5 September
2006 - The vast rangelands that cover much of
Australia’s mainland will be better managed with
a new series of guides launched today by the Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell.
Senator Campbell said the new
guides, Managing for Biodiversity in the Rangelands,
were an important practical tool to help manage
the varied land use and environmental challenges
across Australia.
“Rangelands cover more than
75 per cent of Australia’s landmass, and it is
vital we understand how to manage them sustainably,”
Senator Campbell said.
The scale and terrain of our
rangelands is incredibly diverse, including the
vast Mitchell grass plains of western Queensland;
eucalypt woodland savannas stretching across the
Top End from Cape York to the Kimberley; spinifex
grasslands and red dunes of the arid centre, and
mulga and saltbush country in western New South
Wales and South Australia.
“The rangelands are home to
some of our most amazing animals and plants and
distinctive world renowned landscapes. They help
support some of Australia’s most productive industries
including mining, tourism, and beef, sheep and
wool production,” Senator Campbell said.
“Their variable climate, low rainfall and low
soil fertility make their management challenging.
They are risk of native species loss from feral
animals, changing fire and grazing regimes.
“Rangelands are a unique part
of our vast continent and this guides will ensure
the survival of these precious lands and diverse
plants and animals for future generations.
“I am pleased launch this practical
series of guides to Managing for Biodiversity
in the Rangelands that will assist and better
equip land managers with the tools to cope with
these challenges.”
The guides cover management
of fire, weeds, total grazing pressure; tools
for assessing financial and environmental impacts
of management options; and industry guidelines
for sustainability.
The Australian Government uses
a $1.6 million investment in the Australian Collaborative
Rangelands Information System to monitor change
in the rangelands. This partnership between governments
compiles data on the nature and extent of environmental
change in the rangelands to improve our understanding
of the drivers of change and benefit rangelands
managers.
Attached is a summary of titles
in the ‘Managing for Biodiversity in the Rangelands’
series.
Managing for Biodiversity in the Rangelands series
can be accessed at http://www.deh.gov.au/about/publications/index.html.
Rob Broadfield (Senator Campbell's Office)
Published titles in the Managing
for Biodiversity in the Rangelands series
Fire management
The document provides information to improve the
ability of rangeland managers to plan and implement
fire management strategies relevant to the vegetation
types. The document identifies and documents issues
such as:
• fire frequency thresholds for major vegetation
types;
• a checklist for good fire management planning
• gaps in current fire management knowledge and
information;
• priority regions where fire management plans
are needed or should be improved;
Management of total grazing pressure
Focusing on grazing land management zones (GLMZs)
as being representative of regions with similar
total grazing pressure and biodiversity characteristics,
the document provides guidelines to assist in
the management of total grazing pressure, particularly
in relation to impacts on biodiversity.
Identifies knowledge gaps and priorities for future
investment.
Industry guidelines for sustainability
Major industries based on natural resources in
the rangelands include pastoralism, mining, tourism
and defence or military uses. The governance of
these industries – legislation, policies, incentives
and compliance mechanisms – significant influences
the degree to which these industries impact on
their natural resource base.
The booklet presents an overview of the best management
practice approaches used in these industries and
discusses the governance arrangements that apply
in each of the rangeland states and the Northern
territory.
Assessing financial and environmental impacts
of management options
Decisions responding to the need for new and different
grazing land management practices are best made
and implemented the property scale.
This guide describes a framework that land managers
can use to help them decide how to balance environmental
and economic considerations. It helps land managers
assess production, economic and environmental
impacts, and how they might trade off these impacts,
to make better and more informed decisions about
their management options.
Weed management
Weed invasions pose a major threat to the Australian
rangeland ecosystems. They threaten individual
species, communities of native plants and animals
and they alter important ecological processes.
The report identifies the threats to the biodiversity
of the Australian rangelands from weeds, as well
as the weed management techniques that would be
most effective given diverse tenures and land
uses in extensive rangelands.
Further guides about feral animals, water management
and biodiversity monitoring will be prepared and
published in the future.
