Kate Carroll, Conservation Projects Officer
Recent field work was undertaken for the Great Southern Forests National Park proposal, documenting some of the iconic species and key flora and fauna of Southern NSW. I was joined by Dave Gallan, Gary Dunnett, Jenny Atton and Qinan Wang in October. We visited the lookouts over McDonald and Yerriyong State Forests of the Milton area then headed to the tableland State Forests: Tallaganda and Glenbog. The trip ended in the far south coast at East Boyd State Forest and Green Cape.
Spring is the perfect season for flora surveys, when many species are flowering, and we went searching for them! We found Lacy Pomaderris (Pomaderris elachophylla), Parris’ Pomaderris (Pomaderris parrisiae) and the rare Merimbula Star-hair (Astrotricha sp. Wallagaraugh). Of the 3 known populations of Merimbula Star-hair, one is entirely within our Proposal in Wallagaraugh Flora Reserve on the Sapphire Coast. The proposal contains about a third of the known distributions of Lacy and Parris’ Pomaderris. All species are endemic to the south coast and the proposal would be a boost in their protection.
We also tracked down a little-known eucalypt of the tablelands, Eucalyptus badjensis – the Big Badja Gum. It’s a species that is highly restricted, only found in Badja State Forest, Glenbog and some surrounding private lands and NPWS Reserves. About two-thirds of its population is in the Proposal. Though not on the threatened species list, its restricted range and prevalence in State Forests means it is no doubt threatened by logging. The proposal would safeguard this rare eucalypt, permanently, in the reserve system.
The field group were treated to encounters with a range of forest-dwelling birds during our time in the forest. Flame Robin, Varied Sittella and Gang-gang Cockatoo were some of the threatened species sighted and we luckily discovered a nesting hollow for a Gang-gang pair in Tallaganda.
Evenings were spent spotlighting for arboreal fauna and gathering footage of Greater Gliders. With local knowledge of the glider hollows in Tallaganda, Dave set up his film equipment to capture a known pair emerging on sunset and gliding to the nearest tree. The rest of the team supported by holding various lights, cameras and thermal scopes. Things can move very slowly and then very quickly when you are waiting for a glider to emerge. Patiently watching their little face and big fluffy ears as they look out of the hollow entrance – it feels like an hour but is probably only 5 or 10 minutes. They are checking the coast is clear and suddenly, start scampering up the tree to the favoured gliding branch – then we’re on! It was truly exciting to witness the glide of our furry friends and I think Dave was pretty happy he got the first glide on film.
My analysis for the park proposal has found the Greater Glider and many other species in southeastern NSW are inadequately protected in the reserve system. Two-thirds of their known range in the south coast is unreserved, and the majority of that is State Forest land. In the case of the Yellow-bellied Glider it is starker, with only one-quarter protected. Glossy Black-cockatoos, Gang-gang-cockatoos, Sooty Owls, Powerful Owls and Feathertail Gliders are among many species with low protection in the reserve system. These species are particularly vulnerable to logging as they are all hollow-dependent. Logging reduces hollow availability and resets the age of a forest, creating a high cohort of younger trees. The protections that forestry put in, such as buffer zones around known den trees, are ineffective in compensating for the loss of the surrounding forest.
By creating the Great Southern Forest National Park we can remove the threat of logging and establish a highly connected network of reserves that complement existing national parks to provide the protection needed to conserve species and prevent further decline. The park proposal is set to be delivered early 2026 – a vital step towards securing a thriving, resilient future for forests and the wildlife of southern NSW.