Distinctive Area and Landscape Standing Advisory Committee Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy and Proposed Planning Controls Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 4 2021 Surf Coast DAL Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 2021 1 Mark Trengove, of Mark Trengove Ecological Services 2200 Geelong–Ballan Rd Anakie PO Box 1502 Geelong 3220 [email protected] ph 0428 298087 Mark Trengove, of Mark Trengove Ecological Services, has extensive expertise in terrestrial ecology and related legislation and policies in Victoria. His qualifications and experience are summarized in Appendix 1. Instructions I have been engaged by the Surf Coast Energy Group to prepare an expert evidence statement to present at the Planning Panel hearing in relation to their concerns. My instructions are to: “Provide expert evidence for presentation to the C395 Planning Panel based on your area of expertise. Your evidence should focus on the species and vegetation communities of high conservation value, the threats to these values, and the impact of residential subdivision in the Spring Creek and Breamlea Karaaf Wetlands areas.” As part of my submission, I have undertaken the following actions: • Inspected Spring Creek on February 12 2021. • Inspected Karaaf wetlands and the Sands at Torquay north on February 19 2021. • Undertaken a review of the relevant literature. I have made all the inquiries that I believe are desirable and appropriate and no matters of significance which I regard as relevant have to my knowledge been withheld from the Panel. Summary of the Surf Coast Energy Group’s Position with respect to the ecological impacts of residential development on the Spring Creek Valley The Spring Creek valley study area, an area of approximately 240 ha located west of Duffield Road, contains one of the world’s most important stands of Bellarine Yellow Gums, a species listed on the Victorian Fauna and Flora Guarantee Act with a global range of occurrence mostly between Torquay and Ocean Grove. The Spring Creek area contains the Grassy Woodland Ecological Vegetation Community (EVC), classified as ‘Endangered’ in the Otway Plain bioregion. There is scientific evidence and local experience of species being extirpated from residential subdivisions. There is scientific uncertainty about the potential for residential subdivisions to conserve Bellarine Yellow Gums in the long-term. These conservation values add objective scientific arguments to support the local community and State government in rejecting development of this land. Surf Coast DAL Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 2021 2 Scope of Evidence This statement represents my opinion as an independent ecologist. This statement addresses the impact of residential subdivision in the Grassy Woodland EVCs, and specifically Bellarine Yellow Gum woodland of Spring Creek as well as the Breamlea Karaaf Wetlands areas. Surf Coast DAL Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 2021 3 Contents 1 Global Context ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ............................................................. 5 2 Bellarine Yellow Gum Grassy Woodlands and Spring Creek .................................................. 5 2.1 National Context .............................................................................................................. 5 2.2 State Context ................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Regional Context .............................................................................................................. 6 2.4 Local Context Bellarine Yellow Gum ................................................................................ 7 2.5 State Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 ..................................................................... 7 2.6 Swift Parrot ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.7 Ocean Grove Bellarine Yellow Gum populations ........................................................... 13 2.8 Implications .................................................................................................................... 15 2.9 References ..................................................................................................................... 18 3 Karaaf Wetlands Bellbrae ..................................................................................................... 20 3.1 Context ........................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Biodiversity values ......................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Implications .................................................................................................................... 22 3.4 References ..................................................................................................................... 23 Plates 1 – 4 ........................................................................................................................... 24 Appendix 1 Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae .......................................................................... 27 Surf Coast DAL Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 2021 4 1 Global Context 1.1 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15.5 is to ‘Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.’ 2 Bellarine Yellow Gum Grassy Woodlands and Spring Creek 2.1 National Context Following European settlement the relatively fertile woodland soils quickly attracted attention and large areas were cleared for cropland and towns or were grazed and converted to exotic pastures….... The loss of temperate eucalypt woodlands has resulted in widespread local, regional and global extinctions of flora and fauna. In many cases the woodlands which remain are under continued threat form further clearing….... Despite their iconic status, temperate eucalypt woodlands are amongst the most poorly conserved and threatened ecosystems in Australia having borne the brunt of agricultural development and land degradations for well over 150 years. (C J Yates and R J Hobbs Temperate Eucalypt Woodlands in Australia, an overview, in Biology, Conservation, Management and Restoration Temperate Eucalypt Woodlands in Australia, Biology, Conservation, Management and Restoration (2000). 2.2 State Context Before European Settlement, temperate woodlands occupied large areas of northern, western and southern Victoria. Nowadays, most woodlands have been transformed to agricultural pastures and crops, and conservation status of virtually all woodland communities is extremely poor. Prior to European settlement, temperate woodlands occupied over 7 million ha in Victoria, 32% of the State. By 1987 92% of woodlands had been cleared (mostly for agriculture) and only 575,000 ha remained. The 1987 estimates were obtained from aerial-photo analysis of tree stands and do not reflect the condition of the understorey, which is grossly degraded in most woodland remnants. The extent of Coastal grassy woodland (of which the Bellarine Yellow Gum grassy woodland is a part) has been reduced in area from 173,000 ha to 35,000 ha. Conservation of the flora and fauna of temperate woodlands in Victoria poses a formidable challenge because this ecosystem has already experienced profound change. Remaining natural areas are mostly distributed as fragments amongst intensively settled rural lands and occur as thousands of patches in farmland, as strips along roadsides, streams and rail reserves, and as occasional small conservation reserves. Surf Coast DAL Expert Witness Statement Mark Trengove March 2021 5 Three broad elements are particularly important considerations in the future conservation of the biota of temperate woodlands: protection of existing natural areas to prevent further degradation and loss; management of habitats to enhance conservation values; and long- term restoration of the ecosystem. To maintain viable populations, many species require much greater areas of habitat than are available in single isolated woodlands, while other species regularly move between a number of woodland patches to obtain necessary resources. Last, because so much change has already occurred, there is a need for a long-term strategic, and visionary, restoration of the temperate woodland ecosystem. (I Lunt and A F Bennett Temperate Woodlands in Victoria: distribution, composition and conservation in Biology, Conservation, Management and Restoration Temperate Eucalypt Woodlands in Australia, Biology, Conservation, Management and Restoration (2000). 2.3 Regional Context Within the Otway Plains bioregion (in which the study area occurs) Ecological Vegetation Class 175 Grassy Woodland has a Bioregional Conservation Status of Endangered. Endangered is defined as an Ecological Vegetation Class where less than 10% of pre- european extent remains within the bioregion. Refer to Figure 1 for the pre-european (1750) distribution of Ecological Vegetation Classes and to Figure 2 for the current (2005) distribution of Ecological Vegetation Classes with the Spring Creek area. Ecological