Recommendations

Management recommendations were made by prioritising willow species based on their level of threat to the environment, cost and practicality. Taken into account were debris management, strategic control, revegetation, weeds, impacts on flora and fauna, impacts on flooding, conservation and heritage, areas of special consideration and past control works.

The following list is a summary of recommendations as they appear in the text. Please refer to the relevant linked page for details.

Recommendation 1: Hybridisation The potential for female Weeping Willows to hybridise with problem male species needs to be recognised and monitored closely. ‘Non problem willows’ should not be planted or retained near problem species. Problem species should be not be retained in preference to ‘non-problem’ willows.

Recommendation 2:Approval from NCA Prior to any willow control taking place on Lake Burley Griffin, approval would need to be sought from the NCA for each willow control activity planned on designated land (whether this is a specific project or a longer term ongoing strategy). For other areas, relevant land managers should be consulted.

Recommendation 3: Consent from land managers For non-NCA managed areas, there is no formal approval process for willow control, but consent would need to be obtained from appropriate land managers whether they are Government or private owners. In many areas access would need to be granted, for example, planned works on private leaseholds, Defence and Forestry lands.

Recommendation 4: Seedlings a priority Willow seedlings need to be eliminated as the highest priority.

Recommendation 5: Timing water release Consideration should be given to the timing of water releases from Scrivener Dam outside willow seeding times to minimise the spread of willow seeds downstream.

Recommendation 6: Unidentified hybrids Unidentified hybrids need to be controlled as a high priority.

Recommendation 7: Managing Golden Upright Willows Golden Upright Willows need to be managed as a high priority. Where possible they should be eliminated. Where this isn’t possible in the short term, for example the next five years, only males should be retained.

Recommendation 8: Controlling Basket Willow Basket Willow should be removed as a medium - high priority around the Lake area. Along the Molonglo River, Basket Willow should be identified and an assessment made as to the practicalities and economic feasibility of selective removal among Crack Willow.

Recommendation 9: Controlling Crack Willow Any attempt to control Crack Willow should have defined and specific goals.

Recommendation 10: Retain Weeping and Golden Willows Weeping Willows and Golden Weeping Willows should be retained unless posing a specific hazard to public safety.

Recommendation 11: Hybridisation between Weeping and Basket Willows The potential for Weeping Willows to hybridise with some male problem willows such as Basket Willow, as seen in some NSW catchments, should be recognised and monitored periodically.

Recommendation 12: Removal of willow debris Willow debris should be physically removed in all areas covered by the Plan, except in more remote areas along the upper parts of the Molonglo River where they could potentially be poisoned and left in situ (once any potential downstream impacts are assessed).

Recommendation 13: Coordinating with councils Liaison with Queanbeyan City, Palerang and Cooma-Monaro Councils along with the Murrumbidgee CMA should take place to achieve a coordinated approach to willow management. This could be facilitated through a representative body such as the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee (UMCCC).

Recommendation 14: On-ground management actions The choice of on-ground management actions (i.e. cut, paint and remove at time of poisoning or stem inject and remove at a later date), should be guided by information recorded through the surveys and mapping and through use of the GIS as a management tool.

Recommendation 15: Best revegetation species Advice should be sought about the best revegetation species for any given site with emphasis on environment, heritage and public use and safety.

Recommendation 16: Blackberry control Blackberry needs to be controlled in conjunction with willow control and any budget estimation needs to take this into account. Potentially it could result in a significant and ongoing additional cost to the willow control itself.

Recommendation 17: Control of Black Alder Black Alder control needs to be considered in conjunction with willow control as a secondary coloniser.

Recommendation 18: Impact on bird breeding Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG) should be contacted for advice on whether planned willow control on specific sites is likely to impact on bird breeding events and habitat.

Recommendation 19: Revegetation for habitat and bank stabilisation Cumbungi (Typha sp.) and two other dominant species; Australian Rush (Phragmites australis) and Spike Rush (Eleocharis sp) that naturally occur within the Lake area should be considered as part of any planned revegetation program following willow control, to provide habitat and to stabilise banks.

Recommendation 20: Willow debris for habitat Where there is a particular need for woody habitat to be retained, consideration should be given to leaving some dead willow debris for this purpose if appropriate and practical.

Recommendation 21: NCA involvement The safest way to manage conservation and heritage sites (and in particular, trees), is to ensure that the NCA are heavily involved from the beginning.

Recommendation 22: Consult the Lake Burley Griffin Management Plan The most recent Lake Burley Griffin Management Plan should be consulted, along with management plans for specific sites, eg. Jerrabomberra Wetland, Government House foreshores.

Recommendation 23: Erosion in the Molonglo water-ski area In the Molonglo water-ski area, rock armouring and revegetation to combat erosion and wave backwash is expensive, but weighed up against the cost of ongoing maintenance of willows for public safety, may be worth further investigation. Further trials should be carried out.

Recommendation 24: Willow control in the Molonglo water-ski area Wholesale willow control along the water-ski area is not economically feasible (even if technically possible) and similarly the ‘do nothing’ approach is also not feasible from a public safety, maintenance and access point of view. The approach taken by CUPP to date appears to be a sensible compromise and will eventually reduce ongoing maintenance costs if selective removal trials are successful (while continuing to address all the other management issues).

Recommendation 25: Need to assess Molonglo River and tributaries ACT and NSW sections of the Molonglo River and tributaries need to be assessed with regard to their contribution to willow spread into the ACT.

Recommendation 26: Inventory of works across the entire Lake Catchment Various works have also been undertaken in NSW along Reedy Creek and the Queanbeyan and Molonglo Rivers. An inventory of works undertaken across the entire Lake Catchment would be useful to assist with the Lake Burley Griffin Willow control strategy, and an integrated approach would demonstrate a good investment of public funding.

Recommendation 27: Increasing awareness about willows Public interest in a willow control program needs to be pre-empted and planned for. A more general education program should also be undertaken (as part of a broader strategy) to increase awareness about willows and their management.

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