However; inappropriate fire regimes can lead to loss of particular plant and animal species and communities; and high frequency fires have been listed as a key threatening process under the TSC Act.

The park has been designated as a LMZ because it is not adjacent to built assets which would be exposed to a high level of bush fire risk; and does not have a history of bush fire ignitions or known areas of high bush fire potential.

The risk of high intensity wildfire will be minimised within 100 metres of known koala habitat or the habitat of other fire sensitive threatened species; sensitive plant communities; significant geological sites; Aboriginal sites and places or historic places; major visitor areas; utilities and other park infrastructure.

On days of high fire danger or above; or when bush fires are burning within the park Recreational use of the park may be regulated to minimise further risk of wild fires and associated threats to visitor safety; and Co operative arrangements with neighbours and other fire authorities for bush fire detection and monitoring will be implemented.

In some parts of Wollemi and Blue Mountains National Parks they have caused environmental impacts such as trail formation; damage to vegetation and rock surfaces; fire rings and garbage.

Under some flood conditions; if the dam wall is raised there will be increased temporary inundation in the World Heritage property.

In an extreme flood event the temporary height of the water (maximum flood level) would be around 14 metres higher than current water levels.

There was a mosaic of fire intensity and impact across the property.

While fire is a naturally recurring disturbance in the majority of communities; it is estimated that some 76 of the communities known to occur in the property are at high risk of decline due to the combined effects of high fire frequency and drought.

The impacts of fire and drought were compounded in some instances by severe erosion caused by torrential rain in mid February 2020 (Keith; Auld et al. 2020).

To limit the impact of weeds on post fire recovery; the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has been undertaking strategic weed control in areas where it will benefit threatened species and in areas that have previously been inaccessible due to dense vegetation.

Improving post fire water quality As part of its immediate response to the bushfires; the NSW Government produced a powerful state wide model to predict the risk of hillslope erosion following the fires.

Impacts of the 2019 20 bushfires A much lauded fire fighting operation to protect the wild stands of Wollemi pine during the 2019 20 fire season successfully prevented significant losses of the larger; mature trees (Hannam 2020).

However; the population was impacted by fire to varying degrees; including charring of the lower trunks and scorching of the lower canopies of most adults loss of several dominant trunks due to prolonged basal charring and impacts with falling rocks and trees and possible elimination of the juvenile bank.

NSW Government scientists are closely monitoring post fire recovery due to the risk of delayed mortality and declines in tree health.

The impacts of fire and drought were compounded in some instances by severe erosion caused by torrential rain in mid February 2020 (Keith; Auld et al. 2020).

Critically; endangered peat swamps have in some cases collapsed due the combined effects of intense fire; drought and hydrological change caused by longwall mining and consequent fracturing of bedrock (Keith; Benson et al. 2020).

Erosion following intense or widespread bushfires is also of special concern as it can produce extremely heavy sediment loads and reduces the regenerative capacity of the ecosystem by removal of nutrients in bushfire smoke and topsoil.

Other potential threats to conservation include changing fire regimes; fire suppression operations; water and air pollution; introduced plants and animals and illegal collection of bushrock and native animal species.

Localised occurrences of concern are associated with disturbed sites; polluted watercourses; zones adjacent to urban and rural development; altered fire regimes and areas where activity by introduced animals has contributed to the establishment and spread of introduced plants.

Fire regimes have been developed where fire frequency; fire intensity; season of burning and the spatial arrangement of fire within the landscape are manipulated in order to achieve nature conservation and property protection objectives.

The use of camp and cooking fires within the park will be reviewed in consultation with visitor groups with the objective of reducing the risk of wildfire ignitions from this source.

These threats vary greatly in scale from incompatible land use on an adjoining property through to global climate change.

The strategic threats fall into six categories uncontrolled or inappropriate use of fire inappropriate recreation and tourism activities; including the development of tourism infrastructure; under the increasing visitor pressure from Australian; overseas and commercial ventures invasion by pest species including weeds and feral animals loss of biodiversity and geodiversity at all levels impacts of human enhanced climate change and lack of understanding of heritage values. . . .

These issues vary greatly in scale from an instance of incompatible land use on an adjoining property through to global climate change.

In the medium to longer term; environmental changes resulting from global climate change have the potential for significant impacts on the integrity of the GBMWHA.

Rocky habitats are often exposed to extreme climatic conditions on the infertile sandstone plateaus and are particularly significant for both endemic and rare; threatened and endangered species.

Fire and pest species are the greatest threats in the more remote bushland areas.

Fire is the major natural disaster to threaten the values of the nominated area.

Complementing the diverse landscape and its weather changes is the variety of vegetative response in trees; shrubs; flowers and grasses.

The main potential threats are from urban development in the buffer area; the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam and climate change.

Climate change impacts could shift fire regimes in what is already one of the world’s most fire prone ecosystems.

Potential Threats High Threat The main potential threats are from urban development in the buffer area; the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam and climate change.

Climate change impacts could shift fire regimes in what is already one of the world’s most fire prone ecosystems.

Climate change and associated changes in weed and feral animals populations as well as fire regimes further threaten values.

Main threats relate to the impact of altered or inappropriate fire regimes on the ecological; biological and evolutionary processes within the eucalypt dominated ecosystems; and the impact of inappropriate fire regimes on the quality of habitats for the in situ conservation of the biological diversity of primitive species with Gondwana affinities and; rare or threatened plants and animals.

The impacts of climate change are predicted to continue to escalate; with increasing temperatures; drought; extreme weather and fires.

Fire Fire Suppression (Extreme fires) Very High Threat Inside site; throughout( 50 ) The extreme fires in the GBMA and across south eastern Australia over several months in 2019 reflect climate changes that have affected fire regimes that have led to increasing dry fuel loads.

There is concern that climate change could result in increased incidences of flora and fauna disease outbreaks including zoonoses (Bender et al.; 2018).

Climate change is already impacting on Threatened Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone (THPSS) placing them under greater stress (Hensen; 2010).

Climate change and associated drought and fire may impact on rainforest and wet schlerophyll communities also (Hamill and Tasker; 2010).

The root rot pathogen Phythophthora cinnamomi causes vegetation dieback and may become more widespread due to climate change and habitat that is less resilient.

Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level High; Trend Increasing Pollution Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Overexploitation Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Invasive species Impact level Moderate; Trend Continuing Habitat change Impact level Moderate; Trend Continuing Coal mining on adjacent land continues to represent a moderate threat that could increase in future.

Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level Moderate; Trend Increasing Pollution Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Overexploitation Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Invasive species Impact level Moderate; Trend Continuing Habitat change Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Drought is impacting the provision of water for habitats.

Outdoor recreation and tourism Highly attractive natural scenery and extensive wilderness areas close proximity to Sydney (5 million people) Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level Low; Trend Increasing Pollution Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Overexploitation Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Invasive species Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Habitat change Impact level Moderate; Trend Increasing Importance for research Valuable for explanation of natural processes in evolution of landscapes Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level High; Trend Increasing Pollution Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Overexploitation Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Invasive species Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Habitat change Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Importance for research; Contribution to education Valuable for building knowledge.

Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level Low; Trend Increasing Pollution Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Overexploitation Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Invasive species Impact level Low; Trend Continuing Habitat change Impact level Low; Trend Continuing History and tradition; Wilderness and iconic features; Sacred natural sites or landscapes; Sacred or symbolic plants or animals; Cultural identity and sense of belonging Importance for local Aboriginal communities.

Factors negatively affecting provision of this benefit Climate change Impact level Very High; Trend Increasing Extreme fires with climate change are impacting the cultural values.

An evaluation of species impacts will draw together information on the status of species prior to the fires; the degree to which their range is within the fire extent and past fire impacts and traits which provide insights into the vulnerability of each species to fire.

Repeat high intensity fires which occur before post fire regrowth can mature to produce large volumes of viable seed would be extremely detrimental to such species.

All of the wild populations were impacted by fire during the 2019 20 season; but fire intensity was reduced across the populations by a concerted ffort of NPWS fire fighters.

Recently; its retreat has accelerated in response to global warming; making the property a prime locality for exploring the impacts of climate change on glaciers and the landforms left behind when they retreat.

There is also evidence of climate change impacting the property; such as through the warming of the lake; which requires international attention as such issues cannot be tackled at the local level. 4.

Global climate change and the recurrence and severity of natural disasters make Paraty cultural landscape an area of high vulnerability.

The extremely small population and the fragile habitat make this species very vulnerable to threats such as changes to the area’s fire regime; plant pathogens and trampling.

The impacts of this regime of fire on native species and communities are unknown but declines in habitat and species diversity and richness are likely.

Increased sedimentation from land clearing and high fire frequencies are also a problem.