South West Woodland Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve, located in the South Western Slopes, Riverina, and Murray Darling Depression regions of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The reserve consists of 27 separate precincts spread from Peak Hill in the north to Berrigan in the south, a distance of approximately .
History The reserve lies within Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa country. Some parts of the reserve have been surveyed and have registered Aboriginal sites, however further study and engagement with Aboriginal communities is required to fully understand its historic significance to Aboriginal people.
South West Woodland Nature Reserve was reserved as part of the National Park Estate (South Western Cypress Reservations) Act (2010). Prior to reservation the various precincts were state forests, with the previous state forest names continuing to be used for each precinct.
The various precincts of the reserve were gazetted as State Forests between 1913 and 1977 and managed by the Forestry Commission of NSW for logging and timber harvesting activities. The state forests were reclassified as a nature reserve on 1 January 2011.
+ State Forests incorporated into the South West Woodland Nature Reserve Order Name Area Gazetted LGA Location ha acre 1 Banandra* Murrumbidgee, Narrandera 2 Berrigan Berrigan 3 Blow Clear Bland 4 Blow Clear West Parkes 5 Blue Mallee Bland 6 Booroorban Edward River 7 Buddigower Bland 8 Buggajool Bland 9 Cadow Lachlan 10 Cookamidgera Forbes 11 Coradgery Parkes 12 Edgar Edward River 13 Goolgowi Carrathool 14 Hiawatha Bland 15 Killonbutta Cabonne 16 Kulki Murrumbidgee 17 Lake Urana Federation 18 Little Blow Clear Bland 19 Mairjimmy Murrumbidgee 20 Mandagery Cabonne 21 Merriwagga Carrathool 22 Narraburra Temora 23 Puckawidgee Edward River 24 Stackpoole Carrathool 25 Steam Plains Edward River 26 West Cookeys Plains Parkes 27 Yeo Yeo Cootamundra–Gundagai *A further of Banandra State Forest was incorporated into Murrumbidgee Valley National Park. About of Blow Clear West remains as State Forest.
Environment Flora Plant communities that exist within the reserve include woodlands and forests dominated by grey box, mugga ironbark, white cypress pine, bimble box, and red mallee. Other native plant species recorded within the reserve include pine donkey orchid, Wakool spear-grass, and Inland red box.
Introduced weed species found in the reserve include African boxthorn, white horehound, prickly pear, Noogoora and Bathurst burrs, Patterson's curse, and thistles.
Fauna Seven bird species listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 have been recorded within the reserve, including swift parrot, little eagle, brown treecreeper, pink cockatoo, speckled warbler, grey-crowned babbler, and varied sitella. Other birds recorded in the reserve include white-browed babbler, apostlebird, superb parrot, barking owl, black-chinned honeyeater, diamond firetail, little lorikeet, hooded robin, and shy heathwren.
Mammal species listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 which have been recorded in the reserve include yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat and little pied bat.
Introduced pest species found within the reserve include European fox, feral pig, European rabbit, feral goat, and feral cat.
See also Protected areas of New South Wales
References