Today the first nationally endangered listing for a habitat in South Australia will be announced. The endangered Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps will be recognised as a nationally Endangered Ecological Community.
The Honourable Patrick Secker, Federal Member for Barker will make the announcement at 10.30 at the Currency Creek winery, only metres from Black Swamp a remnant of this special swamp habitat.
"Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps are unique" said Ms Penny Paton, the Coordinator of the Conservation Council of South Australia's Emu Wren project.
"This listing will afford greater protection and a national profile to these exceptional places"
Only a quarter of the original swamps remain. These swamps are found only in the southern Mt Lofty Ranges. Most are smaller than 5 hectares and home to many threatened plants and animals.
"These swamps host 167 native plant species, half of which are of conservation significance. Five plant species found in these swamps are nationally endangered including the attractive flowering herb Osborn's Eyebright and two orchid species"
"The swamps contain a diverse range of animals and birds. This includes the colourful Yellow-bellied Water Skink, the Swamp Rat and the critically endangered Mt Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren" concluded Ms Paton.
This listing as a Threatened Ecological Community under the Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 recognises that the swamps are severely endangered by actions such as vegetation clearance, water extraction, inappropriate management, invasion by exotic species, isolation and fragmentation.
"Action must be taken to protect the Swamps that remain and we are working with landowners like the Currency Creek winery to do this" explained Ms Rebecca Duffield, Vegetation Officer, Mt Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren Recovery Team a Conservation Council of South Australia project.
For further information:
Ms Penny Paton Mobile 0414 648 891 (Friday 21 March 0930-1030; 1130 onwards); 08 8344 8891
Electronic graphics of the Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps and Southern Emu-wren and Swamp Management Guidelines for the Fleurieu Peninsula are available from CCSA 08 8223 5155 or http://www.ccsa.asn.au
For advice on the legal implications of the nomination, contact Environment Australia's Wildlife Conservation Section on (02) 6274 2744 or http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/index.html.
Appendix 1:
An action is likely to have a significant impact on a TEC if it is likely to:
- lead to a long-term adverse affect on an ecological community, or
- reduce the extent of a community, or
- fragment an occurrence of the community, or
- adversely affect habitat critical to the survival of an ecological community, or
- modify or destroy abiotic (non-living) factors (such as water, nutrients, or soil) necessary for the community's survival, or
- result in invasive species that are harmful to the community becoming established in an occurrence of the community, or
- interfere with the recovery of an ecological community.
In addition to the above information, Commonwealth adopted Recovery Plans may also provide further guidance on whether an action is likely to be significant. At this stage there is no Recovery Plan for this TEC.
Appendix 2:
Male Mt Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren (photo by Marcus Pickett).
