NSW Fire and the Environment 2019-20: Summary

1 NSW fire and the Environment 2019 20 SummaryBiodiversity and landscape data and analyses to understand the effects of the fire eventsDepartment of Planning, Industry and 2020 State of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and the exception of photographs, the State of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged.

2 Specific permission is required for the reproduction of Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has compiled this report in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. DPIE shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying the information to their specific needs.

3 All content in this publication is owned by DPIE and is protected by Crown Copyright, unless credited otherwise. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International (CC BY ), subject to the exemptions contained in the licence. The legal code for the licence is available at Creative asserts the right to be attributed as author of the original material in the following manner: State of New South Wales and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment photo: Drone photograph of National Parks and Wildlife Service staff inspecting burnt forest in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales (G Pickford/DPIE); Contents: Drone photograph of burnt forest in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales (G Pickford/DPIE).

4 : Fallen burnt tree in forest of Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales (G Pickford/DPIE); P. 8: Oxley Wild Rivers National Park (J Spencer/DPIE); : Gospers Mountain fire , Wollemi NP, near Hartley Vale (J Spencer/DPIE); : Burnt forest floor in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales (G Pickford/DPIE); : Cobark picnic area, Barrington Tops National Park (J Spencer/DPIE); : Leioproctus incanescens on Persoonia pauciflora (N Emery/RBG); : Kosciuszko National Park (J Spencer/DPIE); : Wollemi pine rescue (J Spencer/DPIE); Regeneration in Crowdy Bay (A Marshall/DPIE).

5 : fire injured koala released near Numeralla in the Snowy Monaro region of NSW (L Morrell/DPIE); : Bundjalung National Park (D Egan/DPIE); P. 20: Brush-tailed rock-wallaby (J Spencer/DPIE).Published by: Environment , Energy and Science Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232 Phone: +61 2 9995 5000 (switchboard) Phone: 1300 361 967 ( Environment , Energy and Science enquiries) TTY users: phone 133 677, then ask for 1300 361 967 Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727, then ask for 1300 361 967 Email: Website: Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line.

6 131 555 (NSW only) or See also ISBN 978-1-922318-57-2 EES 2020/0108 March 2020 Find out : Plant and animal species records are from NSW BioNet. Threatened species and populations are those listed under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 or Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. National parks includes gazetted national parks, nature reserves, state conservation areas, Aboriginal areas, historic sites, regional parks and karst fire and the Environment 2019 20: At a glance 4 assessing the effects of the 2019 20 fires 6 Mapping fire areas 8 The extent and severity of the NSW fires 9 RFS fire Ground Map 9 fire area extent classes 10 Burnt Area Map 11 fire severity classes 12 The Biodiversity Indicator Program 13 Changes in the landscape 13 Reporting on biodiversity indicators 14 Biodiversity indicators.

7 Post- fire analysis 15 Ecological condition 15 Ecological carrying capacity 16 Persistence of ecosystems 16 Natural values affected by the fires 17 World Heritage Areas 17 Areas of high biodiversity value 17 Vegetation formations 17 Koala habitat 17 Threatened plants 18 Threatened animals 18 Non-threatened plants 19 Non-threatened animals 19 Erosion risk 19 Where to from here? 20 ContentsDepartment of Planning, Industry and Environment4 NSW fire and the Environment 2019 20: At a glanceTa mworthArmidaleCo s HarbourPort MacquarieGraftonCanberraLithgowOrangeBat hurstGoulburnMudgeeMittagongKatoombaNewc astleWollongongCessnockSydneyGosfordUlla dullaBatemans BayEdenNaroomaBegaAlburyOmeoWagga WaggaDubboNarrabriQUEENSLANDACTNEWSOUTHW ALESL ismoreVICTORIA293 threatened animal species have sightings recorded in the fire ground680 threatened plant species have sightings recorded in the fire ground4% reduction in ecosystem persistence in the fire ground39% reduction in ecological carrying

8 Capacity in the fire ground39% reduction in ecological condition in the fire ground4% of all NSW freehold land42% of all NSW state forest37% of all NSW national park estate81% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage million hectares of land in NSW54% of Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in NSW51% of heathlands in NSW25% of koala habitat in eastern NSWC hanges in biodiversity indicators in the fire ground since 2013 Key facts about 2019 2020 fires in New South WalesThe fire ground includes:Basemap from ArcGIS Online GEEBAM (03/02/2020) State Government of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 2020 Little changeCanopy unburntCanopy fully a ectedCanopy partially a ectedNot yet assessedLegend0100 KilometresNNSW fire and the Environment 2019 20.

9 Summary5 TamworthArmidaleCo s HarbourPort MacquarieGraftonCanberraLithgowOrangeBat hurstGoulburnMudgeeMittagongKatoombaNewc astleWollongongCessnockSydneyGosfordUlla dullaBatemans BayEdenNaroomaBegaAlburyOmeoWagga WaggaDubboNarrabriQUEENSLANDACTNEWSOUTHW ALESL ismoreVICTORIA293 threatened animal species have sightings recorded in the fire ground680 threatened plant species have sightings recorded in the fire ground4% reduction in ecosystem persistence in the fire ground39% reduction in ecological carrying capacity in the fire ground39% reduction in ecological condition in the fire ground4% of all NSW freehold land42% of all NSW state forest37% of all NSW national park estate81% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage million hectares of land in NSW54% of Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in NSW52% of heathlands in NSW25% of suitable koala habitat in eastern NSWC hanges in biodiversity indicators in the fire ground since 2013 Key facts about the 2019 20 fires in New South WalesThe fire ground

10 Includes:Basemap from ArcGIS Online GEEBAM (03/02/2020) State Government of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 2020 Little changeCanopy unburntCanopy fully a ectedCanopy partially a ectedNot yet assessedLegend0100 KilometresNTa mworthArmidaleCo s HarbourPort MacquarieGraftonCanberraLithgowOrangeBat hurstGoulburnMudgeeMittagongKatoombaNewc astleWollongongCessnockSydneyGosfordUlla dullaBatemans BayEdenNaroomaBegaAlburyOmeoWagga WaggaDubboNarrabriQUEENSLANDACTNEWSOUTHW ALESL ismoreVICTORIA293 threatened animal species have sightings recorded in the fire ground680 threatened plant species have