Find below a - Submission from Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority NE NSW
Submission Coversheet and cited Corridor Documents attached
A letter as a final submission will be sent asap
regards john nagle
20 April 2012
Submission on Draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan. The
National Wildlife Corridors Plan Advisory Group is to be congratulated on a plan that is concise,
well presented and fully incorporates the principles of wildlife corridor and landscape
connectivity. Many of these principles are currently begin discussed at the regional level and
incorporated into a new Catchment Action Plan for the Northern Rivers region.
In parts the plan is short on some information and current corridor initiatives in relation to
northern NSW and the proposed Noosa to Ballina corridor; to this end we submit our comments
below.
Specific reference should be made to two important reference documents;
‘Key Altitudinal, Latitudinal and Coastal Corridors for response to Climate Change’ (NSW DECC
2007), and ‘Key Habitats and Corridors for Forest Fauna’ (D. Scotts - NPWS 2003). These
documents identify land areas for strategic conservation efforts to aid adaptation to the
potential adverse effects of climate change for wildlife. Coastal and Upland Range corridor
options are identified in these documents for far north-east of the region and north of Ballina.
Copies are provided as attachments to this submission.
These documents, along with the Border Ranges Rainforest Biodiversity Management Plan and
the Northern Rivers Biodiversity Management Plan, should underpin regional and local corridor
planning associated with the proposed Noosa to Ballina corridor.
The GER initiative (refer page 51/52) needs to make reference to the World Heritage Areas of
the Border Ranges & the Scenic Rim national park estate within NSW/QLD, such as Border
Ranges NP & Lamington NP.
The Border Ranges /Scenic Rim area is a current pilot under the GER initiative with many
aspects of cross border collaboration, planning and program implementation well underway.
This effort, driven by the Border Ranges Alliance with its wide representation of NSW & QLD
regional organisations, agencies and NGOs, would serve very well to direct the regional
cooperation, partnerships and scientific knowledge required for the Noosa to Ballina corridor.
It will be important to identify crucial elevation linkage between the coastal plain and upland
ranges within the Noosa to Ballina corridor. The corridor is very fragmented spanning large
urban, tourist and agricultural areas and with significant human population pressures.
Strategies for design and planning and implementation programs will need to be achievable
within this rapidly changing and bio-diverse subtropical landscape.
Further, the regional NRM organisations of the Northern Rivers Catchment Management
Authority (NRCMA) and South East Queensland Catchments are critical to any corridor
initiatives. The NRCMA as a key player seeks to assist your initiatives to develop a long-term
program for wildlife corridor and connectivity conservation management in partnership with
supporting landholders, agencies, local government and the community.
The NRCMA appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Draft Plan and submits these
comments for your consideration. If you wish to clarify or discuss any of these comments
please contact John Nagle, Catchment Officer based in our Alstonville office on 02 66270123.
end
John Nagle| Catchment Officer
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