Living in Somerset PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK Acknowledgements Somerset Regional Council and South East Queensland Catchments acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we walk, live and work, the Jagera people and Jinibara people and pays respect to Elders both past and present. We would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the Lockyer Catchment Association and the Gatton and Laidley Shire Councils (now Lockyer Valley Regional Council), who were responsible for the production of the document Living in the Lockyer that inspired the production of Living in the Landscape: The Lockyer Valley, and ultimately this publication. The format, layout and content have changed but the overall intent to improve the way in which we manage the catchment in which we live and work remains the same. Thank you to the contribution by the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium. The Fire Management section of this booklet has been written and collated by Sam Lloyd of the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium and Bruce Lord of South East Queensland Catchments. Thank you to all contributors, including Shannon Mooney, Vanessa Hounsell, Andrew Houley, Greg Leach, Bruce Lord, Trevor Page and Jessica Walker. Thank you to people who have provided photos for use in this publication, a list of photo credits is provided at the end of this booklet. This publication may be used for research, individual study and educational purposes. Properly acknowledged quotation may be made. This document has been prepared from the best available information at the time of publication. Information has been collated from several sources and is presented in a non-technical format. Any decisions made by other parties based on the document are solely the responsibility of those parties. Disclaimer The views and conclusions contained in this document should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the ofcial policies, either expressed or implied, of South East Queensland Catchments, Somerset Regional Council or the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium or their supporting organisations. This information or data is provided on a general basis only. You should seek specifc or appropriate advice in relation to this information or data before taking any action based on its contents. So far as permitted by law, SEQ Catchments Limited makes no warranty in relation to this information or data. Contents INTRODUCTION 6 Somerset Regional Council Area Facts 6 Climate 8 Historical Land Use 8 Current Land Use 9 Future Land Use 11 CHAPTER 1 – WHY MANAGE NATURAL RESOURCES? 12 How Can I Make a Diference? 13 Community Groups 14 What is the Best Land Use for my Property? 14 CHAPTER 2 – NATURAL RESOURCES 15 Land (Land Resource Areas) 15 Soils 20 Vegetation 24 Water 31 CHAPTER 3 – PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION FOR MANAGING YOUR PROPERTY 34 Land Use Capability 34 Soil erosion 35 Salinity 39 Grazing Land Management 42 Land Condition 42 Pasture Condition 44 Grazing Management 48 Water Supply and Farm Dams 51 Managing Nature on Your Property 53 Enhancing Biodiversity on Your Property 59 Fire Management 66 Fire and the Australian Landscape 66 Fire Management Planning 70 Fire and Grazing 76 Pest Management (Weeds and Feral Animals) 84 CHAPTER 4 – PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PLANNING 93 Taking Stock of Your Resources 95 Taking Action 96 Monitoring and Reviewing 99 CHAPTER 5: LANDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES 101 APPENDICES 104 BIBLIOGRAPHY 126 PHOTO CREDITS 130 LIST OF FIGURES 1 Locality Map - Somerset Regional Council Area 7 2 Land Uses in Somerset 10 3 Land Resource Areas of Somerset 19 4 Relationship between nutrient availability and soil pH 23 5 Remnant Vegetation of Somerset Region 30 6 The role of nature in providing clean water 32 7 The value of vegetation in maintaining healthy riparian areas and waterways 33 8 Salinity extent in Somerset 40 9 Eucalyptus tereticornis – a hollow haven that provides important habitat for wildlife 57 10 Six easy steps to planting out 65 11 Creating a basic property plan 94 12 Impact and infuence matrix 98 LIST OF TABLES 1 The ABCD framework for land condition 43 2 Pasture indicator species 45 3 Legumes suited to somerset 47 4 Suggested plant spacing and densities for various vegetation communities 62 5 Suggested fre regime for selected vegetation communities 72 6 Key weeds found in Somerset 87 7 Risk assessment matrix 97 8 Legislation which may impact your land management 103 LIST OF APPENDICES 1 Soil types and descriptions 104 2 Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare native species of Somerset 107 3 Vegetation maps and what they mean 116 4 Three principles of habitat management 120 5 List of Native plants to encourage wildlife 122 6 Commonly grown garden plants that have weed potential and suitable alternative native species 124 Living in Somerset: Your Guide to Property Management Living in Somerset provides basic information on land, water and vegetation management for people owning land or residing in the Somerset Regional Council area. The introduction provides an overview of the geography and climate of the region, as well as a background to the historical, current and future land uses in the region. Chapter 1 discusses why it is important that landholders take responsibility for the management of the natural resources on their property, and Chapter 2 describes the natural resources present within the Somerset region. Chapter 3 outlines practical actions that landholders can take to manage the natural resources on their properties and Chapter 4 describes the property management process that landholders can follow to bring all of these elements together. The publication is laid out in such a way that it operates at a number of scales: an individual property, local area (sub-catchment, working with neighbours), the Somerset region and then at the broader scale of South East Queensland and the whole state. Guidance on management is provided for application at an individual property level and covers a range of relevant topics for landholders. This publication is intended to give landholders an overview of relevant land management topics and direction for seeking additional information.. 005 Introduction Somerset Regional Council is bounded to the east by the D’Aguilar Range and to the north by the Jimna Range. From these mountainous and hilly areas, the region levels out to the fertile alluvial plains of the Brisbane River valley. The Somerset region encompasses the major areas of the upper and middle reaches of the Brisbane River and the middle reaches of the Stanley River and forms the primary catchments for the Wivenhoe and Somerset Dams. To the south of the Brisbane River lies the Lockyer Catchment with its extensive agricultural areas. These catchments support a variety of human activities, including agriculture, urban development, national parks and reserves, recreation, tourism and fsheries. The major towns in the Somerset Regional Council area are Esk, Fernvale, Kilcoy, Lowood and Toogoolawah. Somerset Regional Council Area Facts • Total area 5,379 km2 (SRC 2013) • Population of approximately 22,519 with a growth rate of 4.2% (2010 data) (SCRC 2013). • Includes signifcant parts of Brisbane and Stanley River catchments and the major water storages for South East Queensland; Lakes Wivenhoe and Somerset. • Also includes a large portion of the Lockyer Creek and Atkinson Dam catchments. • Land uses include grazing, intensive agriculture, forestry, horse industry, dairying, horticulture, lifestyle farms, native bush and rural residential areas, urban development, recreation and tourism. • Land cover is grass (45.6%), native forest (45.4%), irrigated cropping and pasture (3%) and plantations (2.4%). • Signifcant areas of natural bush remain in upper catchments and ranges whilst the mid and lower catchments have largely been cleared for pastoralism and agriculture. • Natural resource management concerns include population growth and development, inappropriate fre regimes, habitat loss and fragmentation, weeds, die-back of trees in paddocks, unsustainable land management practices, soil erosion and land degradation, sediment load within the water courses and climate change. 006 FIGURE 1: LOCALITY MAP - SOMERSET REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA 007 Climate The Somerset region experiences a sub-humid and sub-tropical climate with hot and humid summers, and short, mild winters with occasional frosts (Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) 2013). Rainfall is a highly variable feature of the Australian landscape and drought is a regular occurrence in the region. Most areas within the region record an average rainfall between 800-1,000mm, with the average annual rainfall for the township of Lowood being 822mm, Esk 937mm and Kilcoy 959mm (BoM 2013). The area has a summer dominant rainfall pattern, with an average of 68% of the total rainfall occurring between October and March, mainly during thunderstorms. High intensity thunderstorms can generate high rates of run-of resulting in erosion and fooding, and associated hail can severely damage crops, plants and buildings. Typically, the higher elevations in the upper catchments and ranges closer to the coast receive higher annual rainfall. Although stream fow for the Brisbane and Stanley Rivers are perennial in nature, many of the other smaller creeks in the region are ephemeral (short lasting, transitory) in nature. For much of the 1990s and 2000s, there was a trend of considerably lower rainfall and less regular seasonal rainfall distribution, however rainfall has been above average since 2010 with the region experiencing devastating foods in 2011 and 2013. Historical Land Use Prior to European settlement of the region Aboriginal people inhabited the lands for thousands of years. The area around Kilcoy is the land of the Jinibara people and the area around Esk and south of Esk is the land of the Jagera people. The region is rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage, both pre and post European settlement, including places of spiritual or ceremonial signifcance, places where traditional plant or mineral resources occur and trade and travel routes. The Brisbane Valley was one of the frst areas to be settled by Europeans in Queensland. In 1848 the restriction on settling within 50 miles of Brisbane was lifted and as a result European settlers began moving to the region to take up government leases. Settlement increased rapidly following the opening of the railway to Esk in 1886, Toogoolawah in 1904 and Linville in 1910. 008 The Somerset region has a long history of agriculture, pastoralism, and the timber industry; with agriculture being concentrated on the fertile soils of the foodplains and timber production both on private land and in state forests. Beef cattle replaced sheep in the 1850s as the dominant rural industry. Dairying was also a major industry of the region, supporting condensed milk factories including a large factory at Toogoolawah (Kerr 1988). Current Land Use The dominant land use across the Somerset region is grazing of beef cattle, often on native pastures, and includes breeding and fattening operations. Agriculture and intensive animal industries like dairying and poultry production are also important, with most being concentrated along the fertile alluvial valleys which support access to signifcant water supplies for irrigation. A range of feld and fodder crops including maize, barley, soybeans, sorghum and lucerne are grown throughout the area along with a variety of fruits including: citrus, grapes, stone fruit, melons, avocados and mangoes. More intensive vegetable production (eg. potatoes, pumpkins, onions, lettuce, broccoli and celery) is concentrated along the fertile Lockyer foodplains and the region also supports several turf and poultry farms. The region has extensive areas of land covered by reserves including: Conondale National Park, D’Aguilar National Park and Deongwar, Benarkin, Mt Stanley, Jimna, Squirrel Creek and Deer Reserve State Forests. These reserves contain large tracts of natural bushland and aim to preserve the environmental values of the area Wivenhoe and Somerset dams occupy a signifcant area of land within Somerset, with these dams being used for water storage and supply, food control, hydroelectric power generation and recreation. The region has also seen increasing demand for rural residential developments, including small rural holdings and lifestyle blocks. This has been prompted by high population growth in south-east Queensland and the region’s close proximity to the large urban centres of Brisbane and Ipswich to the south and Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast to the east. Such proximity to larger urban centres has also seen the growth of tourism services over the past decade. 009 FIGURE 2: LAND USES IN SOMERSET 010