National Parks replaces missing protective post
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has replaced a post protecting a threatened species in Brisbane Water National Park near Warrah Trig that it claimed six months ago was not missing.
A number of yellow roadside posts warn of "threatened species" in the area, but one appears not to have been replaced after track reconstruction and a subsequent hazard reduction burn.
Two rare native plants were slashed to the ground in maintenance work by the Service in August because the post was not in place at the time to warn the maintenance crew.
However, when asked about the missing post, the service told Peninsula News: "NPWS staff checked the posts on August 19 and all were in place."
On this basis, the Service's public affairs officer Mr Laurence Orel said that slashing had only been undertaken outside the "threatened flora zone".
"The 'warning posts' are a visual reminder for persons working on Warrah Trig Rd to obtain approval to undertake works in this zone due to presence of threatened flora.
"The Service has not undertaken slashing works within this threatened flora zone," he said.
Peninsula News provided the Service with pictures showing the post originally in place, but absent at the time of the slashing, as well as evidence of the plant being protected by the missing post.
In recent maintenance work, the post has been replaced.
The August slashing was the second setback for the plants of the endangered species astrotricha crassifolia, sometimes called the thick-leaf star-hair.
The two plants had been burnt the ground in a hazard reduction burn in July 2023.
The species is believed to exist in just two small patches near Sydney, one being at Warrah Trig, and their numbers were said to be declining.
The plants were just showing signs of regrowing from their roots, when they were slashed.
Mr Orel told Peninsula News in August: "Astrotricha crassifolia has been a priority species under the Saving our Species program since 2016 and a conservation strategy has been developed.
"In Brisbane Water National Park, actions include targeted searches for new individuals, monitoring health status of existing populations, seed collection and the establishment of an ex-situ insurance population.
"The main threat to the population appears to be lack of germination and the risk of a stochastic event such as a large wildfire (one that burns all known populations in one event).
"Save our Species research noticed a continual decline of Astrotricha crassifolia in less frequently burnt areas and scientific research has indicated that it would benefit from reduced canopy competition as a result of burning.
"A proportion of the total population at Brisbane Water National Park were selected to be included in the burn trial in 2023 and monitoring of these stems postfire is ongoing. "Astrotricha crassifolia has resprouted post-fire, and monitoring of the post-fire response will continue."
SOURCE:
Media statement, 26 Aug 2024
Lawrence Orel, NPWS