LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria Submission 265

Submission to the Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria

From: The Australian Conservation Foundation Community, District, & Bendigo and District Environment Council (BDEC)

To: The Environment and Planning Committee: [email protected] Date: 19th August 2020

Bendigo District ACF and BDEC acknowledge that we live, work and play on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people, who have an ongoing connection to country. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge that First Nations peoples around the world are leading the call for climate justice.

Contributors to this submission: John Land, Pam Land Barbara Lomas Wendy Radford, John Bardsley Karen Thomas Colin Lambie Ian McCaw John Lindner Stanislaw Pelczynski, Barbara Pelczynska Brenton Rittburger Stuart Fraser Colin Holland Jenny Grant Vyonne McLelland-Howe Marie Bonne Mel Abel Don Leversha

Bendigo District ACF now has a membership of 349, and BDEC a membership of 16. This submission has been approved by the membership of both organizations.

Bendigo ACF and BDEC thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important inquiry.

In short we conclude: 1. Significant and widespread ecosystem decline is occurring in Central Victoria 2. The legislative framework to protect, maintain and restore habitat and biodiversity is weak, and the political will to use such legislation as exists is even weaker. 3. Laws must be strengthened to safeguard our intact ecosystems, protect the critical areas people and wildlife need to survive, tackle our most pressing threats, and create a framework for 30-35% of native vegetation cover across Victoria, and decrease carbon emissions. 4. Immediate action must: (a) implement the recommendations of the June 2019 Victorian Environment Assessment Council Report on the Central West Investigation; (b) cease all native forest logging, and salvage logging, and hasten the transition to plantations; (c) increase funding to maintain and protect National Parks to 1% of the State budget; (d) fund bushfire recovery assessment and management teams. 5. Public authorities and the general public must be made aware of their new duty to consider biodiversity conservation and the objectives of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

1 of 8 Lorikeet was April 2016. The 2016. April was Land’sLorikeet conclude: “Generally the recent dry years, the excessive numbers of wing John and Pam Land 1 unimproved Wendy Radford and John Bardsley are causing a lot of trouble for native birds. Mynahs at our property have put up nesting boxes and attracted red rump parrots and asked their neighbours to help. Now “the other birds have returned although not in the same numbers. We realised that most of the other birds had disappeared.” They pretty successfully time the“Over of number fairy wrens, mudlarks, sparrows and a few crested pigeons, magpies, birds, wattle various honeyeaters, Holland New eyes, silver include visitors Regular She describes her place as “normal sized suburban garden with a mixture of deciduous and native plants. Lomas Barbara have had kangaroos, increased number of neighbours (who all seem to have free range cats), roaming goats and foxes, They had not seen a Tawny- noticed ahave severe in decline Currawongs, Grey Butcherbirds, White ma and Kamarooka areas have gone. Much of our understory has gone over last the ten years or so, which has eared Honeyeaters have remained fairly constant….the Gilbert’s Whistlers that we knew of in the Whipstick have a Honeyeaters most of Numbers well. as declined have three pairs on 100our acres, but now are lucky to find just one. Numbers of spotted and Striated Pardalotes keptThey have records for around 30 years. They note that “Yellow Robins have declined; we used to have stories personal following The and high vegetation cover. addition, we do not provide anecdotal evidence that this decline has continued, and in some cases leads to local extinctions 2009,page 3 Acacia brachybotrya too.” documented by scie trending downwards. According to the Victorian State of the Environment 2018 Report, most biodiversity indica was a significant, systematic significant, a was between 2002/03 and 2006/07. This marked decline occurred in near of insectivorous and nectivorous species, respectively, in agricultural landscapes of north-

Dr. J. Radford, Land and Water , Native Vegetation and Biodiversity Program Report,Final April de nesting for some species unsatisfactory. Many have not raised young for several years. Magpies, Grey

or Dusky Moorhen or Tawny Frogmouth since 2015, and the (a) TERMSOFREFERENCE a sad impact on on our ecosystems.” a sad impact farm property

The extentThe of the decline of Victoria’s biodiversity

lives at Golden Gully, Golden Square, just south of Bendigo central.

ntists and the citizenry alike. citizenry the and ntists know whetherknow the live on alive on acre 100 property near of serious Evidence or or in street, weour insee them large numbers elsewhere Bendigo in knowand they IndianMynah birds

purchased in 1998 .

crowned Honeyeater since 2010, a Painted Buttonquail since 2012, a Brush Bronze

and dramatic decline in species richness of woodland all species richness in decline dramatic and corroboratescientific evidence the number o number the

live live - extinction debt winged Choughs and Ravens seem to be doing well! In particular, we at

South South biodiversity decline in blackbirds.” But she chronicles a pest species

f Grevillea alpina. Grevillea f increased from or one two to a flock ofabout 30. By then we

A LandA and Water Australia report from 2009 “There noted 2 of8

has been fully realized, especially in areas of me , lso declined although the numbers of White : 13 km south of the Bendigo CBD on a lorikeets There are fewer Golden everlastings and … North and Central Victoria

25 km north of Bendigo. last time they saw a saw Purple they last time LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline ly all landscapes.” ly all ….While we no longer have many eradicated the Mynahs and - dependent species, and 1

Our contributors that causes damage.that central Victoria tors are poor and has been - crowned Submission 265 Submission 10 acre dium dium In . In -

species. increased development adjacent development increased toareas, forest 3 2 Ironbark Forest ecological vegetation class was very rich in both flora and fauna. Stanis disaster for pollination of native. plants landscapes in which he works. This he attributes to the notes the decline of t insect life has drastically declined not only in Central Victoria, but in the North East and Pyrenees too. He Stuart Fraser dragonflies, stick insects and bugs McCaw Ian bush end of Cousins Street Colin Lambie regionalfrom parks, disturbance on… so and fill, sediment from areas by human populations… She continue Karen those species dependent on more dense/thicket vegetation, and the over of habitat and increasedthe dry for housinghabitat They note that “during our 21year Persistence Galah,raven, Easterngrey kangaroo Increase frogmouth, Whitewinged chough, brownsnakes, frogs, White whistler, Decline Tufted Disappearance show: records Their Trust for Nature, which isa testimony which Nature, for Trust Grou the early 1990’s with money raised by the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club, the Spring Gully Environmental proliferation of tracks, erosion and sediment flow, the males may males li The a mate. impregnate were: wallabies, tuans, McIvor Spider orchids and possibly sun orchids, to local extinctions the causes of which years we lived there we watched the progressive decline in species populations and, in the case of swamp decline becoming a rarity in my suburban neighbourhood. The frequency of hearing frog sounds is also on the “In She writes Naturalists. Field for Bendigo Program lived on a 5 acre block, one of 30 covenanted propertie dotterel, Australian owlet nightjar, Swamp harrier, Darter producing the next generation. Their procreation is very fragile in in others increased.” and it down, were some in areas Thisnumbers the year phascogales. there has been not enough time and data to say they are declining….wherever we put boxes we find

Stan continues: “The Flora Reserve abutting Hodges Lane, Bennett’s Road and O’Keefe Trail was bought in Brush tailed Phascogales, or Tuans, require unbroken scent trails in the forest in order to detect and p, Bendigo and District Environment Council and the Strathfieldsaye Council, and then covenanted by and the the and - lives at Mandurang at lives Thomas law law Olive backed honey eaters, backed Olive . T

in in ”

inpopulations of he discovery of a puddle or pond containing tadpoles is now only a child populationsof Pelczynski and Barbara Pelczynska kept records at Bennetts Road,

of severalof of s: “ s: , of ,, of whohas been a erosion lives in Strathdale in lives of - Noisy friarbird, Brown falcon, Yellow tailed black cockatoos, Tawny Tawny cockatoos, black tailed Yellow falcon, Brown treecreeper, friarbird, throated Noisy What I fear is the future impact on the populations by the of increase pressures urban Red equent cons The facilities. community works road and ,

he he , Strathdale.” He provides a nearmap image “showing the many in top right in the image….Iof has the believe worse situation got lastover the 10 years.” - echidnas browed firetail finches, B finches, firetail browed Bogong moth Bogong Eastern Rosellas ( Rosellas Eastern Noisy miner, Indian miner, Grey currawong, White eared honeyeater, Australian

notes the “decline of insectthe population increase in tracks and increase eros

over the 21 year period 21year the over l

oss of more tree canopy and writes “I note the extent of bike tracks through the Ibush walk in at the due to climatechange, probably

ve for one year; the females for two. If scent trails are disturbed by a of surfaces by detectors in general general in

, , Clamorousorioles reed warbler, Scarlet robin, Hooded robin, s and is the volunteer who runs

at South Mandurang we have witnessed the much removal of ” ”

in particular, suggesting that the moth is now not apparent at all in the to the value of the richthe to biodiversity of the area. supplanted professional professional – to the extent that sighting of the first three examples is lack faced cuckoo faced lack increased predation increased 3 of8

the time that I have been working with the phascogales

with Crimsonwith Rosellas),Spotted pardalote,

s. Stan writes “this predomin “this writes s. Stan widespread use pesticides. use of widespread and annual rainfall. annual and

ion stealing wood in property, loss of private corridors…stealing

bee keeper for 40+ years, supports this view that – the perennial problemswith popul

2 of sediments into waterways, loss of waterholes of waterholes loss waterways, into sediments of

accounts for the disappearance or decline of the Brush the ellow Yellow kites, shouldered shrikes, Black not find their mate and will likely likely will mate and find their not a forest the on edge of a suburban area. LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline

by cats, foxes, increased use of natural , particularly with regard to butterflies, with to butterflies, regard , particularly - abundance of more aggressiveabundance fragmentation of flora and corridors -

tailed Junortoun Junortoun ” 3 hood memory.” hood

He continues,“Over the 18 Phascogale Recovery antlyBox part of Box

tracks criss crossing the the criss crossing tracks

He comments itthat is a from 1990 ation increase. ation Black Submission 265 Submission

Rufus good quality - die before before die 2008. They -fronted … …

-

” ”

Colin realize their physical, mental and spiritual health is intimately connected health of the iswith connected mentalhealth intimately spiritual their and physical, realize decline. They grieve living They creatures habitat the therein. the and loss of landscape, angry about community, are this the distressed othersin and many Our and members, to writes: point can “I John L Don servi cumulative impact of which has drastic consequences on Australia’s the and other places, in occurring is what represents it as example it an isolated not is but environment, Stan concludes: “Our experience is just one example of a small River flows declined from the mid 90’s, with droughts and overall decrease in rainfall and and usa rainfall in and decrease with overall droughts the 90’s, from mid declined flows River waterbottled companies. have free access free have riverbanks. to still areas In some cattle disappearance! the about shrimp’s wonder I areas. catchment the in Commission the Upper Loddon River Catchment area, Guildford Region, to ’s the present. 1960 John Lind Recordof evidence 10, 2020 he wrote: Creek, seemed to have lost its population of native Common Galaxias. had disappeared. Smaller creeks in the area feeding the Loddon [showed biodiversity decline] e.g. Limestone nextseason. First noticed a declinein fish populationsinmid80’s the andnoted t the until levels water good held pools decent all almost ceased flows some summer although and regular very introduced species, alongside used to large have used numbers number of years of number seen other bird species, such as tawny frogmouth, pardalotes, wattle birds or white winged chuffs for a ..h any birds. see small not I Noisynow do Miners numbers of large in to part Thanks alpina. Grevillea most and of orchid species with several along disappeared has flower wax Native seedlings! melaleuca moisture the in soil. More than half have died, along with a number of large eucalypts. I don’t see any • • • • • • • • • (a) ces and climate. and ces Holland eversha Continued and continuous loss of big trees in and around the urban area ’ of certain‘Explosion large bird species’ populations e.g. Crested Pigeon, Galah People’s attitude to the natural environment weeds (introduction environmental and plants of exotic Population growth and consequent new subdivisions Cats, dogs, foxes and feral bees Road kills Spread of of theSpread along Bridal Creeper Bendigo consideration climateof impacts of birds Fewer sightings Black prey e.g. Spread ofGazania Daises on any vacant land Bendigo, especially with Red Ironbark and lorikeets of various species after year flower regularly and feed thousands of birds as is happening at moment the … There h There Ground Fromt “Initially river aquatic life, platypus, water rats and fish populations were abundant, mainly mainly abundant, were and populations water rats fish platypus, life, aquatic river “Initially ner and the l

has lived in White in Hillshas lived

, of Bendigo submitted anecdotal observations ofLoddon River aquatic life

also of Junortoun he70’s herbicide (2-4- . Don’t . Don’t very hear frogs either.” often as beenan increase in some vegetation as native riparian CMA’s removedhave Crack Willows. ng bei lines cappedcreek on and some springs with flows suffered water also has extracted by “My one hectare block is a good example ofwhat climate change has brought about. It ikely impact on people, and ecosystems, if more not is done to address this, including – ” ” nature diaryobservations

some factors which indicate indicate which some factors

of Melaleucaof decussate

native river blac , corroborates the corroborates, the previous a observations with current update. , a northern suburb of Bendigo, for 27 years (1993 to 2020). D andD 2-4-5- kfish in the upper reaches above Vaughan. Seasonal flows were

- shouldered Kite, Australian Hobby, Brown Goshawk Brown Hobby, Kite, Australian shouldered T) were - – Echuca railway easement railway Echuca 4 of8

totem poles, which require a certain amount of decline

sprayed by farmers, Lands Department and Forest loca

in ecosystem integrity around here: l extinction LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline

biodiversity and thence on our ecosystem

and degradation of the

– He writes: He the big trees which year hat the small river shrimps shrimps river small the hat and river flows from from flows river and

ge pressure.” all over

Submission 265 Submission On August August On

ave not

)

6 5 4 of great value. public is generally unaware of how to go about using lawsthe to protect areas/ecosystems they that know are the summary, In protect the critical areas people and wildlife need to survive and tackle mostour pressi endangered species, and increasingly so according to considered significant enough to be ‘listed’. Today’s common species will be tomorrow’s vulnerable and as endangered assessed threaten or A endangered species, not reducing it.” current scathing report suggests “ But that is a problem too as the Federal Act is not used or funded properly either. The Auditor General’s collaboration should which Act Federal EPBC the with it aligns method assessment common The biodiversity, we note that it has not Victorian the Flora Whilst and FaunaGuarantee Act enhanced and not be delayed. biodiversity. Victoria’s must“Victoria take urgent action to decrease our carbon emissions if we are to furtherhalt protecting and valuing our waterways are vital.” (Colin Holland) “A McCaw) mere twinkling of an eye we have changed this forever and so much has gone that can’t be replaced.” (Ian been faultlessly maintained by the indigenous inhabitants for the previous sixty or so thousand years. In the . decline. of leadership lack and are frustrated inaction They about government childre the species at risk.” at species underestimate. In reality many more face extinction.. .. 1800 plants and animals that are forma it halt than rather decline biodiversity facilitated dependent’ wild’, ‘critically endangered’, ‘endangered’, ‘vulnerable’, and in the case of a taxon of fish, ‘conservation “When we occupied this country some 240 years ago the balance between biodiversity and land care had

https://www.envirolawspenletter.com.au/ le offsets environmental flawed to urged fix Government “Morrison 27/06/20 Guardian, The Park Watch No.281June 2020p.20 fundamental flaw ddressing the issues that cause our more frequent droughtsand changing the climate (c) ecosystems (b) n and grandchildren because they realize that biodiversity decline heralds our species our species decline heralds realize biodiversity that n andthey because grandchildren The a The Victoria’s ecosystems The The

. adequac

dequacy and effectiveness of government programs and funding protecting and restoring 4

legislative framework weak, is and the political will to use it even weaker

upon which we are all dependent. They worry about the future for their for their future about the are all worry we dependent. They upon which

in

y the of legislative framework protecting Victoria’s environment, including grasslands, such legislation is that it only swings into action once a species/process/ecosystem is is species/process/ecosystem a once action into swings is only that it such legislation Legislation toprotect important natural areas from expanding urbanisation should be forests and the marine and coastal environment, and native species; ” ” (Jenny Grant) offsets tooffsets approve developmentssugg ed be ‘the new FFG Act will … use th new use … will ‘the Act FFG 5

. It does not address the continuing decline of local biodiversity not en lly listed as threatened with extinction, it’s clear this an is

properly used

. It has been recently altered to has has 5 of8 250 proven and funded, and thus couldbeconsidered have to Laws

of Australia’s

must safeguard our intact ecosystems

inadequate inadequate e subcategories e subcategories LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline

scientists. est usage is worsening impact on worsening is usage est to maintain protect and allow “ make make While there are more than – ‘extinct’, ‘extinct in the it it to for of ease ng threats.” work a little better. work a better. little . In addition, the aving threatened

conditions and Submission 265 Submission

Victoria’s Victoria’s decline in decline 6 and

8 Grant, Jenny management. future would inform which programs monitoring from data the build to local communities with work in th of biodiversity maintenance the with to members keen assist community of failure onethe by example isjust governmentThis to capitalize on the enthusiasm and knowledge of government. State Programs over provided $1,000. Governmentfunding fo unique biodiversity of species in the area as well as the important aboriginal sites.” aboriginal important area the as speciesthe as in well of biodiversity unique Support is needed at Kooyoora for weed control (wheel cactus), feral animal control (goats) and mapping the indigenous management partnerships, but progress was slow through delays in getting a permanen Ranger. t As a more recent member of Friends of Kooyoora State Park I noted the positive connections with developing Groups, Friends Groups, Nature Clubs and education and environmental groups, schools, and Parks Victoria. “To protect natural ecosystems from further decline more funding and support needs to be given to Landcare Pro species.” and habitats ecosystems, threaten activities management of fire the much how knowing worthwhile would be it and management fire to animals and weeds overall, let alone park by park. There seems to be a huge proportion ofits budg was extremely difficult to find what out percentage of P disproportionately contains numerous motherhood and Pam and John write:Land “We had a look at Parks Victoria (PV) Annual Financial Report, which this. aware of are acutely submission position is not secure and isnot secure position of a large urban population and as such need more ‘feet on the ground’ to ensure complia has funded a Community Engagement Officer for Bendigo parks, specifically because they are on the doorstep Insecurity of funding is evidence of government short sightedness. The Healthy Parks, Healthy People program sustaining parks, our Gliders in and theSugar of popPhascogales ulations This Parks. and National Regional Bendigo’s in maintained and installed boxes functioning and , 1990s the since Club Naturalists Karen Thomas is key the organizer ofthe Bendigo Phascogale Nest Box Program, apathy and disinterest, developers, money - Nature is our National Park system…It is under siege on every front – Management nest box designs and the paucity of natural tree hollows in our study area.” of census. These are very high levels of use by target species, which reflect the appropriateness of the installed found that 57% were used by the Brush- John Lindner concludes his contribution: “The only weapon we have is to fortify and strengthen the Wor

Brenton Rittburger, Convenor, Bendigo Family Nature Club, June ‘20 ject Hindmarsh tree planting program run by Hindmarsh Landcare, for over 20 years. writes: She a 25 haveyear been selfperiod aimed at restoring or maintaining biodiversity are chronically underfunded , or funded not at all by

Bendigo resident, & Restoration & Successive Stat Successive r this this r i s again fighting for funding. suggests: “The nest boxes we studied had been in place for 10- successful successful has been involved with many community conservations initiatives, like the like the initiatives, conservations many community with involved has been e of Victoria’s Environment Reports indicate this. Contributors to this -

funded by the program volunteers themselves. run by community volunteers. program has been tailed Phascogale and 37% were used by the Sugar Glider in the year boxes boxes the and maintaining installing building, for costs all Otherwise, makers etc.etc.” 6 of8 8

arks arks

vague statements with much management

, total,in ,

V ic ’s budget is for used the ofcontrol feral

LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline $2,000 for the production of nest boxes.

At present the program has 400+ inadequate resources and staffing, public

as a study as a in reported 7

eir areas. eir areas. auspiced by the Bendigo Field

It is also a failure a It isalso to has contributedhas to nce. Yetnce. this 25 years. We We years. 25 Ecological Ecological Submission 265 Submission - et devoted devoted et speak. It

ld ld of

13 12 11 10 9 What then? The Environment, Deakin University, October 2004. current inquiry. the to contributions essential make will they we exist, all on which land the of owners traditional as that and We suggest that you hold extensive consultations with the Dja Dja Wurrung community of the Kulin nation, E National ‘How much habitat is enough?’ Jim Radford, Andrew Bennett and Lindy MacRaild, School of Ecology and Sanislaw JennyGrant, Bendigo nvironmental Justice Australia (EJA) e

State government government State (e) (d)    (f) protection, restoration and recovery in Victoria, in the context of climate cha Legislative, policy, program, governance and funding solutions to facilitate ecosystem and species For theFor urban environment Strengthen legislation to mandate action on all atrisk species through the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Oppor map local diversity, share data as well as help implement practical action action to practical implement help as well as data share diversity, local map Seize the opportunity to connect with local groups and help fund worthy programs which study and   havensand corridors.” urban community plantings, parks and reserves to protect and grow native species’ and insects’ safe of parts key implementing A review by the Auditor General in 2009 found that successive governments had all but abandoned Act of 1988. The objective of this act is to “guarantee the survival ofall of Victoria’s flora and fauna. ecosystems and to use locally indigenous species for planting in local areas.” in local planting species for indigenous locally and to use ecosystems need legislation which encourages and protects “local governments to retain improve and n heavily cleared.” cleared.” heavily n bee high with areas vegetation cover thoseamong interspersed are regularly where has vegetation native practical to have uniform cover of 30 regions in southern Australia an average of 30- in woodland species present most support to However, some species. of populations sustainable otherAny related matters country, and increasing and diversifying employment opportunities in Victoria and Departmentshould be boundbylaw biodiversity. fully. act the of provisions  of the FFG Act. Only one new Action Statement has been developed in the past year.” under the act have Recovery Action Statements prepared despite this being a mandatory requirement of the legal measures to protect flora and fauna never used. Fewer than listed of half the 675 species had changed since that review finding that “the FFG Act remains very poorly implemented with many  “ We hav In mosa In Strategy for Conservation of Biodiversity, 1996 Pelczynski and Barbara Pelczynska and Barbara Pelczynski

urgently Assist Implementing current level ofcurrent 0.5% Increase funding tomaintain protect and Investigation Central onWest the Report Council Assessment plantation forestry by abolishing Cease all native forest logging threats. Their Their it. repudiation of the noxious Regional Forest Agreements with the Federal government then so be tunities to restore Victoria’s env

e known for many years what is necessary to protect biodiversit 2 asy this ics with with 10 ics

bushfire recover bushfire appalling record of allowing illegal logging unde funding on- must

,

- take take in their entirety, the theirin entirety, recommendations of the June 2019 Victorian Environment 20% 10 13 W immediate action ground surveys cover, many species are in decline but this is enough habitat to support

the act. In 2019 Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) found that nothing y by protecting unburnt refuges that may support threatened species, e need to limits and “reduce speed natives scapes” street grow in

“we need to encourage and provide network support and funding for - bulletin,July 2020 , including so including ,

- Vic Forests 35% on all farms and landscapes, but we need to ensure that

ironment

to assess where species are hanging on and then managing to carry out the objectives of the FFG Act using the to 7 of8 solutions provide National Parks to 1% ofthe State budget from the 35% 35% native vegetation cover is necessary. It is not - called‘salvage logging’

and. creating Plantations Vic while upholding First Peoples’ connection to

LC EPC Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria LC EPCInquiryintoEcosystemDecline r the EPBC Act should provide an by:

and facilitateswap a to

maintain and restore 12 If this requires If this nge impacts 004 study shows: 9

The Minister The Submission 265 Submission natural 11 out.

We ”