Implementing the Bitou Bush Threat Abatement Plan across different land tenures: challenges and successes

Nicole L. StrehlingA, Neil RendellB, Scott A. KingC,D and Paul O. DowneyC


A Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, Level 3, 49 Victoria St, Grafton, New South Wales 2460, Australia.

B Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, PO Box 3095, Wollongong, New South Wales 2500, Australia.

C Pest Management Unit, Department of Environment and Climate Change, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, New South Wales 1481, Australia.

D Present address: Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Unit, Scientific Services Division, Department of Environment and Climate Change, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, New South Wales 1481, Australia.


Summary

Threats to biodiversity are not constrained by land tenure. The serious threat posed by bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata (DC.) T.Norl.) to native plant communities in New South Wales is the shared responsibility of most coastal councils, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Department of Lands, numerous private land holders and public trusts, as well as indigenous people, volunteers and community groups. The five coastal Catchment Management Authorities also have an essential role in engaging land managers in threat abatement, and supporting on-ground control through delivery of additional resources. The successful abatement of this wide-scale threat will require the active cooperation of all affected parties.

The NSW Bitou Bush Threat Abatement Plan (TAP) has prioritized 169 sites for bitou bush control, independent of land tenure. These sites encompass 38 different land tenures, leading to many challenges in implementing the plan, three of which are discussed here: (i) incorporating new ideas into existing control programs; (ii) providing information to stakeholders to implement the TAP, and; (iii) ensuring the TAP objectives are achieved on the ground.

A range of measures were developed to ensure the involvement of as many land managers as possible. These measures will help to coordinate threat abatement across all land tenures and encourage long term maintenance of on-ground biodiversity outcomes at priority sites.

 

Plant Protection Quarterly (2008) 23 (1) 45-47.