KOALA PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN · Related documents Harvest Plan Training package Koala Record Register Harvest QA Environmental Hazard Map Description Koalas are an easily

Ref: OP-7423 Uncontrolled document when printed Version: 7.0 Reviewed By: Alan Rossouw and Emily Silberberg Reviewed Date: 27/10/2013 Printout Date: 28 October 2013 Approved By: Mark Diedrichs Approved: 28/10/2013 Page 1 of 9

KOALA PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

Objective

To ensure that Australian Bluegum Plantations’ (ABP) harvest operations prevent injury or death to koalas which may inhabit plantations being harvested; ensuring the welfare and care of koalas is to be given the highest priority.

Related documents

Harvest Plan Training package Koala Record Register Harvest QA

Environmental Hazard Map

Description

Koalas are an easily recognisable, well known Australian native animal that are well adapted for climbing. Males are larger (averaging 12kg in Victoria) than females (8.5 kg), with a broader face. Juvenile koalas remain dependant of their parent until about 12 months of age. A juvenile less than 2kg (or about the size of a football) cannot survive in the wild alone. Koala scats (faecal pellets) are easily identifiable, being very hard on the outside, of a slightly ridged and oval shape, green-brown in colour and consisting entirely of vegetable matter. Scats are usually found at the base of trees and when fresh, smell strongly of eucalyptus. The scats are somewhat easier to find than the koalas themselves. Koalas often sit motionless in the forks of trees, except when drawing attention to themselves by the grunting and snoring-like calls of the males or the high pitched wailing cries of females.

Conservation status and legislative requirements The koala’s conservation status varies across the country. Nationally, populations of koalas in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Koalas are listed as rare in South Australia and are not listed in Victoria.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Koalas are protected animals under all jurisdictions. South Australia and Victoria have wildlife and animal welfare legislation that is applicable to koalas. This includes the:

Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic) National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA) Animal Welfare Act 1985 (SA) Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (Vic)

Essentially, a person is guilty of an offence if he or she:

Wilfully/recklessly injures protected wildlife or wilfully/recklessly causes protected wildlife to be injured.

Wilfully/recklessly separates protected wildlife from their young or wilfully/recklessly causes it to be separated.

Is in charge of a sick or injured animal and unreasonably fails to provide veterinary or other appropriate treatment for the animal.

Fails to obtain a permit/licence to take or mark an animal for research purposes. To prevent wilful or reckless behaviour, it is essential that all relevant personal follow the requirements of this Koala Protection and Management Plan or supporting Standard Operating Procedure.

Koala Populations It is apparent that there are populations of koalas within a number of the plantations managed by ABP. It is estimated that koalas are likely to occur in 45% of the Green Triangle ABP plantation estate, particularly in council areas of Glenelg, Moyne and West Wimmera. However, it appears that the koalas’ range is expanding and there is a likelihood of koalas being encountered in an increasing number of plantations. Appendix 1 contains an indicative map of koala density overlayed with ABP plantations.

Risk to koalas There is extreme risk for koalas resident in blue gum plantations to be injured or killed during harvest operations. It is therefore important that appropriate measures are taken to manage this risk. There is also likelihood that koala welfare may be adversely affected as a result of their habitat (blue gums) being harvested.

Plantation planning

During harvest planning the following shall be considered:

The ABP Project Officer shall undertake a pre harvest estimate of population density of koalas using the pre-harvest sampling method described in Appendix 2.

Details of koala numbers are to be entered into the company’s Koala Record Register and the Harvest Plan.

Where there is a high population density (>=1 koalas per hectare), a koala spotter is to remain ahead of the harvester and locate koalas within 1 hour of the trees to be harvested.

Areas that can provide shelter or possible food source are to be identified in the Harvest Plan, such as the presence of neighbouring remnant vegetation, adjacent blue gum plantations with mature foliage or shelter belts, or other refuge areas within the plantation that koalas may move into once harvesting commences.

The type of harvesting system used. Where there are high population densities, less intensive operations shall be preferred.

Sequence of harvesting to assist koalas in moving to possible refuge areas. That contact details of wildlife carers and the relevant DEPI staff are recorded in the GT

Stakeholder Register and the Harvest Plan.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Operational Procedure

Harvest inspections - Contractors

Prior to commencement of any harvest operations, (including first cut) and at intervals no greater than 3 hours throughout the shift, the harvest/buncher operator (or other person nominated by the contractor), shall walk the area to be harvested, including the impact zone, and visually check for the presence of koalas.

The use of aids such as thermal imaging shall be used when and if they are available. Spot lights must be used to locate koalas during night harvesting.

As much as possible, a last minute check from the harvester is to be made before the tree is harvested.

The Contractor Supervisor shall collate the documented checks every 2-3 days to determine if the population density is increasing. If it is >=1/ha (as estimated by the number of koalas per harvested area), then the ABP Supervisor is to be contacted immediately.

Koala location checks shall be documented by the contractor on the Koala Response Checklist and forwarded to the ABP Project Officer on a weekly basis.

Trees in which koalas are located shall be clearly marked with paint that is visible to the machine operator.

In addition to the tree in which the koala is located, at least eight additional trees shall also be retained in a cluster (ideally three per row).

Felling of other trees likely to impact the cluster which contains a koala should be directed away. South Australia harvest operations ONLY

For the first week of harvesting, checks are carried out each three hours (as described above).

If no koalas are spotted, then checks in the second and subsequent weeks are carried out once at the start of each shift per day.

If a koala is located then checking reverts back to once every three hours.

Harvest inspections - ABP

During monitoring, the ABP Harvesting Supervisor may decide to retain a larger number of trees in a strategic position in order to provide a greater refuge for koalas.

Contractors shall be monitored on a minimum fortnightly basis, by ABP Harvesting Supervisors, to ensure compliance with these requirements and documented on the Harvest QA form.

If an increase in population density (>=1 koalas per hectare) is detected either through the Koala Response Checklists, on-site monitoring, or contractor notification, then ABP, together with the Contractor, must make a decision on what needs to be implemented to further manage the increased risk. This can include any of the following and will depend on the population density and remaining area to harvest:

o Undertaking a formal population survey. o A koala spotter to remain ahead of the harvester and locate koalas within 1 hour of the

trees to be harvested. o Using barriers to minimise koala movement. o Moving to less populated areas within the plantation. o Changing harvesting intensity and/or harvesting system. o Ceasing harvesting.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Koala welfare-incident management and reporting

In the event of locating a koala suspected of being injured or a lone juvenile koala being located on the harvest site, the harvest operator shall immediately report the incident to the ABP Harvesting Supervisor (in the first instance) or ABP Project Officer. If injured, the koala should be immediately conveyed to a veterinary clinic or wildlife carer, as is deemed necessary by trained ABP staff.

If a juvenile is located, the appropriate wildlife carer must be contacted immediately. The carer may advise to leave on site to await their arrival or for ABP to transport it to the carer’s location.

Should a dead koala be located on a harvesting site, ABP shall be contacted immediately. Contractors are to leave the koala as found until an ABP representative undertakes an investigation. If it is apparent that the koala has died from harvesting activities, the koala is to be buried in an appropriate location (i.e. not HCVF or waterway) and the incident details reported. If the cause of death is not apparent, then the dead animal is to be conveyed to a veterinary clinic in an effort to ascertain the cause of death.

Incidents of injured, dead and juvenile koalas must be documented on an ABP Incident Report Form by the ABP Project Officer or ABP Harvesting Manager and entered into the ABP Incident Register.

Incidents will trigger the Emergency Koala Management “Escalation options should koala injuries occur within ABP plantations” as outlined in Appendix 3.

Summary details of incidents as required by DEPI are to be entered into the Koala Record Register.

Weekly updates shall be provided by the ABP Project Officer to the appropriate contact within DEPI on a weekly basis, forwarding the Koala Record Register as required.

Monitoring of koala welfare during harvest

Whilst harvest is ongoing, frequent monitoring of koalas known to be in refuge areas shall be undertaken to monitor their wellbeing. The ABP Project Officer shall be responsible for ensuring this monitoring is undertaken.

Should the welfare of a koala be in doubt, the welfare-incident management and reporting protocols (as above) should to be followed.

Post harvest welfare On the completion of harvest operations, a survey of the plantation shall be undertaken by ABP and a wildlife carer (if available), to ascertain:

The number of koalas remaining on the plantation. If any of the remaining koalas appear to be injured, ill or found dead. Details of this survey shall be recorded in ABP’s Koala Record Register by the ABP Project

officer and forwarded to DEPI. Injured or ill koalas shall be immediately transported to a veterinary clinic or wildlife carer. If a dead koala is located, the animal should be conveyed to a veterinary clinic (if appropriate) in

an effort to ascertain the cause of death. Injured and dead animals shall be reported as per the incident reporting requirements. Depending on the outcome of the survey and land tenure, the plantation may need to be visited

on a number of occasions to monitor the welfare of the remaining koalas. This should be undertaken approximately once a month and ideally in conjunction with a DEPI representative.

If land management changes, a copy of the register is to be provided to the new land manager.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Training

Relevant ABP staff and harvesting contractors shall receive adequate training to ensure compliance with this plan. This can be delivered through Standard Operating Procedure/s (SOP). The ABP Project Officer shall be responsible for ensuring this training is delivered. This training shall include but not limited to:

Contents of this plan/SOP. Observation, recording and reporting requirements. Identification of and dealing with injured or ill koalas. Safe handling of koalas. Legislative requirements. Certification requirements. Contractor feedback and continuous improvement.

Audit and review

This plan shall be subject to an annual audit. This may be through the surveillance audit process with ABP’s Certification Body or ABP’s internal auditing process. If using ABP’s internal auditing process, an independent stakeholder (representative from DEPI or wildlife carer) should accompany the ABP auditor to ensure a level of transparency. Results of the audit shall be made publicly available via ABP’s website. This plan must be reviewed on an ongoing basis in light of incident frequency and trends, research findings, results of compliance monitoring, and operational experience. Reviews must be no less than annual.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Appendix 1

Indicative Koala density across ABP Green Triangle estate


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Appendix 2

Koala population density sampling procedure

Aim Quantify koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population densities in plantation stands of E. globulus to inform management decisions and risk profiles for plantation operations.

Background Koala surveys are required to understand koala population densities in GT plantations and inform management decisions for harvesting and other operational activities on these sites. A number of methods for koala density surveys are described in the literature

Assumptions required of strip transect with fixed boundary method Probability of detection within strip boundary is equal to 1.0. ie 100% of koalas sighted and recording Any koala sighted outside the strip boundary are not counted Detection of initial location is recorded. ie moving animals are only recorded if they were initially sighted

within the strip boundary. Unlikely scenario but be aware. Overall sample area is targeted at ≥30% according to literature and would be higher in smaller stands

(<100ha).

Consideration in modifying sampling method Tree height and canopy development. Sightability or detection limits of method are 100% therefore fixed

boundaries may be altered depending on visibility of animals within canopies. Proximity to native vegetation. Stand area or size. Row widths, Will alter fixed boundary. Training.

Methodology Method utilised is the strip transect with fixed boundaries (Dique et al., 2003; Dique et al., 2004). For ease of implementation, each compartment is a defined fixed boundary.

Pre-harvest survey Allocate first transect line start point randomly at compartment edge, perpendicular to row direction. Strip boundary defined for late age plantations is based on relatively poor sightability across rows. Three

(3) tree rows (one tree row either side of central tree line or transect location) are used for animal sightings. Decide the % sample area required. 30% = 3 rows in 10 rows required for Victoria; 15% = 3 rows in 20

rows in South Australia. Count the number of animals sighted within the fixed boundary for the length of the transect. GPS each

location (if possible). Sum the animals sighted and the total length of all transects for the compartment sampled. Total transect length x occupied width (12m) = area sampled. Divide number of koalas spotted in that compartment by sample area and multiply by 10000 to get

koalas/hectare. For plantation estimates, either average the results for compartments or total the length of all transects

across the plantation multiplied by the occupied width (12m) to get total area sampled and then apply the same formula above.

Divide the total sampled area by plantation total area to obtain % sample coverage. Alternatively, extrapolate %sample area to 100% area. For example, a 30% area multiplied by 3.3 to 100%

area. If 12 koalas were sighted in a 30% sample area of 35ha = 12*3.3 / 35 = 1.1koalas/hectare.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Hot Deck Survey As above but modify the distance between transects to provide 100% sample coverage - nominally 12m

based on 4m row spacing. Target area is assumed to be the area targeted for harvesting in the next shift.

Inventory Survey Incorporate sightings and evidence records when undertaking resource inventories. The methods would

not provide accurate population densities but provide an indication of presence or absence of populations and allow prioritisation for further surveys. This could be applied in the broader regions and margin of known koala populations.

Further considerations Undertake an oversampling study to optimise sample coverage and resource requirements to undertake

the surveys with statistical rigour. Develop a modified line transect method to extend the sightability factor and sample area from single

transects. See (Dique et al., 2003). Methods used in plantation setting will be different to that used in native forest circumstances and should

be a consideration in joint/collaborative surveys. Surveys using infra-red and rangefinders with modified sampling method might improve efficiency of

surveys.

Dique, D., de Villiers, D. and Preece, H., 2003. Evaluation of line‐transect sampling for estimating koala abundance in the Pine

Rivers Shire, south‐east Queensland. Wildlife Research, 30: 127‐133. Dique, D., Preece, H., Thompson, J. and de Villiers, D., 2004. Determining the distribution and abundance of a regional koala

population in south‐east Queeensland for conservation management. Wildlife Research, 31: 109‐117.


KOALA MANAGEMENT

Appendix 3

Koala Emergency Management. Escalation procedures for koala injuries within ABP plantations 1st injury.

ABP to investigate incident immediately: o were procedures followed o what contributed to the incident o if there is a need for disciplinary action o undertake risk assessment to assess risk of further incidents

Undertake a harvest QA to ensure correct procedures are in place Review procedures in place to prevent a reoccurrence

o Improved identification techniques o Frequency of checking

Regional Manager and Managing Director notified as soon as practicable on the day of the incident.

Subsequent injury. In the event of a subsequent incident occurring on the same harvesting operation the following procedures must be followed:

All tree felling must be suspended immediately until the incident is fully investigated. Items as per the 1st injury protocols Review harvesting plans ensuring escape routes are clearly identified. Undertake a further inventory assessment of koala population Implement 2 hourly checks by harvest operator ABP Project Manager, in consultation with the ABP Regional Manager, will consider whether one or more of the following additional measures require implementation:

Suspend operation until measures can be put in place to effectively remove risk to koalas

Move to new areas within the plantation Intensive survey of immediate harvesting zone Spotter working in front of harvester(s) Leave larger number of trees for “safe haven”

Documents

KOALA PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN · Related documents Harvest Plan Training package Koala Record Register Harvest QA Environmental Hazard Map Description Koalas are an easily