Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Recovery in SEQ

Monitoring, weed and pest management to encourage BTRW populations

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Home 9 Project 9 Brush-tailed rock-wallaby recovery in South East Qld

About this project

Funded by the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund — Threatened Species Strategy Action Plan — Priority Species Grants, this project represents the hands-on, in-field aspects of improving conservation outcomes for brush-tailed rock-wallabies.

On-ground action will be undertaken on private properties and local government conservation reserves adjacent to five of the six important Queensland populations of the species, at:

Moogerah Peaks National Park
Main Range National Park
Mount Barney National Park
Crows Nest National Park
Flinders Peak Conservation Park

Operating as part of the broader Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby Conservation Network, this project seeks to:

protect and enhance brush-tailed rock-wallaby populations at key population sites in South East Queensland
address and mitigate against several key threatening processes — including predation by the European red fox, predation by the feral cat, and weed invasion — on private properties within the greater project area
engage local landholders in the management of brush-tailed rock-wallaby habitat on private lands
develop a brush-tailed rock-wallaby habitat management guide to encourage public and private land managers to conduct species-specific restoration activities for brush-tailed rock-wallabies.

Monitoring of populations undertaken as part of this project will form baseline data for an ongoing program that will extend far beyond the life of the current project.

Working closely with landowners and regional natural resource management groups enables us to give practical advice that fosters coexistence with this vulnerable species and prioritises brush-tailed rock-wallaby survival.

Saving the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Saving the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby: A Landholder’s Guide is designed to assist land managers and property owners in protecting, re-creating and enhancing habitat for the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata).

The FREE guide is available to view as a flipbook and can also be downloaded as a PDF document. Or Email us to request a printed copy.

To view the guide:

Press the > button to start or click on the pages.
Use the RIGHT and LEFT arrows to move forward or back.

Project progression

Project Officer Paul Revie has identified properties throughout the chosen project areas for camera monitoring, or where brush-tailed rock-wallabies would benefit from increased management of pests and weeds.

Surveys and habitat assessments will provide a baseline for gauging population numbers of wallabies and their predators and competitors and allow researchers to reliably measure outcomes as the project continues.

Flinders-Goolman CA

The project builds on earlier work conducted in the Flinders–Goolman Conservation Area

Crows Nest NP

Brush-tailed rock-wallabies are known to frequent this park.

Main Range NP

Efforts will focus on known populations that tend to dwell in hilly ‘hide-outs’ along Queensland’s southern section of the Great Dividing Range.

Typical BTRW habitat

Prime ‘brushie’ habitat on the Scenic Rim near Mount Barney, at Gillies Ridge Nature Refuge.

Feral cat

Feral cats are a key threatening process for many species that are unused to introduced predators.

Red fox

Foxes were introduced to Australia as a sport hunting species but have caused considerable damage to numerous small to medium-sized mammal species.

Lantana

Lantana species, which out-compete native forbs and grasses, reduce food sources for brush-tailed rock-wallabies.

Carneys Creek

In January 2023, cameras were set on 4 properties at Carneys Creek in the Scenic Rim. The cameras were left out for 16 to 18 days to monitor brush-tailed rock-wallabies and potential threats (dogs, foxes, cats). Rock-wallabies were recorded on 14 out of 25 cameras, and only low densities of pest animals were observed.

Further planned activities will include pest and weed control and continued monitoring to assess how the wallaby populations benefit from control activities.

Brush-tailed rock-wallaby habitat, Carneys Creek