LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL imm»>^ STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT or PUBLIC LAND USE VICTORIA m LAMD CON^RVATIOn COUMCIL STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT or PUBLIC LAND USE VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA JULY 1988 4th Floor, 464 St. Kilda Road Melbourne 3002. Phone: (03) 2671311 Price $10.00 ISBN 0 7241 9082 1 Cover photographs: Mallacoota Inlet The 'Snow drifts' Snowy River entrance and coast Pine Plains at Bete Bolong towards Cape Howe Mallee area N, Rosengren A. Shugg u, Rosengren (iii) CONTENTS Page Council Members (v) Foreword (vi) Acknowledgements (vii) PART I - INTRODUCTION 1 1. Introduction 3 2. Victoria's Public Land Estate 5 3. History of the Allocation and Use of 14 Public Land PART II - ROLE AND PROCESS OF THE 39 LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL 4. Land Conservation Council - Origin and Operation 41 5. Public Consultation Process 52 6. Public Land Classification 64 FART III - USES AND VALUES OF PUBLIC LAND 75 7. Status of Public Land Use 77 8. Nature Conservation 92 9. Land Systems 117 10. Ecological Reference 130 11. Education 138 12. Historic and Cultural Values 150 13. Landscape 166 14. Recreation 172 15. Catchments, Groundwater and Salinity 183 16. Forest Produce 210 17. Minerals, Fossil Fuels and Stone 227 18. Agriculture 246 19. Utilities 257 PART IV - DATA COLLECTION AND VALUES ASSESSMENT 265 OF PUBLIC LAND 20. Economic Valuation of Public Land 267 21. Environmental Data 281 22. Research 284 PART V - DISCUSSION OP ISSUES 287 23. Discussion of Issues 289 APPENDICES 323 I Public Land Use Categories and Recommendations 325 II Definition of 'International Union for 336 Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Conservation Areas III Interstate Definitions of National Parks 338 IV Interstate Definitions of Major Conservation 340 Reserves (Other than National Parks) V Analysis of Records of Threatened Fauna in 344 Victoria (iv) Page VI Recommendations for Wildlife and Flora and 345 Fauna Reserves in Relation to State Wildlife Reserves VII Major Deficiences in the Representation of 354 Plant Communities in the Conservation Reserve System VIII Land Systems of Victoria (Available 362 from LCC in microfiche form on request) IX Representation of Land Systems in Reserves 363 X Reference Areas by Investigation Areas 375 XI Council Recommendations for Landscape 380 Character Types XII Provision for Recreation Activities in 386 Council Recommendations XIII Recreation Settings 390 XIV Council's Water Production Recommendations 393 XV Water Catchments Not Yet Proclaimed - 405 Priority for Investigation XVI Water Supply Catchment Land Use Controls 410 XVII Consultancies Commissioned by the Council 412 XVIII Research Areas Identified or Recommended 418 by Council MAPS 1. Public Land Use (NE) back pocket 2. Public Land Use (SE) back pocket 3. Public Land Use (SW) back pocket 4. Public Land Use (NW) back pocket 5. Public Land and LCC Study Areas page 10 6. Expansion of the Squatters' Runs page 19 7. Land Conservation Council Investigations page 45 1971—87 8. Vegetation Cover at the Time of page 94 Settlement 9. Vegetation Cover 1987 page 95 10. Vegetation Provinces page 100 11. Major Conservation Reserves page 107 12. Upper Yarra Reservoir Catchment page 184 13. Moorabool River Catchment page 184 14. Water Supply Catchments - Proclamations back pocket and Land Use Determinations 15. Dryland Salinity page 202 16. Irrigation Associated with Salinity page 203 17. Mineral and Oil Exploration Licences back pocket and Applications 18. Public Land Use 1970 back pocket 19. Land Systems (NE) back pocket 20. Land Systems (SE) back pocket 21. Land Systems (SW) back pockiat 22. Land Systems (NW) back pocket (V) MEMBERS OF THE LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL D.H.F. Scott, B.A, (Chairman) R.W. Campbell, B.Vet.Sc, M.B.A.; Director - Land Protection Division (Deputy Chairman) D.M. Calder, M.Sc, Ph.D., M.I.Biol. L. Macmillan, M.Sc.(Hons.) R.D, Malcolmson, M.B.E., B.Sc, F.A.I.M., M.I.P.M.A., M.Inst.P., M.A.I.P. A.H. Teese, B.Ag.Sc, T.S.T.C. K.G. Bowen, B,Sc.(Hons.), Dip.Ed.; Executive Director - Minerals, Department of Industry, Technol­ ogy and Resources W.A. Chamley, B.Sc, D.Phil.; Director - Fisheries Division L.R. Foster, B.A., B.Ed., L.L.B; Director-General - Depart­ ment of Conservation, Forests and Lands J.P. Paterson, B.Com., Ph.D.; Director-General, Department of Water Resources CT. Patton, B.Agr.Sc, Dip.Agr.Ext. ; Acting Manager - Policy Development, Department of Agricul­ ture and Rural Affairs D.S. Saunders, B.Agr.Sc, M.A.I.A.S.; Director - National Parks and Wildlife Division R.P. Smith, B.Sc, M.B.A., Ph.D.; Director - Lands and Forests Division (vi) FOREWORD The Land Conservation Council was established under the Land Conservation Act 1970. The function of the Council is 'to carry out investigations and make recommendations to the Minister with respect to the use of public land in order to provide for the balanced use of public land in Victoria'. One of the main purposes of this review is to identify issues concerning public land use which will need to be addressed in the future by the appropriate agencies and individuals. As this report deals with public land which is a community asset and is managed on behalf of all Victorians, the Coun­ cil is seeking the comments on the review and the issues raised in it, from government and community organisations and from individuals. After considering these, the Council will publish a summary of the major aspects of the State­ wide Assessment and a consideration of the issues to be addressed in the future arising out of the review and community contributions. Comments should be forwarded to the Secretary of the Land Conservation Council by 31 October 1988. DAVID^J SCOTT Chairman Land Conservation Council 4th Floor 464 St Kilda Road MELBOURNE 3004 (vii) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This major assessment of the environmental and economic val­ ues of public land in Victoria and the review of public land planning procedures, has been a co-operative venture. The Land Conservation Council, as the vehicle for the review, expresses its appreciation and thanks to a great many people and organisations. Sam Dimmick chaired the Council with great dedication and distinction from 1971 to 1984. A blend of determination and wit, combined with an ability to resolve differences through discussion and negotiation, contributed to his success as Chairman. His straightforward approach, appreciation of com­ munity needs, and judgement in proposing solutions to land use issues, earned him the respect of his fellow members and the different governments under which he served. During his 13 years as Chairman, the Council established many policies, published 65 reports, and made nearly 3800 recommendations, virtually all of which were accepted by the government. Mr Alex Mitchell, former Chairman of the Soil Conservation Authority, was Deputy Chairman of the Council from 197 3 to 1985. He played an important role in developing the proces­ ses followed by Council, and made a major contribution to Council's land use decisions. Claude Austin was an original member of the Council and gave outstanding service over a period of 15 years until his retirement in 1986. He played a major role in the creation of the Council through his forthright public opposition to the farming development proposed for the Little Desert in 1968 and 1969. The work of other former Council members is gratefully acknowledged and all made a significant contribution to public land use planning in the State. They were: Mr J.R. Ashworth, Mr J.D. Brookes, Dr W.S. Carroll, Mr E.J. Condon, Mr B.W. Court, Dr R.G. Downes, Mr A. Dunbavin-Butcher, CMG, Professor P.A, Eddison, Mr G,G. Griffin, Dr. R-J. Grose, Mr T. Gunnersen, Dr W.N. Holsworth, Mr A.J. Holt, Mr J. Landy, Mrs J. Lindros, Mr CE. Middleton, Dr F.R. Moulds, Mr J.V. Mullaly, Dr G.G, Newman, Mr J.F. Pilbeam, Mr J.S. Rogerson, Dr D.F. Smith, Dr L.H. Smith, Dr D. Spencer-Jones, Mr G.L. Swartz, Mr R.H. Taylor, Mr A.J. Threader, Dr A.L. Tisdall, Professor J.S, Turner, Mr J.C.F. Wharton, Mr R.G. Whiting, Dr D.S. Wishart, and Mr J,J, Wright. Council also wishes to place on record its appreciation of Ministers of the Crown responsible for its work: The Hon­ ourable W.A. Borthwick, MP; The Honourable W.V, Houghton, MLC; The Honourable E. Walker, MLC; The Honourable J.H. Kennan, MLC; and The Honourable T.W. Roper, MP. Dr Mick Lumb, then the Council's Director of Land Use Plan­ ning, was largely responsible for the idea for this review (viii) and its early planning. A committee of Council, comprising Mr Keith Bowen, Dr Malcolm Calder, Mr Donald Malcolmson, MBE, and Mr Don Saunders, provided editorial advice. Information for chapters and maps was supplied by the De­ partments of Conseirvation, Forests and Lands; Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Industry, Technology and Resources; and Water Resources, and the Victoria Archaeological Survey. The following staff from these organizations prepared or re­ vised chapters and other data for the report: Chris Ashe, Chris Bell, Peter Brown, Neville Byrne, Peter Cabena, Greg Cahill, Pauline Clancy, Tony Cooney, Bill Emison, Ian Hamer, Nick Holmes, Doug Hooley, Don Hough, Mike Mclntyre, Peter Menkhorst, Steve Moss, Gerry O'Brien, Pat O'Shaughnessy, Mark Parsons, Gary Presland, Peter Robertson, Mike Sandford, Steve Slater, Roger Smith, Bob Warneke, and David Williams. The Council is especially grateful for the assistance of Doug Frood, and for the work of Jim Rowan of the Land Pro­ tection Division (Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands) in remapping the land systems for this study.