Travelling Stock Reserves Revamped
26 Jun 2023
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services has boosted the ecological value of several Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) in the region with the help of funding from the NSW Environment Trust.
The project has enabled planting of 800 trees and shrubs from the Ribbon Gum Endangered Ecological Community in two TSRs along the Guyra-Ebor Rd. These were planted by the local Banbai Aboriginal Group and will provide valuable habitat and act as a corridor connecting to nearby bush remnants in the years to come.
Spraying of invasive mimosa bush took place over 820 hectares of TSR near Yetman along the McIntyre River. This TSR is home to an Endangered Ecological Myall Woodland Community which was overrun with mimosa. Regeneration of native grasses has now occurred due to the removal of this invasive species.
Project Officer with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, Helen Ward said the three-year project also incorporated the use of a cultural fire burn as a land management tool in a TSR near Inverell which contains the Critically Endangered Yellow box.
“It was successful in reducing weeds such as Coolatai and African lovegrass. Excitingly, a cultural assessment of the TSR prior to the burn uncovered some Aboriginal artefacts and scar trees which will now be protected as significant sites and subject to ongoing management,” Ms Ward said.
The Inverell Clontarf Foundation installed koala drinking stations and nesting boxes.
The foundation aims to improve the education, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. The group will regularly monitor the reserve to see what birds and animals are using the boxes.
“The project has been a huge success, with all the outcomes achieved despite the challenges of the last few years,” she said.
“Ongoing care of these reserves is important as they contain some of the last remaining bush remnants and provide valuable refuges for threatened species in the region such as the koala and Regent Honeyeater.”
For more information about the Enhancing and Protecting the Conservation Values of TSRs in the Northern Tablelands project, contact Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Project Officer, Helen Ward on 02 6720 8326.