Tuart stakeholder and community workshops 2002

The workshop's purpose is to consult with community groups and stakeholders in order to assist with the development of the government's Tuart Conservation and Protection Strategy.

The workshop objectives are to:

• inform the community and stakeholders of the current issues associated with dramatic decline in health of the Tuart trees and ecosystems;
• liaise with the community and stakeholders in order to develop ideas and gain support for tuart conservation and protection activities that may have been overlooked;
• ensure that a range of community and stakeholder viewpoints are represented in developing and improving sustainable management practices for tuart ecosystems and associated vegetation communities; and
• to provide opportunities for the community groups and stakeholders to become actively involved in conservation and protection strategies for the tuart.

Workshop topics

1. Sharing and improving community knowledge and awareness of tuart trees, tuart ecosystems and associated vegetation, and their various values and benefits.

2. Building partnerships within and between community groups with differing interests in tuart.

3. Adequately representing, conserving, protecting and managing tuart ecosystems and associated vegetation to enhance the variety of benefits they provide, especially for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning.

4. Identifying and sustainably managing tuart trees and stands on private lands, and developing and implementing plans for restoration and rehabilitation.

5. Developing and demonstrating in State and regional development planning processes and plans, a shared understanding of the role of tuart in the landscape.

6. Institutional arrangements in place for the conservation and protection of tuart, and continually improved incentives to support land owners and land managers.

Summary of comments at the Tuart Community and Stakeholder Workshops: September to October 2002

Yanchep

• Need to define significant stands of tuart.
• More understanding of Aboriginal burning practices needed.
• Insufficient research on the bio-indicators of tuart health.
• Insufficient research on bio-climatic modelling.
• Exact composition of tuart ecosystems not known.
• Need environmental auditing before any development takes place.
• Priority to conserve the remainder of bushland.
• Need to increase the skill and knowledge of private landowners.
• Need improved integrated environmental planning.

Lancelin

• The impact of Yarragadee water extraction on the hydrology supporting tuart.
• Extent of hydrology research at Lake Clifton.
• Water extraction policies in Lake Clifton, Preston and Yalgorup areas.
• Genetic basis of healthy tuart growth in areas of high decline.
• How to management viable populations of tuart within local government areas.
• More information on the tuart decline and management.
• More research on longicorn beetle to find natural predators.

Bunbury

• Protection of existing tuarts in reserves and on private land.
• Are there programs to replace lost tuart woodlands?
• Why is there no local government representation on the Tuart Response Group?
• Are there any dreamtime stories relevant to tuarts?
• Where are we going to get the extra money to manage the tuarts?

Busselton

• Exact amount of tuart ecosystems remaining.
• What are the plans for tuart reconstruction trials and other scientific studies?
• Need immediate moratorium on tuart clearing for ecosystems less than 3,000 hectares.
• For larger ecosystems immediate moratorium on tuart clearing until cause of decline known.
• Need funding for improved management of tuart health.
• Need to develop and implement a Tuart Environmental Protection Policy.

Mandurah

• How old are the trees?
• What plans for community reconstruction trials?
• Investigate removal of dead wood to improve tree survival.
• Concern about the level of tuart research relative to management.
• Healthy trees being cleared for urban development.
• Should focus on other trees in decline.
• Planting trees around dams in Mandurah - will it reduce the water for tuarts?
• Is salinity a problem with tuarts?
• Importance of conserving tuart trees and the understorey.

Perth

• Why spending money on vegetation mapping when it could be spent on management?
• People in Perth are intimidated by the size of tuarts and therefore don't grow them.
• Need incentives for landowners who are not conservation minded, to conserve tuarts.
• Weed control following fires and other disturbances.
• Education in schools, communities and with businesses.
• How to build knowledge and capacity of stakeholders to conserve and protect tuarts.
• Identify priority areas for conservation and protection.
• Ban planting of Eucalyptus maculata (spotted gum) in lieu of tuart.
• Criteria for strategic planning lacks consistency.
• Recognise requirements for CAR tuart reserves in State and regional planning.