CetaceanIssue 5 Strandings December No:2009/January 2010

Protecting the vulnerable Watch Inc (HEWI) and the Field Naturalists Club of , the information collected contributed to HEWI’s application for listing under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Listing occurred in early 2009, just before the February bushfires, which unfortunately burnt almost all plants at Castella and Chum Creek. Toolangi is now the only remaining place with a substantial unburnt population of the plant.

Bushfire Recovery funding of $10,000 is helping to protect remaining Round-leaf Pomaderris plants and new germinating seedlings in the Chum Creek area. The species may regenerate from the seed-bank in the soil after fire, but it is likely to be susceptible to weed invasion and grazing by rabbits, deer, wombats and livestock. Flowers of the Pomaderris vacciniifolia Photo: Stephen Meacher Rabbit-proof fencing has been erected at five sites to The February 2009 bushfires put 27 nationally-listed prevent access to animals that may harm the plants and 19 state-listed flora and fauna species and during recovery. ecological communities at further risk. Bushland Coordinator for the Yarra Ranges Council, Some are prominent species like Victoria’s faunal Rowan Hore, said the fires have been a catalyst for emblem, the Leadbeater's Possum, but others are highlighting the need to locate and protect the plant. less well known. For example the Pomaderris “We knew of one population of the species before the vacciniifolia, a slender flowering shrub endemic to fires – along Old Chum Creek Road – and we are now Victoria found mainly in moist forests and lower actively locating other populations on roadsides.” slopes of hilly foothill country. “Prior to knowing whether there was going to be seed Commonly known as the Round-leaf Pomaderris, the germination, the animal exclusion fences were shrub has broad elliptical shiny leaves and creamy installed where it was thought the most germination white flowers with tiny petals. may occur within the vicinity of the burnt plants and Historical records exist for the plant from the where fencing was practical. Warrandyte and Eltham areas through Kinglake, “It was important that during the post-bushfire clean- Castella and Toolangi to Chum Creek, but in the past up of fallen plant debris and firelines that remaining decade concern for the plant had increased to the plants and germinating seedlings weren’t accidentally point where it was estimated that possibly as few as damaged.” 140 mature plants were in existence. Rowan talked to a number of landowners whose In 2006, a botanist from the Department of boundary fences needed replacing along roadsides Sustainability and Environment led a survey to record where the plant has been found. the population at Chum Creek in the Yarra Valley. Assisted by members of Healesville Environment

“Making them aware of this threatened species and storage, and eventually planting the propagated asking them to take care when they are cleaning up seedlings. fence lines has helped to protect any remaining, “We have had an outstanding response from the unburnt plants.” public about this project,” said Kim Boswell, Yarra The Yarra Ranges Council has skilled bushland Ranges Shire Landcare Facilitator. contractors who carry out maintenance and “We are finding that people are getting involved in a protection of threatened and listed community sites, vast array of ways and are contributing some so the newly-identified locations of the Round-leaf fantastic ideas.” Pomaderris will become part of their regular works program. In addition, scientists from the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Arthur Rylah “We avoid the use of herbicides and use intensive Institute and local Toolangi resident, Stephen hand weeding which is proving a successful method Meacher, are doing survey work around Chum Creek, for the scale of the sites,” said Rowan. Castella and Toolangi to map locations of the plant. This information will be provided to the Yarra Ranges Council and the Shire of Murrindindi for planning future protection activities. Stephen is a passionate environmentalist and is helping DSE to prepare documentation for the Commonwealth Government following nomination of the species for protection under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Altogether, there is plenty of action that will hopefully help with the survival of this threatened species.

This site on the Old Chum Creek Rd has been fenced off after the fires is to protect the Pomaderris vacciniifolia which is listed under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act . Landcare is also behind the protection of the Pomaderris vacciniifolia, and has provided $22,000 of funding to the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Landcare Network for a recovery project. Funding has also been provided by the Commonwealth Government’s Caring for our Country Bushfire Initiative.

This project is bringing together many community New Pomaderris vacciniifolia seedlings. members and organisations such as Mt Toolbewong and District Landcare Group, Swinburn TAFE, HEWI, Royal Botanic Gardens, Candlebark Community Nursery, Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and many local residents and businesses. Activities planned include a community event to bring interested people and stakeholders together to learn about the impact of the fire on the species. Then there will be activities for them to get involved in such as searching for specimens, surveying and monitoring, collecting seed for propagation and

Re-opening parks and forests The good news is that visitors are flocking back; keen to see how the park is recovering. All 480 campsites to the public at Tidal River are booked out over weekdays and A favourite summer pastime for many Victorians is a weekends during the holiday period and the cabins visit to one of our national parks, reserves or State are booked solid until February 2010. forests for bushwalking, a mountain or trail bike ride, The Kinglake National Park was severely affected or a relaxing weekend of camping or fishing. by the , which damaged The February bushfires burnt close to 286,000 about 98 per cent of the park, including the park hectares of Public Land including 70 national parks office and most visitor facilities. and reserves and many recreational areas in state A section of the Kinglake National Park that has been forests. For that reason, the Department of closed since the bushfires was temporarily opened for Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria a special community day in November to allow the have focussed their efforts on clearing up and community to see what has been happening since the rebuilding infrastructure to make these burnt areas fires. Parks Victoria opened the gates of the Kinglake safe again for visitors over the Christmas holiday National Park at the end of National Park Road and period. Due to the scale of the damage, not took locals on tours of Mount Sugarloaf and to everything will be completed in time for visitors this Masons Falls to highlight the damage the park summer, but there’s plenty that has been re-opened. sustained and to discuss the enormous amount of Here’s an update on some of our parks and forests work that needs to take place to make these parts of that are popular destinations … the park safe so they can be permanently re-opened to the public. Although over half of Wilsons Promontory National Park was affected by the fires it is now Parks Victoria’s Ranger in Charge at Kinglake, Ion open with only a few small areas remaining closed Maher, said the park is well-loved by members of the pending repair. Over the Cup weekend, local community and it was great to be able to give the north-eastern side of the park re-opened, them an opportunity to reconnect with it on the day. including Lilly Pilly Gully lower area and the track from Parks Victoria is working hard to make the Masons Derby Saddle to Sparks Lookout. The Lilly Pilly upper Falls area safe for visitors, but it is a huge task and trail will hopefully be re-opened in December and will take many months to do. Whisky Bay is expected to re-open for Christmas. However the track to Picnic Point will remain closed “The open day was an opportunity for the until around March 2010. The Tongue Point Track community, under the guidance of rangers, to see remains closed and the track section from Sparkes first-hand the impact of fire on the visitor sites, Lookout to the Point will remain closed for some time infrastructure and the forest and to see the due to the instability of the surrounding hillsides and regeneration that is happening.” the lack of regrowth. Plans for the rebuilding of visitor facilities and concepts for the new park office were also on display for comment. In early November, the Mt Disappointment State Forest was re-opened to the public for the first time since Black Saturday; giving people the opportunity to see the fire’s impact and the environment’s recovery. After extensive road clearing and tree assessment works, the Main Mountain Road, Flowerdale Road and Lords Road are now accessible again, but all other roads and tracks within the forest remain closed until works are complete. Four Wheel Drive motorists are still urged to drive Regrowth of vegetation along Vereker Track in Wilsons safely when re-entering areas of State Forest and Promontory National Park parks after the closures as some of our parks and forests have had significant rainfall this spring.

The scenic Lyrebird Forest Walk, situated in the The Murrindindi Scenic Reserve and camping Mirboo North Regional Park was re-opened in area was severely burnt in the fires with little October. The walk sustained damage to tracks, infrastructure remaining. The popular camping culverts and picnic facilities when the Delburn fire destination gets more than 30,000 campers every swept through the area. year, but after the fires all 100 camping sites have been unavailable for visitors. Camping and day visitor Walkers can also enjoy the re-opened sites have now been cleaned up and DSE is planning Lakes Discovery Trail again after recent heavy rain to re-establish, rationalise and improve the recreation and strong winds brought trees down over the trail sites over time. It is intended that at least some of and delayed clean-up works. the Murrindindi camping sites will be open prior to Seasonal closures have been lifted at the Bunyip Easter 2010. State Park, providing public access to the park’s Roads, Tracks and Recreation Sites Re-opening 4WD network of tracks that were affected by fire. It Website is expected that 100% the park will be open to the public by January 2010. Many roads and tracks in national parks and state forests are normally closed over winter and spring for Lawson Falls and its camping area, Discovery, public safety reasons and to protect track surfaces Freemans Mill, Dyers Creek and Nash Creek camping and the water quality. The February fires meant areas remain closed for tree risk works and asset there were additional roads and tracks closed on top replacement. Lawson Falls picnic ground and Nash of the regular seasonal closures. Creek camping area will remain closed until toilets and other facilities damaged by the fire are replaced. To keep interested people up to date with latest about re-openings, DSE has developed a Public The Cathedral Range State Park is set to be re- Access Interactive Map which provides locational opened to visitors by 18 December, just in time for information regarding road and visitor node closures Christmas. Most of the park was affected by the within areas of Victoria managed by Parks Victoria Black Saturday bushfires with some areas severely and DSE that were affected during the 2008/09 damaged. Sugarloaf Saddle Day Visitor Area remains bushfire season. closed for cultural heritage assessment, it is proposed the area will open to the public around Easter 2010. This map can be used in conjunction with the DSE and PV internet sites to obtain up-to-date information Around 80 per cent of the Mt Stanley Scenic regarding fire recovery progress. Reserve near Beechworth has been re-opened but there are still significant roadworks needed to re-open the summit area, which will hopefully be completed by December. Seventy per cent of the visitor sites are open again in the Yarra Ranges National Park. ski trails were re-opened for the winter season. The Cambarville Picnic Area is now open, in addition to the walking track on the northern side of the Marysville–Woods Point Rd, known as the Big Trees Walk. Walking tracks on the south of the Marysville– Woods Point Rd are likely to remain closed until approx. December 2009. Steavenson Falls will have limited weekend public access to the main falls site from 12 December, with substantive restoration of core facilities in place by September 2010. The three visitor sites off Lady Talbot Drive near Marysville are still closed, with a target re-opening date of end December 2009.