saing spcis annual report

environment.nsw.gov.au/sos

SAVING OUR SPECIES

Annual report2016–17

© 2019 State of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Photos:Page iv: Mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), DPIE

Page 1 (left to right): Mountain correa (Correa lawrenceana var. genoensis), Dean Ansell/DPIE; Barrier Range dragon (Ctenophorus mirrityana), Marc Irvin; Banksia conferta subsp. conferta, Luke Foster/DPIE

: Brush tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata), Michael van Ewijk/DPIE

Page 3: Brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata), Stuart Cohen/DPIE

Page 4: (top) Surveying the smoky mouse (Pseudomys fumeus), Stuart Cohen/DPIE; (bottom) Swamp Sclerophyll Forest, Jackie Miles/DPIE

Page 5 (left to right): Barrier Range dragon (Ctenophorus mirrityana), Marc Irvin; Little penguin (Eudyptula minor), Nicholas Carlile/DPIE

Page 6: Carrington Falls grevillea (Grevillea rivularis), Stuart Cohen/DPIE

Page 8: Tablelands Snow Gum, Black Sallee, Candlebark and Ribbon Gum Grassy Woodland, Jackie Miles/DPIE

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Published by:

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232Phone: +61 2 9995 5000 (switchboard)Phone: 1300 361 967 (DPIE and national parks enquiries)TTY users: phone 133 677, then ask for 1300 361 967Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727, then ask for 1300 361 967Email: [email protected] Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au

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ISBN 978-1-925974-39-3

EES 2019/0293

July 2019

iii

Saving our Species is ensuring the future for NSW’s threatened plants and animals 1

2016–17 at a glance 2

SoS management streams 3Site-managed species 3Landscape-managed species 3Iconic species 3Partnership species 3Data deficient species 3Keep-watch species 3Threatened ecological communities 3Threatened populations of a species 4Key threatening processes 4

2016–17 – snapshot of progress made for threatened plants and animals 5

Key achievements for 2016–17 5

Delivering the SoS program 7Species Technical Group 7Monitoring, evaluation and reporting 7SoS database 7

Looking ahead to 2017–18 8

Contents

Saving our Species Annual Report 2016-17iv

Saving our Species Annual Report 2016-17 1

Saving our Species is ensuring the future for NSW’s threatened plants and animals

This first year of the expanded SoS funding model was focused on laying the ground work for the years to come. This saw an increase in the number of species that SoS invested in from 94 to 297. In addition, we finalised the program framework for how we make decisions about species and how best to monitor, evaluate and report species outcomes.

While the bulk of the hard work is still to come, project milestones have already been met. SoS recorded growing populations for the critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum and brush-tailed rock-wallaby. New plant populations for the Genoa River correa, Banksia conferta subsp conferta and Eucalyptus dissita have been discovered and rediscovered.

SoS has also invested in research for species where our lack of knowledge impacts our ability to implement on-ground actions. Research commenced on 41 species to fill in knowledge gaps so conservation projects can be developed.

In addition to on-ground conservation work for threatened species, SoS made the transition from Priority Action Statement (PAS) to the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) which was gazetted in 2016. Under the BC Act, all species strategies have been transferred to the BC Act from the previous legislation (PAS).

The work of SoS significantly increased in 2016-17 and will continue in future years as the program continues its mission to do more for threatened species.

The Saving our Species (SoS) program is the NSW Government’s framework for threatened species conservation. SoS guides conservation investment in threatened plants and animals based on targeted measurable goals and regular monitoring and evaluation.

The NSW Government is investing $100 million over five years (2016–2021) in the SoS program, with the aim of securing as many threatened species as possible in the wild for the next 100 years.

2016-17 was a very significant milestone for the SoS program – this marked the beginning of the $100 million investment in the program. The funding, which began on 1 July 2016 is an unprecedented funding commitment, making SoS one of the biggest threatened species conservation programs in Australia.

The $100 million investment is a tenfold increase on previous investment for the SoS program and will substantially increase the number of species receiving funding.

This investment is expanding through the commencement of the $10 million SoS and Environmental Trust Partnership Grants and a $41 million investment in the Reintroduction of Locally Extinct Mammals.

What sets SoS apart is the program framework. The SoS approach groups and prioritises threatened plants and animals into streams based on ecological qualities.

Saving our Species Annual Report 2016-172

2016–17 at a glance

Table 1 2016-17 projects by management stream

Management stream No. of species underway

Site managed species 238

Landscape-managed species 9

Iconic species 6

Data-deficient species 41

Partnership species 1

Key threatening processes 2

Total projects 297

$14.6 million investedin this first year of the expanded SoS funding model.

297

94

297

threatened plants, animals and key threatening process projects were delivered.

The number of active projects grew by over

215%in 2016–17, an increase of

over 200 species with on-ground projects, compared to 2015-16.

2015–16

2016–17

Figure 1 Comparison of active projects 2016–17 and 2015–16


SoS management streams

We manage threatened species in different ways, based on:

• their ecology, habitat and distribution

• threats to their survival

• how much we know about them.

We use that information to allocate species or ecological communities to one of nine management streams.

Site-managed speciesSite-managed species are threatened plants and animals that can be secured by conservation projects at specific sites. Most threatened species are best managed at this level.

In 2016–17 SoS managed 238 site-managed species.

Landscape-managed speciesLandscape-managed species are best assisted by addressing threats such as habitat loss or degradation within a landscape.

In 2016–17 SoS managed nine landscape-managed species.

iconic speciesIconic species are important socially, culturally and economically, and the community expects them to be effectively managed and protected.

In 2016–17 SoS managed six iconic species.

Partnership speciesPartnership species are threatened species found mainly in other states and territories. We partner with others to protect them.

In 2016–17 investment SoS managed one partnership species.

Data deficient speciesData-deficient species are threatened species that we need to know more about before we can secure them in the wild.

In 2016–17 SoS supported research in 41 data-deficient species.

Keep-watch speciesSome threatened species are called keep watch species because no immediate action is needed to protect them.

Threatened ecological communitiesEcological communities provide natural management of clean air and water, provide nutrients for the soil, protect against erosion and salinity, and provide a healthy environment for threatened species.


Investment in threatened ecological communities (TECs) is scheduled for 2017–18.

In 2016–17 we drafted an SoS strategy for TECs that sets the framework for developing conservation strategies for TECs. The draft strategy was publicly exhibited from 28 June to 31 July 2017. Draft conservation projects for the 23 TECs were also publicly exhibited during this time.

Threatened populations of a speciesThreatened populations are groups of native plants and animals likely to become extinct in New South Wales in the near future. A population is a group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular area.

Investment scheduled in 2017–18.

Key threatening processesPests and weeds, climate change and habitat loss are some of the key threatening processes (KTPs) facing native plants and animals.

In 2016–17 SoS invested in two KTPs – forest eucalypt dieback associated with over-abundant psyllids and bell miners; and invasion and establishment of the cane toad.


SoS is doing more for threatened species.

Species are being delivered through the $100 million SoS investment, which is complemented by $10 million in Environmental Trust SoS Partnership Grants. These grants commenced in 2014–15. Further investment has been committed to the Reintroduction of Locally Extinct mammals project. This $41 million investment will see 13 mammal species reintroduced into three national parks and reserves in western New South Wales. This project falls under the SoS banner as it too aims to secure threatened species in the wild.

Through the SoS program, and these supporting projects, positive outcomes for threatened species are being achieved.

Key achievements for 2016–17• A significant new population of Minyon

Quandong was discovered, in north coast NewSouth Wales.

• Surveys for the Barrier Range dragon in northwest New South Wales found a significantincrease in the number of sites and individuals.This indicated the species is on track to securityin the wild.

• Large population increases of several high-altitude SoS species at Limpinwood NatureReserve were recorded, including nearly 1000Mount Merino waxberry and over ten-foldincreases in pretty eyebright and Wollumbindogwood.

• SoS monitoring demonstrated an 80% increasein the brush-tailed rock-wallaby population atJenolan Caves over the past two decades, from12 to at least 100 animals.

• SoS funded the installation of a soundattraction machine (‘love machine’) toencourage breeding of the endangeredpopulation of little penguins at Collins Beachin Manly and to help counteract the impact offoxes.

• A new population of the eastern undergroundorchid was found in Barrington Tops NationalPark.

• 2016–17 saw the finalisation of koalawork in Wingecarribee local governmentarea and the commencement of work inWollondilly. In Wingecarribee, the project hasprovided unprecedented new informationinto the location and extent of a SouthernHighlands koala population that had beenlargely overlooked. Hundreds of systematicspotlighting sites, coupled with the satellite-tracking of up to 20 koalas, have revealed thelargest koala population in New South Walessouth of Sydney, estimated at approximately3000 animals.

• Correa lawrenceana var. genoensis wasrediscovered in South East Forests NationalPark – this is the first time this plant had beenseen in New South Wales for over 15 years.

• Mountain pygmy-possum numbers at Mt BlueCow increased to pre-2000 levels.

• SoS and Environmental Trust PartnershipsGrants for site-managed and landscape speciesgot underway meaning more projects for morespecies are being delivered.

2016–17 – snapshot of progress made for threatened plants and animals


Delivering the SoS program

SoS is delivering practical, on-ground conservation projects for threatened plants, animals and ecological communities. This is supported by a robust program framework that covers each management stream, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER).

SoS continues to revise all species and ecological community strategies, as well as strategies to guide the KTP framework.

SoS Technical Group The SoS Technical Group (STG) provides expert advice and scientific rigour to technical aspects of SoS. They do this by reviewing major changes to conservation projects, allocating newly listed species to one of the management streams and reviewing management and monitoring actions to ensure consistency.

In 2016–17 the STG comprised 16 members. All 2016–17 members have been renewed for 2017–18 with additional members to be sought to cover the range of plant and animal species.

Forty-four major change proposals to conservation projects were reviewed (32 proposals were supported, four were not supported, four required additional information, four were not resolved by end of 2016–17).

Of the species that were newly listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 in 2016–17, nominations to allocate to a SoS management stream were received for 10 species. The STG provided advice on which management stream newly listed species should be allocated to.

Monitoring, evaluation and reportingSoS has rigorous monitoring and evaluation to ensure that management is continually improving, and to report to government and the community on the progress made.

The SoS Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting guidelines were published in 2016–17 (and since revised) to ensure consistency and rigour across the program and to enable data collection. The guidelines provide a framework for scientifically rigorous yet cost-effective monitoring and evaluation.

The framework has three key aims:

• Linking expenditure to outcomes: which is identifying explicitly the quantum of investment in particular species, sites and actions and evaluating related outcomes against clear benchmarks or targets (return on investment).

• Informing decision-making: which is focusing data collection to where it is most likely to reduce uncertainty and improve decisions with respect to management methods (adaptive management) or resource allocation (prioritisation models).

• Maximising cost-effectiveness: which is ensuring that the allocation of resources to monitoring is proportionate to the value of the information to be gained (in terms of demonstrating return on investment or informing decision-making).

SoS databaseThe SoS database is the repository of SoS strategies and outcomes for securing NSW threatened species and ecological communities. Progress is tracked and regularly updated. The database is linked to the Bionet, which details species and community profiles, including their threats.

At the end of each financial year, SoS generates report cards for those species we have invested resources (time and money) in.

SoS database functionality improved in 2016–17, specifically, the development of a new interface makes access to and use of the SoS database faster and easier. The new interface:

• adjusts automatically to different computer screen sizes and is mobile device-friendly

• includes the latest OEH design elements

• complies with web content accessibility Standards (WCAG 2.0 AA).

The database and its information can be viewed via the SoS website.


Looking ahead to 2017–18

The SoS program is certainly not slowing down! In 2017–18 conservation projects for more species will be delivered across New South Wales.

Together, we can secure the future of threatened species in New South Wales.

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