Cape York Fire & Biodiversity Program

The Fire and Biodiversity Program has been investigating the linkage between recent fire history information derived from an analysis of satellite information and identifiable patterns in fauna and flora distribution measured at a series of selected survey sites in Cape York Peninsula. These surveys are being conducted by the CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences in partnership with the community. This program has been ongoing since 2009 and is also providing training in scientific information collection and recording with participating indigenous ranger programs.

A draft regional fire management strategy for Cape York has been prepared with a draft for discussion to be circulated widely. This document will be discussed and written comments sought following a number of pre fire season workshops to be conducted prior to the 2012 fire season. 

This strategy is being utilised in a pilot coordination and implementation plan to support traditional owners, graziers, national parks and the rural fire service in the management of fire activity on approximately 1 million hectares of land between the Alice and Coleman Rivers to the west of the Peninsula Development Road. 

CYSF would like to acknowledge all people and contributions involved in the Fire and Biodiversity Program in particular Bryan Cifuentes and wish Bryan all the best on his return to the Rural Fire Service. Aaron Crosbie has been appointed as program manager and is keen to continue his work supporting people in Cape York achieve their aspirations.

Achievements and outcomes

Complete program logic and MERI Plan Implementation and communication of the MERI plan and program logic, including establishment of monitoring activities and the explanation of requirements to staff implementing or undertaking project activities has been undertaken. The MERI plan was accepted by the Australian Government in April 2011 after the draft plan was submitted in November 2010.

Initial scoping of project sites with Traditional Owners and land managers

During the initial scoping period several meetings were also held with regional QFRS and Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service officers to consult and communicate concepts and seek advice in relation to the whole of peninsula fire strategy.

Established 60 biodiversity monitoring sites in association with southern Wik people.

In partnership with the CSIRO Ecosystem Services field staff and Bruce Martin (APN), 30 sites were selected and surveyed with Southern Wik people. Sites were located south of the Archer River between Blue Lagoon and the coast where reasonable access was available. Sites were selected in four broad vegetation types, Eucalypt woodlands, vine thickets, riparian and coastal plains and were chosen to provide information on biodiversity based on the historical fire activity and management objectives as outlined by traditional owners (fire, feral animal and weed management). The sites surveyed were very diverse with 205 different species recorded across all taxa including 14 species of mammals.

The CSIRO team are trialling bioacoustics equipment to monitor birds, frogs and vocalising mammals to help overcome some of these seasonal access difficulties. The technology was tested at Pormpuraaw by installing two bioacoustic and climate sensor stations and leaving them on site for a 12 month period. During this time the devices collected climatic data every 5 minutes and recorded sounds for short periods each hour throughout the day and night. The devices proved to be very robust and provided a substantial data set on birds and frogs across seasons at two sites. The trial was a success and this technology is an exciting option for community monitoring on Cape York Peninsula and other remote areas of Australia. Analysis of the data can be semi-automated using sound analysis software and there are currently a number of projects seeking funding

Two Fire and Biodiversity monitoring workshops held on country. Traditional knowledge incorporated as part of these surveys.

Two cross cultural training exercises and information gathering workshops were held on country at southern Wik and Chuulangun in conjunction with traditional owners in the development of appropriate protocols and operational methodologies to undertake fauna monitoring. Indigenous rangers already have a full work program, so a system was developed where mammals and reptiles are monitored at a series of key sites to track annual changes in presence and abundance. This monitoring will supplement major re-sampling over longer time frames of the permanent sites set up to collect information of how site structure and species composition change over time in the management area.
Rangers have become familiar with the use of cyber-tracker software and hand held GPS / data collection devices for recording and reporting on a variety of land management tasks such as ghost net collection, turtle nesting and crocodile management. CSIRO staff members have developed a cyber-tracker sequence and biodiversity monitoring program in consultation with rangers to trial as part of their annual work program.

Transfer of fauna monitoring skills to indigenous rangers through working with experienced field ecologists and zoologists.

A series of workshops together with CSIRO staff members have developed a cyber-tracker sequence and biodiversity monitoring program in consultation with Pormpuraaw rangers to trial as part of the rangers annual work program. Regionally specific field guides outlining the major characteristics for each species likely to be caught at the site have been developed for study areas. This assists less experienced rangers to improve their knowledge base and collect robust fauna monitoring data without formal training in fauna identification taxonomy. The initial scoping workshops together with the setting up of the field sites and the interaction during the fauna survey programs have built a level of trust and understanding that forms the basis of productive long term partnerships. Indigenous rangers working with experienced CSIRO staff have developed good working relationships and with continued long term collaboration will forge strong partnerships and a constructive two way flow of knowledge and skills.

Three Fire and Biodiversity plans established involving indigenous rangers and local land managers. Exchange of information and understanding of fire management and biodiversity patterning.

Three Fire and Biodiversity plans have been completed under this project and will form an integral part of the staged implementation of a Cape York regional strategy over coming years. Fire planning documents have been discussed negotiated and developed for the KuKu Thaypan area south east of Musgrave, the southern Wik area south east of Aurukun and the Crocodile area south of Laura. Implementation of these plans will be progressed in the 2012 fire season. Together these three plans cover an area of some 390,000 hectares.

Gather information on fire issues and aspirations through on ground consultation.

Project staff participated in a three day workshop to identify appropriate groupings of regional ecosystem vegetation types to be included in fire management guides prepared for Cape York by Reef Catchments in partnership with DERM. These vegetation groupings proved a significant assistance in providing consistency in fire plan development. A Regional fire management meeting and workshop held at Weipa on the 13th April 2011 for the Western Cape Region Fire Management Group provided a forum to discuss a Cape York draft fire strategy and to plan aerial incendiary mitigation implementation program for 2011 based on lessons learnt from previous year’s operations.

Draft fire management strategy produced for circulation and comment.

During the strategy development period several meetings were held with regional Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service officers to consult and communicate in relation to the whole of peninsula fire strategy. A draft regional fire management strategy for Cape York has been prepared with a draft for discussion to be circulated in March. This document will be discussed and written comments sought following a number of pre fire season workshops to be conducted prior to the 2012 fire season. Further opportunities to refine this document will be canvassed at a regional fire workshop planned by Cape York NRM in June 2012.The strategy outlines a sub-regional approach to fire management based on a community of interest methodology as fire does not respect property boundaries. There are a number of major river systems throughout CYP that act as natural fire breaks. Although most rivers do not run during the dry months they act as effective natural breaks due to either the heavy canopied riparian zones that shade out grass fuels, or bare sandy river beds. With careful forethought and planning these natural barriers can be utilised in a local fire management strategy for greater protection of economic, cultural and environmental values.

Partnership formation

Strong long term partnerships have been continued with state government delivery organisations operating in Cape York (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service). For example the support CYSF gives to the aerial incendiary program across Cape York. New partnerships have been developed with CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and with indigenous groups such as Kowanyama, Pormpurraw, Chuulagun, Aak Puul Ngantam (APN Cape York) and Agnarra. Implementation programs to be delivered under the next phase of this program will depend on the further strengthening of these partnerships though continued on ground work in fauna and biodiversity monitoring together with a collaborative approach to deliver improved fire management regimes through the staged implementation of the fire strategy. Successful delivery of the strategy depends on the long established collaborative partnerships that Cape York Sustainable Futures has developed with the pastoral landowners in Cape York who will need to be successfully engaged in the strategy implementation. Initial consultation with these landowners has been positive with all supportive of the process and willing to participate constructively.