Final Recommendations Greater Bendigo National Park Forests (addition) WELLSFORD Public land use category Protection of 3152 hectares National park, State park worthy of of important habitat for many Greater Bendigo threatened species such National Park Conservation park MOUNT COLE – PYRENEES Greater Bendigo Pyrenees Regional as brush-tailed phascogale National Park Regional park protection Park and swift parrot, and the few Nature reserve New 2016 hectare remaining large trees in this regional park block. Addition of one of the Bushland reserve PHOTO: DAVID TATNALL DAVID PHOTO: incorporating areas largest and best condition box- Historic reserve of most intensive ironbark forests in Victoria, Bendigo State forest recreation. outside of existing parks. Regional Park Water production reserve Pyrenees State Forest Bendigo Regional Park Community use reserve (addition) Retention of 3099 Other public land hectares of existing 3949 hectares incorporates 15km Pyrenees Ranges state forest for the areas of the Wellsford Public land use overlay forest most intensively used Bendigo Forest timber harvesting, Heritage River domestic firewood for recreation. Some domestic ± The Pyrenees Ranges and additional firewood collection would Investigation area boundary features 240 species of recreational uses. be allowed over a ten year native plants including the phase-out period. 073.75 .5 15 22.530 Recommended change in km public land use endemic Pyrenees gum. Pyrenees National A range of threatened Park Hepburn wildlife have been recorded Large new national Hepburn Conservation Park Wombat–Lerderderg National Park Regional Park including brush-tailed park of 15,126 New park of 2714 hectares Large new national park of 49,553 hectares phascogale and the hectares including containing high natural Additions of 2947 (including the existing Lerderderg State WOMBAT – MACEDON values and important hectares mostly Park) to protect water catchments and endangered swift parrot 4443 hectares of habitat for rare and in a popular area headwaters, and high value habitat for rare (pictured back cover). existing nature reserve. threatened species. for recreation. and threatened species. Mount Cole Forest Mount Cole features one Ben Nevis Nature Reserve of Victoria’s most popular New nature reserve walking tracks, the Beeripmo of 1088 hectares on Walk. Its forest harbours the rocky flanks and more than 130 native peaks of the Mount bird species including the Cole range. powerful owl (pictured page 8). The Mount Cole grevillea Mount Buangor is only found here (page 9). National Park Additions to existing Wellsford Forest 2498 hectare Mount Buangor State Wellsford Forest is Park to create new dominated by eucalypts, national park of wattles and wildflowers, 5282 hectares. and a place to enjoy Victoria’s box-iron bark Wimmera River Heritage Area forests as they recover from Addition of 276 hectares to the existing a long history of logging. Wimmera River Heritage Area (outside 45km the investigation area) to protect Ballarat Wombat Forest cultural and ecological values of the Wimmera River’s headwaters. Only 60–90 minutes drive for Melbourne growing Cobaw Conservation Park western suburbs. An New park protecting 2532 ! Locality map hectares important for important habitat for Bendigo landscape connectivity threatened greater gliders and habitat for many rare which require very extensive and threatened species. areas of forest to provide Spargo Creek Regional Park an adequate food source. Fingerpost Regional Park Important headwaters of New regional park New regional park of ! of 1693 hectares 5442 hectares in a major rivers – the Loddon, Ballarat along the Werribee popular recreational area Campaspe, Coliban, Melbourne River provides for ! Maribyrnong, Moorabool additional recreational and Werribee-Lerderderg activities. Domestic Geelong firewood collection rivers – which provide ! 55km water supply for large areas For more detailed map, visit recommended to Blackwood Regional Park Melbourne continue with ten of western Victoria to the www.veac.vic.gov.au/investigation/ New regional park of 3707 30km year phase-out. north and south. central-west-investigation/reports hectares close to townships. Ballarat PARK WATCH • SEPTEMBER 2019 NO 278 7