RESCUE OUR PARKS! MARCH 2016 NO 264 NEW! VICNATURE 2050 GREAT VICTORIAN FISH COUNT BUSHWALKING LEADBEATER'S PLAN AND ACTIVITIES 'PLACES YOU LOVE' ALLIANCE PROGRAM WE'RE LISTENING FOR NATURE AUTUMN 2016 VICTORIA'S BEST WALKS Be part of nature

PRESIDENT Euan Moore DIRECTOR Matt Ruchel CONTENTS Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, VIC 3053 3 From the President ABN 34 217 717 593 3 From the Editor Telephone: (03) 9347 5188 4 Vicnature 2050 Facsimile: (03) 9347 5199 E-mail: [email protected] RESCUE OUR PARKS Web: www.vnpa.org.au 5 It’s time to revive our parks VNPA’S VISION 6-7 The pests in our midst We share a vision of Victoria as a place with a diverse, secure and 8 Burning question healthy natural environment cared for and appreciated by all. 9 The climate changes everything EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 9 Expertise in park planning Euan Moore, Matt Ruchel, Philip Ingamells, Chris Smyth. 10 People in parks GETTING INVOLVED IN VNPA 11 The Falls to Hotham ‘icon’ walk – Everyone can help in the conservation of Victoria’s wild and beautiful desecrating Mount Feathertop places. You can: 12-13 Counting on variety • make a donation 13 Fossils or bay filling at Beaumaris? • become a regular giver or member • volunteer. You’ll be welcome in the office, on a campaign or in a park 14-15 Mountain Ash: exploring the book • leave a bequest to VNPA in your will. 16 New plan for Leadbeater’s PUBLISHING POLICY 16 Citizen science survey protects gliders All advertisements should be compatible with VNPA policies. Publication 17 Biodiversity Strategy under way of an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the VNPA Inc. of 18 Legal action forces VicForests the advertised product or service. The VNPA reserves the right to refuse to survey for wildlife any advertisement at any time. 18 Park camping fees reduced Park Watch may be quoted without permission provided that 19 The ‘Places You Love’ alliance acknowledgement is made. The opinions of contributors are not 20 Planned burn disaster necessarily those of the VNPA Inc. 21 Coming soon: Nature Play Week! GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS 22-23 We’re listening for nature You’re always welcome to contact the editor to discuss ideas for articles. 24-25 Finding safe havens Phone the VNPA or email [email protected]. Articles may be 26-27 In Parks: Parks in the ground submitted by email, on disk or as hard copy. Include your contact details and brief biographical information. Photos, maps and 28-29 You bloody dingo! drawings are needed too. Digital photos should be 300dpi and 30-31 Wildlife welcome! around 8cm by 12cm. 32-33 Closing the gate on extinctions? COPY DEADLINE for June 2016 Park Watch is 25 April 2016. 34-35 Finding Victoria’s best walks DESIGN Mary Ferlin PRINTING Adams Print 36 Come to Project Hindmarsh, 37 June 2016! 37 A walk to Genoa Peak FRONT COVER Places we love: a student from the Department of 38 Book Review Education & Training Leadership School (Alpine School The Invention of Nature: The adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, at Dinner Plain) photographs wildflowers at JB Plain in the Lost Hero of Science the Alpine National Park. Photograph by David Tatnall. 38 Book Review BACK COVER Laughing Waters Road: Seal Bay, Croajingolong NP. Photograph by David Tatnall. Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham Park Watch ISSN 1324-4361 39 Australia Day awards 2016

2 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 From the President PHoTo CouRTESY EuAN MooRE

Christmas 2015 came a few days early park. Some were working on tracks or front line in dealing with the public, and with news about a successful grant feral animal control, or carrying out with threats such as invasive species. application to enable VNPA to extend research, while others enhanced the The human presence in parks helps make visitor experience by talking to people. the ‘Caught on Camera’ project to visitors feel welcome. Talking to rangers include sound recording. This is in stark contrast to Victoria, increases people’s appreciation of the park, The new project, in conjunction with where staffing levels are so much and makes them want to protect it. It’s the Museum of Victoria, is called reduced that in most parks you have to also likely to increase the length of their ‘Communities Listening for Nature’. search for a ranger if you want to get stay, bringing a financial return to nearby See story on p. 22. Congratulations and more information - and you still might communities. not be successful. thanks to Caitlin Griffith and Christine This decline has resulted from the Connelly for their work in obtaining Few of our parks have adequate poor levels of funding for managing the grant. information centres, and there is our national parks, which was made 1 February saw the launch of the excessive reliance on web-based significantly worse by recent cuts in core VicNature 2050 website, which information. funding. It’s time for our parks to receive the field staff and funding they need for summarises output from the October We need people working in our parks to proper management. That is a major symposium ‘Managing Victoria's show that as a community, we care about theme of this Park Watch. PW Biodiversity under Climate Change’ the parks. The staff who work in parks • which the VNPA jointly organised care about ‘their’ parks, and are also the Euan Moore, VNPA President with the Royal Society of Victoria and the University of Melbourne’s Bio21 Institute. See story on p. 4. Speaking of years, I’m sorry to say that While talking about our online this will be my last Park Watch as editor, presence, I should mention that the after 12 years and some 46 issues. It’s been redevelopment and modernisation of an amazing journey and a privilege and the VNPA website are well underway. pleasure to edit the magazine and meet, or The new website should be available in at least read articles (and see photos) from, the second half of the year. so many interesting and committed people. We’re also reviewing our current I can’t name you all personally but please website and bringing the content take this thank-you as applying to you! It’s up to date, and there’s a new section also been a privilege to work with such a with a lot of material relevant to the great team of VNPA staff and volunteers. school curriculum. See p. 17. Dorothy and I feel it’s time to try things Moving to parks on the ground, while From the Editor like longer walks and other travelling and

on holiday in December I visited six PHoTo: DoRoTHY HoWES volunteering, and we’re also helping to look national parks in New Zealand. Each after Thomas (see photo), Australia’s cutest Welcome to the firstPark Watch had information centres with displays baby and our first grandchild. But I won’t for 2016! about the fauna, flora and geology of the say a final good-bye, rather anau revoir. It park as well as about walks and other The need for more funding for could be a Dame Nellie Melba farewell as activities. One small park had three parks is the theme of this issue, I hope to return to help with Park Watch centres, one at each entrance! and there’s also a range of articles (if invited) and maybe, with more time available, take part in some BWAG walks! The centres were all staffed by on VNPA activities, conservation Department of Conservation staff who topics and bushwalking. A big And many thanks to our members and thank-you to all our contributors, had detailed knowledge of the area. Maps readers. Without you there wouldn’t be a with special thanks to David Tatnall and other printed information were Park Watch! I hope you enjoy the magazine, for the great photos in this and available, sometimes for a small charge. and I wish you all the very best. PW many other Park Watch editions • We encountered rangers and other DoC over the years. Michael Howes staff during every visit to a national

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 3 To help nature adapt to a new Vicnature climate:

2050 1 We are working together, so we support each other and keep learning.

OUR CLIMATE IS CHANGING, 2 We accept that natural AND THIS WILL AFFECT OUR areas will change, and that BIODIVERSITY. PHil ingAMells new ecosystems that may OUTLINES A COOPERATIVE emerge are also valuable. EFFORT TO HELP NATURE ADAPT TO A NEW CLIMATE. We are protecting our 3 parks and reserves, PHoTo: JENNY BARNETT as they are the most important refuges for native species as the Climate change will hit Victoria’s climate changes – places natural areas quite hard, but there are where species can move many things we can do to help. around and/or evolve to accommodate changes. This is the message from a symposium held last year, when some 200 scientists, 4 We are working to remove land managers and other community existing threats, such as members put their heads together to weeds and feral animals, help nature ride out the tricky years and further clearing of ahead of us. native bushland. PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS The symposium was jointly held by the Top: Even once-common birds like kookaburras are VNPA, the Royal Society of Victoria suffering a decrease in numbers across Victoria. 5 We are understanding and and the University of Melbourne’s Bio21 Bottom: Snow Myrtle, Grampians National Park. using natural processes Institute, and was sponsored by the like fire and flood to promote diversity. Department of Environment, Land, by ecologist Dr Ian Lunt, and appear on Water and Planning, and Parks Victoria. the website www.vicnature2050.org. They are summarised in the box on this page. 6 We are connecting Under current carbon emissions, the landscapes using ‘climate- predictions for nature in the year 2050 We must also, of course, reduce our ready’ plants, especially are dire. Some plants and animals will carbon emissions. along riversides and do well, but many will struggle and watercourses. decline and many parts of Victoria What’s next? will look quite different. Average temperatures will be between 1.2⁰C Critical to sensible action by individuals, 7 We are welcoming nature and 2.5⁰C warmer, with fewer frosts communities and government in the into our towns and cities. and more heat waves. years ahead will be improving our understanding, and acting in sympathy We are watching our Sweltering days over 40⁰C, when fires with natural changes. 8 local areas, and recording burn and birds fall from trees, will changes. be two to four times more common. We are planning a series of further There will be more intense summer discussions, continuing to bring scientists, storms, but less rain in winter and spring, land managers and community volunteers 9 We are promoting and less winter snow. Sea levels will have together so we can do our best for nature. diversity in all we do, risen, perhaps by 25 cm, and low-lying and encouraging genetic diversity in nature. coastal areas will flood more often. The next event will be a day of talks and discussions at La Trobe University in June, There were many suggestions and tackling the tricky problem of what to plant 10 We are keeping positive, ideas about what we can do to where, when we are rehabilitating and informed and engaged, help our great natural heritage linking landscapes (see nos. 6 and 9 in the knowing that every small survive this situation. The main box). Sign up at www.vicnature2050.org action can inspire another. recommendations were compiled for information about new events. • PW

4 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 REscuE SPECIAL FEATURE BY our parks PHIL INGAMELLS It’s tIme to reVIVe our PArks

Tidal River at Wilsons Promontory National Park. Victorians overwhelmingly support increased funding for our parks and reserves. PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS

IN THIS ANd THE FOLLOWING SIx PAGES, PARK PROTECTION CAMPAIGNER PHIL INGAMELLS LOOKS AT A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF PARK MANAGEMENT IN VICTORIA IN WHICH FUNdING SHORTFALLS ARE HAVING AN AdVERSE IMPACT.

It’s been abundantly clear for decades allocated $122 million to manage The VNPA has asked the Victorian now that national parks and our other Victoria’s park system, but by 2014-15 Government, as a start, to return funding nature conservation reserves don’t get that had fallen to below $77 million.* for park management to its 2011-12 level anything like the funding they need in the next budget, and then to continue to and deserve. Importantly, that huge decrease in build the agency’s resource and skill base funding was taken from an already in the years ahead. Fortunately, however, we have a state low base – Parks Victoria was seriously government that has come into power inadequately funded back in 2012. It's more than a fair ask, given that an promising that it is “committed to the independent survey commissioned by creation of a world class system of national Today, many crucial management the VNPA showed that 96% of Victorians and marine parks for all Victorians to programs don’t exist at all, and others recognise the importance of national enjoy, and will invest in those parks.” have had their funding cut, sometimes parks for conserving nature and protecting to zero. wildlife, and 81% support increased Further, it has promised to “build a funding for parks. stronger park management agency and And while Parks Victoria has some ensure direct reporting to the Minister remarkably skilled and dedicated staff, And further research by Victoria’s for the Environment”. it doesn’t have the breadth of expertise environment department has put the it needs across the state for the annual economic benefit of the park estate I’m not sure any previous Victorian significant challenges it faces. to Victorians at around $1.5 billion! government has come to power with In the following pages we look at some that sort of commitment to support the A couple of hundred years of land of the problems our parks face, and some management of our natural heritage. clearing and exploitation, accompanied by an ever-increasing cavalcade of possible solutions at hand. • PW invasive plants and animals, have So a chance to fix things is here at last. *Adding in other income, primarily the But what does the problem look like? put the condition of many (most?) of Parks and Reserves Trust funding from Victoria’s surviving natural areas in a Melbourne’s water bills, gives a total For a start, funding has actually slow downward spiral. And now we expenditure for Parks Victoria of around decreased over the last four or five years. have the added stress of climate change $250 million in 2011-12, down to $210 In the year 2011-12, the government and its many insidious impacts. million by 2014-15.

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 5 REscuE our parks The pesTs in our midsT

Pest PlAnts And AniMAls ARe AMOng tHe biggest PRObleMs AffeCting OuR nAtuRAl AReAs. PHoTo: FEDERATIoN TRAINING STuDENTS

Feral horses don’t always have a good time in the Alpine National Park: snow, drought and fire cause great suffering. Effective control of horses is supported by the RSPCA, but action has stalled, and is largely unfunded.

The impact of invasive species has It’s not as if there aren’t things we can Victoria manage a beautiful reserve been growing in Australia since the do. A Victorian Auditor-General’s winding through the Dandenongs. First Fleet arrived, and it’s increasing report on managing weeds in our It harbours some listed rare rapidly with the worldwide expansion national parks made very clear species: the elegant Slender Tree- of trade and migration. recommendations to Parks Victoria: fern and freshwater invertebrates. long-term planning and funding, The threat these invaders pose to our But the reserve is choked in increased skills and knowledge, native habitats and species has, for places with a host of garden landscape-scale objectives, and the some time now, been voiced loudly escapes like ivy, tradescantia, and need to understand and manage the in international treaties, national even European trees sprouting ecosystem, not just the weed. and state laws, and endless plans high in the trunks and crowns and strategies. Long-term commitment to programs of tree-ferns. is absolutely essential in pest Some of our most insidious invasives Much of the work was beyond management, to avoid a resurgence of have been with us for generations: the scope of the volunteers. A the invader and a wasted effort over English and Cape Broom, rabbits, budget-less Parks Victoria put in a previous years. goats, pigs, deer and horses, gorse ... modest application for a DELWP the list goes on. But currently, Parks Victoria’s budget threatened species management They are being joined daily by is so poor in most regions that it has grant. They failed. enthusiastic newcomers like become standard for staff to spend Failure in pest management isn’t Crazy Ants, Myrtle Rust and a large amounts of time applying for inevitable. Some high-profile host of garden escapes and new grants from other organisations. problems have been funded nursery imports. Take this case. A volunteer group, the regularly, and their management So far, we are losing the struggle. Friends of Sassafras Creek, helps Parks is showing real results.

6 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 SPECIAL FEATURE BY PHIL INGAMELLS

Feral horses: park management’s biggest failure

Currently, about half of the total area There was hope a few years ago Perhaps Parks Victoria’s problem of Victoria’s prized Alpine National when Parks Victoria brought the is that it seems to surrender to Park, and the most vulnerable part various ‘interest groups’ together, ‘community expectations’, rather than at that, has been seriously, perhaps as well as alpine ecologists, to taking unambiguous responsibility irrevocably, damaged by feral horses. resolve horse issues and come for its role in protecting nature, and up with a strategy. engaging in a strong program of the most significant damage has been community education. to wetlands and moss-beds, which But it all fell in a heap when the occur not just on the fabled high environment minister for the Under its governing legislation, Parks plains, but extensively throughout previous state government quaked Victoria is required to ‘exterminate or the more remote eastern area of the at the knees, promising no one was control exotic fauna’ in the park. park, around the davies Plains and going to shoot a horse. This despite There are no horses in the ACT’s Cobberas areas and the NSW border. clear approval from the RSPCA for carefully planned aerial shooting, Namadgi National Park, where There has also been great damage to and the knowledge that horses in there has been a carefully managed the White Box woodlands further east the high country suffer greatly in shooting program for a decade around Suggan Buggan. snow, drought and fire. or more.

In the Alpine National Park, a family plains sparked sufficient alarm to, again, Our most alarming invasive problems, of dandelion-like Hawkweeds have the secure ongoing funding. however, are the big two: horses and deer. capacity to smother the grasslands and We are yet, however, to see the systematic The management of feral horses in the grassy woodlands, choking everything. removal of the seed trees downstream, Alpine National Park is a sad tale of high But a concerted program, using often outside the national park, and the ambition and low courage (see box). volunteers, contractors and ongoing funding is dwindling. The story of deer is harder. We have many research and monitoring has so far kept Many other programs remain species to deal with. Red Deer are currently the invaders at bay. sporadically funded or not resourced causing havoc in one of our most loved It’s critical that the program has secure, at all. national parks, Grampians/ Gariwerd. ongoing funding. Hog Deer have been out of control at the In many places the threat would be Prom for a long time. Another high country program has been easily manageable with a modest dealing with the invasion of Grey Sallow program of recurrent funding, such But Sambar Deer, rampant throughout Willow seedlings that appeared in the as dealing with Coast Wattle, a bully the whole of eastern Victoria, are an issue tens of thousands in the exposed peat of a native, and out-of-place in on another scale. Still protected under beds after the 2003 fire. This emergence the heathlands of Port Campbell archaic legislation, they have been trashing of a weed tree invading the treeless high National Park. rainforest areas and wetlands for decades now, and browsing on some of our more unusual and rare trees and shrubs. We need long-term strategic programs to deal with deer, and many other problematic species. Part of that must involve a significant (but potentially very cost-efficient!) boost for research into biological controls. And we can save a vast amount of management funds in the future if the states work with the Commonwealth Government to introduce a ‘permitted’ list of plant and animal imports to Australia, not the current ‘prohibited’ list, which allows the importation of countless new species without requiring any proof that they aren’t a problem. • PW

Weed invasion including monbretia, ivy and blackberry at Sassafras Creek

PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS Reserve in the Dandenongs.

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 7 REscuE our parks Burning question

ANOTHER OF THE MAjOR ISSUES FACING OUR PARKS TOdAY IS THE MANAGEMENT OF FIRE.

Fire has been part of Victoria’s natural history pretty much since the beginning of evolutionary time.

That might be why Victoria’s National Parks Act doesn’t ask for parks to be protected from fire, but ‘protected from injury by fire’. I imagine ‘injury’ was a PHoTo: MARY CHANDLER word added after some very careful Many fuel reduction burns have been unnecessarily hot and damaging, without being very useful thought, and it’s a word deserving of for public safety. This burn was in Murray-Sunset National Park. equally careful consideration now.

Since Black Saturday, and the Victorian A combination of increased wildfire are removed from the perimeter of the Bushfires Royal Commission, fuel over the last decade or so, and attempts burn. Many thousands of old hollow- reduction burning has been taking to reach the 390,000 ha target, have bearing trees have been removed in this place in most of Victoria’s parks at an resulted in a situation where we now process across Victoria, and continue to unprecedented rate. And despite the have very few areas of long-unburnt disappear at an alarming rate. clear objectives of Victoria’s Code of Fire bushland in the state. Practice, to protect life and property There are better ways to do things. and to protect the environment, the In ecological terms, that is potentially One option, if a burn is deemed essential environment has been given very short disastrous. Our many different native in a remote area, is to drop aerial shrift in burn planning. plants and animals need many different habitat ‘age classes’, some needing incendiaries from helicopters. That may Fortunately, the Commission’s annual access to several different age classes sound alarming, but if performed at 5% burn target has now been dropped, at a given time. Things like seed and times of relatively high moisture levels, and there is mounting evidence nectar production, fungi growth, hollow the incendiaries can start a trickle fire that fuel reduction burns aren’t the formation and shelter requirements vary which soon dies out. A very patchy burn hoped-for answer to saving lives in with any particular habitat’s fire history. of low-intensity fire can be achieved, times of extreme fire weather. This is leaving a mosaic of age classes and particularly the case for burns some Equally worrying is the way many refuges for wildlife and avoiding damage distance from towns. burns have been performed. In remote to the tree canopy. And areas of high fire areas, a planned burn is often contained sensitivity within a burn area (such as Though the burn juggernaut currently within perimeter roads, and manually rainforest patches) can be avoided. rolls on, it’s time for a thorough lit from this perimeter to burn towards reassessment of fire management in the centre. Moreover, this process avoids the need our parks. to fell the vast numbers of deemed Weather and moisture levels have to be ‘hazardous’ trees, the very trees many of First, and most fundamentally, there dry enough to allow the fire to carry to our wildlife species sorely need. are no clear ecological objectives set for the centre of the burn area. That almost fire management. inevitably leads to extensive scorching Good planning will still include or removal of the tree canopy, and an management burns in parks, but should, Fire planners and ecologists should set encircling blaze from which wildlife unequivocally, mean matching burns a clear aspirational range of age classes can’t escape. to ecological needs as well as safety for each habitat type across the state, objectives. There is an urgent need to allowing for ‘spare’ patches in the older In a further complication, safety resource this planning process. age classes to cover for loss in future concerns for burn crews have meant unplanned fires. that all potentially dangerous trees See also article on p. 20. • PW

8 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 SPECIAL FEATURE BY PHIL INGAMELLS

The climate changes everything

The need for increased funding for our parks is pressing enough, but the impacts of climate change take the need for more resources to a new level. For a start, if we can act seriously to reduce current impacts of feral animals and weeds, we’ll give natural systems a bit more resilience to tough out changes in climate. Then there’s the major issue of increased severe fire weather. That means more PHoTo: EuAN MooRE frequent fire in the landscape, and the Wetlands in Barmah NP. Managing wetlands will need a lot of expertise, and resources, as our climate changes. subsequent threat to public safety means a likelihood of more fuel-reduction possible introduction of ‘new’ climate- burning. We already have a serious lack ready species. Importantly, these sorts of long-unburnt areas in the state. of interventions must be geared to REscuE And changes along our coast, including helping natural systems evolve and adapt sea level rises and increased storm to changes, and this requires a good our parks surges, will affect coastal infrastructure understanding of ecosystems. as well as critical low-lying habitat like Part of that understanding will come from sign our petition! coastal salt marshes. monitoring, and while that can involve local communities in a volunteer capacity, Urge the Victorian Government to give We also need to invest in research, if it also requires professional input and our parks the funding they deserve by we are to be clever enough to build well-resourced co-ordination. • PW signing the petition enclosed with this connectivity with an increased genetic Park Watch. Share it with your friends! diversity for local species, and the More at www.vicnature2050.org expertise in park planning

When Victoria’s Alpine National Park was first proclaimed in 1989, a planning team of five experienced park managers was appointed to develop a plan to guide the management of the park.

By 1992 a remarkably detailed and PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS well-informed series of four plans was Inspecting wetland damaged by feral horses in the Cobberas area of the Alpine National Park. tabled in Parliament. But where’s the funded plan to fix this? But when a new plan was proposed in 2008, there were apparently no park A lack of resources has led to a While there are skilled and experienced managers available to tackle the job. lack of confident and consistent people within Parks Victoria, there aren’t The plan (now including all the parks planning processes in Parks Victoria nearly enough of them, and they don’t have in the alpine region) faltered through (and within DELWP), and the the breadth of skills our parks need. There a lack of expertise for years, and was clumping together of parks into is not, for example, a single entomologist pushed around by various interest slim multi-park plans. A proposed or mycologist in Parks Victoria, despite groups before a flawed draft was second level of park planning, the the fact that invertebrates and fungi make released last year. It will hopefully be development of detailed three- up the great majority of the 100,000-odd finalised soon, some seven years after year implementation plans, so far native species in our parks, and play critical planning started. remains an unfulfilled promise. roles in ecological systems. • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 9 REscuE our parks People in parks

PEOPLE VISITING OUR PARKS ARE INCREASINGLY NOTICING THAT THEIR CONdITION, FACILITIES ANd SERVICES ARE dECLINING.

It’s good to have people visiting parks, for many reasons.

Endless research shows that both spending time in nature, and plenty of exercise, have the capacity to transform a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. That’s scarcely a surprising conclusion for anyone accustomed to spending time in the wild. But governments have been slow to understand that encouraging the PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS use of parks by the broad community can lead to a cohesively functioning Above: Many rock faces and society, with impressive long-term information signs in Werribee Gorge State Park are covered in graffiti. A economic benefits. well-resourced park service would remove any graffiti immediately. Parks Victoria has trumpeted its ‘Healthy Parks, Healthy People’ mantra Left: Illegal trailbike track in Chiltern- Mount Pilot NP. Informal tracks for many years now, yet there is still no and trails are increasing in Victoria’s cohesive program for getting people into parks. We need a good planning parks, especially aimed at disadvantaged process for tracks for trail bikes, fat youth – the very people who can most bikes and other vehicles, including benefit from park experiences. options outside the parks system. And there is almost no visitor information available in languages Hattah-Kulkyne, Organ Pipes, other than English, a situation that Point Nepean and Lower propagates the false notion that the Glenelg national parks, and the appreciation of nature is largely an Orbost Rainforest Centre. Most ‘Anglo’ indulgence. of those have been long closed, or now offer displays so lacking Instead, we have pushes aimed at in information that they occupy high-end tourism, and the marketing a visitor’s attention for a few of ‘icon experiences’ (see next page). minutes at most. Parks certainly benefit tourism (to the PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS The most important visitor tune of $1.5 billion annually in Victoria service, the presence of alone), and there’s room for that to routes, are often in poor repair, and park rangers, is also in critical decline. It grow. But it’s an investment in access illegal roads and tracks are being made can be hard to find a ranger during a park for the broad community that will by trail-bike riders, or prospectors keen visit these days, particularly during prime bring lasting benefits. to get to a new bit of river. visitor times over the weekend. This is a Currently, visitor infrastructure is at a missed opportunity to help visitors enjoy low ebb in Victoria’s parks. Visitor education is also at a low ebb. their excursion. And the resulting absence Around 25 years ago, there were of enforcement of park regulations brings Signage in many places is old, damaged comprehensive information centres an increase in dogs in parks, vandalism, and or missing completely. Walking tracks, operating at the Grampians, Wilsons even more problematic behaviour such as other than those on the major tourist Promontory, Mt Buffalo, Wyperfeld, summer campfires. • PW

10 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 SPECIAL FEATURE BY PHIL INGAMELLS PHoTo: DAVID TATNALL

Mount Feathertop and The Razorback from near The Cross, Mount Hotham Resort. A proposed group of cabins just The Falls to Hotham ‘icon’ walk below the summit would be highly intrusive and visible from Hotham, Desecrating mount Feathertop and many parts of the Alpine NP.

The walk from Falls Creek to Hotham be abandoned. The cabins would be resorts, and the surrounding high has long been one of the favourites highly visible from many parts of the plains region, are best suited to the among the bushwalking community, Alpine National Park, and from the promotion of a great range of day but is it worth spending $10-20 Hotham resort. walks. million on, to make it an ‘icon’ of Any cabins on the side of Feathertop • The walk is not targeted at the Victorian tourism? • would, under current fire regulations, sections of the Victorian population We think not, for the following reasons. require large-scale clearing of native most in need of memorable and vegetation around them. And a challenging outdoor experiences. • Mount Feathertop is Victoria’s privately operated lease arrangement only free-standing mountain of • The walk as promoted is dangerous, would mean cabin infrastructure as it entices inexperienced walkers any substance, and should be left would inevitably grow. undeveloped. The introduction of into a very challenging climb, privately operated cabins or lodges • The walk is poorly conceived and potentially trapping them there in on the eastern slope of Mount planned, and does not take into life-threatening weather. Feathertop (or anywhere else account a number of alternatives • The proposed walk does not associated with the walk) would be that would far better serve the adequately serve the prime purpose a retrograde step in management of national park, the associated alpine of the Alpine National Park – nature the Alpine National Park, and should resorts and regional tourism. The conservation. • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 11 Southern Blue Devil fish at Castle Rock, Port Phillip.

Counting on variety

THE 2015 GREAT VICTORIAN FISH COUNT PROdUCEd SOME INTERESTING RESULTS, SAYS COORdINATOR

TILLY REYNOLDS. PHoTo: NATALIE MANAHAN, RMIT uNDERWATER CLuB

The recent summer season started • The unique Southern Blue Devil was Thank you with a splash as divers and snorkellers recorded at two survey sites in Port took to the water for the 2015 Great Phillip Bay (Castle Rock and Popes We would like to thank our project Victorian Fish Count. Eye), as well as at Cape Woolamai partners Parks Victoria, Coastcare and Wilsons Promontory. Victoria, Museum Victoria and Redmap It was the eleventh year of the Count, Victoria, who gave invaluable support which ran from 21 November to • The Common (or Weedy) Seadragon, in helping to facilitate and promote 6 December last year. Some 350 Victoria’s marine emblem, was the event. participants from 23 separate groups observed in encouraging numbers were involved, and they surveyed a at several different sites including We’d also like to say a huge thank-you to highly impressive 44 different sites. Flinders and Portsea Piers, all the participating dive operators, dive Warrnambool Breakwater, Merri clubs, Friends and marine care groups, Results summary Marine Sanctuary, Cape Woolamai university and school groups, and all the and Castle Rock. volunteers who joined them in the water. The 2015 Great Victorian Fish Count report was released in February, Fish on the Move Several groups participated for the summarising the results and giving a first time in 2015. We’d like to snapshot of the unique marine life to be The 2015 Count had the theme acknowledge RMIT Underwater Club, found in Victorian waters. It’s available ‘Fish on the Move’. Participants were Sea All Dolphin Swims, Warrnambool on the VNPA website. encouraged to keep a sharp lookout for Sub Aqua Club and the Victorian Sub species that might be new or unusual to Aqua Club. It was encouraging to note that a the area, as well as for familiar locals. number of species of conservation We’re very pleased with the success of interest were observed over the A survey with local dive operator the Great Victorian Fish Count, which survey period. Ocean Divers at Blairgowrie Pier made continues to be enthusiastically embraced an exciting discovery. A participant by the marine monitoring community. Two juvenile Eastern Blue Gropers • photographed a strange-looking species It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone (a protected species) were recorded he hadn’t seen before. Marine scientists at Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary. at Museum Victoria have identified it One participant reported that 20 The most common as a Spinycoat Anglerfish, which was in juveniles were observed a few days species observed were: unusually shallow waters. later at the same site, indicating y Blue-throat Wrasse successful breeding in the area and a The sighting has since been logged y dusky Morwong promising future for this once over- with Redmap (Range Extension and y Horse-shoe Leatherjacket fished species. Database Mapping Project), a new y Magpie Perch y Old Wife • Western Blue Gropers (also partner for the 2015 Great Victorian y protected) continued to show up Fish Count. Redmap is a national Silver Sweep y Sea Sweep since their rediscovery in Victoria ‘citizen science’ program that captures y Senator Wrasse during the 2011 Fish Count. This data and maps marine species that may y Six-spined Leatherjacket be extending their range in Australia year they were recorded at Portsea y Victorian Scalyfin in response to changes in the marine Pier, Wilsons Promontory, and Popes y Zebrafish Eye in Port Phillip Heads MNP. environment.

12 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 PHOTO: CHARMAIN ALFORD to learn together and allows scientists, marine managers, divers, snorkellers and community members to share their knowledge of local marine environments.

With all of these pooled skills, knowledge and experience, we can gain a better understanding of what is in Victoria’s coastal waters and how we can work Fish Count participants surveying by snorkel at Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary, Aireys Inlet. together to ensure its adequate Inset: Spinycoat Anglerfish at Blairgowrie Pier. It is rarely found in such shallow water. protection. • PW PHoTo: PARkS VICToRIA

Beaumaris Bay will be further damaged Fossils or bay filling by the yacht squadron's grandiose plans. at Beaumaris?

The high sandstone cliff and adjoining seabed at Beaumaris on Port Phillip Bay have become a new battleground against inappropriate and excessive coastal development.

The fossils found along this shoreline are famous and have allowed scientists to create a picture of the area’s marine life from six million years ago. Giant penguins, dugongs, whales, sharks, corals, sea urchins, crabs and seals were then all part of the local marine PHoTo CouRTESY GEoFFREY GooDE environment. In 2014, the discovery of shed for power boats next to and as high sea turtle fossils filled a huge gap in the renewal of the 21-year lease expiring as the Cliff, a replacement club house, history of Australian reptiles. in 2018 must entail a binding timetable more parking and more boat ramps, to phase out its occupancy. It should The Beaumaris Cliff and its offshore burying much more of this unique fossil also support the community’s recent reefs make up Australia’s richest marine site under tonnes of filling. nomination for Beaumaris Bay to be animal fossil site, and also contain the added to Australia’s National Heritage List. The local community, and scientists remains of terrestrial animals washed from around the world, continue to down the ancient Yarra River. This rare The Beaumaris Fossil Site has enormous voice their concerns about this plan, mix is famous around the world. potential for a fossil museum, on-site or but it just won’t go away. nearby, that would appeal to visitors from You’d think that such an important site around the world. Such a ludicrous proposal should never would have been protected years ago. have been allowed to advance this far. It Scientists have already shared such a Not so. The richest part of the site has shows the environmental risks created vision. All it needs now is a government already been covered by a hectare of filling. when self-interested groups are given with the political will and commitment control over what is publicly-owned to realise it. • PW Now Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron foreshore and seabed. Ltd has much more grandiose plans. For more information, see The Victorian Government should reject www.bcs.asn.au It has applied to build a 120-berth all- the company’s massive expansion plans, weather marina, an 88-metre long storage and at the same time announce that any Chris Smyth, Geoffrey Goode

PArkPArk wAtch wAtch • • MARCH MARCH 2016 2016 NO NO 264 264 13 Mountain Ash: exploring the book

IN dECEMBER Park Watch WE PUBLISHEd A SHORT REVIEW OF THIS BOOK. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY VNPA VOLUNTEER EVELYN FELLER IS A MORE dETAILEd dISCUSSION

OF THE BOOK. PHoTo: DAVID BLAIR Salvage harvesting is clearfelling following wildfire. This means these areas are subject to two major disturbances in rapid succession, extensively changing their flora.

After 25 years of intensive research in The next two chapters describe Ash forests and their plants and the montane ash forests of Central the flora of the forests, outline the animals, and the captions broaden the Victoria, the researchers who wrote this arguments around how to define ‘old reader’s understanding of the concepts book saw the forests devastated by the growth’, and examine the impacts of under discussion. The photos illustrate 2009 Black saturday fires. fires and droughts on large old hollow- how threatened these forests are and bearing trees. The relationship between why wanton destruction by logging They continued their research in the area such trees and threatened possum practices must stop. as soon as they could, and a year later populations has been a key emphasis published the book Forest Phoenix, in for the researchers. Key findings which they detailed how the plants and animals were responding a year after A chapter on carbon stocks and fire Some of the research results, especially the fires, and their predictions about and logging impacts follows, and the four listed here, were highly future responses. then four chapters summarising the unexpected. responses to fire of different animal • There was much greater big-tree In Mountain Ash, the researchers discuss populations (possums and gliders, what had happened to the montane ash mortality than anticipated, even small terrestrial animals, birds and on unburned sites, because of the ecosystem six years after the fires. The invertebrates). often unexpected research results led to a impact of the droughts in the 2000s. broadening of the research to considering Chapter 10 discusses how montane ash • Logging practices actually made carbon storage and the combined effects forests can be protected and restored, the Mountain Ash forests much of the fires and logging. and in the final chapter the authors more prone to high-severity fires, discuss the benefits of continued especially young dense post-logging The book presents compelling scientific research and monitoring to give the forests aged 7-40 years. arguments as to why these forests should best scientific information for sound be restored and protected. management. • Animals such as Leadbeater’s Possum were much more sensitive Within each of the chapters describing Most importantly, they present a vision to fires than expected. Possum the research, key questions are clearly of how protecting these forests in a populations declined even when stated, and management implications, Great Forests National Park would their homes were not burned but knowledge gaps and future research bring much greater economic and the surrounding forest areas were. directions are discussed. social benefits than timber production. • In spite of the fire’s severity, carbon The second chapter explains how the Text boxes challenge some of the losses were not great. On the other researchers realised that fire behaviour prevalent myths about managing hand, research showed that carbon and severity are much more complex these forests. losses from logging 4100 hectares factors than they estimated. They also are about a third of the total document how logging can increase the The book’s photography is outstanding, emissions from a major coal fire risk in these forests. capturing the wonder of the Mountain power plant.

14 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 PHoToS: DAVID BLAIR

(Left) Dead Mountain Ash in December 2009, following the Black Saturday fires. This area of old-growth forest burned at high severity but the young forest that regenerated (right, in March 2014) is growing rapidly – six metres in four years.

Some other key findings were as follows. wet nature. Frequent burning This information has been given to of the forests will result in their the Victorian government but is It’s vital to allow the next cohort • replacement by wattle scrub. clearly not being followed, given the of Mountain Ash to mature and number of loaded logging trucks reach the hollow-bearing stage, to • ‘Aborigines managed these forests heading out of the Central Highlands. guarantee habitat for species that using fire.’ There is little evidence depend on these hollows. of Aboriginal use of these forests If the authors’ prescriptions to (pace Gammage), and besides, if • Leadbeater’s Possum is highly restore montane ash forests are burnt the forests would not convert followed there will be less logging in sensitive to fire, but other species to open grassy woodlands, which such as Brush-tail Possums are much these forests, and the industry will presumably would have been a need to transition to plantation more resilient and moved back major aim of Aboriginal burning. quickly into burnt areas. wood supplies. • ‘Nest boxes will work as a substitute • There was an initial severe decline for hollow-bearing trees.’ Research By protecting the forests in a Great in small animal species such as bush shows that the effectiveness of nest Forest National Park, other economic rats and antechinuses, but these boxes to help conserve Leadbeater’s benefits from tourism, water supply populations recovered and dispersed Possum is very limited. protection and carbon storage may in different ways. greatly exceed those from forestry. • ‘Logging impacts are benign because • Bird species declined in number and only a small portion of the forest Given that only 1.16 % of our original species diversity after the fires, except is logged every year.’ The annual montane ash forest estate is left, the for Flame Robins, whose numbers rose logging area might be small, but road to recovery needs to start today! spectacularly. Crimson Rosella and the cumulative effect of forest loss Striated Pardalote numbers remained over a number of years is very Mountain Ash is a compelling book largely unchanged after the fires. significant. and very readable for a wide audience. I commend it to all Park Watch Beetle numbers remained about the • Lindenmayer et al reiterate readers. • PW same in the study sites, but different management prescriptions for species became dominant. protecting and restoring the montane ash forests. These involve conserving Myth-busting Mountain ash: Fire, logging and and restoring existing plant and the future of Victoria's giant Some of the myths debunked in the animal populations and key structural forests by david Lindenmayer, book are: elements like hollow-bearing trees david Blair, Lachlan and riparian areas. McBurney, Sam Banks. • ‘Fuel reduction burning should be done in montane ash forests.’ This Ecosystem processes like natural fire CSIRO Publishing, November shows a complete ignorance of regimes and old-growth recruitment 2015. RRP $59.95. these ecosystems and their generally should also be restored.

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 15 Leadbeater’s Possums.

New plan for Leadbeater’s

STEVE MEACHER, PRESIdENT, FRIENdS OF LEAdBEATER’S POSSUM,

REPORTS ON dEVELOPMENTS IN PHoTo: STEVE kuITER (WILDLIFE PHoToGRAPHICS) PROTECTING THIS SPECIES.

The Commonwealth environment However, the RFAs themselves are by logging-friendly, government-imposed Department has drafted a new recovery almost twenty years old and due for terms of reference. Plan for Leadbeater’s Possum to replace review. The Central Highlands RFA the 1997 plan currently in effect. expires in two years; its consistency The current Action Statement’s lack with the new Recovery Plan will need of ambition is shown by its limiting of The new plan was called for as part of to be considered. buffer zones around identified possum the Australian Government’s Threatened colonies to a minimal, and scientifically Species Strategy, and follows the The Victorian Government has been indefensible, 200 metres. Even LPAG moving of the species last April from engaged in the development of the itself assessed the impact of this measure ‘Endangered’ to ‘Critically Endangered’. draft, and it’s expected that the plan will as ‘low to medium’. These buffers could This was widely seen as confirmation be reflected in a projected reworking have been a positive innovation if the of the failure of previous conservation of its Action Statement for Leadbeater’s 1000 metres supported by scientists had policies, hamstrung by the unwillingness Possum. The revised Statement will been adopted. of governments to curtail logging in the replace the compromised version montane ash forests. adopted in the dying days of the The draft Recovery Plan notes that ‘current levels of protection do not Coalition Government, based on the The Commonwealth plan may not be provide the maximum possible recommendations of its Leadbeater’s directly enforceable, as the EPBC Act conservation security’ and calls for Possum Advisory Group (LPAG). allows logging in areas subject to a Regional an ‘increase in the buffer size and Forest Agreement (RFA), including the This group was heavily influenced by other protective mechanisms around Victorian Central Highlands. industry, and its findings were limited known colonies’. The draft plan contains a useful, comprehensive and up-to-date snapshot of the current state of knowledge on Citizen science Leadbeater’s ecology and conservation. At just over 100 pages it is a substantial survey protects read, but you have time – it’s available for gliders public comment until 20 may. Park Watch readers are encouraged to prepare submissions supporting a robust and effective recovery plan. A number of conservation groups are working to assist

PHoTo: GECo members compiling submissions, and The Greater Glider is Australia’s largest gliding marsupial. writing workshops are being planned.

VicForests has been forced The survey took place in late All submissions will be presented to the to abandon planned logging January and was verified by the federal minister, together with the final operations in forest on the Environment department in recommendation of the Threatened Errinundra plateau in east February. The department will Species Scientific Committee, so it is Gippsland after a citizen now create a protection zone for important to ensure he receives strong science survey recorded a large the species. support for adoption of an effective plan. population of protected Greater Gliders there. The logging rules require a A useful summary of the draft by 100 hectare protected area to Jesse Graham, with comments from The Goongerah Environment be zoned where more than ten Prof. Lindenmayer, the Threatened Centre (GEC) conducted a late-night Greater Gliders are detected in a Species Commissioner and Victorian survey in forest where logging had 1km survey transect. Environment Minister Lisa Neville, was just started, recording 15 Greater published by Mountain Views Mail. The P Gliders in just 800 metres. See also article on p. 18. • W full plan can be downloaded from the Environment Department’s website. • PW 16 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Forest in Croajingolong NP. Victoria’s new Biodiversity Strategy must recognise the key role of national parks in protecting biodiversity. Biodiversity strategy under way

VNPA ExECUTIVE dIRECTOR MATT RUCHEL REPORTS

The Victorian Government is delivering on its election commitment to develop a new Biodiversity strategy to help us build a greater understanding of the complex interactions within and between our marine, terrestrial and freshwater PHoTo: DAVID TATNALL environments and the millions of plants and animals that call Victoria home. 3. specifically address existing The Biodiversity Strategy is being threats, especially pest plant and Check our website for developed alongside a review of the Flora animal invasions. and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, and the 4. Address climate change impacts school resources! Native Vegetation Regulations in Victoria. on nature, including increased It’s now much easier for students It builds on previous work, including the fire, flood and drought, higher and teachers of VCE Outdoor and Land and Biodiversity White Paper, and temperatures and subsequent Environmental Studies, Geography will recognise the importance of a healthy impacts on ecosystems. and Environmental Science to study environment in bringing benefits to all 5. enhance the role of and support for the VNPA and its work. Victorians and underpinning our way of private protected areas such as Trust life and economic prosperity. All the material relevant to these for Nature covenants and privately subjects that the VNPA has produced The strategy aims to establish a long-term owned reserves like Ned’s Corner. over the past five years has been 20-year vision for biodiversity in Victoria, 6. re-establish the state brought together in a special section outlining key directions, approaches and government’s key leadership of our website. priorities to deliver real environmental role in nature protection. These resources are also useful for outcomes on the ground that will benefit 7. Propose some big ideas all secondary school teachers and Victorians now and in the future. with realistic targets and students (years 7-12) studying a range A draft strategy outlining proposed timelines for delivery, such as of topics and units. directions based on stakeholder landscape-scale biolinks. In these units, students explore issues consultation will be available by mid-2016. 8. engage the community and including understanding, enjoying and A stakeholder reference group with 18 facilitate new or innovative exploring the outdoors, changes in land representatives, including the VNPA, approaches to conservation of use and conflicts in land management. has been established to gather the our natural heritage. Students and teachers can also find views of groups involved in biodiversity 9. Highlight the need for excellence resources on topics like Victorian management and conservation. in park and conservation biodiversity and parks, the benefits management, and leverage the of nature for physical and mental The VNPA welcomes the development of necessary skills and resources health and wellbeing, the impacts of a state-wide biodiversity strategy. It’s long to achieve that. urbanisation on human health and a overdue, the last strategy having been history of the VNPA. formally adopted in 1997. 10. strengthen institutions and laws to better protect our unique These resources highlight the broad A new Victorian biodiversity strategy natural heritage. and interesting range of materials that should: the VNPA has produced in recent years. The VNPA will be actively responding 1. Have a truly state-wide focus which to the draft strategy when it’s released, They can be found at http://vnpa.org.au/ considers all of our natural heritage, page/publications/school-resources and we’ll update you at that time. including terrestrial, marine, coastal We hope that teachers and students and freshwater. If you’d like to register to receive updates, find this material useful and engaging. 2. recognise the key role of national including information about the process If you know any teachers or students parks and other conservation and opportunities to provide input, email in these areas, please tell them about reserves in preserving and protecting your details to biodiversity.strategy@ our resources! • PW biodiversity. delwp.vic.gov.au • PW PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 17 Camping is free at many park campgrounds with basic facilities, like this one near Tawonga Huts in the Alpine NP which has pit toilets only.

Legal action forces VicForests to survey for wildlife Park camping Action taken by environment east Gippsland and its lawyers, fees reduced

environmental Justice Australia, PHoTo: MARY FERLIN resulted in early February in VicForests agreeing to halt logging and survey for rare wildlife and The VNPA welcomed the December “It’s important Victorian families can plants in an east Gippsland forest reductions in camping fees at 55 camp have an affordable holiday and get a rich in threatened species. grounds across the state, including chance to experience Victoria's amazing national parks such as the Grampians parks,” she added. This is the Kuark forest, about 30km and Great otway. NE of Orbost. The species recorded Ms Neville said there were 680 camp were the Long-footed Potoroo, Yellow- People who had already paid the grounds in 133 Victorian parks, and bellied Glider, a new species of galaxias original higher price for summer that fees applied at only 17% of the fish only found in Kuark, an as yet camp site bookings received a refund. camp grounds. undescribed species of crayfish, and two At 48 ‘mid-level’ camp grounds Fees have dropped in popular parks, rare plants that should have 250 metre (i.e. with pit or composting toilets including Cape Liptrap Coastal Park, Special Management Zones applied. and no showers) the cost per site per Hattah-Kulkyne NP, Cathedral Range “Sadly, since mid-January, and day was cut from $38.90 to $28, and State Park, Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park while negotiations were going on, at seven boat-based camp grounds and Lower Glenelg NP. VicForests continued to clearfell this in Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park the Parks Victoria CEO Bradley Fauteux amazing forest,” said Jill Redwood charge fell to $21. said that making camping accessible from EEG. Fees have not changed at camp and affordable for school groups was “So much was destroyed in this time, grounds considered to be ‘high’ or important. in an area that clearly should have ‘very high’ level. These may have gas “They’re our next generation of campers been surveyed by trained biologists or electric barbecues, showers, flush and advocates for parks in Victoria,” he said. before the chainsaws moved in.” toilets, designated campsites and treated drinking water. Chuck Berger, from Outdoors Victoria, “You have to wonder what gems welcomed the lower prices. “This is we’ve lost over the years because the Environment Minister Lisa Neville said great news for holiday campers. But just state government’s logging company the reductions would make camping as importantly, it’s good economic and calls the shots on whether or not an more affordable and encourage more social policy. Cost can be a real barrier for area should have a survey before it is people to try the outdoors. families and school groups getting into clearfelled and burnt,” Jill said. “We’re very confident that this will our parks,” he said. “Sadly, the Environment Department lead to greater visitations, that more “When people do go camping, we know consistently refuses to order VicForests people will feel they’re able to afford it, that they spend money in regional to survey for rare and threatened flora including school groups.” Victoria on gear, food, transport and and fauna before logging, so it’s left Ms Neville said that reducing the fees other expenditures. So by making it up to community groups to engage would on paper lower revenue by easier for people to enjoy our parks, lawyers,” said Felicity Millner of about $1.1 million per year, but she we’re getting more economic activity into Environmental Justice Australia. predicted that greater visitor numbers regional Victoria.” “We welcome this belated action by would almost make up the gap. A user-pays fee structures for camping VicForests in this instance,” she said. “We have some of the best parks in in Victoria’s parks and reserves was “We will be watching closely how the country and we will continue to introduced in July 2014, applying to 197 their actions are carried out and are make sure they are accessible and out of 680 campsites in Victoria’s national, leaving our options open at this stage,” affordable,” she said. state and coastal parks and reserves. • PW said Jill Redwood. • PW

18 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Beach at Parker River, Great Otway NP. Victoria and Australia are blessed with so many ‘Places You Love’.

The ‘Places You Love’ alliance

GLEN KLATOVSKY, dIRECTOR OF THE ALLIANCE, WRITES ABOUT dEFENdING WHAT WE HAVE ANd LOOKING TO A BETTER FUTURE. over the last few years we have seen the ascendancy of the resources sector in Australia, and a strong anti- conservation political push. PHoTo: DAVID TATNALL Conservative governments in several states and in Canberra have attempted to roll back conservation gains we have all In addition, we brought together In late 2014, the Places You Love fought hard for over many decades. broader civil society organisations alliance released a comprehensive that had also been attacked under assessment of the state of nature in In the context of this assault, an alliance conservative governments. Together Australia in our report The Australia of conservation organisations began we released an excellent report We Love (www.placesyoulove.org/ by defending existing laws and has written by the Human Rights australiawelove). This drew from moved now to focus on improving the Law Centre and launched by State of Environment reports and a current system. over a dozen major organisations range of conservative national and including the Australian Council of international materials. The Places You Love alliance has Social Services, the ACTU, Save the 42 member organisations, including Children, Amnesty and the National What we found was that most the VNPA. Press Club. environmental indicators in Australia are declining, and that there is a serious Our first joint campaign was to stop the Again in 2015 the federal Attorney lack of data to inform us of what is Gillard and then Abbott governments General launched a campaign happening and how we can best resolve from gutting federal environment law against the legal standing rights in the problems. by handing decision-making to the state the federal environment law. He and territory governments. Together, we stated his belief that environment So, we’ve started a new project looking have halted this so-called ‘one-stop shop’ organisations were waging ‘lawfare’ at how to fix these fundamental policy, and there’s little prospect of it against development. problems. being enacted during this term. Once again our alliance worked with We’ve begun with a group of Last year the alliance led a joint response other allies, and this government environmental law experts advising us to attempts by the Abbott Government proposal appears to be dead as well. on improving the legal and regulatory to remove the tax-deductibility status system in Australia. We’re also reaching of environmental organisations Over this period, of course, we out to environmentalists across the undertaking advocacy work. A House have also seen conservative country to be involved in compiling of Representatives committee was Victorian and Queensland experiences, expertise and stories about established and the government’s governments removed, as well as what is failing and how we can improve intentions were made clear. a Prime Minister, and the resources the system. sector weakened by falling demand. Together we marshalled over 650 quality We invite all of you to become involved. submissions to the Inquiry, worked with So our work to defend our existing Our project includes public workshops the sector during hearings across the laws has been effective. and online engagement. Please visit country, and helped ensure there was a our website www.placesyoulove.org united front against the government’s However, we acknowledge that or contact me directly if you have intentions. We’re still awaiting the current laws and institutions are any questions (glen.klatovsky@ committee’s report, but we galvanised failing us. We all know that, at best, placesyoulove.org). our sector in a way not seen for a long we are managing the decline of the time, if ever. natural world in Australia. Thank you!• PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 19 This hollow old Victorian Blue Gum was one of many killed by the March 2015 fuel reduction burn in the Strathbogies.

Planned burn disaster

BERTRAM LOBERT FROM THE STRATHBOGIE SUSTAINABLE FORESTS GROUP SAYS THE GROUP IS CALLING FOR AN ENd TO LARGE-SCALE FUEL REdUCTION BURNING IN THE STRATHBOGIES.

A significant proportion of the old- growth elements in part of the

strathbogie state Forest that have PHoTo: MICHAEL FLATT survived 150+ years of logging and fires have been destroyed by a recent evidence for the impact of planned These results call into serious question (march 2015) planned burn. burns, the Strathbogie Sustainable DELWP’s program of planned burning in Forests Group (SSFG) undertook the Strathbogie forests. The level of tree It is clear that at least some parts of the 520ha burn area experienced detailed on-ground surveys to death and loss of hollow-bearing trees is a high intensity fire that severely quantify the impact of the 2015 burn completely unacceptable and flies in the scorched large parts of the tree canopy, on the health and survival of trees, to face of threatening processes listed under incinerated areas of understorey encourage informed decision-making. the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. vegetation to mineral earth and Impact on To continue with the scheduled program killed a number of the last large, of planned burns would be ecologically mature trees in parts of the forest. hollow-bearing trees irresponsible and most probably not The Strathbogie State Forest is home to A total of 273 trees with a diameter of necessary, given the government’s shift to a number of forest-dependent species 70 cm or more were measured and a risk-based planned burning target. that are vulnerable to the impact of assessed for planned burn impact. planned burns: the Powerful Owl, They were Narrow-leaf Peppermints, Whilst the burn killed/felled many more Brush-tailed Phascogale, Greater Victorian Blue Gums and Manna Gums. trees than ‘expected’, the pattern observed Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider and Koala. is not unique in the State. There are a The survey results showed that: number of examples in recent years where Indeed, Koalas were killed by the fire • half of all stags (70 cm+ in diameter) ‘low-intensity’ planned burns have caused and corpses were found after the burn. affected by the burn were destroyed significant ecological damage, such as at by it Phillip Island, Langi Ghiran State Park, Victoria’s FFG Act lists three the Warby Ranges and Mt Alexander. Potentially Threatening Processes • 25% of all trees (70+ cm diameter) that planned burning contributes to: affected by the burn were killed In the absence of routine quantitative by it • inappropriate fire regimes causing assessment of the impact of planned disruption to sustainable ecosystem • 47% of the largest trees in the forest burns by DELWP, the ecological impact of processes and resultant loss of (100 cm+ diameter) in areas affected planned burns is very poorly understood. biodiversity by the burn were killed by it None the less, it seems clear that planned burning can have devastating effects on • loss of coarse woody debris from • the four biggest trees in the survey Victorian native forests and area (between 1.5 and 1.9 metres in the ecological resilience and conservation woodlands diameter) were all killed and felled values of forests and their resident fauna. by the planned burn. • loss of hollow-bearing trees from The considerable community concern Victorian native forests. Extrapolation of these results beyond about the burn and a proposed 3000 ha But these environmental issues the survey area suggests that this burn scheduled for autumn 2016 has been are given low priority by DELWP planned burn has seriously degraded communicated to DELWP’s Regional Regional Services staff in the context the ecological condition and resilience Director. For further information and to of planned burns. of the forest, and is likely to have download the survey report: caused significant population crashes, if https://strathbogiesustainableforests. In view of the reluctance of DELWP not local extinctions, of several species wordpress.com/ - ‘Planned burning Regional staff to accept the anecdotal of hollow-dependent fauna. decimates old-growth trees’. • PW

20 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Kids enjoying nature – and not a screen in sight.

Coming soon: Nature Play Week!

RUNNING THIS YEAR FROM 6 TO 17 APRIL, NATURE PLAY WEEK PROMOTES ACTIVITIES THAT RECONNECT KIdS WITH NATURE. CAITLIN GRIFFITH REPORTS.

Nature Play Week is an annual event set up by the kids in Nature Network that celebrates initiatives to reconnect kids with nature and the outdoors.

The event is now in its third year and the VNPA is pleased to be participating for the first time. The joy of outdoor adventures is as a child is something many of us

remember fondly. Discovering bugs, PHoToS: SAM FoRD racing up bushwalking tracks with friends, climbing trees and watching lines of ants are some of my own based nature play. We look forward to Play Week. These may be favourite nature-based memories. connecting with families interested in family-friendly or specifically for nature and hope this will become a great families. Check our new BWAG program Unstructured outdoor play doesn’t platform for us to improve our work with for details of these walks and activities, require rules, competitions or even family groups into the future. including how to book. Activities special equipment. include: VNPA will be present as a supporting Nature Play Week is a fabulous initiative partner at a number of events hosted by • 25-28 march: annual Forests Forever to encourage this simple way of learning Parks Victoria, including a free Family Easter camp at Goongerah, East and experiencing the outdoors. It Fun Day at the Rhododendron Gardens, Gippsland, with walks, tours, talks calls on us as a society to consider Olinda, on tuesday 5 April. Other events and family-friendly activities. how we can remove barriers to people will be advertised closer to the time. • saturday 16 April: Mt. Cobbler 4WD experiencing our great outdoors. At these events we will be running bug/ trip including King River Hut and The benefits of unstructured nature- pollinator counts, setting up an ‘animals Dandongadale Falls. Joint trip with based play for children are broad: in the dark’ marquee to show and talk Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria. development of gross motor skills, about images of local wildlife from • sunday 8 may: Jells Park Family skills in enquiry, developing a lifelong our ‘Caught on Camera’ project, and Walk, 4km bushwalk in Dandenong passion for nature, developing a good supplying pictures of local wildlife for Creek Valley. imagination and improved mental colouring in. health, both short- and longer-term. • sunday 22 may: Walk, Talk and Gawk Activities are also being run by local Nature Nippers, Sherbrooke Falls. 3km Nature Play Week 2015 featured 88 community groups, schools and other bushwalk in Dandenong Ranges NP. events hosted by 44 organisations organisations. These activities can all be across Victoria and beyond. Some found at www.natureplayweek.org.au. If you have children, grandchildren, 6000 kids and parents took part. nieces or nephews, or just friends In addition, some of our bushwalking with kids, these activities are a great The VNPA acknowledges the great leaders are hosting family-based walks opportunity to share the outdoors benefits of childhood and family- and activities during or outside Nature with children! • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 21 We’re listening for nature

KaREN RoWE Of MuseuM ViCtORiA And tHe VnPA’s chRistiNE coNNElly RePORt On A new COMMunity-bAsed MOnitORing PROgRAM.

Female Superb Fairy-wren singing. these wrens are very vocal birds. PHoTo: MuSEuM VICToRIA/DAVID PAuL

Communities Listening for Nature, a For birds, traditional survey methods dawn chorus or through the night for joint museum Victoria – VNPA require volunteers counting all the nocturnal species. program, aims to use recent advances birds they see and hear in a specific in acoustic recording and automated location for a known amount of time. Sorting through the vast amounts of sound recognition to improve This process relies heavily on the sound data collected by the automated detection of Victoria’s vocalising availability of expert birders who are recorders can be a very time-consuming animal species for conservation and able to identify species correctly in a process. However, progress in sound land management. short period of time. recognition technology allows for the automatic recognition of species. Regular and ongoing monitoring of However, with the development of animals in their natural environments new technologies to record animals Sounds can be visualised using a provides critical data on where they are in their natural environments, citizen spectrogram, which shows the range of present, how they are using habitats, scientists can now help with the frequencies recorded over time. Each and patterns of movement across collection of sound data at many species has a unique spectrogram the landscape. sites simultaneously and for longer ‘signature’, which can be used to identify periods than traditional observational the species visually as well as aurally. Repeated efforts at detecting surveys allow. where species are present are even Using a specially-designed software more important as global climate These recorders can be used to program, we can create a spectrogram change and other environmental detect a variety of animal groups signature ‘template’ for each species of challenges continue to rewrite our that vocalise, including birds, frogs interest, using known calls and songs understanding of how species use and some mammals, and (with some obtained from digital sound libraries. habitats and where they will move modifications) even ultrasonic bats. when conditions change. We’ll concentrate on birds first, but Once the template has been created, once the project is established we may field recordings can be scanned quickly This is an enormous amount of work, include other animal groups. by the computer to find matches and researchers cannot achieve it alone. between the template and sounds in the Citizen scientists play an important role The recorders can be automated to recordings. This process dramatically in helping researchers monitor where record vocalising animals at set times reduces the time it takes to identify animals are over large areas of land. during the day, such as during the whether the species of interest is present.

22 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Spectrogram diagrams show the frequency range of different bird calls and can be used to create templates, allowing automated recognition of species. PHOTO: MUSEUM VICTORIA/JON AUGIER PHoTo: MuSEuM VICToRIA/DAVID PAuL

Karen Rowe (left) and Bentley Bird set up an automated recorder in the Two Brolgas call while walking near a pond at the Western Treatment Plant, Werribee. Gippsland Lakes area. Harnessing these technological D. T. Williamson Foundation and the carry out their own acoustic monitoring breakthroughs, Museum Victoria and the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust. projects, building knowledge and VNPA have developed the ‘Communities understanding of Victoria’s bird species. Listening for Nature’ project, which will Community groups will be provided In turn, the acoustic data collected by be supported by funding from the Hugh with the resources and training to the groups will be made available to the public digitally via Museum Victoria’s online collections database. How to get involved For now, the data collected will be We are starting the exciting will allow us to monitor a greater used to investigate locally-relevant new NatureWatch project variety of species and give us a questions, such as whether a threatened ‘Communities Listening for more complete picture of how species is present in an area, how a key Nature’ in 2016. Building on our wildlife responds to the issues we fire-response species is responding to successes with Reef Watch, we are are investigating. planned burning, and whether there is a delighted to be again partnering If you’d like to be part of this difference in bird diversity in particular with Museum Victoria in another exciting new project, sign up for important citizen science project. vegetation types. NatureWatch email updates at ‘Communities Listening for Nature’ naturewatch.vnpa.org.au to be As this digital data provides a complements the VNPA’s existing the first to find out about what’s permanent record of the species NatureWatch project ‘Caught on happening. Or for more information, found in a particular place and time, Camera’, in which we monitor contact NatureWatch Coordinator it can also help researchers, land mammals using motion-sensing Christine Connelly on 9341 6510 or managers and government bodies address cameras. Adding sound recorders [email protected]. conservation and management issues in Victoria now and into the future. • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 23 Sub-adult female Growling Grass Frog from Botanica Park wetland in Bundoora. A dedicated wetland for Growlers was built here in 2002 and the frogs are still there 13 years later, showing that constructed wetlands with the right characteristics can be important habitats. Finding safe havens

FROG RESEARCHER GEOFF HEARD HAS A POSITIVE STORY ABOUT AN ICONIC SPECIES.

I must admit to a hefty bias, but I think most people would agree that Young Growling Grass Frog from the Growling Grass Frog (Litoria Merri creek at Donnybrook on raniformis) is one of Victoria’s most Melbourne’s northern outskirts. spectacular native animals. Big, green and loud, ‘Growlers’ are the archetypal frog.

And yet they are an enigma as well. Once abundant and widespread, these frogs disappeared from many places across southern Australia in the 1970s and 80s. What we now know is that years of habitat change and drought, and the arrival of the infamous frog-killing chytrid fungus, were the culprits. But ongoing research reveals that the tenacious Growler is hanging on in some rather strange spots, including the urban fringe of Melbourne. PHoToS: GEoFF HEARD

My first Growler sighting, when I was We knew from previous work that What do these warm and salty 16, was in a disused bluestone quarry Growlers’ susceptibility to chytrid fungus wetlands look like? Quarries at low in the Plenty Gorge Park at South infections declines with increasing water elevations are the prime examples Morang. It was under a rock on the temperature and salinity, because chytrid in northern Melbourne, including banks of a spring-fed and slightly salty is quite sensitive to both, but our new bluestone quarries and brick pits in wetland. There were many Growlers study shows that these relationships have sedimentary soil. dotted around the wetland that day, important implications for the persistence some taking shelter under rocks, of Growler populations. Let’s start with the role of elevation. others sunning themselves in a patch Even north of Melbourne, where of bulrush. Warmer and saltier our lowest site was only 250 metres downhill from our highest, elevation It struck me as odd at the time. I’d Put simply, the monitoring data reveals had an important effect on water already spent an unhealthy proportion that populations inhabiting warmer, saltier temperatures, low elevation sites of my childhood knee-deep in wetlands have a significantly higher chance being considerably warmer. Melbourne’s wetlands, but hadn’t seen a of persisting through time, because the one. So why were they doing so well in prevalence of infections is low, and hence At the site level, quarry wetlands the old quarry? frog survival rates are higher. also tend to be large and deep, and have minimal bankside vegetation. Our latest research, which draws Moreover, our data suggest that these These features bolster water together 11 years of monitoring data refuges from chytrid often ‘prop up’ temperatures. Bigger wetlands from across northern Melbourne, not surrounding populations, and can have greater thermal inertia and only answers this question but gives underpin the persistence of entire stay warmer over winter, while new hope for conserving remaining networks of Growler populations across open banks allow more sunlight to Growler populations. the landscape. penetrate the water surface.

24 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Left: The City of Whittlesea Quarry in Epping has been reserved as high-quality Growling Grass Frog habitat and is being monitored by VNPA members annually. We hope this site will make a significant contribution to Growler conservation in the middle Merri Creek catchment. Inset: Adult male Growler floating among Water Ribbons in a Merri Creek pool at Donnybrook. He and his Fishing Spider offsider are hunting aquatic insects.

in size and depth to maximize their thermal inertia, and overhead canopy and emergent rushes can be trimmed to reduce shading. This is particularly desirable when the offending vegetation is exotic (such as willows, elms and hawthorn) or invasive emergents such as Common Reed. When suitable groundwater is available, bores could be sunk to achieve favourable water chemistry. Furthermore, we can increase the viability PHoToS: GEoFF HEARD of remaining populations by increasing the number and connectivity of wetlands in the landscape. Growlers are adept at Local Growler extinctions will tend colonising wetlands created for them, and to be independent in space and time. we now have a clear sense of the types of This means that when a population wetlands they require. Placed intelligently, succumbs there is a good chance that these new wetlands could make a one or more of its neighbours persists, significant contribution to conserving and can fire off migrants to recolonise remnant populations. the now vacant wetland. In relation to water chemistry, quarrying Together, initiatives such as these give us often punctures shallow aquifers, and Maybe next year the roles of the rescued a chance to fight the impacts of chytrid hence quarry wetlands frequently have and the rescuer will reverse, but the fungus and wetland degradation, and may, groundwater seepages. This water is typically population network can forge on. in time, allow Growlers to be returned to a little saline, and is also alkaline (up to many a former haunt in SE Australia. • PW pH 10), which chytrid doesn’t like either. And with that, back to the Plenty Gorge Park. What of those frogs Geoff heard is a Postdoctoral Fellow in But quarries aren’t the only examples of today? Well, sadly, they are no more – the Quantitative and Applied Ecology refugia for Growlers. The species persists Growlers haven’t been recorded in Group at the University of Melbourne. He has being conducting research on the in sections of some of our local streams, the park since 2008. including the Darebin, Merri, Moonee Ponds ecology and conservation of Growling and Kororoit Creeks, and can also do well in Fundamentally, the population Grass Frogs since 2001. farm dams and water treatment ponds. network was just too small. Populations persisted doggedly in two quarries after Our data suggest the survival factors in chytrid arrived, but disappeared one NatureWatch frog these locations are consistent with those in after the other when severe drought monitoring quarries; while other factors are important, added an extra layer of stress. they fundamentally need to offer warm Since 2011, VNPA NatureWatch volunteers have monitored microclimates and/or slightly saline Without reinforcements from more Growling Grass Frogs every conditions to mitigate the impacts of chytrid. fortunate neighbours, permanent summer, including at a disused extinction was the only possible Wetland networks quarry in Epping. The quarry is outcome. And so it went. a likely refuge near Merri Creek At the landscape scale, an important But this is not a doom and gloom and is being regenerated by the City of Whittlesea to help additional benefit of chytrid refuges is story. In fact, it’s a very positive one, the Growlers. large wetland networks. Our work across because what we now know about northern Melbourne shows that regions chytrid dynamics for Growlers (and If you’d like to learn more , or with clusters of wetlands close together can other threatened frogs) is shovel-ready volunteer with NatureWatch, see sustain Growler populations even when information. naturewatch.vnpa.org.au strong refugia from chytrid aren’t present. or contact our NatureWatch Enhancing wetlands Coordinator, Christine Connelly, Our conclusion is that Growler populations via [email protected] or show enough independence to enable them Consider the possibilities for enhancing 9341 6510. rescue one another from permanent extinction. wetlands. They can be increased

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 25 IN PArks

Parks in the ground

IT’S SURPRISING WHAT YOU CAN dO WITH AN OLd QUARRY, SAYS GEOFF DURHAM.

What do you do with holes in the ground when extraction ceases? In our refuse-rich throwaway society they have great economic value as rubbish PHoTo: GEoFF DuRHAM dumps; they can be filled, covered and Blue Lake occupies an old quarry next to the Plenty River in Plenty Gorge Park. built on (if you are prepared to run the risk of subsidence). Highway at Berwick (Melway map The park is a popular venue for family Alternatively, they can be converted 110 B6) is managed by the City of gatherings. It’s open from 7.00 am to into parklands. Casey. The quarry was operated from 6.00 pm (9.00 pm during daylight saving). This article looks at three very different 1859 until 1976 by the Wilson family, The Friends Group contact is Margaret parks in Metropolitan Melbourne of who donated the nucleus of the park Rossell – phone 9707 1750. similar size. Two are old basalt quarries, to the Shire of Berwick. and the other a former sand pit. Newport Lakes Park It is believed to be partly inspired by They have conservation values with the spectacularly colourful Butchart South-west of the city is the 33 ha Newport attractive water features and provide Gardens on Vancouver Island, Canada, Lakes Park (Melway map 55 G3), managed valuable open space and passive but not on the same lavish scale and by Hobsons Bay Council. The easy-to- recreation areas. Each has a lake, without the extensive flower beds. miss entrance off Mason Street leads to a though swimming is not permitted. The park is on the side of a pine-covered car park open from 7.30 am to dusk. Next Each deserves a visit, and entry is hill. Revegetation has involved an to the car park is the privately operated free. And each has a Friends Group eclectic mix of species, and some Newport Lakes Native Nursery where you which would welcome participation plants are labelled. can buy local indigenous plants. in its activities. Entry to the park is along an oak avenue The park is bisected by a closed bitumen Wikipedia says ‘basalt is a common to a car park and visitor centre. Nearby road. To the west are toilets, a picnic extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock are a small rose garden, waterlily pond, area with shelters and electric barbecues, formed from the rapid cooling of playground and barbecue shelters. playgrounds and two large grassed basaltic lava exposed at or very near the fields (capped quarries) separated by an There are two lakes. In Anniversary surface'. As ‘bluestone’, it is Melbourne’s arboretum featuring conifers. Dogs are Lake are two massive concrete pillars, signature building stone - St Patrick’s permitted off-lead on the northern field. the former base of a crusher plant, and Cathedral, the Victoria Barracks and it is overlooked by a large amphitheatre To the east is the no-dogs conservation the Arts Centre are prime examples. with bluestone tiers – the site of ‘Sunset zone that has been successfully revegetated It is the material of cobblestones, Cinemas’. with indigenous plants. The centre-piece kerbings and pavings, and is crushed is a large bore-water-fed lake crossed by for road metal. The smaller Basalt or Upper Lake has stepping stones, and there are wetlands a sheer rock face on its eastern edge, The two basalt quarry park conversions in a natural amphitheatre. There is easy a bird hide, and a boardwalk along its are very different in concept, and walking along a selection of wide gravel particularly in revegetation. western edge. Walking tracks range tracks with mosaics of birds mounted on from flat and easy to steep and hilly. basalt boulders. Wilson Botanic Park It is 750 metres around Anniversary Lake, 1.5 km around both lakes and The Friends group has an excellent To the east of Melbourne, the 36 ha 3 km around the outer circuit. Dogs website; the contact is Mary Burbidge, Wilson Botanic Park off the Princes are permitted on leads. phone 9391 5758.

26 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 PHoTo: GEoFF DuRHAM

Clockwise from top left: Karkarook lookout; Wilson Botanic Park – Upper Lake bird hide; Karkarook’s information shelter has the form of a dragonfly; wetlands at Newport Lakes could be miles from anywhere.

Karkarook Park It is also accessible for people with Heatherlie Quarry off the Halls Gap – limited mobility. There are 6 km of Mt Zero Road in Grampians National South of the city, Karkarook Park is walking tracks around the lake and Park, once used for stone for Melbourne different again. In 1997 Parks Victoria wetlands – the lake circuit is 1.8 km. public buildings. agreed to extraction of sand and Fishing for Rainbow Trout or Redfin, rehabilitation of wetlands and parkland and unpowered small boats, are Closer to Melbourne, in Werribee at no cost to the community. The permitted. Dogs must be on-lead Gorge State Park, a quarry where stone was extracted to build the Western name ‘Karkarook’ is Aboriginal for except in an off-leash area. ‘a sandy place’. Freeway has been converted to the The park is open all the time. It Quarry picnic area. The park is at the intersection of has good picnic and playground Warrigal Rd and South Rd, Moorabbin Blue Lake, an old quarry next to the facilities, rotundas and a dragonfly- (Melway map 78 D7) with vehicle entry Plenty River (Melway map 183 F5) is inspired lookout and very informative opposite Bunnings off Fairchild Street. a dramatic feature of the Yellowgum information shelter. The Friends of Recreation Area in Plenty Gorge Park. The 40 ha park features a central Karkarook operate a community 15 ha lake maintained by bore water. nursery; contact is Ann Tamhane, Lysterfield Lake Park (Melway maps Wetlands along the Warrigal Rd phone 9557 2562. 82-83) has a small quarry where granite boundary are fed by storm water. A was extracted for the dam wall. A litter trap removes rubbish, and as the More quarries walking track from the western end water moves through a series of ponds of the wall follows the old tramline it is filtered and cleansed before exiting Wilson Botanic Park, Newport Lakes route to the quarry. to Port Phillip Bay. Park and Karkarook are three examples of successful conversion to parkland, Full appreciation of any park requires The park has been revegetated with but many parks have old quarries an understanding of its history. For indigenous plants and is excellent or sand and gravel pits within them. many parks, extraction activity is part waterbird habitat. A prime example is the sandstone of that history. • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 27 Dingo and wild dog carcasses ‘displayed’ near Benambra in the 1980s-90s. Inset: Dingo pups at Wire Plain, Mt Hotham.

You bloody dingo!

BIOLOGIST IAN MANSERGH ARGUES THAT dINGOES CAN RESTORE OUR ECOLOGICAL BALANCE. of the expressions that arose from our colonial era, ‘You bloody dingo’ stands out as one of contempt and a

perception of deceitfulness. It embeds PHoTo CouRTESY NEIL BARR a loathing of the original landscape and of this unique predator. that removal of apex predators can produce A replacement predator – the fox – has a cascading effect across the ecosystem also been regarded as cunning, but this (e.g. wolves in Europe and USA). slyness brought begrudging respect Their removal has set in train a variety rather than utter contempt. of ecological processes, including meso- Perhaps this demonising of dingoes predator release (medium-sized predators was the inevitable cost as we rode the become more abundant), changed sheep’s back to wealth and prosperity. abundance of grazers (and grazing regimes) and consequent changes to But new insights and science about the PHoTo CouRTESY GEoRGINA BoARDMAN, MT HoTHAM ALPINE RESoRT BoARD vegetation regeneration and distribution. dingo and its key place in landscape health and balance suggests that our place of the dingo was questioned. Was Out of balance view should evolve to become more it a native or a 4,000-12,000 year old In Australia, unchecked by the apex Koori-like, appreciating the dingo, its ‘introduction’? predator (and native meso-predators like place in the landscape and in our minds. quolls), foxes and cats brought extinction A symbol of balance, not of derision. Although genetically and behaviourally different, dingoes can inter-breed with many small to medium-sized native After uncertain beginnings, European the continual supply of feral domestic mammals. As some marginal Victorian settlement of Australia eventually dogs, and the official Victorian rhetoric leasehold grazing land became national became reliant on the staples of wheat morphed from dingoes to ‘wild dogs’, parks (e.g. in the Mallee) conservation and sheep. As apex predators, dingoes conveniently blurring the public debate management had to deal with the exploited sheep as an easily accessible as persecution continued. consequences of over-abundant grazers food source, threatening the economic both native (kangaroos) and exotic viability of the pastoral industry. Pure-breed dingoes persisted in the (rabbits), causing land degradation and remoter parts of the Australian Alps inhibiting habitat regeneration. Persecution as national parks were progressively established over the region. As the wool Absence of a natural predator regime Persecution by baiting, trapping and boom ended, sheep numbers declined in exacerbated these problems, and control shooting led to the dingo’s extinction the 1990s, and marginal operations, such methods have proven to be expensive and in more settled areas, and the national as those surrounding most of the Alpine not without ethical dilemmas for park psyche demanded a dingo fence NP, changed to other pursuits. management. stretching across the continent. Economically sustainable sheep grazing, I remember participating in the ‘herding’ In Victoria, its range was reduced to at a regional level, became more distant of kangaroos at Hattah-Kulkyne NP, a the remoter regions of the alps and from the remaining dingoes. Over trial that had to be worked through before surrounds, the fringes of the Big Desert, recent decades, the socio-economy of more humane, ‘effective’ yet still expensive and East Gippsland, where official many landscapes moved from pastoral methods of population control could persecution (in the form of government to amenity landscapes, as shown by be adopted. dingo trappers) continued into the 1980s. agricultural researcher Neil Barr. There is an urgent need to reflect on how But with the rise of community interest At the same time, ecological science we view ‘an operative natural ecosystem’, and concern over conservation, the undertaken across the globe has shown particularly as we seek to make natural

28 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 environments more resilient to present and future climate change. The Dingo Debate Currently, with the few remnant dingoes Origins, behaviour and conservation unable to perform fully as apex predators, the Alpine NP facilitates the expansion of Edited by Bradley Smith. CSIRO Publishing, feral grazers such as horses, deer and pigs. August 2015. Paperback, 336 pages. RRP $39.95. Dingoes may not be able to eliminate This new book describes how dingoes made their these problem animals completely, but it way to Australia, their subsequent relationship with seems illogical and expensive to actively Indigenous Australians, their successful adaptation work against this natural regulatory to the Australian landscape and their constant battle capacity (by persecuting and disrupting against the agricultural industry. dingo populations). during these events, the dingo has demonstrated an In the 1980s, Alan Newsome (CSIRO) unparalleled intelligence and adaptable nature seen showed that alpine dingoes suppressed in few species. foxes. A healthy population of dingoes The book concludes with a discussion of what the future of the dingo in would also protect the small and Australia might look like, what we can learn from our past relationship with medium-sized mammals that hang on dingoes and how this can help to allow a peaceful co-existence. habitats in the alps and surrounds. We plan to have a comprehensive review of the book in a future Park Watch. Further, evidence now suggests that disruption of dingo populations and their social organisation (e.g. removal of dominant individuals) may only increase This is also probably linked to our candidates stand out: the Puckapunyal stock losses and speed up the erosion of relative tardiness in broaching the Defence area in central Victoria, a fenced their genetic base. Instead, management broader need for ecological restoration area of 440 square kilometres, and the should facilitate wild dingoes in re- and re-establishment of native old grazing property Ned’s Corner in the establishing their ecological function in mammal populations. Mallee (managed by Trust for Nature). the natural environment. It is a sad irony that the dingo (Ngooran Both these properties have problems of Most of the current arguments against in Kurnai /Gurnai) is one of the three over-grazing by kangaroos and other the dingo can be sheeted back to old major totems of the Koori peoples of animals, and could benefit from a natural colonial fear and loathing, and discount the alpine region (draft Management process that improves future management ecological insights from science. For plan) yet we now only ‘see’ wild dogs. by restoring the natural balance. example, it’s claimed that the alps’ gene Of course, if either of these land pool of the dingo has been irretrievably Respect managers were to consider and adopt mixed with domestic dogs, yet Newsome A new respect for the dingo and its such a policy, the support of an informed found pure breeds in the 1980s. key place in the health of our natural Victorian community would be very Persecution rather than respect inhibits environment would guide management helpful, if not critical. extant populations from ‘breeding back’. to actively protect and nurture this apex predator. So, Park Watch readers, do you want Adverse to be part of restoring the balance? If In the long term, there may be some The Alpine NP (and Alpine Resorts) so, perhaps you could consider putting adverse consequences from dingo would appear to be a good starting Ngooran/dingoes on your ‘most wanted’ restoration, such as occasional lamb point to nurture dingo populations list – not to be hunted down, but to be predation in adjacent properties. But given back to functionality. Indeed, a welcomed back! • PW the land-use changes (above), the scale breeding pair of dingoes at the Mt of these consequences is diminishing. In Hotham Resort could be a beacon Ian acknowledges david Cheal’s any case they could be accommodated, for better policy. Ironically perhaps, constructive assistance with this article. for example by conversion to cattle the resorts can lead the path to better grazing, compensation for proven kills, landscape conservation! or fencing assistance. If this is too much for Parks Victoria’s The VNPA does not currently It takes a deep-seated cultural bias policy makers, there are other places have a policy on the ecological to allow the persistence of expensive where dingoes could be re-introduced role or re-introduction management that has perverse as part of an adaptive management of dingoes, but one is outcomes! We need to re-think. strategy for over-grazing control. being developed. Contact the Association for more Victoria is behind other states in this Although it would be better to do information. area of research, assisted by the policy this in intact landscapes with extant deception: “They’re all wild dogs”. populations, two non-park Victorian

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 29 A Yellow-footed Antechinus pauses for the camera.

Wildlife welcome!

IN 2013 TWO LIKE-MINdEd FAMILIES BOUGHT A 350 ACRE FORMER GRAzING PROPERTY NEAR VIOLET TOWN IN NORTH- EAST VICTORIA. LIBBY, STEVE, TED ANd SUE ExPLAIN HOW THEY ARE ENCOURAGING

WILdLIFE ON THE PROPERTY. PHoTo CouRTESY LIBBY WooDWARD

Declining woodland birds were the gassing of burrows is done in winter So we developed a strategy to identify main focus in the choice of property, when it is less likely that reptiles will and monitor the wildlife. and in our ongoing restoration work, be using them. but we have been very excited to We bought a few small plastic ponds, Planting: so far we have put in over find that many native reptiles and • placed them in various sites around the 3000 plants of 33 different species, mammals are also present and appear property and put some newer and better and six (mostly grasses) have been to be increasing. movement-sensing cameras on them. direct seeded. Our planting includes We have regular visits from 16 of many small species such as saltbush The results greatly exceeded our the 24 species that make up the and Dianella. Diamond Firetails like expectations. threatened Temperate Woodland Bird to feed on the berries of saltbushes Community, and 15 of these have been in the autumn as a protein source We think that others on similar captured on video (many are resident when they are moulting. Bush Stone- restoration journeys might be interested on our property). curlews and Bearded Dragons also in our stories, and might find our include berries in their diet. experiences helpful in their own Our restoration focus has been sixfold. situations. We’ve therefore put together an • Natural regeneration of native • Constant fox baiting has allowed grasses by excluding kangaroos. article explaining how to set up the ponds: our Bush Stone-curlews to breed Large areas of native grass were www.victoriannativeseed.com.au/using- successfully for two years (young previously so heavily grazed by small-ponds-to-survey-wildlife/ raised to adults) and has had the kangaroos that they never went to We have had most of our ponds up and wonderful bonus of bringing an seed. There are now three kangaroo running for over a year now and have increase in young Lace Monitors and exclusion areas and a fourth being other reptiles. constructed. Having native grasses go also had cameras on two dams. We now to seed greatly increases the number have videos of 99 species of native birds, Weed control has allowed the areas of • and diversity of small birds. seven of native reptiles and 16 of native native grass to increase and improved and introduced mammals (mostly the habitat for many threatened • Thinning regeneration to maintain from ponds and a few from dams). species. For example, Hooded Robins or create woodland. All regeneration There are links to some of these videos prefer sites with a mixture of shrubs, has to be managed so it does not in the article mentioned above, or you trees and open spaces. Open spaces become too dense. may like to go to our Youtube channel: should be at least 20m wide and not We felt frustrated because our visits to youtube.com/channel/uChjbj4y_ weed-infested. Weed invasion of mroPLr47ckh6-8Q remnant patches makes it harder for the property were taken up doing all this work, which we found very fulfilling, but the birds to see their prey and reduces Benefits of using ponds and cameras to which did not allow us time to survey the quantity of prey. survey wildlife the threatened species and to learn more • rabbit baiting and gassing, and about our native wildlife. • Wildlife is surveyed all day every day burrow collapsing, have been and all night every night. conducted carefully. Bait stations are Also, we are not skilled birdwatchers used in summer when there is little and felt constrained because our • Gives amazingly detailed information other feed. Movement cameras on knowledge of calls and identifying for some species, and helps to educate the bait stations confirm that only features was often not good enough to both the landholders concerned and rabbits take the bait. Collapsing and tell species apart. the wider public.

30 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 PHoToS CouRTESY LIBBY WooDWARD

Clockwise from top left: Can you see the six Grey-crowned Babblers at the pond?; a range of native plants was put in on the edge of the dam in June 2013; close-up of Lace Monitor; Flame Robins brighten the scene; a striking Diamond Firetail finch.

• Gives permanent evidence of any crowned Babbler) are increasing ponds. So we may just be replacing sightings of rare species and allows in size over time. This works well what was there for much of the year. help to be obtained to confirm when the whole group visits the identifications and breeding. For ponds at the same time (which We are excluding macropods and example our Squirrel Glider, Barking happens for many species) or when making sure that the water stays clean. Owl and immature Bush Stone- individuals can be recognised (as If we develop a problem with aggressive curlew videos were all confirmed with Lace Monitors). birds or bees or predators we will by experts. Possible issues and problems endeavour to remove this problem. • Provides a safer drinking place for We got a permit and culled 90 Noisy small birds such as Diamond Firetails • Feral bees love water and can Miners, and we would remove bee hives and Red-capped Robins, which are compete with hollow-nesting wildlife if they developed. much more exposed to birds of prey for hollows. A feral cat has only visited a pond once. at dams that have no cover. Macropods are attracted to water • We set our cat trap but the cat has not • Different species use different ponds, and will mostly need to be excluded. returned so far. If we have a problem and we are learning which species are • The water must be kept clean and with any other aggressive native birds resident in the property and whether ponds need to be kept fairly full so or with predators we will see that this is they are successfully breeding. We that the water plants stay healthy. happening and we can just temporarily learn which species prefer which or permanently remove or re-position habitats and see species that only visit • You need to be careful that wildlife the pond. the property for a short time. can safely exit the water and that no individual drowns. This is the benefit of the ponds being We can monitor the effectiveness of • small and portable. PW our environmental work. Rabbits are • Noisy Miners and other aggressive • no longer seen in some areas, foxes birds (and cats) could respond We have had a fantastic response to our are greatly reduced and the numbers positively to water sources and observations and it is already helping of small reptiles and ground nesting stay in areas longer than they many people to be more enthusiastic birds have increased. otherwise would. about their native wildlife. See our Facebook page for the great reaction we • We can see if groups of resident Before our creek became badly eroded have been getting: facebook.com/pages/ threatened species (like the Grey- it might well have been a chain of Victorian-Natives/867592356651038

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 31 Feral predator exclosure fence at Scotia.

Closing the gate on extinctions?

VNPA MEMBER LYNN GUNNING IS AN ACCREdITEd ExERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT PRESERVING WHAT’S LEFT OF

AUSTRALIA’S BUSH. PHoTo W. LAWLER, CoPYRIGHT AuSTRALIAN WILDLIFE CoNSERVANCY - WM

Feral-proof pockets of native provide sanctuaries where populations ensure the safe reintroduction of highly wildlife are set to be created across can re-establish. endangered mammals. Techniques such NsW as part of an historic partnership as baiting and shooting are not currently between the Australian Wildlife “Fencing is an essential component able to reduce cat or fox numbers to a Conservancy (AWC) and the of an overall strategy, and so is level that will allow the reintroductions NsW Government. developing an effective strategy of native mammals, and without fences, for open landscape,” says Fleming. re-infestation can occur rapidly. The initiative will see fauna currently “Comparatively, fencing is a great extinct in NSW returned to the state’s ecological investment.” Andrew Cox, CEO of the Invasive national parks. Mammals such as the Species Council, doesn’t think fencing Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby, Brush-tailed He cites the Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby is the answer. Bettong, Western Barred Bandicoot, as a great example. Western Quoll, Bilby and Numbat are “You can’t fence all of the reserves. It’s a “Over a million dollars has been earmarked for reintroduction. costly form of pest control,” he says. invested in the last 15 years in unfenced “Victoria lacks a systematic approach The AWC has significant experience Queensland national parks, and to threatened species and lacks the in creating and managing feral numbers have fallen from 1000 to 200. funding needed to recover threatened herbivore- and carnivore-free sites. The Meanwhile, over the same time, Scotia’s species from their current state.” organisation’s aim is simple – to reverse population has risen from a small the tide of mammal extinctions. released population to over 3000.” Oisin Sweeney from the National Parks Association of NSW has been following AWC currently maintains three feral The large feral cat- and fox-free areas the proposed rollout of the fenced predator-free areas on mainland to be established in NSW will provide areas in NSW and is cautious about Australia, including the country’s largest a secure refuge. Each specifically the initiative. fox- and cat-free area of 8,000 hectares at designed conservation fence will Scotia, on the NSW/SA border. enclose an area large enough to support “We can’t seem to look after the species wild, self-sustaining populations of we’ve got, let alone ones that are extinct Chief executive Atticus Fleming says reintroduced mammals. in the wild,” he said. AWC has a two-pronged approach: to manage feral-free areas and to develop Strategies “I’ve been to Scotia and seen the strategies that work in unfenced areas. potential, but the risk is that we protect In the longer term, additional strategies just those fenced areas, while abstaining Feral-free will be developed to establish threatened from managing the broader landscape.” mammal populations outside these core “AWC is the only organisation with areas and across national parks. He suggests there are other options multiple large feral-free areas. There are available to influence cat and fox at least half a dozen mammals that only So will Victoria follow suit and put numbers. survive in feral-free sites,” he says. significant resources into creating predator-free sanctuaries within our “We don’t want to take our eye off Australia has the worst mammal national parks? other opportunities like bringing back extinction record in the world. apex predators, such as the dingo. This Currently, only 1,000 Numbats The establishment of fenced feral-free would allow management over a much remain in Australia, so it’s critical to areas is often seen as the only option to wider area,” Sweeney said.

32 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Top: Numbat at Yookamurra. Bottom: A camera trap captures a feral cat that has killed a small native mammal.

“Bandicoots need to some species, it doesn’t address the hone their skills to wider issue of reducing feral species survive and learn how and the devastating impact they have to evade predators. on native fauna. Providing a safe haven over a reasonably large The need for a comprehensive area enables them to management plan is a given. Fencing thrive and develop self- is a complementary strategy, but more sustaining populations. resources need to be put into invasive species management to find sustainable “All these things give us solutions for the protection of our rare the opportunity to reverse and highly vulnerable mammals. • PW the decline of species and build them up with For more information: effective management Mt rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation centre of feral animals. It also www.mtrothwell.com.au enables us to study a conservation Volunteers – Woodlands species,” she notes. www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/ what-we-do/threatened-species/ Even though the program eastern-barred-bandicoot commenced in 2002, they haven’t reached the australian Wildlife conservancy capacity of the area, so www.australianwildlife.org PHoTo CoPYRIGHT WM AWC PHoTo W. LAWLER, CoPYRIGHT AWC – WM overpopulation has not Invasive Species council been a concern. www.invasives.org.au Conflict The bandicoots are one of Victoria’s most critically endangered species, and National Parks Australia He acknowledges the conflict that this a breeding program involving captive Council policy can cause in farming areas. However, populations was established in 1993 with there were similar concerns about this The NPAC is the peak body 19 wild bandicoots from Hamilton. The representing the state National in North America and Europe with the program is supported by the Hamilton Parks Associations. Its policy reintroduction of wolves, yet over time Community Parklands, Mooramong, on fencing says that fenced community attitudes have been changing. Mount Rothwell, Werribee Open exclusion zones provide Range Zoo, Woodlands Historic Park, “It also raises the ethical question sanctuary and are an important Melbourne Zoo and French Island. tool for the conservation of of what you do with a recovered threatened animals. It states that: [mammal] population,” he said. Is it Woodlands ethical to put them outside [the fence] “The creation of fenced with the near certainty that they’re not Parks Victoria has taken initial steps in exclusion zones on mainland going to make it?” this area. The Eastern Barred Bandicoot Australia is generally agreed Revival Program at Woodlands to be an important recovery Victoria has a handful of small feral- Historic Park north of Melbourne is a action for many threatened proof refuges in operation. joint initiative between Parks Victoria mammal species. For example, and Conservation Volunteers Australia. the Senate enquiry into the Mount Rothwell is a 420-hectare private Effectiveness of Threatened Species conservation reserve west of Melbourne. The program has seen the 47 and Ecological Communities’ Its electrified fence keeps out foxes, bandicoots released into the 280 Protection in Australia (August cats and other feral threats. Threatened hectare fenced reserve grow to 110 2013) recognised that predator- species including rock wallabies, quolls individuals in the last count. It has proof sanctuaries can assist and Eastern Barred Bandicoots are shown that populations can be in the recovery of threatened thriving in the protected surrounds. reintroduced and has also spawned a species and recommended to highly successful volunteer program. the Federal Government that Safe haven more consideration be given to An added benefit of multiple small ‘greater use of predator exclusion Jackie Young from Mount Rothwell populations is that if a bushfire destroys fences and other forms of sees fenced reserves as a safe haven for one area, there are other populations to ‘mainland island sanctuaries’ threatened species. help in the recovery. for threatened species’.” For the complete policy see “It’s not an end solution, but a critical Although creating fenced areas appears www.npac.org.au. step to preserve species,” she says. to help turn the tide on extinctions for

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 33 Brett on the summit of Mt Wellington, Alpine National Park.

Finding Victoria’s best walks

VNPA MEMBER BRETT HEDGER dISCOVERS VICTORIA, ANd HIMSELF, BY WALKING.

If you could only go on one walk in Victoria, where would it be?

Would you take someone with you or would you go alone? Would you leave early to catch the sunrise or stay late to PHoTo: BRETT HEDGER enjoy the sunset? In which season would you complete this walk and what type of weather • I would carry everything that I I’ve learnt a lot about bushwalking by would you prefer? Would you choose needed on my back getting into all kinds of situations and in river, rainforest, coastal, grassland, • I would not purchase anything most types of weather. I have been stuck, desert or alpine? (other than train and bus tickets) stranded, out of water and food, way off or produce any waste. track, totally drenched, exhausted, frozen Where in fact is the best walk in and fried. Victoria? This last question is the most I didn’t know it at the time, but these common one that I’ve been asked in the rules meant that I would be doing all Apart from snow, I’ve been through past three years. the walks by myself. all manner of weather conditions and carried all kinds of weight on my back In 2012 I dusted off a copy of the I started the challenge in October through all kinds of terrain, from book 150 Walks in Victoria by Tyrone 2012 with a walk out to the Lerderderg beautiful early morning beach walks to Thomas and Andrew Close. At the time Gorge near Bacchus Marsh. I soon crawling and hacking my way through I was looking to add some adventure discovered that weekend V/Line train impenetrable scrub. to my life, and decided that I would and bus timetables would become a very complete every walk in the book. important part of my challenge. I was also injured three times, twice tearing muscles that required extended Challenge If I were to miss a train or bus by a few recovery periods. The third time was a minutes, I might be waiting two or more downhill bike crash in which I was very This challenge would combine my hours for the next one. lucky not to break more than my helmet. love of the bush, keeping fit and living sustainably. I also wanted to learn more Once I ran for 5 km with my pack on I’ve been driven back by flies, and about Victorian history and see for to avoid a very long wait for a bus on a numerous snake sightings have meant that myself the condition of our rivers, Sunday in Daylesford. sometimes I haven’t actually seen much land and parks in general. more than the ground in front of me. As time passed, I also became a keen I hope this article gives you some listener and observer – a nature Time to think insight into what I discovered about detective, if you like. myself and my land. Being by myself, I’ve had a lot of time to I wanted to know if I could spend the think and reflect, and this has helped in To complete this challenge on my rest of my life in my native Victoria, other parts of my life. At times, I found terms, I established the following never again leaving its boundaries. myself thinking deeply, with empathy, ground rules: about what it would have been like to be Probably the hardest part of the here before all the roads and ‘development.’ • all walks to be completed within challenge was the bike riding, three years particularly along narrow country I particularly enjoyed discovering the • I would only use public transport, highways into headwinds and up long various Indigenous connections to bicycle and walking to get to and hills with all my equipment and supplies country, local tribal groups, languages, from the walks on my back. words and stories. I believe that our

34 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 Storm at sunset, Pink Lakes, Rock formations at The Fortress, Murray-Sunset NP. Grampians NP (Gariwerd). PHoTo: BRETT HEDGER PHoTo: BRETT HEDGER ignorance of Indigenous culture a Wedge-tailed Eagle up close. and our ongoing lack of respect Another time, around dusk at the for the Indigenous people Cathedral Ranges, I was treated contribute to the poor condition to a choir of lyrebirds working of our environment. through their full repertoire. I was also challenged mentally These are the moments that turn and emotionally on a number of average walks into amazing walks. fronts, but in particular by the destructive period we now know For me, there is no best place and as ‘the gold rush.’ no best time. We are so very lucky to have what we have. Similarly, I still can’t understand kangaroos at Wyperfeld NP. PHoTo: BRETT HEDGER why the high country was used We need to be continually for anything other than water watchful and wary about what collection and filtration. It would is going on out there, for we are Bushwalking grows have been so much easier and less the guardians of the future and destructive to run cattle and horses our parks are now isolated and Findings from Roy Morgan Research show that on the low flat lands rather than up vulnerable. between October 2010 and September 2015, the in the mountains. proportion of the population over the age of 14 who I'm betting your next walk reported going bushwalking at least occasionally has could well be the best walk in almost doubled from 15.6% to 27.3 % – a total of Wounded P Victoria. • W 5.3 million Australians. I found that our land is still open and You can read more about Brett’s Since we are now talking about nearly 30% of the wounded, in much the same way as walks at www.lifeinharmony. population participating in bushwalking (more than in the rivers and creeks are fouled and com.au/stories.html golf, competitive sports and cycling) it’s time to start polluted. And I believe that most of doing some solid research. us are no longer directly or deeply South Australia saw the greatest increase in connected with the Earth. Brett Hedger is a passionate bushwalkers over the period, while Tasmania has the advocate for living in Despite this, I think the threads for highest rates of participation overall. harmony with the Earth. First these connections are still intact involved with the VNPA when When it comes to regular bushwalking and hiking, two and lie deep within our hearts. he helped jason doyle with very different age groups stand out for their elevated But Nature’s biggest problem relates the Box-Ironbark campaign, participation rate: young Aussies aged 20-24 and older directly to the way we’ve been he now works for the City of folks between 60 and 64. They are also likely to be from Port Phillip in its sustainability trained to think. This, together the wealthier end of the socio-economic spectrum. team. He has also attended with our inability to keep our all but one of the Hindmarsh minds open and be ready for tree plantings and is the challenge and change, means we are captain of The Crack Team. destroying more than we are saving. Bushwalking and Activities Program Brett is also involved in Since 2012 I have completed ‘side projects’ such as As from this edition, the VNPA Bushwalking and around 200 walks. For me, the best divestment, climate change Activities Program will appear quarterly with Park were about ‘moments’. and community solar. His Watch, rather than twice a year as previously. This is a next bushwalk challenge is to more economical and (we hope) more attractive way I walked up near Mt Kooyoora climb every peak in Victoria of presenting the program. Monthly email updates and came over a ridge top to be over 1000 metres. will still be issued – you can subscribe on our website. confronted with the majesty of

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 35 PHoTo: STEVE HEMPHILL Members of Nhill’s Karen community (from Burma) take part in Project Hindmarsh plantings. Come to Project Hindmarsh, 25-26 June 2016!

Greening Australia and the This landscape-scale project was the The weekend will also assist many Hindmarsh Landcare Network will inspiration for the far bigger vision called local businesses following a year when again team up for the 2016 Project Habitat 141⁰, which aims to connect and drought again put enormous stress on Hindmarsh plant-out weekend. develop native vegetation on both private our communities. • PW and public land from Broken Hill to the This year, the plant-out will be on the sea on either side of the Victoria –SA For enquiries, email weekend of 25-26 June instead of the border. Project Hindmarsh and other [email protected] or phone darryl Argall on 0428 344 764. traditional third weekend in August. projects will contribute to the Habitat This is to give the trees more time (and 1410 vision of assisting our flora and Steve Hemphill, Coordinator hopefully more moisture) to establish fauna in adapting to climate change. before summer. We hope once again to attract some The planting will be at Murray Robinson’s 200 volunteers to help plant, guard and property on the northern edge of Lake water the plants. It’s a great opportunity Hindmarsh, adjacent to Outlet Creek. We for VNPA members and friends to have a Grow West 2016 will plant 15,000 trees over 20 hectares. fabulous time mixing with local families The Grow West 2016 while helping the environment. The original aim of Project Hindmarsh Community Planting day was to reconnect the Big and Little The weekend will be hosted by the will be on Sunday 17 July at Deserts with indigenous vegetation, Rainbow community. All food and Western Water Surbiton Park, Melton. The event is being improving habitats and protecting soils. entertainment will be provided free. funded by the Australian Over 100 km of roadside reserve, Ace Radio 3WM is again the weekend’s Government’s 20 Million Trees and many hectares of farmland, have major sponsor. Through Greening Program (part of the National been planted with indigenous species, Australia’s Alcoa One Million Trees Landcare Program), and VNPA creating a biolink corridor with program, and with assistance from is one of the project partners. For more information see uninterrupted vegetation between the the state and federal governments, www.growwest.com.au PW two deserts, from the Wimmera River we are able to fund all the on-ground • to the South Australian border. works necessary.

36 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 View from the track to Genoa Peak

A walk to Genoa Peak

VNPA MEMBERS FRANCIS REISS ANd JUNE ORFORD SENT US dETAILS ANd PHOTOS OF A BEAUTIFUL SHORT WALK IN FAR EAST GIPPSLANd.

After a week at the beach in mallacoota, Genoa Peak, 488 metres above sea level, seemed like a good place to visit.

The easy to medium 1.5 km walk there is beautiful, through virtually pristine forest. The impression is that it’s never been logged, although of course it has. Parks Victoria has built a track that’s a pleasure, starting off easily on a carpet of casuarina needles and becoming steeper and rockier as it nears the peak. On a second visit this year there were no other people on the track, but a lyrebird and a monitor were perfect company. To get there, take the C617 out of Mallacoota to Genoa, where you head west on the Princes Highway west towards Cann River. But wait a while! The Genoa Hotel/ Motel is worth a look. The strikingly long bar, offering a great variety of beers, tends to be propped up by folks in their senior years, ready for a good chat.

The hotel doubles as a post office, and PHoToS CoPYRIGHT JuNE oRFoRD as Genoa’s entire population at the last Centre left: Monitor beside the track. Centre right: Visitors approach the Peak viewing platform. census was only 171 and declining, you Bottom: Cherry Ballart veils the sun. won’t feel crowded out. About 5km along the Princes Highway, The nearest PV campsite is Shipwreck You can’t help wondering how the heavy the 7 km dirt road starts on the left. It’s Creek near Mallacoota, and you can platform got to the Peak. Some of it was single track, so take care. find free shire-operated camping definitely carried in by hand; the rest, you at Genoa. hope, came by helicopter. At the road’s end is a small clearing where, clearly signposted, is the track to Arriving at the Peak, there’s a reward. While you’re in the area, try and fit in the Peak itself. PV has built an excellent steel viewing Captain John Gerard’s Wilderness Tours platform on the granite outcrop. On from Gipsy Point. On his boat The Gypsy There’s a picnic area with barbecues a clear day you can see Gabo Island, Princess, John visits many interesting places, there, but no camping site or toilets. some 20 km away. and there is much wildlife to be seen. • PW

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 37 Book reVIeWs

even the colour of the sky. He saw The Invention that volcanos were interconnected, recognised the similarity of plants at of Nature high altitudes in far distant mountain ranges, and established that our The adventures of planet was far, far older than most Alexander von Humboldt, people then believed. the Lost Hero of science He set the scene for Charles Darwin, advised Thomas Jefferson and inspired By Andrea Wulf. john Murray, 2015. RRP $35.00 (paperback). John Muir. He showed that nature’s wellbeing was connected to trade and In 1834 Alexander von Humboldt politics, and each was dependent on re-defined the word ‘cosmos’ (Greek the other. for ‘beauty’ and ‘order’) to describe the inter-relatedness of all nature, His observations of how land clearing from the stars to a lowly worm. could deplete soil and change weather, his respect for the land management But that word has been unable to shake (1769-1859) of this Prussian aristocrat practices of Indigenous people and off its stellar scale. It was to be one of his who changed our understanding of the his abhorrence of slavery encouraged disciples, Ernst Haeckel, who came up earth and the life it supports. Simon Bolivar to liberate South with the word we use today: ‘ecology’. America from the Spanish. Humboldt travelled adventurously and In her wonderful biography, Andrea Wulf observed widely, measuring changes in Collaborative science was his key to takes us through the fortunately long life air and ocean temperature, magnetism, understanding nature, but he also

A grant from the federal Department of Laughing Environment helped fund the creation of the book and accompanying exhibition, Waters road which were also supported by Nillumbik Shire Council. Art, Landscape & memory The book is dedicated to ranger Cam in eltham Beardsell OAM of Parks Victoria, who taught Jane to be “passionate about the By jane Woollard. designed by environment of this special place” Rankin design Group, published (p. 260). Friends of Warrandyte State by Nillumbik Shire Council, 2016. Park members Val Polley and Ken Crook Paperback, 264 pages. RRP $35.00. contributed to the content and photos. David Wandin, Wurundjeri Elder, officially This delightfully named road runs launched the book on 30 January. Jane through an environmentally, Woollard outlined how she came to write culturally and historically significant it and read out the last paragraph, which area of bushland, much of it managed focuses on reconciliation and shared culture. by Parks Victoria. Jane declares in her preface that the book Laughing Waters (Garrambi Baan to Since 2001 more than 100 artists have “has been formed by attending to the the Woi-wurrung) was an important participated in the Laughing Waters connection between rivulets of memories, fishing site for the Wurundjeri people. Artist in Residence Program hosted creeks of hearsay, rivers of tales, the An ancient eel trap is still there, and by Nillumbik Shire Council and meanders of local legend and the deep, a new ceremonial ground created by Parks Victoria. still pools of the archive.” the Wurundjeri Council celebrates the Copies are available from Montsalvat revival of Wurundjeri cultural practice. In Laughing Waters Road, Jane Woollard, Barn Gallery, 7 Hillcrest Ave, Eltham, or who was managing the program in 2011, contact Nillumbik Shire Council: 9433 3359 The area has inspired many artists and weaves the artists’ experiences and works or [email protected]. PW designers, in a natural extension of the together with Wurundjeri, European • dynamic art and lifestyle movement and local family histories to create an Review by Clare Leporati and that began at Montsalvat in the 1930s. evocative account. Lynda Gilbert.

38 PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 respected the ways in which poets and artists saw the land. Australia Day Humboldt’s books were widely read and loved, and in 1869 the centenary of his birth was celebrated around awards 2016 the world. There were fireworks in Egypt, festivities in Moscow, and The VNPA congratulates the following people who support the 15,000 people joined a mile long Association or are working (or have worked) in related areas. march in Syracuse. Speeches and Anne Kantor AO, Kew dinners were held in his honour For distinguished service to the community through philanthropic in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and support for a range of environmental, social welfare, arts and Melbourne. educational organisations, and to psychotherapy.

In an extraordinary exercise of Annette McGeachy OAM, Belmont global scholarship, Andrea Wulf For service to conservation and the environment, particularly to has brought this largely forgotten botanic gardens. hero back to life. Don’t be put off by the 100-odd pages of references Gib Wettenhall OAM, Mollongghip – this is an eye-opening account For service to conservation and the environment. of the beginnings of western (The late) Helen Margaret Curtis OAM, Wangaratta understanding of ecology, and a For service to wetland conservation and urban landcare. ripping yarn! • PW AO – Officer of the Order of Australia Review by Phil Ingamells. OaM – Medal of the Order of australia

Park Trek walking holidays New 4-day Larapinta and West MacDonnell Range tour May to August departures  Max 10 guests per trip Walk with a day pack only, stay at Double Tree Hilton Alice Springs and enjoy fantastic meals Contact us with your trip inquiry 03 9444 8341 www.parktrek.com.au

PArk wAtch • MARCH 2016 NO 264 39