Supported by the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program, Healthy Land & Water started two bushfire recovery projects in April. 

The recovery work involves removing select weeds including lantana, moth vine, white passionflower, palm grass, and devil’s fig from the upper Illinbah section of Lamington National Park. The second project is focused on controlling access to affected areas of Main Range National Park by repairing and erecting fencing to prevent cattle intrusions.

Supported by the Australian Government's Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program, Healthy Land & Water started two bushfire recovery projects in April. 

The Illinbah section of Lamington National Park was severely affected by high-intensity fires in late 2019, damaging rainforest species, opening the rainforest canopy, and allowing weeds to become established. While significant natural regeneration is also occurring, re-sprouting and germinating native species need to be protected from weed growth that could overwhelm and inhibit natural regrowth.

The objective of the first project is to remove lantana and other invasive weeds in fire-affected areas of the Illinbah section of Lamington National Park as a basis for assisting natural regeneration, protecting threatened species, and improving the ecological integrity of this part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Rainforests Area.

Supply of boundary fencing material for Main Range National Park will enable landholders to reinstate boundary fencing to manage cattle along sections of the eastern boundary of Main Range National Park.

Threatened species that will benefit from this second project include:

• Glossy black cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami – Listed as vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act (NCA).
• Spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies) Dasyurus maculatus maculatus – Listed as vulnerable under the NCA and endangered under the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).
• Red goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus – Listed as endangered under the NCA and vulnerable under the EPBC Act,
• Southern emu-wren Stipiturus malachurus – Listed as vulnerable under the NCA.
• Common death adder Acanthophis antarcticus – Listed as vulnerable under the NCA.
• Stephens banded snake Hoplocephalus stephensii.
• Powerful owl Ninox strenua– Listed as vulnerable under the NCA.
• Brush-tailed rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata – Listed as vulnerable under both the NCA and EPBC Act.
• Koala Phascolarctos cinereus – Listed as vulnerable under the NCA.
• Southern greater glider Petauroides volans volans – Listed as vulnerable.
• Long nosed potoroo Potorous tridactylus tridactylus – Listed as vulnerable under both the NCA and EPBC Act.
• New Holland mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Blackfellow Creek) – Least concern under the NCA and listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
• Hastings River mouse Pseudomys oralis – Listed as vulnerable under the NCA and endangered under the EPBC Act.

This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program.