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Sand mining on North Stradbroke Island has ceased 70 years after it became the Island’s major industry. This article reports conversations with local indigenous people who have lived on the Island ...

Shark attacks have increased globally and are one of the most widely reported human-wildlife conflicts. Reflecting global trends, the number of recorded attacks has increased in Australian ...

Against a background of an escalating world population, there are now more people living in urban environments than elsewhere. While historically urban households have supplemented the family diet from the backyard vegetable garden, in periods of economic upturn (e.g., post- World War II) there has been a tendency for a transition from household food production to relying on supplies from commercial food outlets. In times of economic hardship there has been a switch back to backyard food production. In recent decades, even in the absence of major crises, there has been an increase in interest in growing ‘healthy foods’, and thus greater household food production. However, urban consolidation, and the associated reduction (or elimination) of the backyard have greatly reduced the space for household food production. With the continued increase in urbanisation predicted, associated loss of productive agricultural lands to urban sprawl and commitments of world leaders to reduce carbon emissions in response to climate change, the need for transition back to greater urban self-sufficiency will become a reality. Arguably, the major impediment to such an outcome has been that ‘food’ has not been embedded as a ‘community system’ along with others (e.g., housing, water) in planning. Increasingly this deficiency is being addressed but to maintain the current trajectory and momentum requires broad community participation in government policy development. Only then, will the increasing need to go back to the future and transform the urban landscape in support of greater food self-sufficiency be addressed.

There are many definitions of ‘sustainability’, but the term exists within social, economic and environmental contexts, the ‘three pillars’ of sustainability. Although governments, business...

The precautionary principle is regularly cited in cases that involve development in eco-sensitive locations. We investigated whether the precautionary principle provides the basis for a coherent framework to prevent environmental harm, and does it work in practice? We suggest that, in principle, the precautionary principle makes good sense. In practice, however, it is imprecise in policy and law and fails to fulfil its promise because it is loosely defined and thus lacks substance and clarity. Consequently, it operates in a framework that is ambiguous, leaving it open to manipulation by discretionary powers. To counter such deficiencies, human-induced environmental harm should be formally observed as ‘criminogenic’ and environmental protection prioritised against which other competing priorities (e.g., ‘year on year’ economic growth) are measured. This would overcome the politico-legal obfuscation and contestations of climate change policy that currently impedes the precautionary principle's practical app...

The term ‘biodiversity’ emerged in the mid-1980s and quickly became sufficiently popular that it could have been viewed as a ‘new field of science’. The broader community has also embraced the term and, ultimately, it has become a proxy for species conservation. As a consequence, conservation of biodiversity has effectively become the only approach to minimising continued species loss. However, despite the widespread use of the term, there is confusion over its definition, even among disciplines to which the term has become a focus. In Australia, much of the biodiversity conservation/restoration is community-driven (e.g., landcare, political pressure of animal welfare groups) with a focus on species and habitat biodiversity. Genetic diversity is seldom seriously considered. As a consequence, native species biodiversity management is often not maximising the potential outcomes. Arguably the greatest issue associated with incorporating genetics more centrally into biodiversity restoration is that i...

Together with other signatories of the Ramsar Convention, Australia is obliged to seek to halt wetland loss, which may include farm ponds/dams and other constructed wetlands. Since European arrival in Australia, extensive clearing of native ecosystems for agriculture and urbanisation has resulted in a concomitant loss of natural wetlands. However, there is limited information on changes in physical characteristics of wetlands with the transition to agriculture and urbanisation. In North-western Sydney, we investigated changes in wetland surface area, distance to nearest neighbour (connectivity), and shape complexity with transition from natural to agricultural and urban landscapes. There were significant differences amongst land use types for these three waterbody parameters. Wetlands in natural areas were larger and further apart from each other. Half the wetlands in agricultural and urban landscapes had small surface areas, but wetlands in agricultural areas were closer together, so connectivity for biota was potentially greater. Most wetlands in all land use classes were simple or irregular in shape, though urban areas had a higher proportion of irregular wetlands. We predict that on the current trajectory of increasing urbanisation, native biodiversity will continue to decline unless more emphasis is placed on the importance of wetlands – natural and constructed.

Groundwater-dependent ecosystems and their dependent species are under increasing threat globally. Petalurid dragonflies are one such group. This review highlights processes that threaten the groundwater-dependent mire habitats of Petalura gigantea, a dragonfly with long-lived fossorial larvae. The species is reliant for successful reproduction on areas of emergent seepage, or at least, on a water table that is sufficiently high to cause saturation of the peaty substrate. These microhabitat characteristics are critical for successful oviposition and larval burrow establishment, making the species particularly vulnerable to any lowering of water tables. The effect of any lowering of water tables, due to groundwater abstraction or longwall coal mining, for example, will be compounded by the effects of more intense fire regimes in these mires and by projected climate change. These threatening processes act in conjunction with a range of other anthropogenic threats and are mirrored globally in threats to other groundwater-dependent mire ecosystems and their dependent species, including other petalurid dragonflies.

An estimated 50 % of the world’s population live in urban areas and this is expected to rise to 70 % by 2050. Urban developments will thus continue to encroach on non-urban landscapes and native biodiversity (flora and fauna). Although much has been written on sustainable urban development, the biodiversity component has been largely ignored. Consequently, sustainable development of biodiversity is poorly understood within urban confines by planners and designers, community developers and social planners, activists and social movements, and even academics and consultants. When native flora and fauna are incorporated deliberately or ad hoc, for example due to landscaping fashions, the outcome may create on-going issues for authorities which could be minimised with sustainable management. For example, green urban infrastructure including parks and gardens, ‘backyards’, remnant bushland and even wastelands can be more effectively developed to sustainably support biodiversity, typically at reduced on-going cost. However, due to the lack of understanding of this aspect of sustainable development and on-going issues of ‘pest management’, the focus has been on only a small sub-set of the overall biodiversity. In addition, these changes in species’ dynamics often lead to the decline of local amenity for humans, and endemic species (e.g., small-bodied birds). Other taxa are typically neglected because they are cryptic, innocuous, dangerous, a nuisance, feral, or just not ‘sexy’.

Increasing numbers of retirees seek individual, extended, unstructured activities in remote, non-commercial locations. Travel is predominantly by self-drive 4WD vehicle towing a caravan/campervan. These ‘grey nomads’ often prefer remote bush camping sites/caravan parks to commercial resorts. The tropics – a popular destination – are inhabited by Australia's only large semi-terrestrial carnivore, the estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus. Conservation programmes of recent decades have resulted in a substantial increase in numbers. With naive grey nomads increasingly encroaching on crocodile territory, attacks are expected to increase. Review of conservation programmes to incorporate awareness education targeting grey nomads is therefore required.

Australia and North America have many similar cultural features. Yet, although North America has a strong recreational hunting culture, the sport is limited in Australia. This paper investigates why this difference may have developed. It appears that a major difference is the reason for settlement: Europeans were attracted to North America because of its abundant wildlife and the socio-economic value of furbearers already established, whereas Australia was settled as a penal colony. The colonists found Australia’s wildlife was scarce and unfamiliar, offering no prospect of socio-economic gain from hunting furbearers. With over-exploitation, both continents moved to conservation of their wildlife. North America developed a conservation ethic based on a social, utilitarian approach to sustainable management of furbearers. Australia embraced a holistic approach to conservation to protect biodiversity. The differences, therefore, result from zoological differences and not innate cultural difference.

Marine non-consumptive wildlife-oriented tourism, whereby tourists observe and/or interact closely with animals, without purposely having a detrimental effect on them, has been growing globally in recent decades. Human-mediated feeding (provisioning) is widely used by tour operators to attract target species, facilitate viewing and interaction with tourists. Although potential effects of such provisioning on terrestrial fauna have been given moderate scientific research attention, equivalent research in the marine environment is limited. Effects of provisioning marine wildlife may include direct habituation, behavioural change, and/or dietary impacts among individuals and species. There may also be disruption to the species associated assemblage. It was found that the literature on the effects of non-consumptive wildlife tourism is fragmented and results from different areas and taxa are frequently contradictory. Most studies appeared to be of a few years duration, at most. This reflects the relative immaturity of the industry - many enterprises studied typically commenced within the 1990 s. Studies (other than fish) tended to focus on a focal species with few addressing the wider implications for the associated assemblage. Supplementary feeding may also have impacts on the health and wellbeing of provisioned animals. It is concluded that such nature tourism is often not benign - focal species and their assemblage are often disrupted. We conclude that funding to better understand the impacts and thus address them is imperative. To supplement funding for the research and monitoring required, an additional charge could incorporated into the fee charged to those engaging in marine wildlife tourism.

Testis volume is generally correlated with sperm production. Their size is, therefore, considered informative, and is widely used as a surrogate for reproductive ability in a range of species. Gonadal abnormalities that influence adult reproductive function as a result of endocrine disruption compounds (EDCs) have been reported. In response to the observation that the population of the bearded dragon Pogona barbata had crashed in peri-urban Western Sydney, we investigated the nature and extent of testis deformity. It was observed that individuals collected in Western Sydney since the introduction of unleaded petrol in 1985 have a high level of deformities that are consistent with disruption of the endocrine processes. While deformities, such as missing testes, extreme asymmetry between testes, and flattened testes were not associated with any single aspect of the reproductive cycle, and they were found across the range of the species, the problem was much greater in Western Sydney than elsewhere in the sp...

Nature-based tourism has been viewed as a large and growing segment of the tourism market. Advocates of nature-based tourism argue its potential to generate income for biodiversity conservation and local economic benefit, while detractors fear a risk of ‘loving our parks to death’. Some recent studies have suggested that nature-based tourism may be declining on a per capita basis, especially in economically developed countries. Others have detected no such trend. Nature-based tourism is a key industry within Australia, based strongly on its unique scenery and biodiversity. We compared nature-based visitation and population growth during 1998-2012 for Australia overall and specifically for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which is adjacent to the country’s largest conurbation of Greater Sydney. We found substantial declines in domestic per-capita visitation, both nationally and regionally. Because visitation provides the ‘political capital’ for parks to survive, strategies to encourage visitation should be a target for land managers. Since children foster environmentally responsible behaviour in adults, they should be part of the focus for developing diverse experiences that encourage park visitation.

Deer are not endemic to Australia, but were introduced for game and aesthetics between the early 18th and 20th centuries. Until recent decades, most deer descended from these introductions. Before the 1970s when deer numbers and distribution expanded dramatically, farming was a modest enterprise. With the collapse of farming in the 1990s, large numbers of deer were deliberately released and translocated. Feral numbers and herds have subsequently expanded, and are increasingly encroaching on urban areas. As a new issue in Australia, views toward feral deer are polarized and span “welcome guest” to “major pest.” The emerging urban deer issues need greater acknowledgment and strategic management. This will require more emphasis on raising awareness, engagement with stakeholders, and development of legislative instruments to provide better strategic management of urban deer. This article reviews the potential increase in urban deer in Australia, considers the associated issues, and provides recommendations fo...

‘Water in The Landscape’, a community cultural development programme, focused on urban water management in Western Sydney (Australia). This case study was influenced by research which found provision of expert information alone increases community resistance to engagement, and called for methods using visual–practical elements to provoke people to question their values and attitudes, thus preparing them to absorb new information. Our programme used strategies, at a large scale (15 cultural projects), over two years, supported by local deliberative forums, and online information and dialogue facilities. We present outcomes of the cultural projects’ component of the programme, assessed in partnership between local government and University of Western Sydney.

Sport is important internationally; but in Australia, it is part of the national identity. The enjoyment of public open space for sport is, therefore, an assumed community right. We interviewed key staff from inner Sydney councils about management issues associated with public open space. The greatest concern was sporting fields – formal and informal – which were considered to have exceeded carrying capacity mainly because of the unintended outcomes of government programmes/policies spanning; (1) ‘healthy lifestyles’ which increased public open space use; (2) ‘urban consolidation’ increased inner-city population density with associated increased usage and loss of open space; (3) ‘temporal water restriction’ during drought (not ‘water budgets’) which intensify management issues; and (4) ‘building the education revolution’, meaning that public open space lost from schools results in increased pressure on public open space. Consequences have increased human pressure on public open space without commensurate ...

By identifying the salient views of environmental community groups in Western Sydney with respect to how they engaged others and built capacity, this paper presents a model of eco-social capacity building. The research methodology involved semi-structured interviews that facilitated reflection on the practitioners' experiences and attitudes. The model draws on Self-Determination Theory to elucidate motivational processes and integrate other major capacity domains: worldview, environmental relationship skills and social relationship skills. It relates environmental and social connectedness to these capacities and gives particular attention to the relationship between motivation and worldview. It explains the motivational consequences of approaching environmental action from both anthropocentric and ecocentric worldviews. We also examine how notions of environmental crisis affect motivation. The model's development process has linked psychological theory with a body of literature on ecocentrism and active hope. In so doing, several possibilities have emerged concerning the adoption of ecocentric worldviews that suggest viable processes for iteratively increasing eco-social capacity and motivation for pro-environmental behaviours.

While presence/absence of endocrine disruption has been widely observed within polluted wetlands, relatively few data have addressed population level changes for any species. This paper investigated the effects of endocrine disruption on the phenotypic sex ratio, size structure, biomass, and density of Gambusia holbrooki populations in wetlands used for storage of 1) tertiary treated sewage effluent; 2) urban stormwater runoff; and 3) wetlands without effluent supplementation (control wetlands). Those wetlands that had previously been determined to have endocrine disruption effects on G. holbrooki had lower density and biomass of fish than other wetlands. In contrast, the pattern of variation in the average length and phenotypic sex ratio of fish was not consistent with the effects of endocrine disruption.

Emergence studies in Odonata provide information on the behaviour, ecology and fundamental demographic parameters in population studies. This paper reports on a study of sex ratio at emergence, pattern and duration of the emergence season, and potential cohort splitting in Petalura gigantea. Sex ratio at emergence varied among years, habitat patches and swamp types. Across all collections, sex ratio varied significantly from a 1:1 ratio, with a bias towards females. The duration of the emergence season varied between sites and years, from at least 45 to at least 70 days, potentially commencing by late October and extending into early January and possibly beyond. Although some evidence suggested cohort splitting, it was not confirmed. Observations of spatially and temporally aggregated emergence clusters are consistent with observed oviposition patterns of individual females, suggesting cohort emergence. Observations of mortalities at emergence and of emergence location are provided; the latter should assi...

In highly urbanised Australia many cities and towns demand may have exceeded existing water supply. In peri-urban areas this can lead to conflict over access to supplies with priority often given to urban users. In an effort to resolve potential conflicts, water management planning often seeks to engage ‘community stakeholders’ in an attempt to produce a ‘harmonised’ strategic plan. In this paper we focus on the process of developing one such plan for sustainable water management in a peri-urban area with complex and conflicting stakeholder interests. We subject data from a series of planning meetings and ‘stakeholder’ workshops to a critical review and analysis against the project's stated aims for this stage of the process of: engaging key stakeholders, developing a common vision, and deciding research priorities. We conclude that the approach was unable to achieve these strategic outcomes. In discussion we explore how this analysis reflects barriers in the engagement process, which highlight more general concerns about this widely accepted model for stakeholder engagement in resource issues.

Recreational fishing in freshwater ecosystems is a popular pastime in Australia. Although most native fish are endemic, the fauna is depauperate compared to any landmass of similar size. With commercial fishing no longer a major industry in the country’s freshwaters, the future sustainability of these ecosystems will depend heavily on the actions of recreational fishers. However, there has been limited focus on the consequences of recreational fishing in freshwaters. There is particularly a dearth of information on the indirect consequences of fishers on the waterbodies they depend on for their sport. After outlining the respective trends in commercial and recreational fishing in Australia as a basis for placing the sport in context, the indirect impacts of fishers on water quality, movement (walking, off-road vehicles), the introduction/translocation of fauna (particularly fish), the dispersal of flora and the transmission of fish disease and pathogens are reviewed. It is concluded that with the decline of commercial fishing, the competition between commercial fin-fishing and recreational fishing is negligible, at least throughout most of the country. It is also concluded that each of the issues addressed has the potential to be detrimental to the long-term sustainability of the freshwater ecosystems that the fishers depend on for their recreation. However, information on these issues is scant. This is despite the current and predicted popularity of freshwater recreational fishing continuing to increase in Australia. Indeed, there has been insufficient quantitative assessment of the impacts to even determine what is required to ensure a comprehensive, adequate and representative protection of these freshwater ecosystems. To underpin the sustainability of inland recreational fishing in the country, it was concluded that research is required to underpin the development and implementation of appropriate policies. The alternative is that the integrity and biodiversity loss of these ecosystems will ultimately result in their collapse before the indirect consequences of recreational fishing have been directly assessed and appropriately protected. However, the lack of protection of wetlands is not restricted to Australia; there is a deficit of freshwater protected areas worldwide.

Historically, visitors’ motives for visiting protected areas included ‘rest, relaxation and reinvigoration’. Ecological impacts were typically low. Recent trends have increased use of protected areas for extreme sports, with greater numbers undertaking more active recreation, such as extreme sports. The effect of this trend is considered, together with potential management options. We propose that the development of appropriately targeted and delivered educational programmes could minimise environmental degradation. However, to maximise ecological conservation in protected lands we consider that a major paradigm shift is required. This will require a more strategic, holistic approach to planning and managing outdoor recreation/sport destinations incorporating collaboration across stakeholders. Based on past experience, to continue with the current model will ultimately accelerate biodiversity loss, degradation of protected areas, and loss of recreational amenity.

Contemporary changes to the doctorate mean student researchers are likely to be expected to write differently, write more and more often, and yet, despite a growing interest in doctoral education, we still know relatively little about the teaching and learning practices of students and supervisors vis-a-vis doctoral writing. This paper draws from a research study into the writing experiences of higher degree students and their supervisors in one science, health and technology-based university Faculty. The study used surveys, interviews and focus groups to collect information from students and supervisors about their experiences of doctoral writing and their perceptions about its development. By attending to the writing-related pedagogical practices of supervisors, this article explores how doctoral writing can be the stage for the playing out of tensions over changing roles and identities aggravated by contemporary pressures on doctoral education. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Ectoparasitic and ectocommensal macroinvertebrates (epibionts) of turtles have received limited attention with species from most Australian chelids poorly known. In this paper we present observations on the taxa collected from the widespread and abundant Australian freshwater species Chelodina longicollis Shaw, the Eastern Long-necked Turtle, sampled from farm dams in North Western peri-urban Sydney. Twelve epibiont taxa were collected, with the most commonly encountered species being the leech Placobdelloides bancrofti McKenna and a chironomid. Encounter rates varied over winter, and with carapacal algal mass, and farm dam. In contrast, they do not show a preference based on turtle sex. Since C. longicollis of different size and sex show habitat selectivity within farm dams (Ryan and Burgin 2007), epibiont distribution is not due merely to opportunism.

Historically, most people have tended to visit national parks for ‘rest, relaxation and reinvigoration’, typically resulting in moderate ecological impacts. However, increasingly, recreation in natural areas is including ‘adventure’ sports. One such recreation/sport that now incorporates a range of forms, including adventure derivatives, is mountain biking. In the more extreme forms, riders use extensive trials, often with steep segments and natural or human-made obstacles demonstrate technical skills (e.g., balance, calculated risk-taking, excitement, speed). Appreciation of the natural environment is seldom, if ever, a reason for participation. In this paper we consider the potential for impact on the fauna of national parks. While there is a dearth of information on the impact of mountain biking, we conclude that park management needs to be strategic in their consideration of the issues associated with mountain biking or the outcome will be further degradation of natural areas and, at the least, loss of many animals if not major threats to populations.

There is limited information on most adventure recreation activities, often including even who partake and trends in the popularity of the activity. The adventure recreation sport of ‘canyoning’ grew rapidly in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Australia) in the 1990s. Canyoners are typically male, aged in their 30 s, educated, and their preference is to canyon in small groups with friends and families. However the popularity of this adventure sport has waned. Surveys between 2000 and 2002 showed that while canyoner numbers were similar in 2000 and 2001, they declined in 2002. In 2010 the numbers of canyoners were similar to 2002 visitation levels, approximately 40% below 2000 levels. The trend did not appear to be due to increased interest in active/extreme sports (e.g., mountain biking). Bushwalking (hiking) was the preferred alternative recreational activity for over 20% of canyoners at all experience levels. The trends observed between 2000 and 2010 parallel the overall number of tourists to the region, and the commercial canyoning activity. We conclude that at current and projected levels of canyoning, there is not an immediate threat to the canyon environment.

With increased affluence and urbanisation a reliable water supply is regarded as a basic right of urban people in many countries. This has resulted in a paradigm shift in community attitudes to water, and governments increasingly encourage citizens to rethink attitudes to water use as one ‘tool’ to reduce demand. While a range of ‘tools’ are used to encourage water availability (dams, recycling, desalination, water efficiency), in urban centres conservation remains heavily reliant on water restrictions to deliver short-term reductions. To stimulate debate around further reduction in demand for potable reticulated water we propose the concept of ‘water metres’ (the distance water is transported from its point of capture to consumption). The concept parallels ‘food miles’. We argue that the introduction of this concept will encourage greater on-site water capture for on-site use, and provide commensurate reductions in demand for potable water from bulk supplies for non-potable suburban use.

The current higher education climate seems to be demanding increasing levels of written output from doctoral researchers during candidature. In this context this study employed an online questionnaire, individual interviews and focus group discussions to collect information on the challenges and successes of doctoral writing. It was found that feedback on student writing was universally regarded as the primary pedagogical tool for teaching and learning research writing and for most, the supervisor’s role was central to this. Some supervisors employed ‘writing for publication’ as a complimentary tool. A number of supervisors and students also reported positively about the value of participating in social writing and critiquing environments such as writing groups, writing retreats, or writing for peer feedback. This research suggests that there would be benefit in tertiary institutions pursuing a more systematic approach to the support of writing both as a learning tool for research students and for the promotion of a vibrant, scholarly, research community.

In economically developed countries it is projected that by around 2015 over 50% of a person’s lifetime will become available for leisure. Demand for leisure needs, already strong, will continue to increase. One segment of the market, outdoor nature-based recreation (including tourism), is growing strongly worldwide. A substantial proportion of these activities are water-based. The associated demand for recreational vessels has increased rapidly in recent years and is projected to continue to trend upwards. Australian trends mirror those internationally. Using Australia as a case study, we review the direct physical, chemical and biotic impacts associated with recreational boating in coastal water environments. Major physical impacts include disturbance due to movement of craft in shallow waters (e.g., turbulence) and the effects of anchoring/drag, noise/interference/collision that impacts on wildlife. The most critical chemical impacts result from pollution due to fuels and oils, defouling treatments (even those not legislated in-country), and human waste (e.g., sewage effluent). Important biotic impacts are the potential continued introduction and secondary spread of non-native species. We conclude that while greater research effort will provide more environmentally benign products, with the increasing popularity of recreation vessels, it will be beyond the resources of Australian governments to police legislation effectively. However, based on Australian’s demonstrated engagement with government in terrestrial environmental management, with their deliberate engagement with the boating fraternity, the impacts of recreational boating would be lessened.

Vehicle collision resulting in animal mortality is a common daily occurrence, although few studies have considered the impact on herpetofauna in urban areas. Over a 7 year period (2003 - 2010), 1.4 km of suburban streets of Falconbridge that interface with the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, west of Sydney, was surveyed on foot two to four days a week, typically soon after dawn. Over the period a total of 86 reptiles that represented 20 species: 38% of the lizard and 56% of snake species known from the area were collected as road kills due to collision with vehicles. This equated to approximately one individual per month that was collected across the 7 years. Representatives of six frog species were also identified as road kills (33% of the local frog fauna). In Faulconbridge, 20-30 km of 50 km/hr roadways interface with the national park and there are 26 towns within the World Heritage Area. Each of these towns has a network of streets that covers much more than just the perimeter of the town...

In Australia, the adventure sport of canyoning occurs predominantly in the protected areas of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, 50 km west of Sydney. It involves travelling through narrow, deep gorges using a combination of walking, abseiling, wading, rock scrambling and/ or swimming through the canyon streams. The sport’s popularity is reported to have increased substantially over time, causing concern for the sustainability of these fragile ecosystems. To investigate visitor impacts, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and water quality were compared among four canyons subject to high visitation (average 20 – 100 visits per week) with those in four unvisited/low visitation canyons (0 - 5 visits per week). Comparison was also made between impacted and nonimpacted areas within two of the high visitation canyons. Sampling was undertaken over two canyoning seasons (early spring to late autumn). No significant relationship between macroinvertebrate assemblage composition or water quality was observed due to visitation level within and among canyons, although there were inherent differences among canyons. Water quality was consistent with pristine conditions in all locations. Macroinvertebrate assemblages included a range of pollution sensitive taxa (e.g., Ephemeroptera represented by 42.3% of all animals). Although family richness was concentrated within a few orders (84.2% of families were represented by 50% of orders), most families were represented by 2 Recognisable Taxonomic Units, 47.4% of these were represented by a single taxon. We concluded that, at current visitation levels, there is no measurable impact on the predominant animal component of these ecosystems. This finding was contrary to the expectations of the land managers of this area.

The Grose River is contained almost entirely within a World Heritage Area. While sewage pollution in the area has been addressed, pollution at damaging levels continues from a disused coal mine, closed in 1997. Despite some surface rehabilitation, no action has occurred to remediate zinc polluted waters emanating from the mine. We examine the historical regulation and management of the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales governments and highlight gaps in both regulatory systems. We conclude that there is an urgent need to improve regulation of water pollution, mining and management of the environment in highly valued world heritage areas.

The New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Amendment (Biodiversity Banking) Bill 2006 was implemented to formalise the concept of biodiversity offsets. Its underpinning focus is to allow development in rapidly urbanising areas of the Sydney region and the coastal ribbon of New South Wales. Under defined circumstances biodiversity impacts due to urban development may be offset elsewhere, often in rural areas, where equivalent biodiversity values are identified. This legislation was modelled on the United States of America (US) wetland mitigation banking approach. I investigated some of the pitfalls of the US experience that should have been considered in the implementation of the New South Wales legislation and conclude that most issues appear to be associated with the narrowness of concepts around biodiversity, deficiencies in compliance, and long term monitoring and management of the offset ecosystems.

Introduced species have made a major contribution to the degradation of aquatic wetlands throughout the world and particularly in Australia. One species, Red-Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans, classified among the world's top 100 most invasive pest species, has established populations in Australia, most extensively in South-eastern Queensland. A decade ago a small established population was identified in a wetland in Southern Sydney in Yeramba Lagoon. We re-visited this population a decade on to determine its status and the impact on the two resident native freshwater turtle species, Chelodina longicollis Eastern Long Necked Turtle and Emydura macquarii dharuk Sydney Basin Turtle. We captured similar numbers of red-eared sliders as a decade before but increased number of the two native species. There was therefore no indication that the feral species was currently at a competitive advantage over the native species.

The disruption of endocrine systems due to environmental contaminants potentially impacts on developmental, behavioural, regulatory, and reproductive systems of wildlife. A major source of exposure of wildlife (terrestrial and aquatic) to endocrine disrupting compounds is through contact with contaminated surface waters. Current testing routines in aquatic systems have not been designed specifically to assess endocrine disruption properties or, alternatively, methods tend not to be fully developed. An alternative approach is to use a response sensitive to these chemicals such as gonopodium length in the pest species Gambusia holbrooki as an indicator. This species was used as a surrogate for native aquatic species to assess endocrine disruption in wetlands that are used for the storage of stormwater or treated sewage effluent. These were compared with adjacent wetlands used for watering stock (farm dams) that were not contaminated with these pollutants. Deformities in the mosquito fish were found that wer...

Abstract Over time native vegetation remnants in urban areas are typically eroded in size and number due to pressures from urban expansion and consolidation. Such remnants, frequently neglected and invaded by weeds, may constitute the last remaining habitat for some species' populations in urban areas. In the restoration of remnants for biodiversity, weed removal is often a high priority but there is a dearth of information on the role that exotic vegetation plays as habitat for fauna such as small reptiles. We investigated the vegetation type preference of urban remnants at the edge of a Sydney golf course by Amphibolurus muricatus, the native jacky lizard. The three vegetation types present were Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (an Endangered Ecological Community) with sparse groundcover, dense stands of the introduced Eragrostis curvula African love grass, and open fairways of lawn: three structurally different habitats. Captured jacky lizards were spooled and their movements traced by following the thread left as they moved through their home range. Jacky lizards preferred areas that afford them most cover. While they foraged throughout the stands of love grass, they tended to avoid the edge of native vegetation remnants. They also basked on the lawn close to the vegetation where they had recently foraged, or traversed it to enter natural vegetation or grass. We concluded that introduced love grass offered additional habitat because of the relatively dense vegetation cover, and that areas should not be managed with the assumption that invasive weeds are detrimental to native species without appropriate assessment.

The disruption of endocrine systems due to environmental contaminants potentially impacts on the developmental, behavioural, regulatory and reproductive systems of animals. A major source of exposure of animals (terrestrial and aquatic) to endocrine-disrupting compounds is through contact with contaminated surface waters contaminated with sewage effluent and/or stormwater discharge. We studied the response to endocrine-disrupting compounds of Gambusia holbrooki mosquito fish resident of wetlands that were used for the storage of either treated sewage effluent or stormwater runoff. We found that fish from wetlands that received polluted waters directly from the source (treated sewage effluent or stormwater runoff) demonstrated a morphological response consistent with endocrine disruption. In contrast, fish in the second in the series of wetlands that housed treated sewage effluent did not show evidence of such response. However, those from the second in the series of stormwater receiving wetlands did display a morphological response, although it could be considered milder than was observed in fish from the first in this effluent stream. Fish were also smaller in the wetland that received sewage effluent directly from the sewage treatment plant than elsewhere. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the average size of fish in the first in the series of stormwater wetlands were also small and second only to those in the first sewage effluent wetland.

Recreation in natural areas has been promoted for numerous reasons (e.g., health, nature appreciation, education, financial gain) and leisure time spent in protected areas has increased substantially in popularity in recent decades. However, upkeep of such protected areas represents considerable financial outlay and to recoup these costs, tourism potentially provides a self-financing mechanism for ecological sustainability. In Australia, the adventure sport of canyoning has increased in popularity in the Blue Mountains National Park (Australia), part of a recently declared World Heritage Area, in parallel with an overall increase in wilderness recreation. This study sought canyoners’ perceptions of visit impacts, together with their attitudes to potential management of these unique areas. It also compares findings with American wilderness research outcomes. The results identify that the current level of traffic through the canyons was not considered to be detrimental to canyon visit enjoyment. While the f...

Perceived growth in the adventure recreation sport of canyoning in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Australia) has raised concerns with park management that such activity is resulting in unsustainable visitor impacts to canyon ecosystems. Three levels of trampling intensity were applied within an upland section of a canyon stream to assess the impact of trampling on benthic macroinvertebrate communities. After an initial detrimental effect from trampling, there was a rapid recovery of the macroinvertebrate community. Recovery occurred within one day of trampling ceasing, and overall community composition was similar among treatments after 15 days. However, by day 15 the untrampled sites showed a substantial decrease in animal abundance. This indicated that adjacent habitat contributed greatly to the recolonisation of animals into trampled areas.

Alligator weed is a serious weed in many countries. In Australia, it is a “weed of national significance” because of its actual and potential impact. We surveyed all local governments in New South Wales in 2001 and 2007 to determine whether the weed is being contained. We found an increased number and extent of infestations, despite more resources and a better knowledge base. Most considered that further research is needed in tactics for control of the weed. On the basis of current containment in urban gardens, we recommend that governments better mobilize the community (e.g., bush restoration consultants, Landcare groups) to deal with alligator weed infestations.

Canyoning is growing in popularity in many countries, and in Australia it was well established in the 1990s. Although it is generally accepted that the popularity of this recreational activity continues to grow, quantification of its scale and growth is difficult to determine because canyoning is restricted to the slot valleys of the largely un-patrolled wilderness of the Blue Mountain World Heritage Area. As a basis for management, we undertook a postal survey to determine the canyoners' profile, utilisation trends, their perceptions of impacts, and readiness to self-manage such impacts. We found that the typical canyoner was in the late 30s, male, and likely to have a university education. Canyoners were most likely to visit canyons as part of a club activity, or with friends and family. Few used organised tours, and canyoning was seldom a solo activity. Most perceived that there was moderate damage due to canyoning. Few considered that management should intervene at current levels of impact. We concluded that canyoners could not be relied upon to ensure appropriate sustainable management of such areas. However, since the popularity of the sport appears to be waning there may not be an issue.

We examined how the background (urban/rural) of 282 tertiary students influenced their attitudes and actions including their use of natural areas. Most considered that protection of natural spaces was ‘important’. Childhood residence influenced time spent in natural areas as young adults. When time spent in natural spaces was compared with residence status, non‐urban dwellers more frequently visited natural areas than urban dwellers. Rural residents who visited natural spaces were likely to visit more frequently than urban dwellers. The different types of passive recreation carried out in natural spaces and whether the student was involved in environmental restoration activities were not matters influenced by residence status, although there was a difference as between passive or active recreation in natural spaces. Over 80% of participants considered that ‘protection of the natural environment’ was more important than the cost of fresh produce, reduced taxes, fuel prices or ‘better use of recycled material’.

Internationally, waterways within urban areas are subject to broad-scale environmental impairment from urban land uses. In this study, we used in-stream macroinvertebrates as surrogates to measure the aquatic health of urban streams in the established suburbs of northern Sydney, in temperate south eastern Australia. We compared these with samples collected from streams flowing in adjacent naturally vegetated catchments. Macroinvertebrates were collected over a 30-month period from riffle, edge and pool rock habitats and were identified to the family level. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were assessed against the influence of imperviousness and other catchment and water quality variables. The study revealed that urban streams were significantly impaired compared with those that flowed through naturally vegetated non-urban catchments. Urban streams had consistently lower family richness, and sensitive guilds were rare or missing. We found that variation in community assemblages among the in-stream habitats (pool edges, riffles and pool rocks) were more pronounced within streams in naturally vegetated catchments than in urban waterways.

As the driest inhabited continent, Australia faces pressing issues of water quality and quantity. A recent decade of drought has heightened interest. We surveyed a community on the Hawkesbury–Nepean floodplain, the river that provides most of Sydney’s potable water. The survey targeted respondents’ perceptions of the source of water in local wetlands, causes of water pollution, their willingness to undertake environmental action to improve water quality, and their preferred source of information to inform remedial action. Residents considered that the environmental health of the local waterways was important, and they stated that they were willing to change their habits for environmental improvement. We observed that the first step to environmental stewardship was widespread (although strongest in women) but understanding of issues and the reality of moving from rhetoric to action was less well developed.

Several studies, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, have demonstrated that chironomids are responsive to pollution (e.g., heavy metals, organic). In Australia, there is limited evidence that chironomid species have differential sensitivities to water pollution, with several studies reporting high tolerance of heavy metal pollution. We investigated the impact of both zinc-rich mine waste and organic effluent on chironomids within an effectively pristine background using the Chironomid Pupal Exuviae Technique (CPET). Chironomid species assemblages were strongly influenced by both mine drainage and organic pollution. Community composition differed between unpolluted streams and locations downstream of the pollution sources, and between the two different sources of pollution. Thirty seven of the most abundant species exhibited strong responses to water pollution varying from greatly increased abundance to complete absence. Ten species had higher abundance at one of the polluted sites compared to unpolluted sites; six in the presence of zinc pollution and five in the presence of organic pollution. One species responded positively to both pollution types. Our results indicate that contrary to the mixed reports of Australian chironomids for being insensitive to pollution, we found that they displayed a strong pollution response to both organic and heavy metal contamination.

First developed in the USA in the early 1970s, ‘wetland mitigation banks’ provide a framework for conservation activities that are designed to offset residual, unavoidable damage to the natural environment caused by development activities. The concept is now a worldwide phenomenon. In this paper I consider the level of success of wetland mitigation banks in the USA for biodiversity conservation with a view to informing ‘best practice’ in Australia. I conclude that although the concept has merit, even in the USA where the processes have been evolving for over 30 years, the outcomes frequently fall short of the target of a ‘like for like’ swap of habitat. While the outcome for wetland mitigation may not be an ‘unmitigated disaster’ it is, at best, apparently only modestly successful.