march 2012 No 248 $7.00 People caring for nature The quarTerly jourNal of The Vic ToriaN NaTioNal Parks associa TioN Saving the sea INSIDE • Marine conservation • VNPA 60th anniversary • Control burning • Cattle grazing • Darebin Parklands • Tributes … and more Inside VNPA 60th anniversary: Tidal River lodges in 1953. Control burning threatens biodiversity. Does it save houses? See p. 12. PhoTo courTesy Dse See p. 14. PhoTo: Geoff cary Strathbogie Ranges CMN members, part of the Central Victorian Discover Chiltern-Mt Pilot NP. Biolink project, discover the Ranges’ geology. See p. 26. PhoTo: Geoff Durham See p. 16. PhoTo: jaNeT haGeN Remember Lake Mokoan? It’s now the Winton Wetlands. See p. 28. PhoTo: scott harTViGseN Julia, aged 8, likes planting at Darebin Parklands. VNPA pioneer Ena Stewart, then aged 88, enjoys a Tiger Moth See p. 32. PhoTo: DPa flight in 2004. See tribute p. 34. People caring for nature e N i V e President D fred Gerardson e director matt ruchel tt administration officer amy Dyer o:be level 3, 60 leicester street, T Contents carlton, Vic. 3053. ho P abN 34 217 717 593 Telephone: (03) 9347 5188 facsimile: (03) 9347 5199 e-mail: [email protected] ‘NaTioNal’ Parks NaTioNal iN Name oNly by matt ruchel 5 web: www.vnpa.org.au frieNDs of beware reef moNiTor mariNe life 6 VnPa’s Vision by Don love we share a vision of Victoria as a place with a diverse, secure and healthy natural environment NeeDeD – a coNserVaTioN VisioN for VicToria 8 cared for and appreciated by all. by Nick roberts editorial committee Philip ingamells, michael howes, matt ruchel ‘as if for a ThousaND years’: 40 years of The LCC celebraTeD by Deirdre slattery 10 adVertising amy Dyer, [email protected] The VNPa celebraTes 60 years of hisTory 12 getting inVolVed in VnPa by Don Garden everyone can help in the conservation of Victoria’s wild and beautiful places. here are some ideas. burN TarGeT criTicism GrowiNG fasT by Phil ingamells 14 you can: lessoNs learNT from The GrouND uP 16 • make a donation (see enclosed form) • become a member (see enclosed form) by karen alexander • volunteer. you’ll be welcome in the office, on a campaign or in a park VNPa mariNe camPaiGNs To make a biG sPlash iN 2012 18 • join the regular Giving program by simon branigan • leave a bequest to VNPa in your will. The DeTail is iN The DeVil by wendy roberts 19 Publishing Policy all advertisements should be compatible with searchiNG for The (baD) sTars by kimberley millers 20 VNPa policies. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement by the VNPa inc. ‘The frieNDliesT fish iN The sea’ by ann strunks 22 of the advertised product or service. The VNPa reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at VicforesTs – off To The courTs aGaiN by jill eastwood 23 any time. PorT camPbell’s souTherN browN baNDicooT Nursery Park Watch may be quoted without permission provided that acknowledgement is made. The aT risk by marion manifold 24 opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the VNPa inc. letter from coliN cook, frieNDs of brisbaNe raNGes 25 guidelines for contributors The wiNToN weTlaNDs reTurN! by brooke ross 28 you’re always welcome to contact the editor to discuss ideas for articles. Phone the VNPa or DiscoVeriNG warraNDyTe aND loNGriDGe: VNPa cariNG email [email protected] articles may for NaTure Day 2011 by reg elder 30 be submitted by email, on disk or as hard copy. include your contact details and brief biographical PlaNT PesTs ThreaTeN our NaTiVes; hattah works To information. Photos, maps and drawings are resTore waTer flows 31 needed too. Digital photos should be 300dpi and around 8cm by 12cm. DarebiN ParklaNDs: escaPiNG The claws of The machiNe by ingrid svendsen 32 coPy deadline for march 2012 Park Watch is 30 january 2012. TribuTe: VNPa PioNeer eNa sTewarT 1916-2011 Printing Tara Press by helen martin 34 layout markmaking TribuTe: Des quiNN 1941-2011 by Geoff lacey 36 front coVer Troy muir of Polperro Dolphin swims photographed leaping dolphins near Point coNGraTulaTioNs oN OAM awarDs – barry cluGsToN, Nepean, Port Phillip heads marine National Park. rob youl 37 inset photos from top: yellow Zoanthis, beware reef; sea spider stylopallene longicauda; Don love surveying marine life at beware reef. Regular features Photos courtesy friends of beware reef. see p. 6. from The PresiDeNT – a New look for The VNPa’s 60Th Park Watch ISSN: 1324-4361 aNNiVersary 4 iN Parks: chilTerN – mT PiloT NaTioNal Park 26 by Geoff Durham BWAG aND excursioNs 38 Park Watch • march 2012 3 A new look for the VNPA’s 60th anniversary elcome to the first toria, its various landscapes, seascapes, seasons edition of Park Watch and plants. Wfor 2012, our 60th anni- when i read our new positioning line be Part FRoM ThE versary year! of nature, i knew we had got it right. for the past President i joined the VNPa 28 years 60 years we have been part of Victoria’s natural ago, so i’ve been a member for heritage, and we will always continue to be. it’s a almost half of the association’s statement of fact and a call to action in one. lifetime. i certainly didn’t imagine i would be as matt and i mention in our letter, we are President, much less President in such an impor- focusing this year on building on what we already tant year. do. we aim to ensure that 60 years hence, the a glance at a map of Victoria’s current national then President has the honour of saying, ‘happy parks testifies to 60 productive years, and we can 120th birthday, VNPa!’ fairly claim that we are an integral part of today’s Turning to other matters, in this issue of Victoria. Park Watch we look at aspects of our wonderful if you’ve read the marine world, includ- letter from matt ruchel ing that most friendly and me that is included but paradoxical of fish, with this Park Watch, the blue groper. These you’ll know that the large fish are protected first of our 60th activi- at present under a tem- ties is to modernise our porary 12-month no- image with a new logo. catch ban, and we are This is the last edi- urging the state gov- tion of Park Watch 1953–85 1985–2012 ernment to make that to carry our ‘possum’ protection permanent. (really ‘feathertail if you haven’t Glider’) logo. yet seen our explore The decision to underwater Victoria replace this logo was website, please take not made lightly, but a look. it’s a fantastic all our research showed resource for exploring that it had limited our wonderful marine appeal and sent a con- world—while stay- fusing message about 2012 ing dry! Visit www. who we are. exploreunderwater. i see the new logo vic.org.au or find it in a number of ways. The hand surrounded by via the link on www.vnpa.org.au i’m sure your leaf-like shapes makes me feel i am ‘putting my friends and family—particularly children and hand up’ for nature and have a hand in nature. grandchildren—will love it. The leaves remind me of what i love about Vic- —fred gerardson Alpine grazing What the cow said from the on a summer day on an alpine hill to reinforce the point i said, i slumbered dreamily until “i understand why you’ve been led cow’s mouth a midday shadow crossed my eyes, to summer pastures full of food, natural history and opening them, to my surprise but surely you must know it’s rude i found a beast with tongue absurd to pluck this rare and threatened bloom writer and editor about to close upon a herb. and send the species to its doom?” David meagher put being polite i gave a bow the cow paused its downward bending, his thoughts into and asked this most unwelcome cow, and withdrew the pink offending verse. “do you intend, because it’s easier, tongue. and, perhaps, it ruminated to chew upon that bright celmisia*, and—for a fleeting moment—hesitated. now in its prime, about to seed, but only briefly, then with a swish and swallow it like any weed?” it ate the plant, and sighed “delish!” David meagher *an alpine daisy 4 Park Watch • december 2011 ‘National’ parks are national in name only this is an edited t is a peculiar twist of logic that we elevate The top of Mt Jim in Victoria’s Alpine National a handful of australian actors to be called Park. Australia’s national parks need protection version of a Inational treasures, yet our national parks at a national level. Photo: JeNNy NorvIck recent article by struggle to make even b-grade celebrity status. in truth, our national parks are ‘national’ in obligations for nature protection, with states VnPa executive name only. largely the creation of state govern- largely responsible for land management. director matt ments, these treasures enjoy very little national recently, minister burke proposed a regula- oversight or protection. tion that damaging activities such as cattle graz- ruchel on federal environment minister Tony burke’s ing, mining and land clearing in national parks the ABC website. recent decision to stop cattle grazing in Victoria’s would be referred to the federal government for alpine National Park illustrates the critical need to review and approval. This would be an impor- place our national parks under federal oversight. tant step in making national parks national, and when the baillieu Government made the deci- restore greater integrity to our magnificent net- SToP PRESS sion to introduce cattle into a national park, it work of national parks.