Rainforests of NSW north coast and tablelands
The Rainforests of NSW north coast and tablelands bushfire region covers 7,155,320 hectares and is defined by the boundaries of the Northern Tablelands and the North Coast Local Land Services regions. Over 268,000 hectares, or 73 per cent, of the Gondwana Rainforest of Australia World Heritage Area is within this region.
The Traditional Owners of the region include the Gumbaynggirr, Githabul, Western Bundjalung, Bundjalung people of Byron Bay, Bundjalung people and Yaegl. There are Indigenous rangers and green teams undertaking caring for Country activities on public and private lands in the region including the Githabul Aboriginal Rangers, the Ngulingah Nimbin Rocks Rangers, the Darrunda Wajaarr Rangers and the Mid North Coast Rangers.
Impacts of the 2019–20 bushfires
This map shows the extent and severity of the 2019–20 bushfires in the Rainforests of NSW north coast and tablelands.
This map shows the extent and severity of the 2019–20 bushfires in the Rainforests of NSW north coast and tablelands.
More than 1,633,000 hectares were burnt in 2019–20 bushfires.
Of the area burnt, 45 per cent was at a high to very high severity. At least 46 per cent of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area within the region was burnt.
Environmental values in the region that have been recommended for management intervention since the bushfires include:
- one natural asset: Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.
- four Threatened Ecological Communities including New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Grassy Woodlands and Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia.
- 100 animal species including the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Rufous Scrub-bird, Parma Wallaby, Hastings River Mouse, Albert’s Lyrebird, Ellen Clark’s Crayfish, Granite Leaf-tailed Gecko, Clarence River Cod, and Mount Sebastopol Bristle Snail.
- 71 plant species including the Banyabba Shiny-barked Gum, Johnson’s Cycad, New England Gentian and Prostanthera staurophylla, a mint bush.
 Photo: Cloudtail the Snow Leopard license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
 Photo: Doug Beckers, license CC BY-SA 2.0 |
 Photo: teejaybee licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
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The Parma Wallaby is the smallest of the genus and was thought to be extinct until re-discovered in 1967 near Gosford. With 66 per cent of its range in the region, during the 2019-2020 fires, 52 per cent was burnt, 45 per cent at high or very high severity. |
The endangered Hastings River Mouse is secretive and nocturnal. This mouse has 84 per cent of its range in the region. During the 2019–2020 fires, 50 per cent of this was burnt, 46 per cent at high or very high severity. |
The Granite Leaf-tailed Gecko has 81 per cent of its range within the region, of which 29 per cent was burnt. Given its narrow habitation, it is extremely vulnerable to feral predation and loss of habitat through fire and land clearing. |
Australian Government bushfire recovery funding in the region
As part of the Australian Government’s initial $50 million investment in bushfire recovery for wildlife and habitats, almost $3 million has been invested in the rainforests of NSW region. This includes:
- $1.5 million to the Natural Resource Management organisations for recovery actions throughout the region including pest animal control, weed control and habitat restoration:
- $750,000 to North Coast Local Land Services
- $750,000 to Northern Tablelands Local Land Services
- $1 million for four grant projects that will support recovery of a range of plant species, Kate's Leaf-tailed Gecko and the Bungawalbin Reserves.
- $477,000 to the NSW Government for work on threatened species occurring within this region: Little Bent-winged Bat, Parma Wallaby, Pygmy Cypress Pine, Stuttering Frog, Eastern Bristlebird, and Lowland Rainforest in the NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin Bioregions, as well as work on forest eucalypt dieback associated with psyllids and Bell Miners and myrtle rust.
Additional funds include:
- $5 million in grants for projects where some activities are being undertaken in, or are relevant to, the region.
- a proportion of the $2 million provided to the NSW Government for state-wide pest control work.
Separate to the bushfire recovery funding, $2 million from the Environment Restoration Fund has been provided to North Coast Local Land Services to protect and restore priority Koala habitat in the region.
Next steps
Through the bushfire Regional Fund the Australian Government is investing $110 million to provide strategic on-ground support for the most impacted native species, ecological communities and natural assets across seven bushfire affected regions.
A co-design workshop was held with stakeholders from the Rainforests of the NSW North Coast and Northern Tablelands on 30 September 2020. The aim of the workshop was to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to identify regional investment priorities for post-fire recovery of species and natural assets. The workshop report is available below.
Rainforests of the NSW North Coast and Northern Tablelands - Regional Bushfire Recovery Workshop Report (PDF - 1.74 MB)
Rainforests of the NSW North Coast and Northern Tablelands - Regional Bushfire Recovery Workshop Report (DOCX - 2.77 MB)
Investment decisions will be guided by the workshop outcomes and will include careful consideration of community capacity, existing recovery efforts and value for money. Funding will primarily be provided through existing arrangements, for example with NRM regions and/or state governments. This will include formal and informal partnerships with other organisations and community groups where this will enhance recovery outcomes.