Biodiversity aNd climate chaNge DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 marinE anD Coastal upDatE street Blocks road Grampians pEaks trail BeNdigo BushlaNd ForEst inDustry taskForCE the deadly dieBack Be part of nature prEsiDEnt Euan Moore DirECtor Chris Smyth (Acting) 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 4-5 Is the climate changing everything? Facsimile: (03) 9347 5199 E-mail: [email protected] 6 Marine and coastal update Web: www.vnpa.org.au 7 Street blocks road to nowhere

VNPA’S VISION 8-9 The Grampians Peaks Trail gets going We share a vision of Victoria as a place with a diverse, secure and 10 Spotlight on Bendigo’s bushland healthy natural environment cared for and appreciated by all. ambassadors 11 Native vegetation laws: are they enough? EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Euan Moore, Matt Ruchel, Philip Ingamells, Chris Smyth. 12-13 Bush Kinder leads the way 14 The 5% burn target goes GETTING INVOLVED IN VNPA 15 Forest Industry Taskforce gets under way Everyone can help in the conservation of Victoria’s wild and beautiful places. You can: 16-17 Endangered lizards and bandicoots lose out again • make a donation o • become a regular giver or member 18 Habitat 141 – responding to climate change • volunteer. You’ll be welcome in the office, on a campaign or in a park 19 Monitoring mounds • leave a bequest to VNPA in your will. 20-21 Be aware of the deadly Dieback! PUBLISHING POLICY 22-23 Tread lightly this summer All advertisements should be compatible with VNPA policies. Publication 24 Letter from a hawkweed hunter of an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the VNPA Inc. of 25 A special dog on the High Plains the advertised product or service. The VNPA reserves the right to refuse 26 Back to Bosisto’s – Project Hindmarsh 2015 any advertisement at any time. 27 Birds, drought and tree cover Park Watch may be quoted without permission provided that 28-29 VEAC looks at Victoria’s public land acknowledgement is made. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the VNPA Inc. 30-31 In Parks: Der ... what? 32-33 Welcome to Parks Victoria’s GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS new Chief Executive, Bradley Fauteux You’re always welcome to contact the editor to discuss ideas for articles. 34-35 Exploring western Canada’s parks Phone the VNPA or email [email protected]. Articles may be submitted by email, on disk or as hard copy. Include your contact 36 Book review details and brief biographical information. Photos, maps and Southern Cross Safari: Around Australia by bus and train drawings are needed too. Digital photos should be 300dpi and around 8cm by 12cm. 36 Parks Victoria loses staff 37 Book review Copy DEaDlinE for March 2016 Park Watch is 29 January 2016. Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine DEsiGn Mary Ferlin printinG Adams Print and Namadgi National Parks 37 Book review FRONT COVER Mountain Ash: Fire, logging and Shelter for hikers at Bugiga campsite the future of Victoria’s Giant Forests on the new Grampians Peaks Trail. 37 Book review See story page 8. Photo: Phil Ingamells. The complete guide to finding the BACK COVER Mammals of Australia Head to Goongerah for the 2016 Forests Forever 38 Environmentalist of the Year Easter Ecology Camp! Design: John Sampson. 38 Best Friend Awards Park Watch issn 1324-4361 38 Vale Russell Best

2 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 From the President PHoTo CouRTESY EuAN MooRE

For my first ‘From the President’, parliament. Legislation is also before and other means of communication let me introduce myself. parliament to proclaim two new with our members, supporters and regional parks, Canadian and Hepburn. the wider community. As Ian Lunt so My appreciation of the natural They will be welcome additions to our eloquently stated in his talk at the AGM, environment grew while working for the protected areas. we are a media organisation as well as New Zealand Forest Research Institute a conservation organisation. Effective on erosion and feral animal control Around the time he commenced communication is the key to getting our projects in alpine areas, and I have long service leave, our Director, Matt conservation messages out. maintained my interest in conservation Ruchel, attended a meeting where a through organisations such as the senior public servant described the Our ability to produce the excellent VNPA, which I joined in 1986. VNPA as a ‘think tank’. We should take reports and analyses that underlie our this as a compliment, as it indicates credibility will be strengthened if we I’ve led many walks, plus canoe, cycle the value put on our work by the State expand our supporter base. Our new and cross-country ski trips, with Government and the public service. website and associated processes will be BWAG, and more recently have been Reports such as our fourth Nature key to this. involved in the wider organisation as Conservation Review (2014) and its a member of Council. I know many supporting studies, extensive marine Our membership is also critical when members and supporters from walks or and coastal work by our acting director we are talking to politicians. A larger the monthly BWAG meetings and hope and others, as well as the recent membership makes our voice louder. to meet many more of you during my symposium, all contribute to VNPA time as president. being the most effective conservation My challenge to everyone reading this organisation in this state. is for each of you to introduce a new I’d like to thank Russell Costello for member to the VNPA. • PW his excellent work as president over In coming months we will be working the past three years, and for staying on to replace and modernise our website Euan moore, Vnpa president council and continuing to contribute his valuable knowledge and skills. I also thank the other councillors for making themselves available to serve our Association. We have a great deal of expertise on council covering all aspects of governing the VNPA.

During my first days as president I had the great pleasure of attending the Symposium, Managing Victoria’s Biodiversity under Climate Change, organised by the VNPA’s Phil Ingamells From the Editor

in association with the Royal Society PHoTo: MARY FERLIN of Victoria and Melbourne University. The speakers presented some of Welcome to the last Park Watch for 2015! It’s been encouraging this year to see the best current research in climate environment and conservation concerns gaining a higher profile in the media change and ecology. I would like to and with government. congratulate Phil on a very successful This edition has a number of positive stories – on Mt Stirling, children and nature, Symposium, and also thank all those forest ambassadors and the Forest Industry Taskforce. We also welcome Parks who assisted him. Victoria’s new CEO, Bradley Fauteux from Canada. As well, and as always, there are articles about issues, activities, places and more. There have been two other significant developments in recent weeks. Thank you to all our contributors for your fantastic support. And best wishes for Legislation to limit leases in national Christmas and the New Year to all our members, supporters and readers. • PW parks to 21 years (down from 99 michael Howes years) has passed in both houses of

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 3 Is the climate Wetland species Pacific Black Duck and Verreaux's Frog. The future integrity of wetlands will be a major concern under changing everything? predicted climate impacts. PHoToS: DAVID PAuL/MuSEuM VICToRIA pHil inGamElls reports oN our receNt Biodiversity aNd climate chaNge symposium.

The time was clearly right. author of the regionalisation and • soil moisture for cropping and climate scenario chapters of the IPCC’s pasture would be much lower and The 200 people who had gathered in Third Assessment Report, told us that more inconsistent than now. Some the lecture theatre, and the 50 or more by the year 2050, there is a high level drier summers are also possible. who couldn’t get a place, wanted to of confidence that: major bushfires would be more do something about the many ways in • common which a changing climate would impact • temperatures in Victoria would be on Victoria’s natural areas. 1.2° to 2.5°C warmer on average than • in the mountains, snowpack would in recent decades be reduced by 50% In the course of two very full days • temperatures above 40° in summer • the sea level could rise 25cm above (8-9 October) participants heard from would occur two to four times 1995 levels. some of the leaders in the scientific more frequently world. And the scientists, in return, Victoria’s native plants and animals heard from the audience: a remarkable • heat waves would be more frequent already face problems caused by mix of land managers (from State and and longer, and there would be fewer fragmented ecosystems, pest plant and local government bodies), private land frosts in winter animal invasions, land clearing and holders, a range of non-government • projected climates would resemble increased water usage by people, so organisations, and enthusiastic the present-day ones of sites these rapid changes in climate will add Landcare members. hundreds of kilometres further to the problems many stressed species north, or at significantly lower currently face. The occasion was a very lively elevation. For example, Melbourne’s symposium, Managing Victoria’s climate would be roughly like the Victoria has warmed before. After Biodiversity under Climate Change, current one of Wagga Wagga. the last ice age, Victoria’s climate organised by the VNPA together with went through a warming period with • later decades are likely to have the Royal Society of Victoria and the rainfall below the long-term average, temperatures above today’s. University of Melbourne. particularly in winter and spring But brief in geological time as that It opened with an outline of the • there are likely to be more intense period was, it was a much slower changes Victoria faces under the downpours in summer, making it warming trend than our current seemingly inevitable continuation of more difficult to store and use water. warming one, giving many species the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing areas would be at risk from time they needed to evolve traits that The CSIRO’s Penny Whetton, a lead flooding during intense summer storms would see them through.

4 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 pHoto: CHris smytH PHoTo: DAVID PAuL/MuSEuM VICToRIA

Above: Part of the audience at the Symposium. Left: Habitats for alpine species Whatever we do, though, such as this Spotted Alpine Victoria will be a changed place. Xenica butterfly will be seriously compromised by climate change. This generation’s children and grandchildren will not occupy the Right: Once-common woodland birds like Superb Fairy-wrens are same landscape we have grown already declining around Victoria. up in.

pHoto: Euan moorE What this generation can do, however, is pool our knowledge and understanding, take action and, most importantly perhaps, carefully watch the impacts of our actions as well as those of the climate. The symposium outlined many of the And importantly, there’s a lot of problems Victoria’s 100,000 native uncertainty in this area. Radical If the community, including species will face, and looked at a range ‘solutions’, such as planting out private landholders, environmental of things we might be able to do to help existing ecosystems with ‘new organisations, local, State and natural systems cope. natives’ more likely to survive, could Federal government agencies, rises simply amount to the introduction to the challenge, we just might be With more than six hours of lively of new native weeds. able to do some very sensible discussion time over the two days, things. • PW many questions were asked, solutions Ideas and concerns from the offered and ideas challenged by speakers and the participants have to get involved, go to speakers and audience alike. been gathered in one form or www.vicnature2050.org, or another, and are currently being #nature2050. For more Sessions looked at the impacts on compiled by ecologist Ian Lunt, with climate predictions, see alpine areas, wet forests, woodlands, the assistance of the symposium’s www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au the Mallee and Wimmera, riverine advisory panel. and wetland systems and the coast. Problems arising from increased fire, The result will be a number of drought, flood, and invasive species the symposium ‘managing management recommendations: were explored, and the benefits victoria’s Biodiversity under the best things we can do to help and threats of connectivity changes climate change’ was hosted the long-term survival of Victoria’s were raised. by the victorian National native species and ecosystems. parks association, the royal Other sessions looked at the vexed issue society of victoria and the of triage (how do we go about setting They are appearing in a series university of melbourne management priorities?), and the role of posts on a website hosted by at the university’s Bio21 and impacts of people in the landscape. the symposium partners, www. institute on october vicnature2050.org, and on twitter 8th & 9th this year. it It’s not just a story of negative impacts, at #nature2050. The complete set was sponsored by the of course. Some species may do very of recommendations should soon department of environment, well indeed, and some currently appear as a downloadable document land, Water and planning, troubling pest species might have a on the vicnature2050 website, with and parks victoria. tough time ahead. links from the VNPA’s website.

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 5 The White-barred Boxfish is found along Australia’s southern coast from south-west WA to Western Port in Victoria. The species may be establishing itself in new parts of this coastline, with recent sightings reported in Port Phillip Bay. Marine and coastal update

tilly rEynolDs aNd CHris smytH update us oN eveNts aNd issues iN victoria’s sea aNd

shore eNviroNmeNts. PHoTo: RICK STuART-SMITH, REEF LIFE SuRVEY

let the planning Foi failure Dogs vs Hooded plovers games begin In other Pt Nepean news, we have The population of Hooded Plovers in the We continue to await the release so far failed in FOI applications Mornington Peninsula NP is threatened of planning processes for the Pt for the release of documentation by disturbance and attacks by leashed and Nepean Quarantine Station and the on the negotiation process unleashed pet dogs. There is now a strong local Moolap coastal wetlands. There are between Point Leisure Group and campaign, spearheaded by state MP Martin also only scant details of progress on the Victorian government, the Dixon, to have dogs banned from the national including the Anglesea Heathlands result of which was the leasing of park. The VNPA supports this campaign in Great Otway NP. 64ha of the park to the property and spent some time meeting with Martin in developer. late November to talk about this and other It’s hoped that Parks Victoria conservation issues on the peninsula. will conduct a summertime Our most recent application consultation process on the draft focused solely on obtaining a copy Chris smyth 2010 Pt Nepean master plan for of the (lapsed) lease. The reason what the government refers to as a for rejecting our application was: ‘refreshment’ of the plan. At the time Great Victorian Fish Count 2015 of writing there were no details. ‘The lease was negotiated in At that time of writing we’re about to kick off confidence by the department. If the 11th annual Fish Count (21 November to For Moolap, the first stage of the the document were to be released, 6 December). This year the event has been organised planning process will be for 12-15 the department’s ability to negotiate by the VNPA in partnership with Parks Victoria, months and cover the wetlands a competitive agreement would be Coastcare Victoria, Museum Victoria and Redmap. and also the closed Alcoa smelter diminished in future negotiations. and adjoining Alcoa land further It’s looking to be a great success, with 24 Third parties entering into east. This should give the flexibility registered groups and some 400 divers and negotiations with the department needed to get the right level of snorkellers expected to take part. would be made aware of the protection for the wetlands, a The Count has the theme ‘Fish on the Move’, conservation reserve that also offers department’s position and what had been offered to other parties focusing on species that may be changing passive recreational opportunities their distribution due to changes in the for Geelong residents. in similar negotiations. Such a result would expose the department marine environment, such as warming from Negotiations are under way between unreasonably to disadvantage.’ climate change. the Department of Environment and Participants are being encouraged to log sightings Alcoa to determine how much land What’s more likely is that it would of potential ‘fish on the move’, like the White- at the edge of the Alcoa mine site expose the department to ridicule barred Boxfish, with the national citizen science at Anglesea will be needed to assist for negotiating a deal that so project Redmap (Range Extension Database & with the rehabilitation of the mine. favoured the developer rather Mapping project). This will influence the amount of than protecting the national park. heathland that can be included in Knowing the details of that deal is See March 2016 Park Watch for an update on the the national park, though the VNPA definitely in the public interest. It Fish Count and its results. • PW will be advocating for the vast bulk should be released to prevent such tilly reynolds of it. a deplorable outcome recurring.

6 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Street blocks road to nowhere PHoTo: CHARLES STREET

Charles Street on Corn Hill, between Buller and Stirling. vNpa actiNg director CHris smytH has a The proposed road was on the steep landslip-prone slopes of this mountain, and its construction would have threatened the good NeWs story aBout mouNt stirliNg. integrity of the Delatite River’s headwaters below.

It was a morning in late November Charles and the VNPA became aware of In its report, the Advisory Committee and Charles Street was a very happy the Buller Stirling (Touring) Link Road expressed concern about some of these man. Just 12 hours before, he’d heard was when, in 2010, the ARMB applied matters, as indicated by the planning that what he had dubbed ‘the road for a planning permit to build it. minister’s letter informing the VNPA of to nowhere’ had been rejected by the his decision: In Charles’s view, there was no logic in Victorian planning minister. building a road parallel to an existing ‘I note that the Advisory Committee Until recently Charles had been the road link between Buller and Stirling, identified that the Mt Buller-Mt Stirling Secretary of the VNPA and, along with and it would have sliced through intact Link Road is supported by strategic VNPA staff and volunteers and other sub-alpine forests of high to very planning policy, however, further details community groups, he had campaigned high significance, and impacted on to address issues in relation to erosion, steadfastly against the road project. threatened species. landslip and native vegetation removal It was this opposition that eventually should be known prior to determining It seemed that the main reason for led the previous planning minister, an application.’ the road proposal was to open up Matthew Guy, to ‘call in’ the proposal Mt Stirling to major commercial tourism But it is this quote that also gives and appoint an Advisory Committee to development, something that community encouragement to the ARMB to try again review it. groups have fought against for years. sometime in the future if it can cover off That committee subsequently presented on those issues. As Charles and the VNPA began its report to the Labor Government’s delving into the proposal they were To avoid this, the VNPA believes that planning minister Richard Wynne, unable to find even the most basic of Mt Stirling should be added to the and it was he who came to reject the supporting documentation. As well Alpine National Park, along with some planning permit application in late as not having a completed strategic adjoining state forest, and the existing November. master plan for Mt Stirling or a road between Buller and Stirling The ‘road to nowhere’ had been business case for the road, there were upgraded to a suitable standard. proposed by the Mt Buller and no records of public consultation and For Charles, the battle might be won but Mt Stirling Alpine Resort Management support, nor a mountains or regional the war is not yet over. Board (ARMB) to link Mt Buller and fire management plan, a visual impacts Mt Stirling. Even though it would have study, or geotechnical studies on the For now, though, a Street has blocked been a major construction project in a steep landslide-prone slopes that the a road to nowhere. Thank you, very sensitive alpine area, the first that road would cut across. Charles. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 7 PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS

The boardwalks and circular tent platforms of the Bugiga campsite below Mount Rosea. This is the first of The Grampians Peaks many new campsites proposed for the Grampians Peaks Trail. Metal ‘trapdoors’ in each platform allow private tour Trail gets going operators to store camping gear. pHil inGamElls gives qualiFied approval to this NeW Walk.

Some years ago, in a burst of local very inadequate management budgets with unencumbered hikers strolling along enthusiasm, Grampians Tourism came for most of Victoria’s national parks. the new track till they happened upon the up with the idea of a 13-day walking next fully catered ‘icon experience’. experience from the northern reaches The initial idea was to design and of Grampians National Park, all the construct a new walking track for most But despite the hype no tourist operator, way to Dunkeld in the south. of the journey, with nine dedicated it turns out, was actually willing to campsites along the route suitable for invest in a lodge. Grampians Tourism is an organisation ‘today’s camper’. That camper, it seems, dedicated to promoting the livelihoods aspires to a somewhat higher level of Well, 99-year leases are no more. The of the region’s tour operators, B&Bs, comfort than yesterday’s, including a current state government recently cafes and other enterprises. shelter in which to escape bad weather reversed the legislation, allowing only and the possibility of being nurtured 21-year leases in parks (with three The one-way north to south trail and catered for by a tour operator. exceptions – see box on opposite page). was an ambitious proposal for the Grampians (it doesn’t get a mention in A year or so ago the trail took a grander So the Grampians Peaks Trail has now the park’s Plan of Management), and it turn, when the promoters fell into reverted to hikers’ camps, the first of floundered for a number of years. line with the previous government’s which, the Bugiga camp, has been installed plans for 99-year private tourism lease on a small hilltop below Mount Rosea. Today, however, it is well underway opportunities in parks. The campsite with a guaranteed $15 million of state proposals quickly morphed into lodges It has allowed the first section of the and federal funding – many times the equipped with kitchens and showers, new walking track to be promoted to the

8 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 The stark toilet block at the new campsite. It is designed to allow wastes to be gathered in a trailer to be towed away by a quad bike.

public, adding the possibility of a loop walk if you return to Halls Gap via the eastern side of Fyans Creek. While the walking track will open new vistas to Grampians walkers, and the route of the new track has been carefully planned, some of the features of the new track may not appeal to all walkers. For a start, while the track itself is open to all, anyone planning to camp along the way will have to pay $30 a night for a camp platform designed to PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS accommodate two at the most. And the sites are also designed to allow a more comfortable option: hikers William. It has been suggested to the Whether it generates the projected may soon be able to opt for a serviced VNPA that this site will be altogether $2.5 million in revenue for local tourism this campsite, with a tourism operator too uncomfortable for hikers (it year and $6.39 million by 2025, or whether providing tents and/or meals along can snow there in winter), so a it just becomes a burden on over-stretched the way. constructed hut of some kind will be park staff, remains to be seen.• PW needed there. The general ambience and utility of You can find out more about the recently that first campsite below Mt Rosea Surely, though, there should be at least opened section of the grampians peaks (illustrated here) has attracted some one section of the trail that allows trail, and about the proposal for the criticism. The massive toilet block, and people to test themselves in the wild. whole trail, at parks victoria’s website the unnecessary tunnel-like shelter, Anyone unwilling to engage in that www.parkweb.vic.gov.au dominate the site as if fulfilling some occasionally challenging experience architect’s dream. Yet there is no can easily bypass the Mount William/ convenient place for preparing meals, Major Mitchell Plateau section, 99-year leases voted out! and very little capability for collecting leaving more than 100 km of the trail the vNpa welcomes the successful water for use by thirsty hikers. still open to them. move by the current state government Hopefully, as development of the Experience shows that buildings in to reverse the legislation allowing 99- year private development leases in our trail extends, the campsites will be parks, particularly those providing national parks. Now, a maximum lease more socially and practically suited to serviced accommodation, inevitably period of only 21 years is allowable in campers, and more sympathetic to the grow until they become simply victoria’s national parks, except for the natural environment. another problem for park managers to Mt Buffalo chalet, the Arthur’s Seat deal with. On the plus side, however, the notion chairlift and pt Nepean’s quarantine station, each of which can be managed of privately operated lodges is already And then there’s the issue of fire. under a lease of up to 50 years. being revealed as redundant. A number Grampians/Gariwerd has experienced of existing local hotels and B&B venues some fierce wildfire in recent years. Falls to Hotham are offering transport to and from the The boardwalks and camping alpine Crossing track at any point, so those who want platforms of the Bugiga campsite are a fine meal and a comfortable bed apparently made of specially sourced another tourism-generated walk after their day’s walk can choose from timber that can withstand a moderate proposal, the Falls to hotham alpine several offerings in and around Halls fire. But severe fires will come to crossing, is on the agenda again. earlier Gap and Dunkeld. many of these sites, and infrastructure proposals have included serviced will inevitably have to be replaced. huts, including one on the slopes of This validates the VNPA’s position that Feathertop. a masterplan for the walk private infrastructure within national Raised camping platforms are (the three day walking track goes parks would only serve to compete, increasingly seen as a sensible park via tawonga huts, the Jaitmathangs, unfairly, with the many emerging management practice, helping to Blairs hut and the diamantina spur tourism operators situated adjacent to avoid understory damage and weed to Feathertop) is currently under our parks. invasions. But keeping infrastructure development. more information and as simple as possible seems an ‘have your say’ options are available Perhaps the most contentious issue expedient way to go. by going to www.parkweb.vic.gov.au, in the development of the remaining and clicking on ‘Falls to hotham alpine campsites comes with the site planned The trail will give Grampians walkers crossing masterplan’. for the rugged summit of Mount some fine new experiences.

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 9 Spotlight on Bendigo’s bushland ambassadors Yasmin KElsall Explains a nEw Vnpa projECt aimED Project officer Leah Cripps is based in Bendigo.

at builDinG pEoplE’s awarEnEss oF tHE busH. pHoto CourtEsy lEaH Cripps PHoTo: YASMIN KELSALL

Marcel van Regteren Altena filming a bushland story near Bendigo.

So what is a bushland ambassador? Good Loaf’ sourdough bakery in the Bendigo and other key land managers Broadly, someone who promotes heart of town. and community groups to ensure that the or advocates for the bush and its content of the booklet will be relevant and Marcel filmed each story and has protection to the wider community. appropriate for its audience. She’s spoken compiled a set of nine short films as to representatives from the Department of And since Bendigo is surrounded by well as twelve transcripts. Environment, Bendigo Field Naturalists, Dja bush, it was a good place to set up an There will be a launch of the Bushland Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Ambassadors project. Stories in Bendigo in mid-December, Conservation Volunteers, the CFA and more. A small pilot project, the Bendigo and the stories themselves will be The booklet will need to look great too, so Bushland Ambassadors Project funded promoted through Facebook and the design and presentation are a key focus. by the Ian Potter Foundation and VNPA website. Melliodora Trust, has been coordinated Leah, who also works at the Bendigo The second activity is the production by the VNPA for the past six months. Sustainability Group, has a strong of a ‘Living Next to Nature’ booklet background in education and natural Working with a local community for landowners and residents. With resource management with past steering group, this project focuses on Bendigo’s population set to double experience at the Loddon Plains Landcare a series of activities that are designed to (from 100,000) in the next twenty Network and Department of Primary help people become more aware about, years, the bushland that surrounds the Industries, as well as working as a and interested in, Bendigo’s bushland, town will be under more pressure than Waterwatch Facilitator. and more active in caring for it. it is today. She is a teacher by profession, teaching The first activity, theBushland Stories The booklet’s aim is to introduce secondary school maths and science. The Project, saw RMIT media student some of the things residents can do booklet will be distributed to schools as Marcel van Regteren Altena seeking out (or not do) to minimise their impact well as residents, so students can learn how some Bendigo personalities to share on the Bendigo bushland. A contacts diverse and important Bendigo’s box- their memories of Bendigo’s bushland. section will list the Bendigo groups ironbark forests are. and businesses already supporting the They included Bob Dean, a former bushland and explain how residents Leah is based in Bendigo in an office kindly forestry worker who used to camp out can be involved as well. supplied at a reduced cost by the Bendigo for months on end in the Kamarooka Field Naturalists. She will complete the forest, and Laurie Wheelan, former Project officer Leah Cripps is working booklet by the end of the year, with a launch Mayor of Bendigo and owner of ‘The closely with the City of Greater planned for early in 2016. • PW

10 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Native vegetation laws: are they enough? stronGEr rEGulations about ClEarinG natiVE VEGEtation arE Vital, says Yasmin KElsall. PHoTo: GEoFF DuRHAM

Cleared farmland near Dergholm SP, south-west Victoria. (See story page 30.) Victoria has a higher proportion of cleared land than any other state.

The Andrews Government’s review of This review is not intended to change Victoria is the most cleared state in Victoria’s native vegetation clearing the policy fundamentally, but does aim Australia but the others are catching up. regulations is on track to deliver to improve it in practical ways. some results within the government’s The problem with Victoria’s review first term. The government is stating that there focusing only on small fixes to the current are links between the Native Vegetation policy is that we are not taking the This review, the result of an election policy review and the review of the opportunity to look at wider issues facing promise, comes after the Baillieu and Biodiversity Strategy and Flora and native vegetation in this state and across Napthine Government undertook their Fauna Guarantee Act, under which the country. own review and introduced regulations decisions around larger policy change At the recent Biodiversity and Climate which aimed to streamline the will be made. Change Symposium, we heard about permitted clearing process, with a The Victorian review is taking place at the devastating changes that are already focus on using the offset market to a time when we are seeing weakening occurring within our landscape, and the regulate clearing. of native vegetation protection laws importance of refuge areas for wildlife. We Their policy moved away from around the country under conservative also know of the importance of conserving valuing large old trees and threatened governments. native vegetation for myriad benefits to people, agriculture and the environment. vegetation communities. It also New South Wales is about to abandon introduced the use of computer its Native Vegetation Act in favour of a The review process has not adequately models and flawed mapping products Biodiversity Conservation Act that will considered illegal clearing, incremental loss for fundamental decision-making. result in reduced protection for native through mis-management, the effects of The mapping products in particular vegetation. fire management regimes or the legacy of brought widespread criticism from poor land-use zoning decisions – which a all quarters. South Australia is considering adopting recent VNPA study has shown would allow some of the elements of Victoria’s up to 30,000 hectares of land with native The VNPA was a strong advocate ‘streamlined’ policy, and Queensland vegetation to be cleared. for a better policy in the past review under the Newman Government and is now in the current review, and opened up large swathes of the The review of the clearing regulations is participating as a member of the countryside for clearing, a policy which is due to provide some draft policy Stakeholder Reference Group as well as the Palaszczuk Government has not recommendations early in the new year, encouraging the participation of others. reversed. with adoption planned by mid-2016. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 11 Matilda likes her special leaf. Bush Kinder leads the way niColE HowiE iNtroduces us to a special kiNdergarteN at Which she is sustaiNaBility educator.

Spring Gully Kindergarten, nestled in the Box-Ironbark Spring Gully Bush Kinder is in Jaara country, on a parcel forest surrounding Bendigo, is leading a flourishing of land behind an old school site in Mandurang South near movement of nature-based play with its innovative Bush Bendigo. A group of 26 kindergarten children meet every Kinder program. Monday morning (except during high winds, extreme temperature and thunderstorms) as a permanent part of Bush Kinder is inspired by the Nature Kindergartens and their kindergarten week. Forest Schools of Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe, and more recently by the growing nature movement in America, Now in its third year, the curriculum is rich in areas such as where it is recognised that an education in nature connects ecology, botany, life cycles and seasonal changes. Children children to nature, leading to stewardship of the planet. are thriving as they engage their senses and get to know and love the bush. building resilience Experiencing weather Research also shows that these environments allow children the space and opportunity to build much-needed emotional, They experience weather as it changes from moment to social and physical resilience. moment and with the passing seasons. They watch the light change, notice the feeling of wind from various directions, In 2012 a passionate group of Spring Gully Kindergarten get to know the warmest and coolest places to play, and from parents, staff and community members decided to enhance the elevated view of our southern aspect they watch and the connection of children and families with nature. smell approaching rain, see the trees in the distance blur and Starting in 2013, the Bush Kinder program offers weekly then observe the changes rain makes to the landscape. opportunities for explorative, creative, unstructured and uninterrupted play for children in the bush, using only the Children enjoy the various layers of vegetation, from lichens, natural materials around them. mosses and fungi to the grasses and shrubs, through to the

12 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 The children are learning to tread carefully, respect their surroundings and find beauty and interest in the ever- changing cyclic world around them, unhindered by walls and ceilings. The impact this natural environment has on children’s behaviour and learning is very real. Far less direction is required from staff, as children are fully engrossed in finding and using tools for play from their natural surroundings. They draw, paint, play music, build and make-believe using the tools of nature to represent their thinking. With extensive uninterrupted time to think, learn and engage, they take joy in their discoveries and share them with friends. They increasingly cooperate and work with others to build cubbies, make fairy gardens and pirate ships and balance logs for see-saws. They take considered risks and learn to trust their own capabilities as they run full speed down a hill, balance over uneven terrain or climb a tree. The Bush Kinder concept is being adapted in other kinders in the Loddon Mallee Preschool Association, with successful programs now being run at Huntly and Marong kindergartens. Early childhood centres across Victoria want to develop nature-based programs, and sustainability education is a huge growth area in primary schools.

Nature deficit disorder People throughout the world are yearning to get back to

PHoToS: EMMA CLoHESY, EMBRACE IMAGES nature and add meaning and essence to their lives. Tree-climbing is part of the curriculum. This couldn’t come at a better time. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, coined the term ‘nature deficit understorey and then our ‘roof’, the canopy that they observe disorder’ to explain the link between social, mental and while quietly lying on their backs. physical health problems and less time spent in nature in our increasingly busy, technology-driven lives. They discover native tubers and mushrooms that sprout in winter, learn which rocks crush to creative rainbows of He is deeply concerned that children are being starved of colour, and taste the sticky sap of the Black Wattle, the sugary nature as they lead over-organised sedentary lives dominated lerps found on gum leaves and the occasional deep red by screens and out-of-school activities. saltbush berry. As adults, some of our strongest childhood memories are endless times of outdoor play: climbing trees, building cubbies birds, animals and people and feeling the sun on our back, the breeze on our face and The children delight in seeing and hearing the array of birdlife, the smells of fresh grass and gum leaves. from the tiniest pardalotes to the screeching feeding frenzy of Somewhere we have lost our way. Children are capable and lorikeets devouring eucalypt blossoms in the canopy and the competent learners. grand Wedge-tailed Eagle that graced our site earlier this year. Forgetting to respect their need for independence and to We often see kangaroos in neighbouring paddocks in the trust in their self-preservation, we overlook the importance early morning and have watched a Ringtail Possum scurry of giving them time and space to explore and discover. We between two tree hollows on the site. Insect life is a constant forget that nature gives a sense of wellbeing and is a place to source of wonder and activity as children hunt for slaters and connect with one another, free of other distractions. millipedes and discover cocoons of all shapes and sizes. Leanne Grogan, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education With all this, we learn about the people who lived, played, at La Trobe University Bendigo, recently travelled to the built their shelters and hunted and gathered their food here University of Stavanger in Norway as a result of her research before us. An Indigenous facilitator has added immense conducted at Spring Gully Bush Kinder. depth to the program this year and imparted Indigenous ways of knowing and being, including some language. This invitation is acknowledgement that a program tucked away in Greater Bendigo is catching the eye of The past is becoming our present and future as we develop the international research community as it allows us to an understanding of the interdependence of an environment discover more of the benefits of time in the bush for and its inhabitants. children and families. • PW PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 13 The 5% burn target goes pHil inGamElls sets out three importaNt coNsideratioNs For Future Fire maNagemeNt iN victoria.

In mid-November, the Victorian PHoTo: PHIL INGAMELLS Government finally announced the To protect the habitat of the rare Smoky Mouse, Grampians NP’s managers have carried out inevitable: the policy to perform a series of ecological burns in wet heathland below the southern Serra Range. The area to the fuel reduction burns on at least 5% right has been recently burnt, while to the left is an earlier burn. Some long-unburnt heathland will be protected from fire as much as possible. of public land annually would be abandoned. Our fire managers are, at last, free to manage the state’s fuel loads strategically. Bizarrely, there are now a number of That action should be famous, and the new houses on previously vacant land gratitude of those living in the fire’s likely The independent monitor of adjacent to their block. We need a very path should be unbounded. But no one the Victorian Bushfires Royal good look at how regional planning has mapped the path that fire would Commission’s recommendations processes operate, and whether they have taken, and no one has assessed the had already pointed out serious take account of predictions for an scale of damage, and the number of lives problems with the target. And early increased occurrence of severe fires that would have been lost, if that fire had this year, Victoria’s Inspector-General in Victoria. roared through the Dandenongs in the of Emergency Services had advised horrific fire weather of that day. moving to a ‘risk-based approach’, Then there’s the extraordinary issue something DELWP was actually of the forgotten shelters. We know That example of rapid attack capability already planning for. the Commission made an urgent must stand as extremely cost-effective fire recommendation for approved designs management. We could ask why it took the for private bushfire shelters. And we It’s time for a complete reassessment government so long to make the know people don’t leave well in advance announcement, but it’s more useful to of the whole spectrum of fire planning of a bushfire, even though they might look at where this change can take us. and mitigation activity, so we can most have planned to. effectively allocate our expertise and The official line is that burns will Emergency Management Victoria resources. remain much the same for now, with recognises this, and has produced a ‘risk-based’ planning taking hold in We should look at the need to reassess report that puts well-designed private mid-2016. Victoria’s planning regulations, at fire shelters as the next best option mandating shelters for new homes, and What’s missing so far is the complete for saving lives. They are the fire at encouraging shelters in existing houses assessment of fire management that the rescue equivalent of a lifeboat on a in fire-prone areas. And we should look release from the 5% target allows. sinking ship. at a range of options for controlling fire ignition points. Three things to consider are foremost Yet there is no incentive in place, such in my mind. as a tax break, to encourage people We should also look at fuel reduction living in fire-prone areas to install one, burns in that broad fire management VNPA’s excellent researcher and let alone any public acknowledgement context – what gives the best bang for the campaigner, Jenny Barnett, died with of their worth. community’s buck, in each very different her husband at their Steels Creek part of Victoria. home on Black Saturday. In line with And then there’s the mostly forgotten the Commission’s recommendations, Black Saturday Dandenong Ranges fire Only then can we be sure we’re doing our their house site was purchased by – forgotten because a quick-thinking best to look after our communities. And the government, and the access road fire manager diverted a fortuitously in that process we might also manage a ploughed up; it had been declared an situated helicopter and put the fire out burning regime for Victoria that supports area of ‘unacceptably high bushfire risk’. as soon as it started. our overstressed native ecosystems. • PW

14 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Forest Industry Taskforce gets under way tHE Vnpa’s matt ruChEl rEports on tHE statE GoVErnmEnt’s plan to rEaCH Community ConsEnsus on ForEst manaGEmEnt. PHoTo: STEVE MEACHAM

A week before the Andrews Government The Taskforce will seek broad • forest management which maintains celebrated its first year in office, the Premier community support to address key forest health and supports the full range of released the Terms of Reference for the challenges facing workers, forests, the economic, social and environmental values long-awaited Forest Industry Taskforce. wood and fibre industries, and Victoria’s and benefits at state, regional and local levels. environment. Tim Johnston, CEO of These Terms are the starter’s gun for Importantly, the focus will be on the future use VAFI, welcomed the Taskforce, as did and management of Regional Forest Agreement discussions to begin on the future of state Jane Calvert, National President of (RFA) state forests east of the Hume Highway, forests in Victoria’s east, and the future of the CFMEU Forestry and Furnishing and will be informed by consideration of: the timber industry. Products Division. • whole-of-community benefits including According to Premier Daniel Andrews: Conservation groups including the “The Taskforce will work to reach consensus the full range of economic, social and VNPA and the Wilderness Society environmental values about the future of the forests and wood are also positive. “This is a unique products industry, jobs and the protection • existing plantations and development of opportunity for stakeholders to work new private and/or public plantations of some of Victoria’s most critical forests together to recommend solutions that and species.” • wood resources on private property benefit all Victorians, conserve high- • state-wide supply chains The aims of the Taskforce are to: value ecological assets, and deliver new • industry economics and the competitive investment and employment opportunities, create and sustain jobs and industry environment the industry operates in • especially in regional communities,” said growth • conservation values in RFA areas, and Amelia Young, Victorian Campaigns conserve high value ecological assets in existing and new national parks and • Manager for the Wilderness Society. • protect key species such as Leadbeater’s other reserves Possum According to the Terms of Reference, • landscape-wide biodiversity • implement a durable plan for timber the Taskforce will give the Victorian • fire and climate change impacts. supply, for jobs, for nature conservation Government recommendations on how The taskforce will seek to report to and for the good stewardship of Victoria’s best to ensure that Victoria conserves government by June 2016. forests that can be embraced by the high-value ecological assets, maintains Victorian community. healthy forests and builds and maintains The VNPA has welcomed the release of the a vibrant world-leading forest, fibre and Terms of Reference and will be participating The government will consider the wood products industry, based on: in the Taskforce. consensus recommendations and proposals of the Taskforce, following a commitment • secure fibre and wood supplies, We acknowledge that the exercise may not including from native forests and at the 2014 State election. be easy, but we will work hard to ensure that existing and new plantations the unique natural values of our forests are Over the last six months, conservation, • jobs maintenance and growth protected, and that we move towards a timber industry and worker representatives, • protection of unique native flora and industry that the overall Victorian community including the VNPA, have had a series of fauna and threatened species, specifically can support. • PW face-to-face meetings to develop proposed including Leadbeater’s Possum Terms of Reference. The government • creation of new conservation reserves see also review of new book has now officially adopted these without and national parks Mountain Ash on page 37. significant change. The Taskforce comprises representatives welcome to sarah Day from the CFMEU, Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) and the “having worked and volunteered with various grassroots Wilderness Society, plus representatives groups protecting victoria’s majestic forests, i am thrilled to from Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, now have the chance through vNpa, which is hosting the position on behalf of the forest groups involved, to assist in Australian Paper, harvest and haulage preparations for Forest industry taskforce discussions. contractors, MyEnvironment, VNPA and the Australian Conservation Foundation. “as Forest conservation groups coordinator i’ll be resourcing groups from across eastern victoria as they It is envisaged that there will also be a range tap into decades of conservation experience and bring of working groups with relevant expertise, their astounding knowledge bank to bear on a lasting including scientists and others, supported plan for the protection of our forests, their wildlife and the sarah is based by a government secretariat based in the communities that rely on their flourishing into the future.” in the VNPA office. Department of Premier and Cabinet.

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 15 PHoTo CouRTESY HELEN GoMBAR-MILLYNN, ACT PARKS AND CoNSERVATIoN SERVICE Striped Legless Lizard on Kangaroo Grass. Endangered lizards and bandicoots lose out again

yasmin kElsall explaiNs hoW plaNNiNg Failures iN melBourNe’s groWth areas have put developmeNt ahead oF Biodiversity coNservatioN.

The grassland habitat of one of lizards that the trial would eventually Victoria’s most endangered species, need. But within Melbourne’s Growth PHoTo: DEBoRAH REYNoLDS the Striped Legless Lizard, is being Areas there are ‘only’ 2,000 hectares This lizard is well-named. cleared for development. available.

These animals will now suffer from Lizards were formerly being collected As clearing within the growth areas ‘death by bulldozer’, following from clearing sites and held at the is proceeding more slowly than was planning failures by state and federal Melbourne Zoo, but they will now be expected, the rate of acquisition of governments. left in place to await the bulldozers as private land for the Western Grassland their habitat continues to be cleared for Reserve is also slow, as the creation Environment groups, academics and urban growth in Melbourne’s west. of the reserve relies on ‘offset’ money industry figures were shocked to learn generated from clearing. recently that the state government The state government is allowing lizard is abandoning its translocation trial habitat to be cleared on the basis that Although the government says that this for the Striped Legless Lizard. The this clearing could be compensated reserve will compensate for clearing trial was to see if the species could be for by the creation of a large native lizard habitat in the rest of the growth successfully moved from development grassland reserve (the Western areas, only a few individuals have sites to a managed reserve. Grasslands Reserve) planned to the west been discovered within reserve land of Melbourne. This was approved and acquired so far. This contrasts with the Ironically, this decision was made on signed off by the federal government. approximately 30 lizards that have been the basis that there will not be enough salvaged from the growth areas. The clearing to collect enough lizards to run An additional action was to find out numbers don’t add up. the trial! if the species, once salvaged, could be moved or successfully translocated into lizard hotspots Government staff stated that there the grassland reserve. At the time, no would need to be 11,000 hectares of one really knew if this was possible The government study also confirmed grassland cleared to salvage the 900 or not. a series of lizard hotspot areas around

16 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Southern Brown Bandicoot.

Cairnlea and Rockbank and along the Kororoit Creek. The obvious solution is to protect these areas as well as others, but this has been ruled out in favour of development. Under a joint state and federal government conservation plan for Melbourne urban growth areas, we were promised that we could have both urban growth and conservation, yet it is conservation and threatened species that lose out whenever there is any conflict. The harmless and endangered Striped PHoTo: HAYLEY DAVIS Legless Lizard lives in one of Victorian’s critically threatened habitats – the native grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic • Convene a group of experts to Plains. It looks like a small snake but is undertake an independent review more closely related to geckos and skinks, of the government’s decision differing from snakes in having obvious ear to abandon the salvage and holes, a flat tongue and remnant hind limbs. translocation trial. Fifteen community and environment • Conduct surveys in all areas groups from across Melbourne have proposed for development that signed a joint statement calling on the support likely habitat for the Striped state and federal governments to revisit Legless Lizard, so that informed and review the plans to protect the decisions can be made and losses Striped Legless Lizard and the unique and documented. critically endangered grasslands to the • Set up a research program to be PHoTo: NATuREWATCH north and west of Melbourne. funded by the Victorian Government that uses expert information A bandicoot investigates a ‘Caught on Camera’ bait station. action needed and survey data to identify likely The groups are calling for the following additions to the hotspot locations. actions. Follow-up surveys would then occur. However, current plans for the area • The Victorian Government to better only show corridor links that are a far Revise the agreement between the • support management of existing cry from those originally proposed. federal and state governments to ensure conservation reserves known to They will not meet the species that Striped Legless Lizard habitat is contain higher populations of the requirements to safeguard against a protected in situ. Striped Legless Lizard, particularly local extinction. • Revise the EPBC listing advice for the within hotspot areas. Striped Legless Lizard to recognise None of the corridors are dedicated to new research that shows it has less bandicoot blues conservation of bandicoots; they were likely habitat around Melbourne formerly put aside as either a drainage than previously believed, and also In the meantime, on the other corridor or an electricity pylon to emphasise the importance of the side of Melbourne, a population of easement. Nor do they have the width hotspot areas. Hopefully this will affect Southern Brown Bandicoots is in requirements needed for bandicoots, any future decisions that are pending. danger of losing a key lifeline for some narrowing to less than 10 metres. crucial habitat links as the City of Review the decision to allow offsetting • Casey contemplates the approval Experts on the species provided into the Western Grassland Reserve for of a Precinct Structure Plan for the recommendations to the government clearing Striped Legless Lizard habitat area known as Botanic Ridge. outlining minimum corridor outside of the Melbourne Strategic requirements, but they have been Assessment area. Botanic Ridge is a residential housing ignored in the current proposals. • Make allowance for funds generated development south of the Cranbourne from clearing within the growth areas Botanic Gardens. It should include at The VNPA and local groups have made to be used to support the conservation least two adequate wildlife corridors submissions to the state Environment of known populations outside the to enable the healthy population of Minister asking her to suspend the Melbourne Strategic Assessment bandicoots at the Gardens to link approval process and review the area, on the basis that larger with other populations to the east current corridor provisions, which were populations occur outside the (Koo-wee-rup area) and south agreed to by the federal government Western Grasslands Reserves. (Western Port area). last year. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 17 Latrobe University botany students sampling soil to assist with large-scale revegetation planning on private land.

Habitat 141o Responding to climate change jEss GarDnEr, Who Works With greeNiNg australia at Natimuk iN the Wimmera, descriBes a visioNary Biodiversity plaN

Which the vNpa’s karEn PHoTo: JESS GARDNER alExanDEr helped set up. acting boldly an alliance with a plan The Habitat 141o Alliance is made up Current threats to our native flora of ten organisations across three states, and fauna will only get worse under enabling collaboration at an unprecedented predicted climate changes. scale. Greening Australia, Conservation It is not enough just to protect what Volunteers Australia, Trust for Nature, Parks we have. Without urgent and well- Victoria, the Glenelg Hopkins, Wimmera coordinated action, we will see an and Mallee Catchment Management accelerated rate of species decline Authorities, along with Natural Resources and extinction. PHoTo: BoB MCPHERSoN South East, the Murray Darling Basin We can’t let up on existing efforts Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos live in SW Victoria. and the Government of South Australia to combat pest plant and animal have agreed on a blueprint for action underpinned by extensive planning and incursions, continued clearing and Focus decline of habitats. However, to build analysis at a number of scales. resilience (ability to withstand stress) In the region covering southern and The formation of this Alliance is critical and adaptability into our natural north-eastern South Australia, western to support and advocate on behalf of the systems, we also need more and better- Victoria and south-western New many other organisations and individuals connected habitat. South Wales we are fortunate to have a contributing to the realisation of the We must ensure that native plants and significant legacy of protected places. Habitat 141o vision. animals can withstand the impacts of This area contains two nationally climate change so that they can survive It’s important to understand that the recognised biodiversity hotspots, 14 and so future generations can still enjoy Alliance is not intended to add another national parks and a myriad of private the sights and sounds of our unique organisational layer, or indeed to carry out and public conservation reserves. These Australian wildlife. or oversee on ground works. It is there to areas are the building blocks of the keep Habitat 141o on the agenda and ensure Habitat 141⁰ is a vision and framework Habitat 141⁰ vision. that the big picture is at the forefront of for action developed by Greening people’s minds well into the future. Australia in partnership with many These amazing remnants are vulnerable, other like-minded organisations and surrounded as they are by highly we need everyone! individuals. The realisation of the productive agricultural lands and Habitat 141⁰ vision will see wildlife and suffering from isolation and habitat Anyone can help realise the Habitat plants moving through restored and fragmentation. But they also offer an 141o vision, by volunteering, sponsoring re-connected habitats from the outback outstanding opportunity, through co- a project, helping to promote the rangelands of NSW to the coast near ordinated and strategic action, to restore vision, donating to a specific project or Portland. south-eastern Australia’s most threatened undertaking your own project. habitats at an unprecedented scale. The ability to move throughout the By working together we can achieve far landscape – and hence the promotion The scale of the problem is large and more than on our own. The opportunities of natural genetic exchange between resources are limited, so careful planning for collaboration are endless. populations of species – is believed to is essential to ensure that on-ground give species the best possible chance of activities are undertaken in strategic Please go to www.habitat141.org.au to find adapting to predicted changes. areas where the need is greatest. out more and to get in contact. • PW

18 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Monitoring mounds vNpa presideNt Euan moorE aNd voluNteers FiNd evideNce oF a threateNed Bird iN the Wimmera.

VNPA volunteers found two

unrecorded Malleefowl nest mounds PHoTo: EuAN MooRE during a recent search of private land near Nurcuong, south of the Above: VNPA monitoring group at one of the Malleefowl Little Desert National Park. The finds mounds they found near were the result of two days of line Nurcuong in the Wimmera. searching where we covered about Left: Malleefowl build a mound one square kilometre of containing leaf litter to incubate mallee heathland. their eggs. Malleefowl were once widespread across most of western Victoria. Their range extended from the outskirts of Melbourne, near Melton, to the far north-west of the state, and PHoTo: S. GILLAM they have been recorded as far south as Portland. The eggs are laid in the mound, and the and weed searches where we have birds maintain its temperature within people line-searching the area using However, as their name suggests a small range by opening or further a GPS. In this case the searchers were their prime habitat is mallee covering it as required. They can about 15m apart. woodlands, although they do extend accurately gauge the temperature into stringybark woodlands in the with their beak. The vegetation was quite thick, with west of the state. Today their Victorian Broombush (Melaleuca uncinata) the population is largely confined to the Although the birds are the size of a dominant shrub, although there were large Mallee national parks and suitable large domestic hen, they are cryptic many other plant species. The low remnant habitat on private land. and difficult to see. The easiest way to trees consisted of mallee eucalypts obtain a population estimate is to find and cypress- pines. The Malleefowl is a member of a small the nest mounds and assess the degree group of birds called Megapodes, of activity at each mound. The two Malleefowl mounds that we which are mainly found in Australia found were both close to the centre of and the islands of the tropical western Earlier this year, VNPA was the search area. Both had been used Pacific. approached by Jess Gardner from recently (within the last 2-3 years) Greening Australia with a request but were not currently in use. This Megapodes are characterised by for help in a search for Malleefowl may be due to the low rainfall in their use of natural processes such as nest mounds in an area north-west of the area this year. There has been warm volcanic sands or the heat from Natimuk. The area is private property insufficient rain to properly moisten fermenting vegetation to incubate but it is hoped that it can be bought the leaf litter in the mound and start their eggs. The precocious young are and added to the conservation the fermentation process. fully independent when they hatch. estate with protection under a conservation covenant. Although the mounds are not The only member of this group currently active, they will be regularly that lives in arid or semi-arid If protected, this property will add monitored. The birds will return to environments is the Malleefowl. another link to the chain of protected these mounds and reuse them in the Its nest consists of a large mound, areas within Zone II of Habitat 141o. future. 3-5 metres in diameter, consisting of The known presence of Malleefowl on sand, leaf litter and small twigs. There the property will support the case for Malleefowl will also use the same is a crater in the centre where leaf fully protecting this area. mounds across generations, so even litter is collected before being covered if the current birds do not return, over with sand or earth to allow The search method used was similar to others may do so when conditions are fermentation to start. that used for our Hattah rabbit warren suitable. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 19 Be aware of the deadly Dieback!

DEb HEnry, a memBer oF the vNpa couNcil aNd the BWag committee, aNd also presideNt oF FrieNds oF the prom, explaiNs What We caN do to reduce a serious threat to our parks.

When I started bushwalking as a uni student back in the 1980s, my main aim was adventure and fun.

Friday nights meant a carload of friends headed for some distant ‘wilderness’ place. Often we’d arrive and pitch our tents in the dark, filled with expectations of a great weekend’s exploration. PHoToS: MELANIE DALMAN I rarely considered the effect of my presence on the ecosystems surrounding The drastic effects of Phytophthora dieback on grass-trees at Wilsons Promontory NP. me. But fast forward to today, and my awareness has taken a U-turn. Patches of dead or dying vegetation Since its initial detection in Australia My understanding of environmental can indicate the presence of this in the early 1930s, Phytophthora has impacts on the bush was not fully silent killer, which has no known spread to infect thousands of hectares realised until I joined Friends of cure. It is spread through infected of native vegetation in Victoria, the Prom. plants and the movement of Tasmania, WA, SA and Queensland. It contaminated soil and gravel. was first detected in Victoria in 1969 Recently, the VNPA NatureWatch when four small isolated patches were program went to Wilsons Promontory Known variously as Cinnamon discovered in the Brisbane Ranges. to educate the Friends about Fungus, dieback, root rot, Jarrah Since then it has become widespread Phytophthora and show the group how dieback and wildflower dieback, across both private and public land. to monitor it in the northern part of Phytophthora literally means ‘plant the Prom. killer’. And it has destroyed vast tracts Heathlands, coastal woodlands and dry of vegetation around the world. eucalypt forests are generally most at Julia Pickwick, long-time NatureWatch risk. Floristic families most susceptible team leader and BWAG committee It is listed in the top 100 of the to Phytophthora include the Myrtaceae, member, provided the following world’s most invasive species and Proteaceae, Fabaceae, Mimosaceae, information. is Victoria’s most significant plant Casuarinaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae. pathogen, affecting both native “Phytophthora cinnamomi is a ecosystems and the horticultural Since people and vehicles are major microscopic soil-borne pathogen that industry. Initially thought to be a Phytophthora vectors, the initial point attacks and destroys plant root systems, fungus, it has now been found to of entry for many infestations is along causing plants to die through lack of be a soil-borne water mould closely roads, tracks and pathways. It can also water and nutrients. related to brown algae. spread from old infected sites.

20 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Phytophthora is invisible to the naked Now, when someone asks me The pressure on ecosystems will continue eye and so difficult to detect without about the effects of PC Dieback on to grow into the future. To preserve the proper soil testing. It can be present our parks, I can respond! And so biodiversity we already have, we can take even if vegetation appears healthy, as can you! measures which are not difficult, but which not all plants are susceptible. will help to protect the bush. It’s a good idea to remind ourselves Infected plants often appear to be of what a precious asset we have Armed with correct knowledge and taking drought-affected, showing signs of in our natural areas. It’s a shock to some practical steps, we can all do our bit chlorosis (wilting and yellowing of realise how quickly we can lose them. to help our wild places. • PW leaves) and retaining dead foliage. It is rare for all infected plants to be at the same stage of decline at any one time. naturewatch and pC Visible disease symptoms are only evident in areas of recent infestation. Grass-tree monitoring was the first Naturewatch project established by the vNpa. We started in 2007 in the Brisbane ranges Np, with the The presence of P. cinnamomi not only Friends of the park. our monitoring project commemorates the work of threatens vegetation communities: dr gretna Weste, who carried out over 30 years of valuable research on it can alter the ecology of entire Phytophthora cinnamomi. ecosystems. NatureWatch has now established grass-tree monitoring projects in the Brisbane ranges and Wilsons promontory national parks, and we have As susceptible canopy species and supported projects carried out by other groups such as the Friends of understorey shrubs and herbs gradually point addis. die out, they are replaced by pathogen- resistant species like grasses and sedges. For more information, or to get involved, contact our NatureWatch Birds, insects, reptiles and mammals coordinator christine connelly via [email protected] or 9341 6510. that depend on the original plant species for their survival also decrease as shelter and food sources disappear.

To date, there is no means of eradicating Phytophthora. The regeneration and recolonisation of susceptible species in infected sites is significantly lower than in uninfected Park Trek Walking Holidays areas. Thus,Phytophthora can cause offers 14 fully guided, multi-day walks across localised extinction of endangered plant species and threaten populations Australia with experienced and mature guides of rare or vulnerable plant species.

To help prevent the spread of Phytophthora, observe the following hygiene procedures. • Be clean on entry and exit. Before you enter or leave any park or reserve (particularly high-risk areas), ensure that all footwear, camping gear, Walk with a day pack only and see some vehicles, tyres and machinery are clean and free from soil and gravel. of the country’s most spectacular destinations Use a 70/30 mix of methylated spirits See the Great Ocean Walk, Grampians Peaks Trail, and water for cleaning. Wilsons Prom, Kangaroo Island, Flinders Ranges, Kakadu, • Stay on formed walking tracks, obey Nitmiluk & Litchfield, The Tarkine, Cradle Mountain all track closure signage and avoid & the Bibbulmun Trail to name just a few! quarantined areas. Park Trek specialises in small group • Where available, use vehicle wash- down or boot cleaning stations. travel with max 10 guests on most trips • Never wash footwear or equipment Contact us with your trip inquiry with water alone, as this can promote P: 03 9434 4785 www.parktrek.com.au pathogen spread.”

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 21 Healthy grass-trees and undisturbed vegetation near Vereker Outlook, Wilsons Prom, 2009. Tread lightly this summer keeN readers oF the BWag program Will have Noticed iN receNt moNths that ‘exploratory’ (oFF-track) Walks are No loNger oFFered or eNdorsed By the BWag committee. aNd For very good reasoNs, explaiNs committee memBer julia piCkwiCk.

In the early days of European settlement, the colonists Fast forward to the 21st century, and adventurous off-track considered the Australian bush to be ‘virgin territory’ – walkers run the risk of destroying the very environment they somewhere to be explored and conquered. seek to enjoy. National parks and other protected areas didn’t exist, and There are the obvious risks of soil compaction and erosion, designated walking tracks were rare – as were introduced plants vegetation trampling, weed introduction, and disturbance to and pathogens. habitats and Indigenous cultural sites, but it’s the less visible threats that pose the biggest risk to our wilderness areas. Tomahawks were an important part of the kit of early bushwalkers keen to open up tracks through the wilderness. For many years, BWAG has highlighted the threat of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a micro-algae considered to be As Europeans cleared the land, walkers followed mining, Victoria’s most significant plant disease. Invisible to the naked droving and logging tracks to engage with nature. Today, some eye, this pathogen is easily spread by people through the of Victoria’s best loved walking tracks follow these trails, like the movement of contaminated soil and gravel. Sealers Cove track at Wilsons Promontory. In recent years, other introduced pathogens and fungi have But for the more adventurous, going ‘off the beaten track’ meant also been spread across the country, seriously impacting on that one was able to commune with nature in ‘virgin’ country. native plant species.

22 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 PHoTo: DAVID SMITH

Left: Effects of trampling and PC Dieback at the same place as the photo on opposite page. 2015. Above: Myrtle Rust spores on clothing. Below: Myrtle Rust on Lilly-pilly. pHoto: ryan DuFFy/parks ViCtoria pHoto: julia piCkwiCk PHoTo: DAVID SMITH

Myrtle Rust was first detected in NSW in 2010 and has It’s easy to think that just one person walking off-track isn’t since spread to Victoria, Queensland and the Tiwi Islands. going to do any harm. However, even apparently innocent off- track pursuits can easily damage the natural environment. Originating from South and Central America, this pathogen affects members of the Myrtaceae family, notably some A few years back, a very popular geocache (small container eucalypts and tea-tree and paperbark species. The spores with messages inside that people search for) was placed about are easily spread by people coming into contact with 100 metres off the Vereker Track at the Prom, an area already infected plant material. infected with Phytophthora. Keen geocachers searched in a 100m radius off-track trying to find the cache. An emerging pathogen is Favolaschia calocera, a small, fleshy bright orange fungus that grows on dead wood. As time went by, more and more people left comments on the geocaching website saying how awful the area was looking, Native to Madagascar, southern China and Thailand, this but not realising that they were actually helping to spread fungus may produce a fungal inhibitor, thus outcompeting the pathogen. native fungi. It is spread via air-borne spores and people Fortunately, after authorities contacted the cachers, the cache moving contaminated dead wood. was removed and an explanation put on the website. Though native to Australia,Armillaria luteobubalina is a This example is not given to lay blame for pathogen spread very aggressive fungus that can infect over 50 different in Victoria. It’s simply to show how easily pathogens can be native plant families including the Proteaceae, Myrtaceae spread without people even realising they’re doing it. and Epacridaceae. So if you’re heading out to embrace the great outdoors this Common in eucalypt forests and woodlands, it can be summer, think twice before you head off-track. You just spread through contaminated plant root material or, like never know what unwelcome guests you may be carrying Favolaschia and Myrtle Rust, through spores. with you. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 23 Missy the sniffer dog speeds through the alpine heath.

Letter from a hawkweed hunter HAuSER CINDY PHoTo:

Falls Creek Friday 30th January 2015

Hello humans,

I can do something you can’t. I can sniff out a weed. No; not one with what you call ‘perfumed’ flowers or ‘aromatic’ leaves. My sense of smell is so much more sensitive than yours that I can smell this weed’s ‘non-aromatic’ leaves. And, what’s more, I can distinguish its scent from those of other plants.

You call me a sniffer dog, or perhaps a sniffer spaniel because I’m an English Springer Spaniel. And please remember, I’m a working dog not a show dog.

Steve Austin is my trainer. First he trained me to detect rabbits and other feral animals. Then he trained me to detect hawkweed. When he says ‘weed’, I know that I’m to search for hawkweed. So I do. I can sniff out hidden hawkweed – whole plants and small fragments.

This January [2015], Steve drove us to Falls Creek so that I could star in a field experiment designed to determine the feasibility of using my nose to detect hawkweed on the Bogong High Plains. Consequently, I’ve spent many cold, wet, windy hours running around with something that doesn’t keep out the weather strapped to my back. It’s called ‘GPS’, whatever that means.

In response to Steve’s whistle and arm commands, I’ve scampered across grass tussocks and heath plants, head up to catch wind-borne scents or down to follow scents on the ground. You may call open heath ‘low’, but for me it’s head high. Luckily I’m a fit young bitch who can jump as high as my height.

Whenever I found hawkweed, I crouched down and pointed my nose towards it and, sometimes, scratched at it. Steve rewarded me with fetch-the-ball games. Sometimes, when I hadn’t found any hawkweed for a while, he checked that I could detect leaves inside a plastic bag. Did he think that I’d forgotten?

At the end of each hawkweed day, Steve checked me for any cuts and bruises. He patted me and carefully combed out any knots and Bidgee-widgees in my fur. And he made sure that I had a hearty meal and a long rest – in my own kennel-cage in the back of his van. Missy sniffs for hawkweed. Before we head back to Sydney, I have written this letter to let you know that you humans are no longer the only hawkweed hunters on the Bogong High Plains.

Missy, sniffer spaniel

For information about this summer’s hawkweed surveys, contact keith primrose at the parks victoria Mt Beauty office – phone 0409 859 875 or email [email protected] PHoTo: CINDY HAuSER

24 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Missy awaiting directions.

A special dog on the High Plains linDEn Gillbank, serial haWkWeed voluNteer, descriBes a Novel Way oF FiNdiNg iNvasive Weeds. PHoTo: CINDY HAuSER

Summer spurs the appearance of In 2012, the DPI officer responsible for and sometimes, as she was trained people and flowers in the Alpine Victorian hawkweed control, Dr Karen to do, signalled a hawkweed find by National Park. Herbert, suggested that hawkweeds crouching, nose pointing to the might produce scent that dogs could plant, and excitedly awaited her On the Bogong High Plains, hawkweed distinguish from the scents of other ball-game reward. plants sprout orange and yellow plants. DPI took this possibility daisy flowers, and lines of fluoro- seriously, and agreed to fund the GPS devices worn by Steve and Missy clad volunteers move slowly, eyes training of a dog to sniff out hawkweed recorded their routes within each site, downwards, searching for these and a field assessment of its hawkweed- and Cindy and her assistants recorded invasive weeds (see Park Watch detecting ability. when Missy was searching, signalling, June 2012). being rewarded, and resting. Karen chose the experienced Missy’s involvement resulted from an Sydney dog trainer Steve Austin, Missy detected some of the hidden innovative idea first aired in Victoria and propagated large numbers of hawkweed plants and, like us, found in 2012. hawkweeds and daisy lookalikes from those in open grassy areas more the Bogong High Plains. She drove speedily than those in more shrubby By then, hawkweeds had been her car-load of potted plants to Steve vegetation. While Cindy documented surveyed over enough summers for in 2013 for his scent discrimination volunteers and Parks Victoria (PV) Missy’s partial success in her report training of his English Springer Spaniel to Victoria’s Department of Economic and Department of Primary Industries called Missy. (DPI) staff to know how difficult it Development, Jobs, Transport and is to spot hawkweed rosettes and, Missy was soon identifying hawkweed Resources (DEDJTR), NSW coffers sometimes, their flowers. plants with great success, and Cindy funded the training of two new puppies designed the experiment to evaluate to detect hawkweed. An experiment designed by Missy’s hawkweed-detecting ability on Their hawkweed sniffing efforts in a University of Melbourne the Bogong High Plains. mathematician confirmed this. Kosciuszko National Park this coming Dr Cindy Hauser’s January 2012 field Like her earlier human hawkweed- summer will be shaped by Missy’s field experiment showed the degree to detection experiment, Cindy’s January results. And PV and DEDJTR will await which we humans more readily notice 2015 experiment was undertaken at their results before making any sniffer flowering than flowerless hawkweed various sites on the Bogong High Plains dog plans for future summer hawkweed plants, more readily see them in within the Falls Creek Alpine Resort. surveys on the Bogong High Plains. grasslands than in heathlands, and, in For each trial, potted rosettes of Since Missy detected less than half of the the presence of other yellow daisies Orange, King Devil and Mouse-ear (of many High Plains species), more hawkweed plants hidden on the Bogong Hawkweed, and non-hawkweed species High Plains, Cindy has recommended readily notice orange than yellow (control plants), were hidden at precise that detection dogs ‘should not be solely hawkweed daisies. locations in a site. relied upon in priority management Could something detect hawkweeds Then, directed by Steve’s whistle and areas’. So, we human searchers will more reliably than human eyes? What arm commands, Missy scampered back continue to use our eyes to find about the canine nose? and forth across heath and grasslands, hawkweed in the near future. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 25 Back to Bosisto’s

PROJECT HINDMARSH 2015

HinDmarsH lanDCarE Left: Tree guards seen through the window FaCilitator stEvE of an old house once used by Bosisto’s. hEmPhill rEports Above and below: Some 9000 trees and shrubs were planted. on tHE 18tH annual wimmEra plantinG in wHiCH tHE Vnpa Has bEEn inVolVED. pHoto: DorotHy HowEs PHoToS: BRuCE DoNNELLY

A former Bosisto’s eucalyptus oil Preparations for the event started The project is a component of the property at Antwerp, near the 12 months beforehand, culminating in Habitat 141⁰ vision. Wimmera River north of Dimboola, the 18th Project Hindmarsh planting was the site for this year’s Project on Saturday 15 August. Groups in the local area that benefited Hindmarsh, the Hindmarsh through catering and support Landcare Network’s annual It was a wonderful event – volunteers opportunities included the Dimboola tree-planting event. were well looked after, with food and Lions Club, Dimboola Scout Group, drinks supplied. Antwerp Hall committee, Antwerp Some 160 people from across Victoria Tennis Club, Dimboola Lutheran joined local volunteers to plant Cliff Unger, Chair of the Hindmarsh School and Dimboola A&P. 9,000 locally indigenous trees on the Landcare Network, welcomed all property, now owned by Tim and the attendees and thanked them The event was assisted through Ben Inkster. for giving up a weekend to help generous donations and support from the environment. the Handbury family trust, Luv-a- As in many previous years, around Duck, Lowan Foods, Bosisto, Victorian 100 VNPA members made the long “Project Hindmarsh’s motto is ‘City Landcare, Hindmarsh Shire Council trek to Dimboola to join locals for and Country, working together for the and Wimmera CMA. the weekend, one group coming from environment’”, Cliff said. Melbourne on the V-Line train and As mentioned in September Park bus service. “Project Hindmarsh has a long history Watch, if you have attended any Project of creating biolinks between the Big Hindmarsh plantings, Bosisto’s has Local volunteers included participants and Little Deserts, Lake Hindmarsh, donated copies of a book on eucalyptus from the Green Army and staff from Wimmera River and the South oil and sample bottles of oil that are Wimmera Health Care Group. Australian border.” available free from the VNPA. • PW

26 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Above: Wimmera River near Dimboola. Below: The Hindmarsh Antwerp planting is on Protecting and restoring riparian vegetation the Wimmera River floodplain. Old Bosisto Birds, drought will help birds cope with future droughts. house in background. and tree cover iNcreasiNg tree cover, particularly oN stream sides aNd FloodplaiNs, could help Bird commuNities survive duriNg loNg aNd severe droughts, accordiNg to charles sturt uNiversity

ecologist Dr DalE nimmo. PHoToS: DoRoTHY HoWES

Dr Nimmo and his team’s research, “This study has shown that landscapes “The study’s findings are particularly monitoring bird communities throughout with more riparian tree cover retained a timely given that climate scientists south-eastern Australia’s ‘Millennium higher proportion of their species. have observed the coming El Nino Drought’ from 2001 to 2009, has strengthening to levels not seen since recently been published in The Journal “The loss of trees from riparian areas the 1997-1998 event that was the of Applied Ecology. occurs because these areas often have precursor to the Millennium Drought.” very fertile soils and so are of greater The team monitored bird species in different value to agriculture. However, this has Dr Nimmo’s work investigating types of agricultural landscapes near the deprived biodiversity of a key mechanism whether, and how, landscape structure beginning of the drought, in the middle, for coping with long droughts.” can enhance the resilience of and after it broke. This was one of the most biodiversity to climatic extremes has severe droughts on record. Dr Nimmo is urging conservationists, been awarded a grant from the Hermon Dr Nimmo said that bird communities land owners and land managers to Slade Foundation. • PW remained more stable in landscapes with more focus on protecting and restoring tree cover on stream sides and floodplains – native riparian woodlands to help birds ‘riparian tree cover enhances the otherwise known as riparian vegetation. cope with future droughts. resistance and stability of woodland bird communities during an extreme “Our previous research showed that the “Our findings suggest that we can create climatic event’ by dr dale Nimmo of Millennium Drought led bird communities drought refuges for bird communities csu, professor andrew Bennett and across Victoria’s dry woodlands to ‘collapse’ by protecting, revegetating and restoring dr angie haslem of latrobe university, with numbers falling to around half those of cleared streamsides and former and dr Jim radford of Bush heritage is pre-drought levels,” he said. floodplains,” he said. online in The Journal of Applied Ecology.

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 27 VEAC looks at Victoria’s public land

FormEr Vnpa prEsiDEnt russEll CostEllo is on VEaC’s Community rEFErEnCE Group For tHis important stuDy. HErE is His proGrEss rEport.

In September this year, the What this initial Interim Report on 4. Next generation – Builds on option 3 but Victorian Environmental Public Land Classification does do is: addresses emerging issues like managing Assessment Council (VEAC) fragmented landscapes across both offer an excellent overview of the published its first report in a three- • public and private land, and responding history of public land reservation pronged Statewide Assessment of to public discussions about appropriate in Victoria Public Land. VEAC is the body that management of some categories. makes recommendations to the • list and describe Victoria’s current Victorian Government on public public land use categories and the There is no call for submissions following land use and reservation status. area of land in each this report (though VNPA made a • give a summary of the relevant preliminary submission to its development). The last statewide review was legislation for reserving and/or VEAC’s next step is to produce a conducted by VEAC’s predecessor, administering the public land use discussion paper on all three terms of the Land Conservation Council categories (LCC), in 1988. reference in March, at which time it will call • describe the changing pressures, for public submissions. A draft proposals This initial Interim Report on Public community awareness and the issues paper will then be produced, after which Land Classification looks at the with the current system of public there will be a final public submission pros and cons (and the seemingly land use categories process, followed by VEAC’s final unnecessary complexity) of all of the • propose four options for changing recommendations to government. great suite of land classifications in that system I recommend that you read the initial Victoria, as a step towards fulfilling append very useful information, • Interim Report on Public Land Classification, the first of its terms of reference – to including a summary of reservation available at www.veac.vic.gov.au assess that classification system and systems from other states and elsewhere recommend any improved (and in the world, the proposed simplified The VNPA would be happy to hear any presumably simplified) system categories from the 1988 LCC review, suggestions you may have, in advance of of categories. descriptions of current VEAC public the next consultation period. • PW land use categories and a simple table VEAC’s second term of reference of permitted uses for some major is to assess the current reservation categories. (I have attached this last as an status of all public land, noting example of how helpful this report is). where land use has changed. on the adjacent page we have reprinted a useful table from The four options for changes to our The third, rather vague, term of veac’s Interim Report on Public system of public land classifications reference for this investigation is to Land Classification which outlines are as follows. make ‘an inventory of the types on the difference in the main current values on public land’. 1. Minimal change – mainly to make it land classifications applicable clearer to the public, including minor in victoria. The purpose of this study is to name changes and minimal variation Note that while there are some build on the earlier study in the to usage. For example, awareness apparent differences in uses light of different community surveys have shown that many in the between the categories of national expectations, changing land use community confuse State Park with park and state park, these two pressures and economics, the State Forest and what uses are categories actually have the same increasing Indigenous community permitted in each. level of protection under victoria’s involvement in public land National parks act. (this sort of 2. Simple consolidation and management, and factors like confusion is one of the reasons for re-categorisation, resulting in few climate change and increasing undertaking the review.) categories and park types, with overlays habitat fragmentation. to change usage as necessary. the table does not include the The study is an overview: 3. A comprehensive review and multitude of older classifications, it is not intended to make alignment to legislation – the latter such as flora reserve, wildlife reserve, forest park, etc. these recommendations about changing would require legislative amendments complexities are detailed any use or specific reservation such as a broader National Parks and elsewhere in the report. status of any particular piece of Nature Conservation Act to cover all public land. protected area categories.

28 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 summary of permitted activities in major land use categories this table is sourced from an ecc brochure (2001) summarising the activities allowed in the major land use categories recommended in the Box-ironbark Forests and Woodlands investigation area. it illustrates the complexity of providing accurate information, given the number of exceptions and conditions that apply – including allowance for the land manager’s discretion – in relation to many activities. Ecotours and walking aCtivitY National state park National regional Nature state park heritage park conservation forest in the High Country, park reserve East Gippsland and beyond recreation and tourism activities Are you curious about the natural world? Nature observation       If so, how about immersing yourself in picnicking and barbecues       nature and letting us share our love and knowledge of the environment with you. camping1       Let us arrange the accommodation, Bushwalking or short walks       the driving, the walks and talks. car-touring, four-wheel driving       Even your meals appear like magic. and trail bike riding2 Enjoy the companionship of like-minded nature lovers and return home refreshed, dogs  3, 4 4 4 3  informed and invigorated. visiting historic features       For full details of the current program orienteering and rogaining4       visit the website or contact Jenny car rallies4 3 3 7    Gippsland High Country Tours horse riding5 3 4 4 4 3  Phone (03) 5157 5556 hunting 6 6 6 6 6 6 Email: [email protected] www.gippslandhighcountrytours.com.au Prospecting/ metal detecting Advanced Ecotourism Certification. Est. 1987 metal detecting 3, 8 7 7  7  gold panning 8 7 7    gemstone fossicking 8  7    burrabunglE ParK resource industries private Biodiversity reserve mineral exploration 9 9 9, 10 10 10  mining       sawlog and post production       Firewood  11  11  11  11  11  apiculture 12 12   12  Private sale eucalyptus oil production      13 other uses environmental education       approved research       Water production/distribution       stone extraction 14 14 14 14 14  grazing15       utilities 16 16 16 16 16  www.burrabungle.net 1 Camping may be at designated campsites only, 10 Restricted under the Mineral and may be excluded from some smaller reserves Resources Development Act 1990 a roCky wonDErlanD oF uniQuE 2 only on roads and tracks formed for the passage 11 Some firewood may be available of four-wheel vehicles; may be subject to seasonal from ecological management in ConsErVation siGniFiCanCE or permanent closure parks and reserves. Previously a 350 acre private biodiversity reserve 3 Some exceptions felled firewood can be collected on shoulder of mt korong, in north- 4 Subject to certain conditions from new parks and reserves central victoria. Bird-rich remnant box 5 only on formed roads or specially designated tracks 12 Permitted where an existing use gum woodland, plentiful old hollow- 6 Land managers may organise shooting drives 13 Confined to areas used since 1995 bearing trees, spectacular granite land to assist in the control of feral animals 14 Extraction for local management forms, spring soaks, rock wells and 7 Some areas may be excluded in management plans use only sites of aboriginal cultural heritage. 4 bedroom homestead, large extension, 8 Permitted along Reedy Creek (Chiltern-Pilot National Park) 15 only small areas are suitable for solar system, water tanks, farm shed, 9 Existing exploration or mining licences continue; grazing. Light grazing for ecological state-of-the-art fire bunker, olive Government may approve mining following management may continue in grove and small vineyard. covenanted such exploration limited areas with trust for Nature. 50 mins from Specified park and reserve areas will extend 16 Some existing utilities are within Bendigo, two and a quarter hours from only 100 metres below the surface, allowing recommended parks and reserves. melbourne cBd www.burrabungle.net new exploration and mining beneath this depth These will generally continue

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 29 IN PARKS

Der ... what? PHoToS: GEoFF DuRHAM

Prickly Moses wattle brings a GEoFF DurHam visits a little-kNoWN But importaNt park iN sW victoria. splash of colour to the park.

Last year our annual trip was a car SPs, Discovery Bay Parks including importance tour of Gippsland. This year, Mount Richmond NP, Cape Nelson SP prompted by Parks Victoria’s release and Discovery Bay Coastal Park, and By that measure, the remote, isolated, of the Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Discovery Bay Marine NP. It lacks the unspectacular and little-visited Mara South West Management Plan, we helpful detail of the individual park Dergholm is a very important park. toured the South West of the State. plans and adopts a broad ‘goals’ and It’s a long way from Little Desert NP ‘strategies’ approach. to the north, Mt Arapiles-Tooan SP Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara and Jilpanger Flora & Fauna Reserve translates from the Gunditjmara Dergholm is a village, little more than to the north-east, Black Range SP and Dhauwurd Wurrung language to a pub, on the Casterton-Naracoorte Grampians NP to the east, and Lower ‘Healthy Country Healthy People’, a road, 34 km north-west of Casterton Glenelg and Cobboboonee NPs to take on Parks Victoria’s Healthy Parks in western Victoria. According to Les the south. Healthy People. The pronunciation is Blake’s Place Names of Victoria, the name The pastoral development of south- ‘noot (as in foot) yoong guhn-ditch is derived from ‘Lough Derg’ (a lake in western Victoria meant that little native noot-yoong mah-ra’. Eire), and ‘holm’ from Old Norse holmr, vegetation remains on the basalt plains flats subject to flooding. The Glenelg The plan, prepared in partnership with their expanses of pasture and River flows past Dergholm and the flats with Gunditjmara traditional owners, occasional 200+-year-old River Red flood, but there is no lake. is ‘a strategic guide for managing and Gums. The plains give way in the west to protecting over 130 parks, reserves Dergholm State Park is little known the rolling hills of dissected tablelands. and Indigenous Protected Areas outside the Casterton area. I was keen to By contrast, Dergholm SP and the (IPAs) in south-west Victoria’. There see it, as it was the only one of Victoria’s adjoining Youpayang State Forest, are six Aboriginal community owned 26 state parks I had not visited. on gently undulating sand dunes, are properties, including three IPAs. In the words of the relevant legislation (the thickly vegetated with predominantly The plan replaces individual plans for National Parks Act), the prime purpose heathy Brown Stringybark woodlands. Lower Glenelg NP, Mount Eccles and of state parks is the same as for national The new Management Plan says the Mt Napier NPs, the Dergholm section parks – the protection and preservation of park is regionally significant for its of the Dergholm and Mount Arapiles indigenous flora and fauna. distinctive landscape character.

30 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 PHoTo: LEoN CoSTERMANS PHoTo: GERALDINE RYAN Baileys Rocks in the park’s Bogalara block. Remarkable ‘fused’ gum in the Bogalara block.

The 10,400 ha park is in two blocks Wildflowers was formed, leading to the reservation – Bogalara and Youpayang – that are of 510 hectares. Following the roughly the same size and about 4 km Wildflowers are a feature, and the park Land Conservation Council apart, with cleared farmland, Blue is important habitat for a range of South-western Area District 1 Gum plantations, and the Dergholm- threatened fauna such as the Red-tailed Review, Dergholm State Park was Edenhope Road and the Glenelg River Black-Cockatoo, as well as numerous proclaimed in September 1992. in between. regionally significant species. Grazing and timber cutting ceased, The park is one of the least weed-infested but apiculture continues. biolink in the State. Pest plants include pines (the Camping is free at the Baileys Rocks A biolink along the lines of Project biggest threat), Coast Wattle, Blackberry, camping and picnic ground, which Hindmarsh and Grow West Cape Tulip and Patterson’s Curse. Pest has caravan access, fire places, tables immediately comes to mind. animals are rabbits, foxes, and cats. It is and basic pit toilets. It is a base yet another park where deer management The old Dergholm Management Plan for orienteering events. Dogs are has been ignored by Parks Victoria – in permitted on lead at the day visitor said ‘Improved habitat links between this park it is Fallow Deer. the blocks and the River would help area only. A short loop walking track maintain fauna populations’ and had The old Management Plan recognised winds through the boulders and a as a Priority Management Strategy that an appropriate fire regime was an there is a 5 km return walk along ‘Encourage habitat enhancement important requirement for vegetation Rocky Creek. between the two blocks’. The new management and that inappropriate fire The park has a network of two-wheel- Management Plan has an overall regimes were a major threat. The last drive gravel tracks with seasonal Strategy to “Strengthen partnerships significant wildfire was in 1997. closures in wet months. Trail bikes across public-private land for whole of With eleven Ecological Vegetation are permitted on all public roads landscape and integrated approaches Classes, including heathlands and heathy and horse riding on a few. The Parks to increase connectivity … through woodlands, fire is a complex issue as Victoria ‘Level of Service’ is ‘basic’, habitat corridors and programs …” many plant species and communities with one ranger based at Casterton responsible for all the reserves in The park has two Broad Vegetation require an appropriate regime to maintain the region. Types – Heathy Woodland and Plains their populations. Fuel reduction burns Grassy Woodland. As well as Brown are a major management activity. While you’re in the vicinity, for a Stringybark, other eucalypts are River attractions and facilities small admission fee visit the privately Red Gum, Yellow Gum, Manna Gum owned Warrock Homestead and its and Swamp Gum. The main attraction for visitors is the 33 buildings all classified ‘A’ by the readily accessible Baileys Rocks in National Trust, the relics of a self- The Bogalara block has a mosaic Bogalara block. In 1888 John Bailey built contained community of the 19th of heath communities and, in the a four-roomed slab walled house near an century pastoral (squatting) era. northwest, Pink Gum, Eucalyptus outcrop of 500 million year old Ordovician fasciculosa, a mainly South Australian Also, inspect Bilston’s Tree, a River Dergholm granite boulders, and the area species at its easterly limit. The Red Gum 40.8 metres high said to became a popular picnic spot. Youpayang block has circular freshwater have the largest volume of millable swamps and two nationally significant In 1970 a mining company wanted to timber of any example of the species. vegetation communities, Swampy quarry the pink granite for building We hope it remains standing for a long Riparian Woodland and Clay Heath. veneer, and a ‘Save the Rocks’ committee time to come. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 31 Bradley Fauteux in the Algonquin winter. Luckily it does sometimes snow in Victoria.

Welcome to Bradley Fauteux parks victoria’s NeW chieF executive, braDlEy FautEux, is the Former maNagiNg director oF oNtario parks aNd a Former chair oF the caNadiaN parks couNcil. What attracted him to a liFe iN park maNagemeNt? this is aN edited versioN oF his respoNse.

I have lived outdoors since I was a small child. I grew up in the woods, fishing and canoeing and hiking. Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to work in the service of my fellow citizens as a public servant. But even more important than that, in the service of the ground you walk on, the trees you walk through, the water you swim in. park experiences I was born at Iroquois Falls, about 300 km south of James Bay. Just north of there is where the tree line disappears and there is the subarctic tundra, and eventually you have a park called Polar Bear Provincial Park.

In my previous role, I got to visit this amazing place. The In terms of gender equality, I am the son of a feminist mother thing I remember is a big field of arctic bluebells, which have and I am so proud of the example that my wife Alison sets for a remarkable fragrance, and the breeze was blowing over our daughters. Gender equality is something I’m very conscious me. All of a sudden, I ran over a bluff and just lay down in of in park management, which has been traditionally male the field of bluebells. The combination of the smell and the dominated. I am going to have to grow into that and learn how beautiful scenery created an overwhelming experience. our organisation’s gender voyage has been in Victoria. That’s what landscape is like for me. I’ve had many of those experiences, always outdoors and always that experience of Healthy parks Healthy people connection to where you are. They are experiences you want I worry a great deal about the advent of sedentary lifestyles, for your own children. You want them to remember those about the rise of technology as an enabler. I worry about the overwhelming connections to landscape. change in children’s health. I also worry that we are turning into a worldwide culture of fear of the outdoors and fear of nature. Victorian parks Healthy Parks Healthy People is a core element of wellbeing for I’m excited about the challenge of understanding Victoria’s everybody. The rise of diabetes and other preventable diseases ports, parks, beaches, marine and alpine environments. I am is linked to inactivity, and studies show clearly that you’re keen to learn how they function, how we manage them, and healthier when you’re outside. how thoughtful we are about the balance between use and protection. I relish the opportunity to be a learner. When you’re outdoors and active, your mental health, your mood, all sorts of things are positively affected. I worry that parks Victoria soon doctors are going to be writing prescriptions for children to get out of the house. Parks Victoria is an organisation of about one thousand that seems to be very well integrated with the communities in We really limit ourselves because technology is so easy. I’m an which people live. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work adopter of technology, but I’m really conscious of it too. We alongside such a dedicated and esteemed group of colleagues. can’t deny technological progress, but you have to be conscious of its impacts. Parks Victoria’s vision is to be a world-class parks service ensuring healthy parks for healthy people. That tells you My kids sometimes go nuts because they spend a tremendous everything you need to know about what we aspire to be. amount of time outside when they want to be on their iPads like

32 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 PHoToS CouRTESY BRADLEY FAuTEux Bradley with a Polar Bear Provincial Park, Ontario. familiar message. These bears are rarely seen in Australia.

I am deeply interested in how we are thinking about fire. It’s an integral part of how you do your park management planning. invasive species Invasive species are a huge concern for parks around the world and a very important focus in Victoria. Victorians have picked these places to protect, so we need to be vigilant about the threats. We need to be very quick to react and thoughtful about how to keep them intact in the longer term. Visitors and camping their friends. I remind them that people are going to be so Parks provide the landscape and the visuals for people to thankful when they are older and realise that they’ve had this be inspired by when they visit. I think we’re getting more life full of experiences outside. oriented to the experience economy. I think that’s where parks are perfect. We provide experiences that people take Digital communications home with them as memories for the rest of their lives. I’m really interested in how we communicate with Victorians I am a camper first and foremost. That is how we as a family about their parks. The wonderful thing about technology now go on holiday and how we spend our free time. I have is that we can engage in active, real-time dialogue with people. canoed most of the rivers in Ontario and I hope to bring It’s such an opportunity for engagement at every level and my canoe to Victoria and continue to canoe there. every age. traditional owners Sustainability of the park system is directly related to the ability to attract younger people to our cause. Technology has I think my job is to figure out how to best serve Traditional tremendous opportunities for communicating a message. I Owners, not the other way around. really am interested in what Victorians think of Parks Victoria The most satisfying days of my working career have been and the work we do. I’m interested in having a conversation when we have been able to reach a mutual understanding with them, in any way or shape or form possible. that truly honours the reconciliation between what we call First Nations in Ontario, and the people who have colonised. Fire management I really do look forward to working with Traditional I have had a lot of experience in Ontario, but it’s a very Owners, whether it’s in communities or through joint different delivery model because of the breadth and size of or co-management, or with Parks Victoria’s Aboriginal the landscape. rangers and staff. Fire management in Ontario is almost exclusively in the the next generation of volunteers forests. We fight fires with crews on the ground but also with helicopters and aeroplanes. We are rich with water, so we Friends groups are incredible resources for parks to have. have a very different perspective. We burn to lower the [fuel] We have to think about how our message translates to the next load or because ecologically the landscape needs fire. generation. I really want these groups to be sustainable. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 33 Cypress bowl panorama in Cypress Provincial Park near Vancouver.

Exploring western Canada’s parks

Vnpa CounCillor miChaEl FEllEr DEsCribEs somE oF CanaDa’s national anD proVinCial parks anD ComparEs tHEm witH ViCtoria’s parks. PHoTo: MICHAEL FELLER

Black bear at his blueberry patch.

For many years, thanks to trip leader At Cypress, we walked in the sunshine old-growth forest. Logs on the ground in John Bales, the VNPA has organised up a couple of ski runs to near the top of Cypress park can be from trees that died overseas trips, most recently (Aug- Mt Strachan, where there’s a great view over 700 years ago, slow decomposition Sept. 2015) to Canada. This trip of the mountains north of Vancouver and infrequent fires (well over 1000 years included two weeks in western and the beautiful fjord below. apart) making the forests structurally Canada (British Columbia, or BC, and This was also a wonderful half-day stable for centuries – unlike most of our Alberta) and two in eastern Canada. backcountry ski-touring trip from Victorian forests, where fires are more Such trips invite comparisons with Vancouver in the snow season, but frequent and decomposition much faster. Victoria, to see how we rate and how a new owner of the ski resort some The next day we split into two groups we might improve our parks. years ago sought to ban ski-tourers which walked into different parts of from skiing through the (public land) The VNPA trip included much time Garibaldi provincial park, north of downhill ski area. in and around parks. Western Canada Vancouver. One group went to Garibaldi has a few federally-controlled national Demonstrations, arrests and Lake with its magnificent turquoise- parks and many provincial parks, the negotiation resulted in ski-tourers coloured water; the other went further latter generally equivalent to Australia’s being allowed through as long as they south to the Diamond Head area, which state-controlled national parks. carried a valid (free) day-ticket. But has scenic alpine meadows. the owner wanted to build a large Near Vancouver we walked in Cypress restaurant near the top of Mt Strachan, berries, bears and funding and Garibaldi provincial parks. Both clear more old-growth forest for ski contain downhill ski areas that have Both groups encountered lots of runs and new lifts, and a golf course. been carved out of the parks. prime blueberries. For someone with a The golf course proposal was rejected European palate, Canada offers much Over the years, the ski area operators by the public and local council, and a more abundant, and nicer, bush tucker have pushed for land to be taken out subsequent new owner of the resort, than Victoria or Australia. Blueberries, of the parks and added to their areas. more socially responsible, has dropped raspberries, blackberries and strawberries Provincial governments have agreed, the expansion plans. mingle with other berries traditionally despite significant public opposition. used by indigenous peoples. Commercial interests inside a park can Commercial developments wreak havoc, but can be prevented by The Diamond Head group found a superb strong public opposition. Currently, patch of blueberries, and munched away There are currently proposals for four conflict between mountain bikers and before noticing a black bear munching on major new downhill ski resorts in BC, walkers is causing concern in the area, another patch nearby. A black bear eating all of which would have a negative the only real solution being to separate blueberries is generally not a threat, so I was impact on wilderness and conservation the two user groups. able to approach quite close to take photos. values. All four, however, are currently in limbo for a variety of economic, The public and certain key politicians While Australians tend to be political and environmental reasons. do not favour further depletion of unnecessarily paranoid about bears in

34 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 Garibaldi Lake. pHoto: FrED tropp-asHEr pHoto: miCHaEl FEllEr PHoTo: MICHAEL FELLER PHoTo: FRED TRoPP-ASHER

Near Diamond Head, Garibaldi Provincial Park. VNPA group on top of Mt Strachan, Cypress Provincial Park.

Canada, and Canadians are paranoid The presence of animals (no data on Commission from the 1950s to about snakes in Australia, the chances of whether numbers actually increased the 80s, networks of eroding and being killed or even attacked by either or decreased after burning) indicated a unmaintained fire access tracks were animal are low. We must learn to live with successful burn! bulldozed throughout the Victorian and respect wildlife in both countries. mountains. This substantially reduced Such abysmal science has some wilderness areas, let more people in to light Garibaldi unfortunately illustrates the similarities to that put forward by fires, and brought enhanced weed invasion, effect of continuing cutbacks in park those claiming fuel reduction burning soil erosion and lower streamwater quality. funding in BC – run-down infrastructure, in Victoria is invariably ecologically filthy toilets, people ignoring park good, or that logging Mountain Ash The effect of the tracks on reducing regulations with almost no one there to (Eucalyptus regnans) forests does not areas burned by fire remains enforce them, and overcrowded camp result in an increased fire hazard. unquantified and questionable. sites. Visitors this year beat up one park ranger who tried to enforce regulations. access BC never adopted such an approach to fire-fighting, preferring to use aerial From Vancouver we drove east to Fort From Clearwater we drove north to access. Consequently, vast wilderness Langley, built by the Hudson’s Bay Jasper National Park, stopping in the areas remain. The Rockies north of Company. The fort is a small version of adjacent Mt Robson provincial park for Mt Robson are traversed by only one Sovereign Hill near Ballarat, but Sovereign lunch. There the impressive bulk of highway in 1000 km, and contain Hill offers much more. Mt Robson, the highest mountain in numerous unroaded major valleys From there we drove to the town of the Canadian Rockies (3954m) towered and many unnamed and unclimbed Clearwater in the Columbia Mountains, above us. The Coast Mountains of mountains. British Columbia contain higher and on to see Canada’s fourth highest With no guidebooks to detract from mountains than the BC Rockies waterfall (Helmcken Falls, with a the spirit of adventure, and little mobile (Mt Fairweather, 4671m, is the highest) 141m clear drop) in nearby Wells Grey coverage, a vast mountain wilderness but Robson has the greatest rise from provincial park. awaits those who wish to challenge valley to summit. themselves. burning Mt Robson has no really easy route to No area of the Victorian mountains the summit, the easiest being subject The surrounding park is noted for being offers this, and those few areas of to ice avalanches, so its ascent is an the place where ecological prescribed wilderness or semi-wilderness that achievement. This contrasts with all burning began in BC. This was to create remain are rapidly being littered with more habitat for wildlife, such as deer, that our Victorian mountains, where there developments. The proposed lodge- people could hunt. is nearly always an easy walking route studded long-distance walking track to the top. Early ‘studies’ of the effectiveness of the through the Grampians, and a similar burning involved people walking around As a result of poor management of proposal for the Hotham – Falls Creek and noting what wildlife was present. the Victorian bush by the then Forests area, are the latest examples. • PW

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 35 BOOK REVIEWS

visits annually, underpin our tourism Southern Cross industry, and support regional economies. They need to be well managed. Safari “With few exceptions, the parks [I visited] Around Australia were clean and tidy, and facilities mostly well looked after. Information was by bus and train good if the park had a visitor centre, By Bruce gall. redgum publishing, variable otherwise. canberra, 2015. rrp $34.95. order “Of most concern was the condition and online at www.southerncrosssafari.com signposting of tracks: it was not good … Bruce Gall is well qualified to write a people he met. Some of these are of Visitors should be encouraged to explore book on Australia’s national parks. interest but many aren’t, and could parks. Walks need to be welcoming, but He worked as a park ranger and be omitted. trackhead advice was often scant. Signs wildlife research officer in NSW, then It’s best used as a reference book. without distances and estimated times don’t became successively Superintendent By picking out the states or parks inspire walkers to start ... ‘Guess which way’ of Kakadu NP, Manager of the ACT you’re interested in (although there’s junctions don’t entice people to keep going. Conservation and Wildlife Unit and no index), you’ll find some good “Many tracks were in poor condition, Director of the Queensland NPWS. information, and also revealing eroded and washed out due to ineffective He also has the stamina and motivation assessments of the parks and drainage and heavy usage.” needed to travel around Australia, their facilities. largely by train and bus, visiting 165 And why is this, he asks? “The endangered Gall’s introductory chapter on the nature conservation areas, including Homo sapiens rangeri may have the answer national parks around Sydney is 101 national parks. Amazing. – if you can find one!” But we can supply excellent, but you have to wait until the answer – lack of funding and staff. The reader needs stamina too. The chapter 16 before he reaches Victoria, book has over 500 pages and no photos. via Queensland, NT, WA and SA. I hope Parks Victoria’s new CEO Bradley For these, you have to visit the above Some of his comments on our parks Fauteux reads this book, at least the website, which has a gallery of over are in the box below. chapters on Victoria. It highlights the often 1000 photographs as well as a blog wide gap between the purple prose of park His overall conclusions are worth and contact details. marketing and the on-ground realities in quoting. “National parks protect the the parks. PW The book includes many quoted very best of our natural heritage. • conversations between the author and They also attract over 100 million review by michael howes.

bruce Gall on Victoria’s parks Parks Victoria loses staff

lower Glenelg np: lack of signs meant he couldn’t find the Sapling parks victoria has fewer employees creek walk. now than it had when the coalition mt richmond np: great flora and fauna, and ‘a little display shelter government came to power in 2010-11. was good’. PV annual reports have shown figures of actual employees and full-time Grampians np: Brambuk centre had good displays but no national equivalents (Fte) since 2006-07. park souvenirs, only Brambuk ones. ‘like most park shops, the the decrease has been about 6-7% each majority of items were imported [and] had little or no relevance to the year, a total of 18.1% by 2013-14. the park’. the pinnacle track has ‘some of the best stonework i’ve seen’ area of the parks estate remained fairly and Wonderland was ‘a wonderful walk [and] excellent track’. constant over this period at 4.1 million port Campbell np: faded and incomplete interpretive signs. at the hectares, so the ratio of employees to twelve apostles, such signs were small and low and not many people parks area has fluctuated as employee read them. “I would replace the silly kiosk [there] with a staffed centre numbers rose and fell. and high-quality display.” When pv was created in 1996 there was about one employee per 4,000 hectares yarra Flats: display shelter had too much text, too few photos and of park. the ratio fell to one per 3,700 ha no map. from 2008 to 2011, then rose dramatically mornington peninsula np: three display panels at sorrento Back to one per 4,540 ha last year. Beach “were so rusty they were illegible. Judging by the grubby the decrease in FtE staff is just on rotunda and information display, mornington peninsula was not a 200 (18%) of the 1103 employed in ‘healthy Park’”. 2011, or 22.2% of the current level of 903 Fte. PW wilsons promontory np: tidal river visitor centre staff were ‘friendly • and efficient’. Figures courtesy robert bender

36 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 nEw From Csiro publisHinG

book. With an eye and ear for the heroic, Australian Alps the tragic and the humorous, Deirdre takes us on an authoritative journey through the Kosciuszko, Alpine and geology, the plants and animals, Aboriginal Namadgi National Parks occupation, pastoralism, gold mining, water, the road to conservation and, finally, a useful by deirdre slattery. csiro publishing, dec. visitor’s guide. 2015. paperback, 300 pages. rrp $45.00. The journey is peppered with intriguing quotes from remarkable characters, and Whether you have just a passing interest in illustrated with well-chosen photographs, the High Country of south eastern many of them historical. Midway there is a Australia, or you think you already know chapter on Science in the Alps contributed everything there is to know about the by Linden Gillbank, but Deirdre pays due Australian Alps National Parks, this is a of Australia’s most treasured, and homage to the wealth of alpine science, and book you will pick up again and again. most contested, natural areas. the scientists, throughout the volume. Deirdre Slattery, a geographer, This volume is a revision of the This is a very readable book, full of environmental educator and past VNPA first edition of her Australian interesting anecdotes: a remarkable story councillor, has garnered information from a Alps field guide (1998), but it told with genuine respect. PW wide range of scientific and historical sources has been so thoroughly revised • to put together the extraordinary tale of one and enlarged that it’s really a new review by phil ingamells Mountain Ash The complete guide to finding the Fire, logging and the future Mammals of Australia of Victoria’s Giant Forests By david andrew. csiro publishing, dec 2015. paperback, 448 pages. rrp $49.95. By david lindenmayer, david Blair, lachlan mcBurney, sam Banks. csiro publishing, Nov. 2015. This comprehensive paperback, 200 pages. rrp $59.95. guidebook is a must for anyone wanting In Mountain Ash the authors present a to see Australia’s rich compelling case for scientific evidence- and unique array of based forest management and policy. mammals. The book should be compulsory reading David Andrew is no for all members of Victoria’s Forest As well as covering the response stranger to producing Industry Taskforce as they negotiate of plants and animals to the 2009 wildlife guides and policies for Victoria’s future forest industry, fires and the complexities of information. He which is heavily concentrated in our fire research, Lindenmayer et al co-wrote a number studied how factors such as logging Central Highlands Mountain Ash forests. of travel guides for and slash burning influence these Lonely Planet, including their Watching It’s also an extremely valuable resource for responses. There were many Wildlife titles. people battling to protect these forests in unexpected findings, and the a Great Forests National Park, because in researchers felt it was vital to make In this guide he describes Australia’s best this one book are detailed many of the key the public aware, for example, that mammal-watching sites, and includes arguments for protecting the forests. past logging practices can make a complete annotated taxonomic list, Lindenmayer’s research teams from the these forests more fire-prone. sections on travel and logistics, and hints ANU have been conducting rigorous Based on their findings, the on photographing mammals. There are also and extensive research on the ecology of authors outline how to protect and regional maps with featured wildlife sites Mountain Ash forests for over 30 years. restore the Mountain Ash forests, clearly indicated. When they continued their research after and discuss future research the devastating 2009 Black Saturday fires, The book will be of interest to mammal directions and forest scenarios. enthusiasts, biological field workers and they had a solid scientific data base for it. They also explain their research volunteers, tourists, and anyone wanting methods and effectively debunk Mountain Ash is concise and engagingly to observe or photograph Australian many forest management myths. written as it presents the results of the mammals in the wild. A perfect gift for post-fire ecological recovery research in the An outstanding publication! • PW any wildlife seeker! • PW forests. The text is accompanied by superb clear photos and informative captions. review by evelyn Feller review by tilly reynolds

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 37 Jill Redwood, coordinator of Environment standing alone against a powerful Environmentalist East Gippsland and one of Australia's most timber industry in the East committed and inspiring environmental Gippsland forests. of the Year campaigners who has worked tirelessly to protect the region’s forests and wildlife, was Often threatened but never named Environmentalist of the Year by the bowed, she continues to be a Bob Brown Foundation in September. strong voice for the protection of our remaining native forests and She has lived in Goongerah, East Gippsland for the native animals that depend more than 30 years on a self-sufficient property on them. she built herself, and also runs an eco-tourism cottage on her property. Earlier this year Jill's work with Environment East Gippsland You can visit the property and the forests next helped win a reprieve for 2000 year on the VNPA’s annual Forests Forever hectares of forest habitat for three Easter Ecology Camp – see advert on back cover. threatened species of owls. Bob Brown said that Jill is a woman of The VNPA congratulates Jill on enormous courage and integrity, sometimes this well-deserved award. • PW

Jill Redwood and Bob Brown at the presentation. PHoTo: DAVID TATNALL

Best Friend Awards Vale

This year the Victorian Environmental kay johnston and trevor phillips, Russell Best Friends Network has presented Friends of Gardiners Creek Valley VNPA member, field Best Friend awards to six people botanist and passionate in recognition of their great Kay has been a very active member of the Macedon Ranges local contributions over many years. The Friends group since its foundation in 1991, Russell Best died from work of five of them is outlined and often writes inspiring articles for the cancer on 14 October. below; that of Les Smith of Friends group’s newsletters. of the Little Desert was described in Russell's environmental September Park Watch. Over the past 23 years she has documented the progress of the Glenburn Bend Park area. achievements included: ann and bruce mcGregor, Her photographs show its transformation • developing Natureshare, Friends of merri Creek from a weed-infested wasteland to an oasis of a valuable local recording indigenous trees, shrubs and other vegetation. database for sightings of Ann and Bruce are Honorary Life flora and fauna Members of the Friends, helping form Trevor has been a member of the Friends for 11 years and President for the past ten. He • campaigning to protect the the group in 1989 and continuing to be valuable plant and animal extremely active members. plans, organises and leads all their working bees and tree-planting days. communities of the Barrm Birrm area They are also long-standing VNPA members. Bruce is a member of Kay’s and Trevor’s leadership has helped • surveys of unique and the VNPA Council and currently transform an uninteresting area into threatened plants, and wonderful urban bushland. Bird life is Convenor of the Conservation and discovery of several increasing and native plants are regenerating. Campaigns Committee. threatened species in It has become a haven in which the the region Since 1976, Ann and Bruce have been community can gain much pleasure and • co-authoring Macedon absolutely crucial in the restoration of inspiration. Range Flora, an invaluable Merri Creek. guide to local plants. morris maxwell, Friends of They were both closely involved in margaret lewis reserve Russell was also central the fantastic exhibition Merri Creek: to the flora survey work from wasteland to parklands, currently This reserve is a 15 ha bushland and undertaken as part of showing at municipal libraries in the recreation area in Coldstream, formerly Macedon Ranges Shire Merri Creek catchment. part of a farm owned by Margaret Lewis Council's bushland reserve and donated by her in 1981 to Coldstream management plans. They gave a wonderful presentation residents for passive recreational use. Since at the exhibition launch at Brunswick then it has been maintained and cared for by His passion, positive attitude Library on 15 October, where they also the Friends group, led by Morris Maxwell. and expert botanical received their Best Friend awards – Morris received his Best Friend award in knowledge will be greatly much to their surprise! Lilydale on 19 November. • PW missed. • PW

38 PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 After 30 years of remote walking tours, Russell Willis turns his gaze towards the future.

This is my 30th year of running bushwalking tours as Willis’s Walkabouts. For me, this is even greater motivation to ensure 2016 is extra special. For 30 years, I have been blessed in earning a living doing something I love. I visited many wonderful places and met many wonderful people. I have lived a life that many only dream about. Unfortunately, the price for continuing to run this business has been an increasing amount of office work. I’ve had enough. It’s time to concentrate on the things I truly enjoy rather than paperwork. Times change and so must Willis’s Walkabouts. To begin with, this will be the last print advert I run. As such, I’d like to say thanks to all the Park Watch readers who have supported us along the way. The next phase is to consider what next. To celebrate 30 years, I have created a list of the trips I most want to do and will focus on running these over the next few years. I welcome any expressions of interest from those who would like to join me. The best way to find out about Kakadu, Kimberley, Pilbara, Central those trips is to sign up for my free newsletter using the contact button Australia – our bushwalking tours cover on the website. them all. Treks from three days to six weeks, After that there’s the matter of succession. While Willis’s Walkabouts easy, hard or in between. Our overseas will definitely continue to exist, it will need to do so with far less of my trips are different to anything else on offer involvement in the office work. I will, however, continue to lead walks anywhere: Patagonia, Scandinavia, southern for as long as I continue to enjoy it. And, of course, other walks will Africa, Madagascar & more. Check out the continue to be led by my small, select team of guides. trip lists on our website and see for yourself. Yours, Russell Willis Visit the Willis's Walkabouts website or enquire for more information about our upcoming tours today. www.bushwalkingholidays.com.au

PArk wAtch • DECEmbEr 2015 No 263 39 FORESTS FOREVER

EASTER ECOLOGY CAMP

Photo credit: Jude Deland

WHEN CAMP among Peppermint and Manna 25-28 March 2016 Gums on the Brodribb River. WHERE SPOTLIGHT for wildlife. Goongerah, 70km north of Orbost EXPLORE ancient and beautiful forests COST with expert biologists. $75 for the weekend, $35 for one day (concessions available), BE INSPIRED to help save East under 13s free. Gippsland’s spectacular forests.

BOOK YOUR SPOT TO BOOK ONLINE or get more info visit: eastgippsland.net.au/forestsforever, email [email protected] (preferred) or phone 03 5154 0145. OR FILL OUT THE FORM OVERLEAF www.vnpa.org.au www.eastgippsland.net.au