NEW CENTRAL WEST NATIONAL PARKS SEPTEMBER 2019 NO 278 GREAT OCEAN ROAD TAKE-OVER BID WORLD HERITAGE FOR BUDJ BIM FERAL HORSES COURT CASE BLUE PRINT FOR OUR BLUE COMMONS DRAGON QUEST PLUS VNPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 Be part of nature PRESIDENT Bruce McGregor DIRECTOR Matt Ruchel CONTENTS Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, VIC 3053 3 From the President ABN 34 217 717 593 Telephone: (03) 9341 6500 4-9 Feature: Email: [email protected] New parks for central west Victoria Web: www.vnpa.org.au OUR VISION 9 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act The Victorian National Parks Association vision is to ensure re-emerges Victoria is a place with a diverse and healthy natural environment that is protected, respected and enjoyed by all. 10-11 Great Ocean Road parks face a wobbly take-over bid Everyone can help in the conservation of Victoria’s wild and beautiful places. To find out how you can help, visit 12-13 World Heritage for Budj Bim www.vnpa.org.au/support or call us on (03) 9341 6500. EDITOR Meg Sobey 14-15 Pointless Pairing PUBLISHING POLICY 16-17 Feral horses end up in court All advertisements should be compatible with VNPA policies. Publication of an advertisement 18-20 Blinded to the real? does not imply endorsement by the VNPA Inc. of the advertised product or service. The VNPA reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time. CENTRE PAGES – VNPA Annual Report 2018-19 Park Watch may be quoted without permission provided that acknowledgement is made. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the VNPA Inc. 21-23 A blue print for our blue commons GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS 24-25 Our marine values You’re always welcome to contact the editor to discuss ideas for articles. 26-27 Can our parks survive visitor impacts? Phone the VNPA or email [email protected] COPY DEADLINE for December 2019 Park Watch 27 Annual community planting events is Friday 11 October 2019. continued success DESIGN Mary Ferlin PRINTING Adams Print 28-29 ‘Glamping’ threatens FRONT COVER family camping Ferntree Falls in Mount Buangor State Park. We are campaigning the state government to commit to creating new proposed parks 30-31 ReefWatch: to protect Victoria’s central west forests, including extending Mount How to spot your dragon Buangor State Park to better protect adjacent parts of Mount Cole forest. See feature on pages 4–9. Photo by David Tatnall. 32-33 In Parks: BACK COVER Cathedral Range State Park The endangered swift parrot is one of the many wildlife species found in the 34 Tributes forests in the central west of Victoria. Photo: Gunjan Pandey, Wikimedia Commons. 35-37 ReefWatch: Park Watch What (and where) is the is printed on Park Watch ISSN 1324-4361 Great Southern Reef? FSC certified Authorised by Matt Ruchel, Executive Director, paper. Victorian National Parks Association. 38-39 Wild Families: Families find fun Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, VIC 3053. in wildlife monitoring! 2 PARK WATCH • SEPTEMBER 2019 NO 278 From the President VNPA welcomes the Victorian environment from climate change, proposal just a way to introduce Gold Environment Assessment Council invasive plants and animals and Coast-style skyscraper development (VEAC) final recommendations for the growing population, it is time to along the Victorian coastline? (See Central West Investigations for public prioritise nature conservation. Too pages 10-11). lands and forests (see full coverage many of our plants, animals and other on pages 4–9). The central west life forms are facing serious threats Our program of community areas covered include the Wellsford and even extinction. The best way to engagement includes cutting edge Forest, Wombat Forest, Mount Cole tackle this crisis is to protect large collaborative action research with Forest and the Pyrenees Ranges. The areas of existing native vegetation, the communities affected by the recommendations call for significant which has the majority of the natural Bunyip bushfires. Our NatureWatch improvements in the protection biodiversity already present. program staff and volunteers have of public land and proposed new been monitoring biodiversity in the national parks, state parks and other The recent tax cuts passed by federal Bunyip State Park for several years. reserves. If the Victorian Government parliament made plainly evident the The unfortunate fire events earlier this accepts these proposals, they will question of political priorities. Given year have made the citizen science data greatly assist in establishing a the critical state of much of Australia’s extremely valuable in understanding landscape-scale network of protected biodiversity and the meagre natural the recovery of the forest after the areas in the central west of Victoria. resource management budget, it fires. The idea of monitoring our Such a step will strongly support appears that the Federal Government forests before and after bushfires and existing widespread community has lost sight of its responsibility “controlled burns” was identified in on-ground actions to protect nature for our natural heritage. At a time the Bushfire Royal Commission, but resources have been skewed to other in central Victoria and provide better- when many species are threatened activities. Again, it has been left to managed areas for recreation. with extinction, it is surprising how limited the support is from the federal community groups and volunteers to do VNPA is actively encouraging the government. Indeed, it appears the work of government. state government to adopt the VEAC that red tape, economic tape and A highlight of my recent visits to final recommendations. I encourage political tape is more important than nature conservation areas was the VNPA supporters to speak with their protecting the very nature of Australia sensational delights of the Deep Lead state MPs to let them know you and the main reason overseas Nature Conservation Reserve, near support the proposals and to counter visitors come here – to experience Stawell, in June. My family enjoyed the a noisy minority who do not value our exceptional natural areas and highly scented yellow gum blossoms proper management of our natural unique wildlife. and rising eucalypt vapours, the loud resources. It is also essential that calling of 11 species of honeyeater and the government provide appropriate VNPA staff have been engaging numerous swift parrots, the constant resources for proper park planning, with the Victorian Government over movement of birds and the healthy adequate operating budgets and their proposal to introduce a new appearance of the bush. PW staffing to ensure the ongoing Great Ocean Road Authority. The • sustainable management of these government’s proposal lacks clear Bruce McGregor, VNPA President protected areas. There is still much objectives, and no cost-effective more work to do to restore proper funding model has been developed. If the government wants improved It is with great sadness that we landscape-scale biolinks throughout acknowledge the loss of eminent management of public land along central Victoria from the Grampians- forest scientist and much-loved the coast, then all they need to do is Gariwerd to the Alps. The VEAC community member Dr David provide more funds to Parks Victoria, recommendations are an excellent Blair in a skiing accident on Mount step for this process. which is already responsible for most Bogong on 30 August. VNPA of the land in the area of concern. It is a extends all its deepest sympathies It has been a long time since a simple matter to improve coordination to his family and friends at this time. Victorian government has created among various existing authorities – We hope to publish a full tribute in a large new national park. Given the we don't need another bureaucracy the next edition of Park Watch. increasing pressures on Victoria’s to improve communication. Or is this PARK WATCH • SEPTEMBER 2019 NO 278 3 A DOZEN GOOD REASONS FOR NEW NATIONAL PARKS IN THE CENTRAL WEST OF VICTORIA RIGHT NOW THE ANDREWS GOVERNMENT HAS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO DO OUR STATE PROUD BY CREATING MUCH-NEEDED NEW NATIONAL PARKS FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR FORESTS AND THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL VICTORIANS. The state government needs to 3. There is growing demand for 7. The Victorian Environmental Assessment agree to the final recommendations nature experiences in national Council’s final recommendations (see box on page 8) of the Victorian parks. In 2017–18, 14 million were developed through a thorough Environmental Assessment Council people took part in at least one consultation process over a two- (VEAC) to protect almost 60,000 nature-based activity, which is year period. It received 2698 written hectares of forest in Victoria’s up eight per cent year on year. submissions with a further 450 people central west. Nature-based visitor numbers attending drop-in sessions and public have grown by 36 per cent meetings. These forests had not been These forests worthy of protection since December 2014. formally assessed for over 30 years. include the Wombat Forest (near Daylesford), Wellsford Forest (near 4. National parks protect natural 8. Victoria is the most cleared state in Bendigo), Pyrenees Ranges Forest areas and manage potentially Australia and much of our key habitat (near Avoca), and Mount Cole Forest damaging activities while remains on public land. While public (near Beaufort) as well as many encouraging visitation. Most land only covers 40 per cent of the state, smaller forest areas (see maps on recreational activities are it contains 70 per cent of the highest next pages). actively encouraged in national biodiversity values. parks including camping, horse After decades of community 9. New parks in the central west will protect riding and mountain biking, and campaigns and a thorough some important habitat types currently generally the rules regarding independent investigation, the under-represented in the reserve system, activities, such as 4x4 driving, Andrews Government now needs and help deliver key elements of the are the same as in state to move to pass the necessary Victoria’s Biodiversity 2037 strategy.