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Waterbird Conservation |
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To conserve, and where
possible, enhance the wetlands as habitat for waterbirds.
This includes as a priority |
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Conserving, and where
possible, enhancing the habitat for listed threatened
species, migratory waders, and those species found at
the site in numbers greater than their 1% population
estimate - see Statement of ‘ecological character’
above; and, |
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Creating, and maintaining, a range
of habitats to optimise waterbird diversity. |
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| 2 |
Education and Eco - Tourism |
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To provide opportunities
for learning and enjoyment of the swamps generally,
and the birdlife in particular (by being able to see
large numbers of birds, and many different species.)
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To provide facilities
for wetland/environmental education |
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To use Fivebough Swamp
to generate increased sustainable eco-tourism for Leeton |
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The above to be done
in such a way as to minimise disturbance of the waterbird
species referred to under 1. above. |
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| 3 |
Acknowledgment of the Indigenous importance
of the sites |
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To acknowledge and respect
the cultural significance of the sites to the local
Wiradjuri people. |
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| 4 |
Demonstration site for using a wetland
wisely |
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To manage the swamps as a demonstration
site for the Ramsar Convention principle of wise use
– to show the co-existence of waterbird conservation
with flood mitigation, grazing, sewage treatment, eco-tourism
etc |
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| Statement of ‘ecological
character’ |
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| The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and
the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 both require that
for designated Wetlands of International Importance
the so-called ‘ecological character’ of
the site be retained. The ‘ecological character’
is a detailed description of the biological, physical
and chemical attributes of the site and their interactions.
For Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps a highly detailed
description of ‘ecological character’ is
not possible at present, however, the following, which
is based on the official Ramsar Information Sheet, is
provided as the best possible surrogate for a full description
of ‘ecological character’ that is possible
at present. As such it constitutes the benchmarks against
which management of the site is determined for now.
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| Note that there is a clear expectation
that the management plan is designed to ensure the retention
of all of the following attributes of the Ramsar site.
None has precedence over another, and for this reason
the management plan uses zoning (on Fivebough Swamp),
and other management tools to ensure that balance is
achieved and that the site continues to meet all of
the Ramsar criteria against which it qualified for designation.
These two Swamps provide important habitat for many
species of migratory wader, and this takes on extra
significance at the regional scale. Acknowledging this,
the management plan seeks to maximise the habitats needed
by these species at both Fivebough and Tuckerbil, while
balancing this against the habitat needs of the other
noteworthy species, the recorded presence of which has
contributed toward recognition of two wetlands as a
Ramsar site. To do otherwise would be contrary to the
obligations Australia and NSW have under the Ramsar
Convention |
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| “Statement of ecological character” |
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| Providing habitat for listed “threatened
species” |
| Among the management priorities will be
to ensure the two swamps continue to support those species
listed as “threatened” at international,
national or State level. This includes Australasian
Bittern which is considered ‘vulnerable’
at the global scale by the World Conservation Union
(IUCN), and those species listed under the NSW Threatened
Species Conservation Act 1995. This includes seven species
at Fivebough Swamp; namely Australasian Bittern, Magpie
Goose, Freckled Duck, Blue-billed Duck, Brolga, Painted
Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit and at Tuckerbil Swamp,
four species; namely, Australasian Bittern, Painted
Snipe, Freckled Duck and Brolga. |
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| Providing habitat for species listed under
Australia’s migratory bird agreements and Conventions |
| Management will also seek to provide significant
areas of viable habitat for the 24 species listed under
the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA),
the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA)
and/or the Convention on Migratory Species which have
been observed at the site. It is acknowledged that the
habitat needs of some of these species do not coincide
with some of the other listed “threatened”
species, and the challenge for the site managers is
to offer an appropriate balance, and sufficient diversity
of habitat types, to continue to provide an environment
which meets all of the Ramsar criteria against which
it qualified as a Wetland of International Importance.
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| Providing habitat for those species occurring
at Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps in numbers which represent
greater than 1% of their population estimate |
| Management will also seek to provide the
desired habitat of the following species which have
been recorded at the site in numbers (at times) representing
greater than 1% of the estimated population; Glossy
Ibis, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, Australasian
Bittern and Brolga. |
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| Providing habitat, breeding and otherwise,
for a large diversity and numbers of waterbirds |
| Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps are regarded
as regionally, and nationally significant for the aggregations
of waterbirds which occur there at certain times, some
for the purposes of breeding. While recognising that
management action may not be able to ensure suitable
habitat for all species that have been recorded there
over time, every effort will be made to provide the
broad range of the habitat types required by these many
species. |
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| The above
Management Objectives and Statement of Ecological
Character, are from ‘The Management Plan for
Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps, September 2002’.
For the full document in pdf form,
CLICK
HERE
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