NSW WILDERNESS RED INDEX

Published by the Colong Foundation for Wilderness Ltd (September, 1999)
2/332 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 ph: 02 9299 3741; fax: 02 9261 2144
email keith@colongwilderness.org.au web site colongwilderness.org.au

Wilderness Declared (NSW):

None

Wilderness Not Declared (NSW):

Kosciuszko National Park;

Crown land;

Freehold land;

Wilderness Declared (VIC):

None

Wilderness Not Declared (NSW):

Alpine National Park;

State Forest (Proposed Alpine National Park);

DESCRIPTION:

The geology of most of the high country of Kosciuszko National Park comprises a complex of granites which have intruded sandstone and other sedimentary rocks. During the Silurian Period, marine basins formed in the Tumut and Murray areas which received sand and volcanic material from surrounding areas. Included in these deposits were small deposits of limestone in the vicinity of Indi Caves in the Upper Murray. The marine deposits of the Upper Murray were then extensively folded during the Devonian. Since then, granitic batholiths emplaced 300 million years ago which formed the Main Range, have been subjected to repeated cycles of uplift and erosion. However, the gradual uplift of the Kosciuszko "plateau", which rises gradually from the eastern tablelands and plunges sharply to the west, occurred during the Tertiary Period. This uplift occurred along a number of fault (or fracture) zones, which were gradually eroded by streams into deep valleys and gorges, cutting into the plateau edges.

The vegetation of the area displays considerable altitudinal and climatic variation from the highest point in the wilderness, Mt Youngal (1,515m) and the Murray River Valley at the north-western corner of Kosciuszko National Park (360m). Only patches of sub-alpine woodlands of Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora ssp. niphophila) with the most common dominating understorey a Oxylobium ellipticum / Podocarpus lawrencii alliance are present above 1,400m. Between 1,400m and 1,100m are found the montane forests of the Snowgum alliance, including E pauciflora, E. dalrympleana, E. rubida, E. viminalis and E. stellulata. In the Geehi valley a disjunct population of E. kybeanensis is found very distant from its typical coastal escarpment environment. In the wetter south and south east aspects, wet sclerophyll forests of E. delegatensis occur. Below 1,110m open low woodlands are common along the lower Snowy River, dominated by E. melliodora but on exposed sites the two peppermints E. dives and E. radiata prevail. Interspersed with the woodlands are very significant areas of Poa and Stipa spp. native grasslands which are poorly conserved in parks.

The wilderness is drained to the west by tributaries of the Murray River. The eastern part of the area drains to the Swampy Plain River which is upstream of the Khancoban Pondage, part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme.

Faunal distribution in the wilderness is poorly understood. The upper Murray River carries populations of Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Macquarie Perch, Murray Cod and several species of gudgeon and galaxids.

LAND USE HISTORY:

Mining:

Hydro-electricity:

HISTORY OF CONSERVATION MEASURES:

THREATS:

Recommendations: The leases and licences issued for Transgid and the proposed Snowy Hydro Corporation should cover as small an area of the park as possible and be limited to existing structures. The Snowy Management Plan that regulates these facilities in the park should be subject to public comment and review. It should provide opportunities for removal of inappropriate infrastructure, such as the radio installation on Mt. Youngal. The Plan should guarantee access rights for park visitors, ensure the leased lands remain in public ownership, prevent further hydro power development in the park and guarantee that the lease agreements cannot be transferred to third parties so as to avoid environmental responsibilities. In addition to the $0.5 million rental fee, the proposed Corporation’s lease should cover all maintenance and NPWS management costs.

Recommendations: Maintenance of management trails in wilderness areas violates the spirit of the Wilderness Act. The existing trails serve little purpose and should be rehabilitated. The wilderness area is currently surrounded by perimeter service trails and these should be adequate for management purposes. The best prescription to avoid fires in wilderness areas is to confine management trails to the edge, to prevent the spread of fire from outside. External management trails will also prevent fires spreading to adjoining areas. Where absolutely necessary, helicopter landing areas could be cleared for fire control. Fire trails should not be maintained and should be ripped by bulldozer and allowed to revegetate.

Recommendations: NPWS should negotiate acquisition of the area, which should be incorporated into the Indi Wilderness Assessment Study Area within the Kosciuszko National Park (E3 and E5 Management Units).

The NPWS and the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment should enter into negotiations to acquire the Tom Groggin Station which has good access from the Alpine Way, with some form of camping facility on the disturbed land providing an accommodation node for the area.

Recommendations: The following huts have been identified by NPWS and/or are Snowy Mountain Authority huts and should be removed from the wilderness area immediately:

L73 Hoggs.

The following huts are contained within the area and should be managed as Historic Ruins and allowed to naturally disintegrate:

L95 Old Geehi;

L66 Geehi;

L60 Doctors.

CONTACT ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

Colong Foundation for Wilderness Ltd
Level 2, 332 Pitt Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Contact: Keith Muir (Director) Ph: (w) 02 9261 2400
FAX: 02 9261 2144
e-mail: keith@colongwilderness.org.au

The South East Forest Alliance
C/- National Parks Association
P O Box A96
Contact: Noel Plumb Ph: (wk) 02 9233 4660
FAX: 02 9233 4880
Mob: 0412 975 575
e-mail npansw@bigpond.com

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