Update on biolinks in the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere The Mornington Peninsula is blessed by more vegetated roadsides and creek-lines, than many parts of Victoria. Reserves and bushy private land add to the wonderful resource of vegetation corridors or “biolinks “that provide habitat and beauty to the region. The building of Peninsula Link at present has made an open-cut mine of many valued areas and almost as a reaction The Devilbend Foundation Inc. Biolink Project has recently started with the following aims: The Aims of The Devilbend Foundation Biolink Project: To establish significant corridors of indigenous vegetation on public and private lands across the Mornington Peninsula to provide links with existing protected areas of native wildlife habitat in order to preserve biodiversity and native wildlife. A group of experienced and committed people, including representatives from many of Devilbend Foundation’s supporting groups, have joined in a project initiated by Jamie Edgerton. Our first field excursion was to a property revegetated by Habitat Restoration. Danny Brindley addressed those who went. He told the story of setting up a charity Habitat Restoration Fund some years ago. Its mission is to: reconnect fragmented habitats via the creation of vegetation corridors encourage permanent legal protection for Australia’s habitats educate the community about how to retain and restore Australia’s natural environment, to ensure the survival of our native wildlife into the future. HRF has a great website at http://hrfund.org/Mission.aspx. Other moves to develop biolinks are happening to the north. The Natural Resources Conservation League has a long history, and is in the process of reinventing itself. See http://www.nrcl.org.au/index.php/history It has recruited Dr Hooper as Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the NRCL is in the early stages of developing a biolinks proposal incorporating land it owns in Cranbourne West. A range of agencies including local councils, DSE and the RBG are working on the formative project in conjunction with the NRCL. The plan is concentrating on the central Westernport catchment. See http://www.cecinc.net.au/biolinks-actionplan.html). Key features of the plan include: ● establishing an overall vision of protection and enhancement of biolinks ● setting up appropriate policy-level and operational structures, and ● giving priority to engaging community groups (such as landcare and friends groups).
He emphasised the importance of Landcare facilitators co-visiting private properties with agency staff to undertake assessments, and the collaborative production of land management packages for private landowners prior to seeking grant funds. In addition to this, The Southern Brown Bandicoot Regional Recovery Day Conference passed a motion “That the community attendees respectfully request The Minister for Planning and the Minister for the Environment for the State of Victoria to act immediately to protect areas for wildlife corridors inside and outside the Urban Growth boundary in line with ecological reports and studies for the southeast Growth Area and as advocated by the City of Casey; and the Minister for Planning instruct the Growth Area Authority to implement this decision immediately. “