Onkaparinga Estuary Management Plan

Copy for distibution

August 2008

Onkaparinga Estuary Management Plan

August 2008

Prepared as a joint initiative for Land SA, Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, City of Onkaparinga,

Department for Environment and Hertiage, Friends of Onkaparinga Parks.

Prepared by Environmental & Biodiversity Services

Onkaparinga Estuary Management Plan 2008

Environmental and Biodiversity Services 3

Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 6 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7

1.1 Location .......................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Recent works undertaken ............................................................................... 8 1.3 Management Objectives ...................................................................................... 9

2. Management Areas ............................................................................................ 10 3. Vegetation .......................................................................................................... 13

3.1 Pre-European Vegetation Associations ........................................................ 13 3.2 Remnant Vegetation ..................................................................................... 15 3.3 Existing Vegetation and Condition ................................................................ 19 3.4 Weeds .......................................................................................................... 21

4. Management issues ........................................................................................... 22 4.1 Weed Control and Prioritisation .................................................................... 22

4.1.1 Management of Weeds ......................................................................... 22 4.1.2 Management of Non-local Native Plantings ........................................... 23 4.1.3 Time and Cost Estimate for Weed Control, Slashing and Bushcare...... 23

4.2 Fauna management...................................................................................... 24 4.2.1 Rabbits and Hares ................................................................................. 24 4.2.2 Kangaroos ............................................................................................. 25

4.3 Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 25 4.4 Slashing and Encouragement of Native Grass Regeneration ....................... 26 4.5 Revegetation ................................................................................................ 27

4.5.1 Site preparation and planting ................................................................. 28 4.5.2 Revegetation Species List ..................................................................... 30

4.6 Management Activities calendar ................................................................... 31 5. Description of Management Areas. ..................................................................... 32

5.1 Management Area 1. .................................................................................... 34 5.2 Management Area 2. .................................................................................... 42 5.3 Management Area 3. .................................................................................... 46 5.4 Management Area 4. .................................................................................... 51 5.5 Management Area 5. .................................................................................... 60 5.6 Management Area 6. .................................................................................... 65 5.7 Management Area 7. .................................................................................... 72 5.8 Management Area 8. .................................................................................... 79 5.9 Management Area 9. .................................................................................... 83 5.10 Management Area 10. .................................................................................. 85 5.11 Management Area 11. .................................................................................. 88

6. References ............................................................................................................. 92

Tables TABLE 1 - MANAGEMENT AREAS AND PRIORITIES ............................................................. 11 TABLE 2 - REMNANT SPECIES OBSERVED WITHIN THE ONKAPARINGA ESTUARY DURING THE

CURRENT SURVEY. ................................................................................................. 16 TABLE 3 - CONDITION RATINGS OF UNDERSTOREY .......................................................... 19 TABLE 4 - DECLARED WEED SPECIES UNDER THE NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT

2004 RECORDED WITHIN THE ONKAPARINGA ESTUARY RECREATION PARK. ................ 21 TABLE 5 - MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CALENDAR .............................................................. 31 TABLE 6 - REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 1 (FIG 2) ...................... 36 TABLE 7 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 1. ........................... 38 TABLE 8 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 2. ........................... 43 TABLE 9 - REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 1 (FIG 5) ...................... 47 TABLE 10 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 3. ......................... 49 TABLE 11 - REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 4, SITE 1. ................... 52 TABLE 12 - SITE 1 REVEGETATION SPECIES LIST .............................................................. 53 TABLE 13 - SITE 1 DIRECT SEEDING MIX .......................................................................... 53 TABLE 14 - REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 4, SITE 2. ................... 54 TABLE 15 - SITE 2 REVEGETATION SPECIES LIST. ............................................................. 54 TABLE 16 - SITE 2 DIRECT SEEDING MIX. ......................................................................... 55 TABLE 17 - PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 4. .......................... 56 TABLE 18 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 5. ......................... 62 TABLE 19 - REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 6. .............................. 67 TABLE 20 - PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 6. .......................... 69 TABLE 21 – REVEGETATION DESCRIPTION FOR MANAGEMENT AREA 7 .............................. 74 TABLE 22 - PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 7. .......................... 76 TABLE 23 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 8. ......................... 81 TABLE 24 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 10. ....................... 86 TABLE 25 – PRIORITY WEEDS OCCURRING WITHIN MANAGEMENT AREA 11. ....................... 90

Figures FIGURE 1 – LOCATION OF MANAGEMENT AREAS WITHIN THE ONKAPARINGA ESTUARY. ....... 32 FIGURE 2 – MANAGEMENT AREA 1 PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS ....................................... 40 FIGURE 3 – MANAGEMENT AREA 1 PROPOSED REVEGETATION SITES ................................ 41 FIGURE 4 – MANAGEMENT AREA 2 PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS. ...................................... 45 FIGURE 5 - MANAGEMENT AREA 3. PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTION, RATED SPECIES AND

PROPOSED REVEGETATION SITES. .......................................................................... 50 FIGURE 6 – MANAGEMENT AREA 4 PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS, RATED SPECIES

DISTRIBUTION. ....................................................................................................... 58 FIGURE 7 – MANAGEMENT AREA 4 PROPOSED REVEGETATION SITES, PROPOSED BUSHCARE

SITE. ..................................................................................................................... 59 FIGURE 8 – MANAGEMENT AREA 5, PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS. ..................................... 64 FIGURE 9 – MANAGEMENT AREA 6, PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTION, RATED SPECIES, PROPOSED

REVEGETATION SITE. ............................................................................................. 71 FIGURE 10 – MANAGEMENT AREA 7, PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS, PROPOSED REVEGETATION

SITES. ................................................................................................................... 78 FIGURE 11 – MANAGEMENT AREA 8 PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTION AND PROPOSED

REVEGETATION SITE. .............................................................................................. 82 FIGURE 12 - MANAGEMENT AREA 9. ............................................................................... 84 FIGURE 13 – MANAGEMENT AREA 10, PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS, PROPOSED BUSHCARE

SITE. ..................................................................................................................... 87 FIGURE 14 – MANAGEMENT AREA 11, PEST PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS. ................................. 91

Onkaparinga Estuary Management Plan 2008

Environmental and Biodiversity Services 6

Acknowledgements

The Onkaparinga Estuary Manag