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SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 1
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 2
March 2017
This document should be cited as:
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, 2017. Regional Action Plan: A guide to natural
resource management priorities in the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, Central Ranges subregion summary.
URL: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin-rap
For more information about this plan please contact:
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board
PO Box 2343
Murray Bridge SA 5253
Phone: (08) 8532 9100
Email: SAMDBEnquiries@sa.gov.au
Website: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin-rap
The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and the Government of South Australia, their
employees and their servants do not warrant, or make any representation, regarding the use or results of the information
contain herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency or otherwise. The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural
Resources Management Board and the Government of South Australia, their employees and their servants expressly disclaim all
liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice herein.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 3
The diverse soils, water resources, biodiversity and landscapes of the SA Murray-
Darling Basin (SAMDB) are the foundation of many of the things we value; our
livelihoods, lifestyles and our wellbeing.
We all play a role in managing these natural resources.
About this document
This document is a summary of the Central Ranges subregion of the Regional Action Plan for the South
Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Region. The document contains a general
overview of the subregion and what’s valued about it, a detailed profile of the subregion, a list of the natural
resources management issues, their impacts and their priority status. For more detail on specific issues or to find
out the suggested actions to address them please follow the links in this document or visit the Regional Action
Plan online at www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin-rap
Figure 1: Location of the Central Ranges subregion
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 4
Socio-economic drivers of change
Proximity to city and aesthetic values, driving property values
and land use change (including urban growth)
Growth in eco-and agri-tourism
Increase in trail bike use and 4WD recreation
Climate change.
Central Ranges subregion Overview
The Central Ranges subregion is defined as much by the social connection of its community to the farming
traditions of the Barossa Valley, particularly viticulture, as it is by its landscape characteristics. This subregion runs
along the spine of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges and overlaps with the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM
region. The Central Ranges subregion is largely the traditional land of the Peramangk125, with a section of the
Ngadjuri Nation #2 Native Title Claim area in the north.114
The Barossa is an internationally recognised wine grape growing region that attracts tourists to its viticulture
areas. It has a strong food and wine culture and supports numerous cottage and niche businesses. Its European
history, particularly German settlement, is also a feature of the region. There are a high proportion of commuters
from rural properties and towns to and from Adelaide40 but there are also strong transport linkages to regional
centres such as Gawler.
The area supports a diverse mix of land uses -
including viticulture, horticulture, livestock grazing,
horse agistment and biodiversity conservation with a
growing number of lifestyle properties. This diversity
of land use contributes to its cultural, aesthetic,
tourism and development values. The landscape is
characterised by hills, valleys and rocky outcrops of
the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges.
Native vegetation in this area has been extensively
cleared for agricultural and urban development,
however, remnant grassy woodlands and temperate
grassland ecosystems provide important habitat for
native plants and animals, including a number of threatened species. Streams flow intermittently from the hills
into the River Murray. Surface water resources have been extensively developed with dams and watercourse
diversions.
What do we value about this area?
Economic benefits associated with wine and food tourism40, 78 - The Barossa is a “food bowl” of South
Australia
Cultural, social and economic values of the Traditional Owners124
Strong ties to German heritage and farming traditions, particularly viticulture, but also mixed farming. A
diversity of farming uses40
‘Lifestyle’ values; scenic landscape and semi-rural living with a high level of services, within commuting
distance of Adelaide.40,78
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 5
Profile of the Central Ranges subregion
Landscapes The Central Ranges subregion covers the central
section of the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges (EMLR),
an area considered a biodiversity hotspot for the
nation. It contains habitat important to a suite of
native species, including a number of declining
woodland birds. Socially the community identifies
with the Barossa region to the west, while the
section of this subregion within the SA Murray-
Darling Basin comprises catchments that drain
eastwards to the River Murray. The area is a highly
modified production landscape, with soils and
climate well suited to viticulture and mixed farming.
Rainfall is moderate on the plains (350 mm) and
higher in the hills (up to 800 mm), thus there is a
strong gradient declining with elevation from west
to east.40,93 Rainfall generally follows a seasonal
pattern with the highest falls in winter and early
spring, although high intensity rainfall in summer
thunderstorms can create flash flooding.93
Aboriginal creation ancestor stories (sometimes
called Dreamtime or Dreaming Stories) explain how
natural elements in the landscape were formed or
how certain species came to be. The stories describe
how creation ancestors shaped and shifted the
landscape, how they crafted its beauty and natural
resources and then gifted these places to specific
groups of people across South Australia.116
Prior to European settlement, the native vegetation
of the area was dominated by grassy woodlands
and natural temperate grasslands. These are still
present in places, now mostly as small, fragmented
patches, as native vegetation cover is around 15 per
cent of its former extent. Conservation assets in this
subregion include grassy woodlands (drooping
sheoak, red gum, blue gum, pink gum, mallee box)
and the nationally threatened ecological
communities - Peppermint Box Grassy Woodland of
South Australia and Iron Grass Natural Temperate
grassland of South Australia.40,88,90,91 The Central
Ranges subregion provides habitat for 47 state
listed threatened flora species and 20 state listed
threatened fauna species. Seven flora and two fauna
species are also listed nationally under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999. A full list of threatened
species found in this subregion can be downloaded
here.40,90
Aboriginal culture and heritage is an important part
of the landscape. Many plants, animals and sites are
culturally significant and these are affected by a
range of NRM issues. The Aboriginal Heritage Act
1988 protects Aboriginal sites, objects and remains
in all areas of South Australia.117 Protecting
Aboriginal Heritage and natural resources, and
playing an active role in their management are key
priorities for the Traditional Owners of this area.124
The water resources on the eastern side of the
Mount Lofty Ranges spine are managed under the
water allocation plans for the Marne Saunders
Prescribed Water Resources (covering the Marne
River and Saunders Creek catchments) and the
Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges Prescribed Water
Resources (covering catchments south of the
Saunders Creek catchment: Milendella, Long Gully,
Bees Knees, Reedy, Salt, Preamimma and Rocky
Gully Creeks).50,93 The water resources on the
western side of the spine drain towards the Gulf of
St Vincent and are managed under the Water
Allocation Plan for the Western Mount Lofty Ranges
Prescribed Water Resources by Natural Resources
Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges.
The water allocation plans aim to encourage
sustainable use, maintain the quality and quantity of
water, maintain and improve water-dependent
ecosystems and minimise impacts of taking and
using water. The watercourses gain water from run-
off in the hills and groundwater discharge where
the groundwater level is higher than the stream bed
for at least some of the time. These streams also
lose water to groundwater in the foothills and on
the plains. The hills zone of the Marne-Saunders
catchments consist of undulating to steep hills
formed of Kanmantoo Group rock, that has been
extensively folded and faulted by heat and
pressure.93 The Palmer Fault at the eastern edge of
the ranges marks the transition to the plains, which
contain unconsolidated sedimentary deposits lying
over the same basement rocks as the hills (Note the
plains are in the Lower Murray and Plains
subregion). The hills of the EMLR are underlain by
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 6
consolidated basement rock, which form fractured
rock aquifers.50 Stream water is lost to the
groundwater on the plains on its way to the River
Murray, which is the receiving body for intermittent
flows in these streams.93 The surface water and
groundwater resources are strongly interconnected.
The water resources of the Marne River and
Saunders Creek catchments support a range of flora
and fauna species including nine native fish species
still found in the area (including river blackfish,
protected under the state Fisheries Management Act
2007), a range of aquatic macroinvertebrates
considered rare or uncommon in South Australian
streams, and several species of aquatic (instream)
and riparian (stream side) vegetation considered of
conservation significance in the Murray region.
These species are supported by surface water
runoff, stream flow and input from groundwater
into streams from springs and baseflow.93
Farm dam development is significant, particularly in
the hills, resulting in less water for watercourses.
There are approximately 960 dams in the Marne
Saunders Prescribed Water Resources Area,
capturing an estimated volume of 3,970 ML.93 The
Milendella to Rocky Gully Creek catchments
collectively contain 615 dams holding
approximately 1070 ML.50 Groundwater resource
development is centered around the sedimentary
aquifers (e.g. near Cambrai in the Lower Murray and
Plains subregion), with the patchy nature of
fractured rock aquifers limiting groundwater
resource development in other areas. Water is used
mostly for viticulture, horticulture, stock and
domestic purposes.50, 93
Groundwater resources are mostly low yielding with
moderate salinity, although there are pockets of
better quality water.93
Soils of the region are variable, but are typically
shallow to moderate soils on rock, which have a
relative high inherent fertility. These soils are often
associated with acidic sandy loams over clay on rock
which can readily acidify and are susceptible to
water and wind erosion.40,69 Combined with the
hilly topography, this limits cropping in this
subregion.
Livelihoods The Central Ranges subregion (114,600 ha) supports
highly productive agricultural industries, and a
diversity of land uses. Tourism (wine, food and
heritage) are also a significant contributor to the
local economy, particularly in the Barossa.133
Like other parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges, land
value is high relative to more remote parts of the SA
Murray-Darling Basin region, reflecting its proximity
to Adelaide and competition for land from
residential developers and lifestyle property owners.
The dominant land use is grazing of modified
pastures (90,600 ha). Irrigation of crops, pasture
and perennial and seasonal horticulture in total
covers only 1900 ha but most of it is high value
wine grapes. Land prices and the hilly and rocky
terrain limit cropping to 10,200 ha in this subregion.
Many of the agricultural and horticultural land uses
in the area rely on supplementary water from dams,
watercourse diversions and bores.50,93 In general,
property sizes are small compared to more remote
subregions with small-farm animal husbandry, horse
properties and substantial residential areas (2700
ha). Areas set aside for nature conservation are
minimal (745 ha).81 Small rural and residential
properties are centered around the main townships
of Woodside, Nuriootpa, Williamstown and
Kersbrook (outside of the SA Murray-Darling Basin
region).
The Central Ranges subregion has a higher socio-
economic status than more remote parts of SAMDB
and a high proportion of city commuters40. Due to
its large commuting population, high levels of ‘off-
farm’ income and high property turnover, many
residents of lifestyle properties are likely to have
less connection to the local environment and thus
lower knowledge of NRM issues relative to more
rural subregions.40
The Traditional Owners of this subregion have used
and actively managed the natural resources of the
area for many thousands of years. Today a number
of Aboriginal people are employed in natural
resources management roles within the SAMDB
NRM region although most of this work has focused
on the River Murray, Lower Lakes and Coorong area.
Significant capacity has been built within the
community to continue playing a key role in natural
resources management into the future and
employment in natural resources management has
significant economic and social outcomes for the
Aboriginal community.126
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 7
Lifestyles The Central Ranges subregion had a population of
23,684 in 2011, which is around the state average.
The area experienced a substantial population
growth (24 per cent in the decade from 2001 to
2011).61, 78 This subregion has comparatively lower
numbers of elderly people in the population
compared to other areas of the state. It also has
fewer lone person households than the state
average.61
Local government responsibilities are primarily held
by the Barossa Council with the District Council of
Mount Barker, Mid Murray Council and Adelaide
Hills Council covering smaller parts of this
subregion. The local governments are represented
through the Murray Mallee and Central Local
Government Association regions.
Aboriginal culture is intrinsically linked to natural
resources and a healthy environment underpins
traditional owners’ ability to continue undertaking
cultural practices, exercising cultural rights and
meeting cultural responsibilities and obligations.
This ability is essential for protecting and passing
down culture between generations, maintaining and
building community wellbeing, and educating the
broader community124. There is a strong interest in
natural and cultural resource based opportunities in
this subregion, including management, monitoring
and tourism for the purpose of increasing
Aboriginal participation and increasing awareness
of non-Aboriginal people.124
The area has a high level of services and
recreational opportunities due to its close proximity
to Adelaide.61 This accessibility, both to Adelaide
and regional centres, together with above average
Internet access (83 per cent of household in 2011)
also places the community in good stead to be able
to adapt to changing conditions and circumstances,
as a result of climate change for example.61
The diversity of its industries, the aesthetic values of
the scenic hills landscape and its international food
and wine reputation, enable a wide range of cottage
and niche industries to complement its country
lifestyle.78 Farming and viticulture traditions,
especially those of German settlers, are promoted
and strongly identified with.40 The Central Ranges
has a comparatively higher economic diversity than
others in the region, which provides flexibility and
the ability to adapt, should any particular industry
experience prolonged decline.
Other factors positively influencing the community’s
resilience and ability to withstand a variety of social,
economic or environmental pressures include a
comparatively high median household income, a
relatively low unemployment rate, average numbers
of people who have completed high school, and
higher numbers of graduates and women in
managerial or technical occupations. All of these
elements contribute to opportunities for the
community to innovate and diversify in order to
adapt to change together.
The level of volunteering in the area is above
average, which is an indication of a highly
connected and socially cohesive community.61 An
example of this volunteering effort and cohesion, is
seen in the large number of ‘NRM volunteer groups,
which are actively involved in management of
watercourses (e.g. Marne River Catchment Group),
local bushland reserves and revegetation.40 The
NRM groups are serviced by the Eastern Hills and
Murray Plains Catchment Group, based in Murray
Bridge. The Mount Pleasant Natural Resources
Centre also has an active network of NRM
volunteers and runs numerous capacity building
workshops suited to the local community.
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 8
What do we need to work on? The following table describes the natural resources management issues and their impacts on the values of the
Central Ranges subregion, presented in order of decreasing priority.
Key to values
NRM issue What impacts are these having on our natural resources?
Priority Values affected
Working together Community awareness, knowledge and participation in natural resource management Foundational
Climate change adaptation
Building resilience to a changing climate Foundational
Managing risks to biodiversity from wildfire
Catastrophic loss of biodiversity due to wildfire.
Loss of significant populations of plants and animals and potentially species due to a wildfire burning through large or particularly significant areas.
High
Sustainable water resource management
Increasing pressure on water resources and change in hydrology affecting aquatic habitats.
Decrease in environmental flows, resulting in decline in condition of aquatic habitat and loss of aquatic species.
High
Containing new environmental weeds
New and emerging weeds (e.g. Buffel grass)
Competition with native flora; resulting in declines in biodiversity and production values; reduction in quality of appropriate habitat for native species.
High
Containing new aquatic pests
Emerging aquatic pests i.e. Trout, Redfin, Gambusia and released pets affecting aquatic habitat.
Impacts regarding competition with native species.
High
Addressing soil acidity Increase in soil acidity. Decline in production; Increased risk of soil erosion associated with areas of low cover. High
Water quality for consumption
Decline in water quality (for human use) and quality due to capture by large dams and groundwater extraction for domestic and production purposes.
Very limited water available for production purposes or stock and domestic supplies, therefore limited potential for expansion without additional sources of water imported to the area. Insufficient environmental flows to sustain already impacted aquatic ecosystems.
High
Containing new aquatic weeds
New and emerging weeds (such as spiny rush, Rhodes grass) affecting aquatic habitat.
Competition with native flora; decline in the condition of remnant habitat, including threatened species habitat.
High
Threatened species recovery
Threatened species habitat decline and species-specific threats resulting in the decline of threatened fauna and flora.
Risk of extinction to threatened fauna and flora.
High
Natural regeneration of trees
Lack of tree recruitment due to high grazing pressures.
Loss of habitat for woodland birds and other fauna species; decline in connectivity of existing patches of remnant vegetation. Also affects production values due to the loss of shelter for livestock.
Med
Controlling environmental weeds
Environmental weeds (particularly blackberry, willows and ash trees) affecting aquatic habitat.
Competition with native flora; decline in the condition of remnant habitat, including threatened species habitat.
Med
Reducing the impacts of pest animals
Overgrazing/damage by kangaroos, rabbits and goats (un-managed).
Pests reduce pasture available for stock and increase management costs. Med
Water Sustainable Production
Biodiversity People Atmosphere
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 9
(cont.) NRM issue What impacts are these having on our natural resources?
Priority Values affected
Controlling environmental weeds
Environmental weeds (such as boxthorn, gorse, grass weeds, ash trees).
Competition with native flora; resulting in declines in biodiversity and production values; reduction in quality of appropriate habitat for native species.
Med
Sustainable livestock grazing
Overgrazing - by livestock including horses (managed grazing)
Increased total grazing pressure; decline in habitat condition due to loss of palatable native plants; poor recruitment of native species; increased erosion risk.
Med
Reducing the impacts of pest animals
Over-grazing / damage by kangaroos, rabbits and/or deer (unmanaged).
Increased total grazing pressure; decline in habitat condition due to loss of palatable native plants; poor recruitment of native species; increased erosion risk.
Med
Managing fire regimes for biodiversity
Inappropriate fire regime. Lack of recruitment of fire-dependent species; decline in condition of native vegetation if fires too frequent or absent, and risk of bushfire in patches
Med
Protecting and restoring habitat
Loss and fragmentation of habitat, and isolation of pools due to structural impediments to flow, affecting aquatic habitat.
Decline in the extent, condition and connectivity of habitat; reduction in size and isolation of plant and animal populations; increased vulnerability to other threats (such as climate change, pests, weeds).
Med
Sustainable livestock grazing
Over-grazing and pugging - by livestock (managed grazing) affecting aquatic habitat.
Decline and loss of palatable and grazing-sensitive species; increased risk of erosion and weed invasion. Decline in condition of native vegetation and suitability of habitat for native species.
Med
Protecting and restoring habitat
Loss and fragmentation of habitat -from past and current clearing, associated with development and land use change, including increase in motorbike recreation and horse keeping.
Loss of habitat for native species; reduction in size and isolation of plant and animal populations; increased vulnerability to other threats (such as climate change, pests, weeds).
Med
Controlling agricultural weeds
Agricultural weeds Reduced profitability due to costs of control and direct competition with pasture species. Med
Soil health for sustainable production
Management of soil health (i.e. nutrition, fertility, biology) affecting production capacity and susceptibility to additional soil degradation processes.
Affects the profitability and sustainability of production. Poor soil health can lead to on site degradative processes such as soil acidity, erosion, compaction, and sodicity as well as off-site impacts on adjacent lands, watercourses and groundwater systems.
Med
Managing new pest animal and disease risk
New and emerging pests and diseases
Decline in ecosystem health or potential loss of significant populations of native species due to competition or disease.
Med
Managing new pest animal and disease risk
New and emerging pest animals and diseases
Potential threat to crop/stock health, affecting the productivity and profitability of primary industries.
Med
Managing native pastures
Decline in extent of resilient native pastures on marginal grazing land in the face of climate change.
Reduction in production from grazing and long-term productive viability of land (due to difficulty in re-establishing native pastures).
Low
Sustainable water resource management
Decline in water quantity (for productive uses) due to capture by large dams and groundwater extraction for domestic and production purposes.
Very limited water available for production purposes or stock and domestic supplies, therefore limited potential for expansion without additional sources of water imported to the area. Insufficient environmental flows to sustain already impacted aquatic ecosystems.
Low
Protecting and managing native grasslands
Loss of native grasslands/pastures due to land use change (pasture improvement in places where previously not possible).
Loss of native groundlayer species.
Low
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 10
(cont.) NRM issue What impacts are these having on our natural resources?
Priority Values affected
Reducing predation of native fauna
Predation of native fauna (by foxes, cats.
Predation of native animals by pest species result in population declines, particularly of small-weight range species. In urban areas, feral and domesticated cats and foxes have a significant impact on birds and small mammals.
Low
Preventing the spread of Phytophthora
Phytophthora. Loss or decline in condition of native vegetation. Low
Land use planning Loss of productive land due to development, sub-division of properties and change in land use.
Reduced area for productive agriculture.
Low
Reducing the impacts of pest animals
Over-grazing and pugging - by other animals (unmanaged grazing - by pigs, deer and goats) affecting aquatic habitat.
Decline and loss of palatable and grazing-sensitive species; increased risk of erosion and weed invasion. Decline in condition of native vegetation and suitability of habitat for native species.
Low
Water quality for production
Decline in water quality (for productive uses)
Decline in production. Low
Managing over-abundant native fauna
Over-abundant native fauna (corellas, koalas; current and potential impacts) due to natural increases, immigration and paucity of control options.
Over-grazing (impacts as per over-grazing issue above); decline in condition of native vegetation (including decline in tree health due to Corellas and koalas) where populations increase to unsustainable levels.
Low
Managing impacts of windfarms
Impacts of windfarm construction on biodiversity.
Clearing of and disturbance to vegetation within construction sites; potential impacts of turbines on raptors.
Low
SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Plan – Central Ranges subregion 11
References
40 Ranges to River Connection to Country Workshop 29 November 2012 - Mapping Landscape Values
50 SA MDB NRM Board, 2013. Water Allocation Plan for the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges Prescribed Water
Resources Area.
61 Econsearch, 2015. Community Adaptive Capacity Index for the SAMDB NRM Region.
69 SAMDB NRM Board, 2014. SA Murray-Darling Basin natural resources management plan: - Volume A,
strategic plan. South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, Murray Bridge,
South Australia.
78 SAMDB SES mapping workshop, Murray Bridge, 16th February 2015.
81 NR SAMDB, 2015. Analysis of Land use data from 2008. Summary data only.
90 Rogers, D., 2010. A landscape assessment for the Southern Mt Lofty Ranges landscape. Version 2. Part 1
Summary.
93 SAMDB NRM Board, 2010. Water allocation plan for the Marne Saunders Prescribed Water Resources Area
114 National Native Title Tribunal 2016, Native title Applications and Determination Areas. As per the Federal
Court (30 June 2016) – Commonwealth of Australia MAP.
116 DSD 2016, Department of State Development, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation website.
http://www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/aboriginal-affairs/aboriginal-affairs-and-reconciliation/aboriginal-heritage.
117 DSD 2015, Aboriginal Heritage Guideline 10 – Risk Management, Department of State Development,
Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, South Australia.
http://www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/upload/aard/heritage/Risk_Management.pdf?t=1474958967890
118 DEWNR and NRA, 2015. KNYA Listening to Ngarrindjeri People talking Report 2014 and 2015. Department of
Environment, Water and Natural Resources and Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority.
124 DEWNR 2016. SA Murray-Darling Basin Regional Action Planning workshop with Mannum Aboriginal
Community Association Incorporated (MACAI), Mannum, 27th January 2016. Internal document.
125 Coles R., and Hunter R, 2010. The Ochre Warriors – Peramangk culture and rock art in the Mount Lofty
Ranges, Axiom Publishing, Stepney.
126 SA MDB NRM Board 2015. Riverland Working on Country Project: Most significant change evaluation report.
SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, June 2015.
133 Tourism Research Australia, 2015. South Australia Regional Tourism Satellite Accounts 2013-14. Prepared by
Deloitte Access Economics.
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