Mick Todd
The Protecting Mallee Habitat for the Birds project takes place across 96,000 ha in the Southern Mallee NSW as a part of the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion.
Project works include:
- pest and weed management
- wildfire management
- revegetation
- community awareness campaigns.
Facts
- Mallee ecosystems take their name from the small, multi stemmed eucalypts which feature lignotubers (mallee roots) just below the soil surface.
- The mallee landscape is unique to Australia.
Program background
The Mallee Bird Community of the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion is a collection of 20 native bird species that rely on mallee habitats for their survival.
Despite occurring in areas of low rainfall, high temperatures and low fertility sandy soils, mallee landscapes support diverse plants and animals.
The Mallee Bird Community has been in decline for decades. Many species in this community have seen fewer numbers and a smaller range. Without action, the ongoing decline is likely to continue, risking extinction.
Key threats include:
- loss of habitat
- fire
- grazing pressure
- pest animal species
- invasive weeds.
Program objectives
The project will:
- restore and improve foraging and breeding habitats of priority bird species, such as:
- malleefowl
- striated grasswren
- red‐lored whistler
- jacky winter
- regent parrot.
- support the long-term regeneration of the mallee birds habitat
- improve mallee bird population numbers in the areas.
Project delivery
This project will be taking place across 96,000 ha in the Southern Mallee NSW key biodiversity area of the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion.
The ecological knowledge of local Aboriginal communities is being incorporated into management of associated local threatened species and ecological communities at the site.
Work includes:
- planning and data collection
- assessing the condition of the Endangered Ecological Community (EEC)
- prioritising locations for protection and threat reduction
- establishing monitoring sites
- supporting landholders with property adjacent to reserves, to implement actions that extend and connect habitat
- implementing appropriate fire practices
- coordinated landscape-scale operations.
Project timeline
2023–24:
- community and landholder education materials and awareness event.
2024–25:
- plant and animal surveys
- engaging landholders to participate in the project
- community awareness activities
- weed control
- pest animal control
- project outcomes reporting.
2025–26:
- weed control
- revegetation through direct seeding
- pest animal control.
2027–28:
- plant and animal surveys
- follow-up weed control
- fire management plans
- small ecological burn
- pest animal control
- project close (30 June 2028) and project outcomes reporting.
Work underway
Building on the success of the project to date, a new year of activities commenced in January 2026, which includes:
- planning a firearms safety training event, to be held at Euston in March 2026
- on-ground shooting program targeting feral cats, foxes, feral pigs, wild rabbits and hares across 28,000 ha in the Euston area
- Aboriginal Cultural Heritage surveys to be conducted in areas where we will be disturbing soil during direct seeding and rabbit control works
- organising an aerial shoot for targeted pest animals over 180,000 ha of Mallee Birds Ecological Community habitat around the Mt Hope area.
Project updates
June 2026
At the end of May, Local Land Services direct seeded 42 hectares of mallee bird habitat, with a mix of 19 species sown. Prior to sowing, an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage survey was undertaken to ensure no Aboriginal artefacts would be harmed during the works.
Works are also underway to manage the impacts of wild rabbits on vegetation, including the recently sown 42 hectares of Mallee bird habitat. Approximately 60 rabbit warrens have been mapped in preparation of implosion during June.
Ground shooting of wild rabbits and other pest animals including feral pigs, foxes and feral cats has also recently been undertaken, with 310 pest animals controlled across 2 properties involved in the project.
The removal of these pest animals is helping to:
- reduce grazing pressure on Mallee bird habitat
- allow native plants to establish
- reducing predation of native animals, including Mallee birds.
A pest animal survey will be conducted in June to monitor for changes in pest animal populations and plan for further pest animal works during the project.
A vital component of the Mallee birds project is the continued involvement and support of local landholders.
The enthusiasm of local landholders and stakeholders to make improvements to the local environment is allowing us to make the progress we have and continue to successfully deliver on this project's objectives.
Pleasingly, much of the work that has been delivered to date is also benefitting primary production for local farmers.
Work achieved in the second half of 2025 included:
- removal of boxthorn from 600 ha of Mallee Birds Ecological Community habitat
- surveyed for pest animals before on-ground shooting program commenced, to monitor changes in pest animal populations
- collected approximately 40 kg of native seed, which will be direct seeded in autumn 2026.
Works to date include:
- working closely with 5 enthusiastic landholders over the past 12 months
- tracking feral pig movements and activity
- controlling approximately 500 feral pigs through free feeding and subsequent poisoning of feed
- controlling of Riverina pear cactus (Opuntia elata) over an area of 860 ha, removing a threat to vegetation structure and competition with native species
- surveys for native plants and animals (flora and fauna) which recorded:
- one mallee specialist species
- 7 mallee dependent species
- 37 bird species
- the southern ningaui (Ningaui yvonneae) and western pygmy possum (Cercartetus concinnus), which were particularly exciting to observe
- a pest animal control program across 4 properties with 656 animals culled, including:
- 483 wild rabbits
- 139 feral pigs
- 7 feral cats
- 4 foxes
- baseline habitat condition surveys completed at 9 sites to monitor change in vegetation condition following the removal of weeds and habitat restoration.
How to get involved
Contact admin.western@lls.nsw.gov.au for an educational poster to help identify the 20 birds that make up the Mallee Birds Ecological Community.
Opportunities to get involved with this project through education and awareness events are shared through our regional Facebook page, regional newsletters, the LLS Events web page and local media.
Find out what's happening in the Western region
Get the latest news, seasonal advice, and project updates or be the first to hear about upcoming events.
- Subscribe to the Regional Update.
- Follow Local Land Services Western on Facebook.
- View our events page to see what's happening near you.
Funding and partnerships
Local Land Services' key delivery partners are:
- NSW DCCEEW Biodiversity Conservation and Science Group
- local Aboriginal communities
- private landholders and land managers.
This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Western Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel. All outcomes for this project are recorded in MERIT.
To learn more about the Mallee Birds Threatened Ecological Community project, contact the project lead, Andrea Cashmere at admin.western@lls.nsw.gov.au
Contact Local Land Services NSW
We welcome your enquiries, feedback and comments. Contact our team
Use the search function to find information or resources from Local Land Services.