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Umina bush is officially endangered

The NSW Scientific Committee has officially recognised Umina Coastal Sand Plain Woodland as an endangered ecological community.

It will now be subject to the provisions of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act, finalising a process that has taken about three years.

The areas nominated in a determination, gazetted on December 6, are small pockets of bush at Umina Oval, McEvoy Oval, "Umina High School", and an area at Pearl Beach.

The determination means that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) must now prepare an overall recovery plan within three years.

The recovery plan would be progressive, with the most endangered species being dealt with first, each species having its own recovery plan.

The NPWS will pay for the preparation of the recovery plan and implementation will be negotiated with the owners of the land in question.

In the cases of the nominated areas, this is Gosford Council and the Department of Education and Training.

The council and the school will be expected to prepare a plan of management.

During the process of creating a recovery plan and plans of management, there will be opportunity of community input.

In addition to the nominated areas, there may also be other examples of this community on the Peninsula.

According to NPWS threatened species manager, Mr Rob Humphries, the community does not have to be specifically named in the determination to be officially regarded as an endangered ecological community.

Mr Humphries also said that if characteristic species and features of the community are present in a high proportion, "this community can still occur".

"It does not have to have all the species to be part of the community.

"A poor example of a community is still a community," Mr Humphries said.

For an area to qualify as an example of the endangered community, an expert such as an ecologist needs to perform an assessment of the area and make a determination.

If the area is determined to be an example of the community, an Environmental Impact Study must take place before any development or alteration can take place.

Mr Mark Snell, convenor of the Burrawang Bushland Reserve Committee, said the determination could have significant implications for Gosford Council.

He said there were several Council-managed sites on the Peninsula which may have remnant bush of the type described in the determination.

The Burrawang Reserve on Hillview St, Woy Woy, was one example.

"The ecological community described would seem to be that found at the Burrawang Reserve," Mr Snell said.

"More than half of the species listed in the determination are present at the Burrawang Reserve.

"Most importantly, the determination describes the tree and shrub species that characterize the ecological community.

"The Burrawang Reserve contains all the species described, with the exception only of eucalyptus botryoides, which is not expected that far from the ocean.

"An explanation for the absence of the other listed species could be the effect of the all too frequent fires within the reserve," Mr Snell said.

The NSW Scientific Committee had made a preliminary determination in June 2000 and is normally required by law to make a final determination within six months.

This determination is believed to have been the longest that a final determination has been delayed.

An officer of the committee said the committee had been waiting on relevant information to be provided before making the final determination.

The nature of the information and its source would remain confidential.

Jonathan Reichard, December 12