health and trend report for the Region, choosing a starting point (i.e. a

D Poor

much lower due to the resultant modifications and the extensive mammal extinctions that have

C Reasonable

A Excellent

occurred across the Region (refer to the feature

An ‘excellent’ rating indicates that the landscape is

topic ‘Where have all the mammals gone?’ in the

considered to be in excellent health, as shown by

Introduction). Nor can it compare today’s health

very high values for indicators and/or low risk levels.

Not rated

with the time prior to changes in traditional practices or movement of people across the Region

B Good

that have occurred over the last couple hundred

A ‘good’ rating indicates that the landscape is

years. Instead, the report simply tries to provide a

considered to be in good health, as shown by high

rating based on current health. (Note: There are

values for indicators and/or moderate risk levels.

few measures and baselines yet developed in South Australia for the indicators below.)

C Reasonable A ‘reasonable’ rating indicates that the landscape

The health rating is based on indicators of a

is considered to be in reasonable health, as shown

healthy landscape, including:

by moderate values for indicators and/or high risk

•• extent, cover, age and structure of native

levels.

vegetation

•• habitat extent and connectivity •• species diversity and distribution •• soil stability and ground cover •• quality and quantity of surface and ground

D Poor A ‘poor’ rating indicates that the landscape is considered to be in poor health, as shown by poor values for indicators and/or very high risk levels.

waters available for flora and fauna

•• level of risk.

Not rated No rating is provided due to insufficient scientific

For those landscapes that are also ‘seascapes’

data, traditional knowledge, anecdotal information,

(Bunda Cliffs and Yalata Coast), additional

expert opinion or very low confidence to report.

indicators could be considered, including:

•• extent, cover, age and structure of marine macro-algae

•• reef health

Part 2: State of the Region 45

M

un

t jup u k u

a ku l u a r k a ni : m a ya

t ja y

a alt

wa n y

j itu

u ng u

ra nya n

g a n t a wa r k a r i n g

i?

Figure 2.3: Key for trend

Trend rating

rating icons

The trend rating provides an indication of change

The health of the landscape has been worsening

in environmental health by considering the past

over the past five years and/or is predicted to worsen

five years and predictions for the forthcoming five

in the next five years.

Trend

Declining

years, based on the current or predicted level of

Declining

risk. Specifically, it looks at whether the landscape’s health is improving, stable or declining (worsening).

Stable

constant over the past five years and/or is predicted A timeframe of five years has been chosen

Improving

Improving

results to date and make resulting comparisons.

The health of the landscape has been improving over

It also matches the frequency of the State of the

the past five years and/or is predicted to improve in

Environment reporting for South Australia and the

the next five years.

Figure 2.4: Key for helping

Australian Government’s Caring for our Country

hand rating icons

Business Plan targets. It should be noted that

Helping hand

to remain stable in the next five years.

because, given the Board’s formation in 2004, it is a reasonable interval to obtain meaningful

Not rated

Stable The health of the landscape has remained relatively

Not rated

variable climatic conditions experienced in arid

No rating is provided due to insufficient knowledge

areas, such as irregular rainfall, may affect our ability

scientific data, traditional knowledge, expert opinion

to monitor and measure trends in health because

or confidence.

the cycles of change may occur over decades rather

Excellent

than annually.

Helping hand rating The helping hand rating evaluates the NRM-related

Good

The trend rating is based on a qualitative assessment

stewardship (or management) of the three assets

of risks relating to:

within each landscape. It is called helping hand after

•• human activities such as making or using tracks or

the ‘country’ goal, ‘healthy country looking after

roads, mining, fishing, cattle grazing and tourism

Reasonable

Room for improvement

Not rated

•• impacts of grazing, particularly pressure from

itself with a helping hand’.

introduced herbivores such as camels, donkeys,

The helping hand rating reflects:

feral horses, rabbits and cattle

•• the collective level, coverage and quantity of

•• impacts of feral carnivores such as foxes and cats •• threatened or rated flora and fauna •• weed invasion, particularly new incursions or

NRM-related stewardship activities, and

•• the difference those activities are likely to make to health and trend.

further spread of high-risk species like buffel grass and Athel Pine.

The helping hand rating is based on information that has been available to the AW NRM Board (including

As mentioned previously, the rating for health is

coverage and quantity of stewardship activities being

related to the rating for trend, and the two are

undertaken across the Region by relevant agencies,

often discussed together as ‘health and trend’.

industries and communities) over the past five years.

NOTE: In areas that lack baseline information and

To make the task of rating easier, information has

monitoring, this rating is likely to be based only on

been divided into ten categories:

expert opinion and anecdotal observations. The Board

•• planning •• baseline information

intends to review and refine these ratings in the future.

46 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Ka

K am

ng i i a n p a k a ny i nt j a ku n g n a a y y i ? u i nta l ra n u g u wa n y u m a n i y a a l t j i t n

•• partnerships and cooperation •• strategic investment •• active management of projects and programs •• communication and promotions •• facilitation and support •• education, employment and skill-building •• information and knowledge management •• monitoring, evaluation, reporting and

Room for improvement A ‘room for improvement’ rating indicates minimal stewardship that is unlikely to make a significant difference to health and trend.

Not rated No rating is provided due to insufficient knowledge and information.

improvement (MERI).

The table below gives a summary of the health, For each landscape, the ten categories are assigned

trend and helping hand ratings for each of the

one to four ‘hands’ to indicate the level of NRM-

nine landscapes, which are discussed in more detail

related stewardship over the last five years. These

further on in the report.

ten categories are all considered to come up with an overall ‘helping hand’ rating.

Table 2.1: Summary of health, trend and helping hand ratings for each of the nine landscapes3

Note: This rating does not include traditional

Landscape

Health

and volunteer (unpaid) caring for country by traditional owners, families or individuals. It relates to the caring for country of governments and their agencies, community organisations and non-government organisations as a whole,

1. Bunda Cliffs (including Merdayerrah Sandpatch)

A

2. Yalata Coast

B

3. Nullarbor Plain

B

4. Yalata Lands (including Colona and Pintumba)

C

5. Yellabinna and Yumbarra

B

6. Great Victoria Desert

B

7. Southern APY

B

8. APY Ranges

C

9. Eastern APY and Tallaringa

D

Trend

Helping hand

Pastoral Country APY Lands Photo: AW NRM Board

3. It is recognised that further work is required to confirm these ratings. It is the Board’s intention to build a regional monitoring and evaluation plan that will allow future review and revision of these ratings, as well as to present them in an improved report card document. .

which is known as natural resources management (NRM). The rating does include NRM-funded work undertaken by communities, families and individuals in the Region.

Excellent An ‘excellent’ rating indicates excellent stewardship that will almost certainly make a significant difference to the health and trend of the landscape.

Good A ‘good’ rating indicates high stewardship that is likely to make a significant difference to health and trend.

Reasonable A ‘reasonable’ rating indicates modest stewardship that will possibly make a significant difference to health and trend.

Part 2: State of the Region 47

Bunda Cliffs

D EN

LTH EA

A

Summary

H

hand

the Head of Bight, where the cliffs are replaced by

because, apart from the cliff area, its main focus

the massive Yalata Dune system. Close to the WA

is the marine areas extending three nautical miles

border, the cliffs have been overlain by sand dunes,

offshore.

forming the unique Merdayerrah Sandpatch.

The marine environment out from the Bunda Cliffs

Notable attributes of this landscape include:

is part of the rich pristine marine wilderness of

•• sandy beaches, calcareous reefs, low profile

the Great Australian Bight—the largest stretch of southern-facing coastline in the southern hemisphere. The Bunda cliffs are a unique feature where the Southern Ocean meets the edge of the Nullarbor Plains. The cliffs are 70 m to 90 m high Southern

and feature an impressive 200 km of unbroken cliff line, stretching from Western Australia (WA) to

This landscape could also be called a ‘seascape’

el pi ng

Bunda Cliffs, Nullarbor Photo: AW NRM Board

including Merdayerrah Sandpatch

H

TR

Landscape 1:

Right Whale with calf

granite platforms and benthic (sea floor) environments

•• high marine biodiversity •• habitat for globally-significant threatened marine mammals—such as the Southern Right Whale, endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act

•• rocky fall below the cliffs, which provide haul-out and breeding sites for Little Penguins and the Australian Sea Lion

•• habitat for White-bellied Sea Eagles and Osprey (South Australian stronghold)

48 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Debris washed ashore from the Great Australian Bight Photo: S. Kumar, DENR

•• the Head of Bight, a significant Australian

People

geological monument and reference site

for ancient limestone layers of the Region

There are no permanent towns or communities

(description summarised from the monument

in the vicinity of the Bunda cliffs. There are road

nomination of the Geological Society of

houses and accommodation at Border Village on

Australia; file number E40 in YCAP 2008)

the SA/WA border and the Nullarbor Roadhouse

•• Wilson Bluff Limestone and Nullarbor Limestone, examples of ancient limestone at the Head of

inland from the Head of Bight. There is a tourism facility for whale-watching at the Head of Bight.

Bight

•• habitat for White-bellied Sea Eagles and Osprey (South Australian stronghold).

There are many visitors to the coastal area of Nullarbor National Park. Many simply take in the majestic scenery of the Great Australian

Table 2.2: Land tenure in the Bunda Cliffs landscape

Bight, although whale-watching is also popular

Land tenure

Total area*

(particularly at the Head of Bight whale centre,

Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) consists of a Marine Mammal Protection Zone and a Benthic Protection Zone—see map)

20,000 km2

where a large viewing platform provides an

Great Australian Bight Marine National Park (National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972)

124,732 ha

Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary—Fisheries Act 1982

168,320 ha

Nullarbor National Park

593,000 ha

Yalata Lands

456,000 ha (to high water mark)

Yalata Indigenous Protected Area

(to high water mark)

Nullarbor Wilderness Area

due to be declared in 2011

excellent vantage point).

There are native title claims over the coastal area and the inland areas south of the Maralinga Tjarutja Lands (including Yalata and Nullarbor) by the Far West Coast Native Title Claimant Group. This group includes Mirning, Wirangu, Kokatha and Anangu Aboriginal people with traditional associations in the area.

*The sizes given refer to the land parcel as a whole, rather than the section that is within the landscape.

Part 2: State of the Region 49

Figure 2.5: The Bunda Cliffs landscape, shown in relation to the AW NRM Region

50 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Part 2: State of the Region 51

Country

•• The vulnerable Australian Sea Lion uses the base of the cliffs to haul out or to breed.

Habitats

Approximately 700 individuals form one of only

Habitats within the Great Australian Bight and

two mainland breeding colonies in Australia (the

Bunda Cliffs landscape include:

other is at Point Labatt on Eyre Peninsula). This

•• reefs that receive medium to high wave intensity •• high cliff-lines with areas of rocky fall at base of

population is thought to form a ‘genetic bridge’

the cliffs

•• no estuaries

•• two unique sand-dune communities on the

populations.

•• The Great Australian Bight is a habitat for unique marine plants and animals, some found nowhere

clifftops, including one at Merdayerrah Sand

else in the world, including large populations of

Patch: Lobe-leafed Daisy Bush shrubland over

sponges (poriferans) and sea slugs (nudibranchs).

Ruby Saltbush

•• Coastal White or Soap Mallee (Eucalyptus over Tall Dryland Tea-tree and Prickly Ground Berry

•• a mosaic of vegetation communities that

extend east and west of Head of Bight and the Merdayerrah Sandpatch.

The uniqueness, diversity and overlap of vegetation Nullarbor Daisy Photo: AW NRM Board

between the South and Western Australian

•• Many of the 200 described species of sea squirts (ascidians) in southern Australian waters are endemic to the Great Australian Bight.

•• Unusual seaweeds of the Sargassum genus are being discovered in the Great Australian Bight marine environment.

•• The marine macro-algal diversity is thought to be among the richest in the world, with over 75%

communities around the Head of Bight and the

endemism in the red algae (Great Australian

Merdayerrah Sandpatch are valuable habitat areas

Bight Marine Plan).

for a variety of fauna (this may become more important with a changing climate).

•• This landscape provides habitat for a number of

birds, including sea birds such as Little Penguins, shore wader birds such as Hooded Plovers and

Flora and fauna

Oystercatchers, and coastal birds of prey such

Important flora and fauna species exist in the Great

as the threatened White-bellied Sea Eagle and

Australian Bight and Bunda Cliffs ecosystems,

Osprey. These birds all interact with the local

including the examples listed below:

marine environment.

•• The endangered Southern Right Whale is found all along the AW NRM Region coast.

•• Rare and endangered marine mammals, such as Blue Whales and Humpback Whales, have

been recorded in the State Waters of the Great Australian Bight.

•• The landscape provides habitat for reptiles such as the Nullarbor Bearded Dragon and Beach Slider.

•• The Great Australian Bight provides habitat for many species of fish, including salmon and a

population of Mulloway thought to be separate from the Coorong population.

•• The Great Australian Bight provides habitat for sharks, including School Sharks and Great White Sharks.

A full list of each landscape’s flora and fauna of conservation significance, that is, those rated at the state and national levels, is provided in Appendix H.

52 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Soils

Trend rating

The cliffs form the southern edge of the Nullarbor

The trend for this landscape is assumed to be stable

Plain with limestone and skeletal calcareous loamy

and functioning largely under natural processes.

soils in some places extending to the cliff edge.

There is no evidence to suggest that overall health

The cliff-top area in places has been overlain by

is declining or improving.

low-lying braided wind-blown sand-dunes creating

Helping hand rating

a corridor habitat while the Merdayerrah Sandpatch close to the Western Australia border contains

Agencies with coast- or marine-related NRM

dune sands.

roles include the AW NRM Board, the Australian Government (in the Great Australian Bight Marine

Water

Park and Yalata Indigenous Protected Area, or IPA), the Department for Environment and Natural

There is no known permanent fresh surface

Resources (DENR), PIRSA Fisheries, and the Yalata

water in the coastal area. It has been suggested

Community.

This landscape is habitat

anecdotally, but not proven, that freshwater may flow out to sea from the Nullarbor in a freshwater

The existence of the Great Australian Bight Marine

upwelling near the Head of Bight. This may affect

Park, together with planning for the Far West

the marine water properties in the whale sanctuary

Marine Park, has increased the focus, activities and

and affect other marine species such as the

level of interest in the marine environment. These

Mulloway.

activities are supplemented by AW NRM Board and

for unique marine plants and animals, some found nowhere else in the world

Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) funding.

Report card There are opportunities to increase the

A Health rating

understanding and care of this pristine landscape.

The marine and near-shore environments are pristine compared to other marine areas in South

Cause for concern

Australia and are likely to be in excellent health.

The actual rate of cliff retreat now and in the future

However, open access to the cliff areas is reducing

under climate change is unknown (YCAP 2008).

the nesting success of Osprey and White-bellied

Depending on its magnitude, cliff retreat may affect

Sea Eagles.

flora and fauna living in the vicinity of the cliffs, such as the Nullarbor Daisy.

Evidence summary Evidence tables to support these ratings are provided in Appendix J.

Part 2: State of the Region 53

Yalata Coast

D EN

H

TR

Landscape 2:

LTH EA

B

Summary

system. These dunes stretch from Head of Bight to Wahgunyah Conservation Park. The dunes

H

el pi ng

Yalata coastal landscape Photo: Bill Doyle

hand

This landscape could also be called a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;seascapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

lie at right angles to the prevailing wind and are

because it includes coastal lands as well as the

associated with high-energy, windswept beaches.

marine areas extending three nautical miles

These mobile dunes have been estimated to be

offshore.

moving at the rate of four and a half metres per year to the east (Segaran, RR 2006). The landscape

The Yalata Coast landscape includes the area east

also includes cliff areas, swamps and salt-marsh.

of the Nullarbor, where the Bunda cliffs become

Between Wahgunyah and Twin Rocks are low cliffs

a coastline of massive dunes, or the Yalata Dune

that harbour dune vegetation; at Twin Rocks the dune vegetation is over seven kilometres wide.

H

de od

dP

er lov

54 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Surveying seaweeds, Yalata coast Photo: A. Loisier, AW NRM Board staff

Notable attributes of the Yalata Coast landscape

People

include:

•• the Yalata Dune system, one of the largest sand

There are no permanent towns or communities

•• unique coastal areas, which are part of the

is private accommodation for the managers at

masses in the state (YCAP 2008)

in the vicinity of the Yalata coast, although there

largest stretch of south-facing coastline in the

Head of Bight. The Yalata people use coastal

southern hemisphere

areas—particularly around Yalata Beach—for

•• vast stretches of relatively undisturbed beach

fishing, swimming and camping. The Yalata

•• habitat for globally significant threatened marine

for recreational fishers and four-wheel drive tourists

•• a mosaic of vegetation communities, which

season in spring to early summer. Access to these

coastline, utilised by shorebirds mammals

extend east and west of Head of Bight

•• habitat for a number of birds, including sea birds

community also have basic campground facilities and campers, utilised mainly during the fishing areas is allowed with a Yalata camping permit.

such as Little Penguins, shore wader birds such as

The Yalata Coast to ‘high-water mark’ is Aboriginal

Hooded Plovers and Oystercatchers, and coastal

Lands Trust Land, leased to the Yalata Community.

birds of prey such as White-bellied Sea Eagles

There are native title claims over the coastal area

and Osprey

and the inland areas south of the Maralinga Tjarutja

•• habitat for many species of fish, including salmon

Lands (including Yalata and Nullarbor) by the Far

and a population of Mulloway thought to be

West Coast Native Title Claimant Group. This group

separate from the Coorong population

includes Mirning, Wirangu, Kokatha and Anangu

•• habitat for sharks, including School Sharks and Great White Sharks.

Aboriginal people with traditional associations in the area.

Table 2.3: Land tenure in the Yalata Coast landscape Land tenure

Area*

Yalata IPA

456,300 ha

*The sizes given refer to the land parcel as a whole, rather than the section that is within the landscape.

Part 2: State of the Region 55

Figure 2.6: The Yalata Coast landscape, shown in relation to the AW NRM Region

56 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Part 2: State of the Region 57

Country Yalata coastal areas were grazed widely in the late 19th century. Early records provide an indicator of historic grazing intensity—in 1885, Yalata and Penong recorded 122,318 head of sheep shorn (Cockburn 1927 in YCAP 2008). Grazing on the coast decreased after the rabbit plague of the 1890s and ceased in the 1950s (Yalata IPA Plan of Management).

•• migratory waders of international significance •• Heath Monitor •• reptiles, such as the Nullarbor Bearded Dragon and Beach Slider

•• rare and endangered marine mammals, such as Blue Whales and Humpback Whales, and Southern Right Whales

•• unique marine plants and animals, some found nowhere else in the world, including large

populations of sponges (bryozoans) and sea slugs (nudibranchs)

Habitats and communities Two communities of high conservation value occur in the Head of Bight area. There are also diverse overlapping vegetation communities along the coast which are expected to provide valuable core

•• many of the 200 described species of sea squirts (ascidians)

•• unusual seaweeds of the Sargassum genus, which are being discovered in the Great Australian Bight marine environment.

or dispersal habitat for a variety of fauna.

A full list of each landscape’s flora and fauna of

Flora and fauna

conservation significance, that is, those rated at the

Important flora and fauna species exist in the

state and national levels, is provided in Appendix H.

Yalata Coast and marine landscape, including the Pig-face on sand dune Photo: AW NRM Board

examples listed below:

Soils

•• rated plant species, including Pomaderris

Aside from the western end of Yalata Lands which

•• Hooded Plover

consolidated dune sands forming the extensive

forrestiana

•• Osprey and White-bellied Sea Eagle

joins the Nullarbor Plain, the Yalata Coast is largely Yalata Dunes. Yalata swamp is a saline low-lying coastal area with gypsum-containing soils.

Water There is no known permanent fresh surface water in the coastal area. The Yalata Swamp (a coastal saline swamp at the western end of Yalata Lands) is very significant to local Aboriginal groups.

58 Alinytjara Wilurara Regional NRM Plan

Report card

Cause for concern Recent research suggests the Great Australian Bight

B Health rating

population of Mulloway may be sexually mature

A lack of coastal development and exploitation

and most fecund (producing the most eggs) when

or harvesting of coastal resources in the Yalata

they are above the legal size. Some locals have

Coast landscape mean the near shore and coastal

suggested the population is in decline and further

environments are pristine compared to other

investigations will help determine the current status

coastal areas in South Australia and are likely to be

of Mulloway.

in excellent health condition. The only exception is the impact caused to the coast by fishing (including

Due to climate change, it is predicted that sea

shark netting, recreational fishing of species such

level will rise 17â&#x20AC;&#x2030;cm by 2030; thus, it is likely that

as salmon and Mulloway, and by-catch) and

beaches and reefs will be submerged except at

associated four wheel-drive damage.

the lowest tides. Also, dune vegetation will be slower to recover from storm, foredune damage

Trend rating

with an increase in blowout development, and

The Yalata Coast landscape is assumed to be stable

clifftop dunes will have greater potential to develop

and functioning largely under natural processes

instability (Caton et al 2008).

but, in the absence of monitoring, measuring or indicators, the short-term trend has not been rated.

Helping hand rating NRM-related stewardship in the Yalata Coast

Evidence summary

The unique coastal areas

Evidence tables to support these ratings are

of this landscape are part

provided in Appendix J.

of the largest stretch of

landscape is reasonable and growing. The existence

south-facing coastline in

of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, together

the southern hemisphere

planning for the Far West Marine Park, has increased the focus, activities and level of interest in the marine environment. These activities are supplemented by AW NRM Board and IPA funding.

Agencies with coast- or marine-related NRM roles include DENR, the AW NRM Board, PIRSA Fisheries, and Yalata (via IPA funding).

There are opportunities to increase the understanding and care of this relatively pristine landscape.

Part 2: State of the Region 59