Input to the Draft Management Plan of Bouddi National Park, September 2019

Dr Myfanwy Webb (Wildlife Biologist).

My input to the Draft Management Plan of Bouddi National Park responds to concepts to both improve the protection of the natural land and sea components of Bouddi National Park and enhance the recreational use by various community types. Increasing the quality and diversity of recreational use enhances people’s connection to this important and special region and thus enhances protection by individuals of its natural assets.

In summary my suggestions include;

1. Protect threatened species by growing seedlings from species within Bouddi National Park ready to reestablish degraded zones. For more information on resurrecting ecosystems see https://www.myfanwywebb.com/australias-faunal-extinction-crisis/ and click on Submission 247.
2. Reduce fire loads and erosion by reintroducing locally extinct Eastern grey kangaroos.
3. Increase the level of Indigenous education and indigenous involvement specific to Bouddi National Park.  
4. Create a Multiuse Trails system to allow Horse Riders, Mountain Bike riders and Bushwalkers access to areas of Bouddi National Park. (Reopen trails are already designated for horse riders).

https://www.react.care/proposal-for-a-multiuse-trail-central-coast/

The horse riding community is equal to the mountain bike community and needs to be included in the Management Plan.

5. Ban commercial trawling to specific distance along entire National Park Coastline.

6. Construct a toilet within close proximity to Maitland Bay beach, Maitland Bay carpark or Marie Byles Lookout to minimize the volume of discarded toilet paper along the surrounding trails.

7. Ban Commercial Netting of spawning mullet along entire National Park Coastline. https://www.myfanwywebb.com/sea-mullet/ 

My suggestions in more detail;

2. Protecting the natural environment

“Bouddi National Park protects important coastal habitats for native animals on the NSW Central Coast. The diversity of habitats in the park supports populations of over 200 native vertebrate species including over 100 bird species and nearly 50 mammal species. Thirty-four species listed as threatened under the BC Act occur in the park”.

I propose growing and planting provenance plant species to resurrect original ecosystems in degraded areas. When an area of weeds is removed, replant with original species types to encourage the natural ecosystem to reestablish. This will provide more housing and food resources to the native faunal populations.  For more information on this, you can read my Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Faunal Extinctions in Australia https://www.myfanwywebb.com/australias-faunal-extinction-crisis/ and click on Submission 247.

“Fires, particularly extensive wildfires, are a particular risk for the park. Several gullies within the park (Bouddi Grand Deep, Fletchers Glen, Iron Ladder catchment, and eastern aspects along MacMasters Ridge) support significant areas of Lowland Rainforest in the NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin Bioregions Endangered Ecological Community. Fire management is directed by the park fire management strategy.”

“The projected increases in temperature, number of hot days and severe fire weather days as a consequence of climate change are likely to influence bushfire frequency and intensity across the Hunter Central Coast. Coastal erosions and hazards are also likely to increase. Potential consequences within the park include damage to infrastructure in low-lying areas at Putty Beach and Little Beach, and erosion and slumping at Lobster Beach. Species most at risk are those unable to migrate or adapt, particularly those with small population sizes or with slow growth rates. Low-lying coastal ecosystems and fragmented ecosystems are at highest risk. Programs to reduce the pressures arising from other threats, such as habitat fragmentation, invasive species, bushfires and pollution, will help reduce the severity of the effects of climate change.”

I propose trialing the reintroduction of a population of Eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus, that have become locally extinct within Bouddi National Park, to areas such as the north end of Putty Beach and Hawks Head road region to assist with maintaining native grassed areas thus preventing these zones from producing dangerous bushfire loads.  The grazing behaviours of Eastern grey kangaroos may also provide increased ecosystem protection from erosion.

3  Looking after our culture and heritage.

The wider community, our local community and the country within Bouddi National Park would benefit with stronger connections to indigenous culture. One aspect that would be beneficial is an increase in the level of education relating to culture and development of stronger indigenous involvement to this region.

4   Providing for visitor use and enjoyment. Page 8

“Cycling is a popular recreational activity in the area. The park offers routes suitable for beginners and intermediate riders on several trails, including Daleys Point, Rocky Point and Stroms trails. Cycling is also permitted on MacMasters Ridge Trail. Mountain biking is growing in popularity and the construction of a network of illegal mountain bike tracks over recent years is an emerging issue for the park. It is proposed that mountain biking opportunities in the park will be assessed in zone 2 (see Figure 1) and, if appropriate, developed through a separate mountain bike plan. NPWS will engage with the mountain biking community to develop sustainable mountain biking opportunities. The development of mountain bike tracks will be subject to environmental impact assessment (under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979), compliance with NPWS policies and public consultation.”

“Following an assessment to identify horse riding opportunities in the region, no trails were considered suitable for horse riding in this park.”

This is in direct contradiction to the OEH& NSW NPWS HORSE RIDING WORK PLAN CENTRAL COAST HUNTER REGION April 2013

Myself, and other members of the community are very keen for the creation of Multiuse Trails (Bushwalkers/Horse Riders/Mountain Bike Riders) within Bouddi National Park that extend through private and council managed lands. We propose the reopening of previously designated horse riding trails to be combined with multiuse Mountain bike and Bushwalking access. In addition, a trail that has not previously been designated as a horse riding trail but is suitable for converting into a Multiuse Trail is the Daleys Point trail.

See Attached Multiuse Trail Link document which can also be found at https://www.react.care/proposal-for-a-multiuse-trail-central-coast/ for extensive information on how this can work. There is a local horse riding community of people who are keen for and would greatly benefit from the reopening of horse riding trails within Bouddi National Park. There is a group called Central Coast Horseriders Trail Alliance.

In addition to the local horse riding community that would benefit from Multiuse trails, there is also a community of local mountain bike riders who would also benefit from designated Multiuse trails. There is a group called Central Coast Mountain Bike Trail Alliance.

These two types of recreational users have similar requirements from a designated Multiuse Trail system and both should be equally included in the Bouddi Management Plan.

At present, only the community of Mountain Bike Riders, are included in the Draft Management Plan for Bouddi National Park. The community of horse riders, are also a community, equally valid to Bouddi National Park as recreational users as the bike riding community and therefore the Horse riding community needs to be included and catered for to the same degree as the bike riders in the Management Plan of the Park.

Trails already designated for horse riding access stated in the NPWS Bouddi Trail Workplan are;

• Little Valley
• MacMasters Ridge
• Strom’s trail
• North West Ridge
• Turkey Track

5 NPWS infrastructure and service  Page 10

“NPWS management of the marine areas in the park (i.e. the Bouddi Marine Extension and the intertidal zone) is shared with Fisheries NSW (part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fishing and Aquaculture) and NSW Maritime (a division of the NSW Roads and Maritime Services).”

Although the management of coastline around Bouddi National Park is shared with Fisheries NSW, NPWS can use this opportunity of creating a Management Plan to begin the process of protecting the important interface of land and sea by beginning the process to ban Commercial Trawling and Commercial Fishing within a significant distance from the shoreline of the entire perimeter of Bouddi National Park, (not just the current Marine Protected Zones). Estuaries are known to be particularly important reserves for fish stocks and marine biodiversity and are thus worth protecting.

With the increase in visitors to the park I have noticed an increase in unsightly toilet paper discarded along trails specifically around the Maitland Bay area. Construction of a toilet like that of Lobster Beach may help to reduce this. Alternatively an amenities block for either Maitland Bay Carpark or Marie Byles Lookout may help. The quantity of litter has significant detrimental impact on the quality of visits within Bouddi National Park.

• Non-NPWS infrastructure and services  Page 10

“Commercial beach-hauling occurs along Putty Beach, including within the park. Commercial beach-hauling is an activity regulated under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and managed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. An NPWS commercial fishing vehicle access permit is required for all commercial fisherpersons accessing Putty Beach by vehicle.”

Although the management of coastline around Bouddi National Park is shared with Fisheries NSW, NPWS can use this opportunity of creating a new Management Plan to begin the process of protecting the important interface of land and sea by banning Commercial Netting of spawning Sea Mullet Mugil cephalus. For more information on this practice within Bouddi National Park, see my article published in Fishing World named A Black Sea on a Cloudless Day. You can read this article here at https://www.myfanwywebb.com/sea-mullet/ . This article was published on 15^th May 2017 entitled COMMENT: Sea mullet are disappearing and something needs to be done, by Dr Myfanwy Webb in Fishing World.

In Conclusion

The current Draft Management Plan is a good start and has the framework to allow for amendments aimed towards very strong, positive outcomes in protecting the park’s natural assets and enhancing people’s experiences within it.

Scheduling the commencement of developing the actions above for Priority 1 rather than lower urgency levels is more likely to have an effective outcome. As money is required for developing these protective and enhancement activities so close involvement of Bouddi NPWS staff with the local community and residents’ groups and individuals to work together to procure funding from grant bodies such as recreational, tourism, indigenous, environmental grants and also philanthropic sources.                   

A reintroduction project of Eastern grey kangaroos is possible with liason with relevant biologists associated with environmental departments in local Universities.

I am happy to provide further assistance to staff preparing this important plan.

Kind regards,

Dr Myfanwy Webb