Marymia Mulgara

In June 1993, a young male Mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda was recorded during a routine biological survey at a new extension to the Marymia Gold Project site, 200 km north-east of Meekatharra. The finding of the small mammal was significant as it was only the fifth specimen of this rare species to be captured in Western Australia since 1959. The challenge for the mine operators was to develop a management program for the conservation of a rare species during exploration, operation and decommissioning phases of a major gold project. A Mulgara Environmental Management and Research Program was initiated in 1993 and was completed at the end of 1996. Research has included describing core habitat areas, identifying movement corridors and home range sizes, monitoring population size and health, identifying and minimizing mining impacts and describing the regional distribution of Mulgaras.

Resolute Limited, Titan Resources and ecologia Environmental Consultants are commended for their combined efforts to develop a conservation and management research program to ensure the preservation of the Mulgara at the Marymia Gold Project site. The small mammal is listed as rare and endangered under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and significant knowledge about the species has been obtained through the monitoring program. The Mulgara was located during a routine biological survey for the Marymia mine site, and mine planning is developed around the Mulgara’s requirements.

The project was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the 1997 Golden Gecko Awards in recognition of excellence in environmental management in the development of a conservation and management research programme to ensure the preservation of the Mulgara at the Marymia Gold Project site.

Ecologia’s role encompassed:

• Undertaking targeted Mulgara surveys of project and regional areas
• Detailed Mulgara population monitoring & impact management
• Development and management of environmental approvals applications
• Development of Mulgara specific environmental management plans
• Regulator and stakeholder engagement
• Development of workforce induction and awareness packages