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Victorian National Parks Association newsletter – Number 9

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arts of Victoria, the most cleared state in Australia, are nearing dangerously low levels of native habitat.

We need a plan from the State Government to protect and build a sustainable natural Victoria.

The recent statewide investigation into remnant native vegetation by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) has some key recommendations which could form the basis of a plan for the future.

The loss of native vegetation is widely recognised as a major driver of biodiversity decline across Australia.

Native vegetation in Victoria’s fragmented landscapes supports the majority of the state’s biodiversity.

Along with establishing national parks and other conservation reserves, the control of native vegetation clearing is one of the few tools shown to help protect threatened species.

Clearing on private land in Victoria is largely controlled through the Native Vegetation Framework. Victoria led the way in introducing these controls, and over the past 30 years both major parties have built on them.

All governments since 1970, including Coalition governments, have had policies to help retain native vegetation.

Even so, between 1998 and 2005 around 4000 ha of native vegetation were cleared each year – equating to about 1200 ha of woody vegetation

TAKE ACTION Contact Premier Ted Baillieu, Environment Minister Ryan Smith and your local state MPs, asking them to support VEAC’s recommendations.

Email ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au | ph: 9651 5000 Email ryan.smith@parliament.vic.gov.au | ph: 9637 8890

and over 3000 ha of native grassland.

VEAC’s recommendations include: • Support incentives for conserving native vegetation on private land.

• Improve conservation management of small and/or linear patches of native vegetation on public land such as roadsides.

• New conservation licences and programs to manage publicly-

owned stream frontages.

• Land use studies of Central Victorian Uplands; Wimmera (south), Dundas Tablelands and Glenelg Plain; Gippsland Plain and Strzelecki Ranges, to fill gaps in the park system.

Find out more To find out more on this issue visit www.takeaction.vnpa.org.au

Great opportunity for the Baillieu Government

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he VNPA has highlighted a key opportunity for the State Government to demonstrate its policy on nature conservation – by supporting the recommendations of VEAC’s recently released Remnant Native Vegetation report.

The Baillieu Government strongly supported VEAC at the 2010 election, following a move by the Brumby Government to scrap it.

The government must formally respond to VEAC’s recommendations within six months.

The VNPA’s Nick Roberts said that this is a great starting point for the government to outline a comprehensive policy approach to conservation.

“The government should also support recommendations to initiate new VEAC investigations into areas in

south-west and central Victoria, and South Gippsland,” he said.

“We hope too that it moves quickly to start VEAC investigations into marine conservation and threats to rivers, wetlands and estuaries, as promised at the election.”

STOP PRESS Federal carbon plan a boost for biodiversity....................... P2 & 6

Burning forests for electricity?

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hankfully, the Federal Government’s new carbon pricing scheme ends plans to burn native forest wood ‘waste’ for electricity in Australia, as biomass from native forests will not be counted as ‘renewable energy’.

Without carbon credits for the electricity produced, these projects would be economically unviable.

The new scheme also includes managing publicly owned native forests as biodiverse carbon stores.

With the export woodchip industry in the doldrums, the main threat to forests now is the pellet plants that could spring up to make wood pellets and export them to Asia or Europe to burn in their power generators.

The Nippon-owned export woodchip mill in Eden (NSW) exports over a million tonnes of woodchips every year.

East Gippsland’s forests account for almost half of this.

In mid-June, the Bega Valley Council gave the company the OK to build and operate a plant to make wood pellets from native forest logs.

Contact federal MPs supporting the government’s new carbon pricing scheme and the Biodiversity Fund, but pointing out that if wood pellets are burnt in other countries, Australia is still contributing to carbon pollution.

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VNPA logo & style sheet

Editor: Michael Howes Design: John Sampson Printing: Tara Press Nature’s Voice is a quarterly newsletter.

The deadline for our October-November edition is 23 September 2011.

Address: Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton 3053 Tel: 03 9347 5188 Fax: 03 9347 5199 Website: www.vnpa.org.au Email: vnpa@vnpa.org.au ABN: 34 217 717 593 ISSN: 1837-6681 SAVE PAPER! If you would prefer to receive Nature’s Voice by email, please contact us on 9347 5188 or email vnpa@vnpa.org.au c: 60 m: 0 y: 100 k: 27

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WHO TO WRITE TO Julia Gillard

Martin Ferguson

Greg Combet

Simon Crean

Kim Carr

Greg Hunt

www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm greg.combet.mp@aph.gov.au senator.carr@aph.gov.au

Martin.Ferguson.MP@aph.gov.au S.Crean.MP@aph.gov.au Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au

Bill Shorten

Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au

Graphic: Paul Kimbell

Sawlogs secretly shipped to China Thousands of tonnes of high-quality sawlogs from Victoria’s bushfiredevastated forests are being secretly shipped to China, against state government policy, The Wilderness Society revealed last month.

The Victorian Timber Industry Strategy states that to protect Australian jobs in the local timber industry, all native forest sawlogs must be processed in Australia.

The Wilderness Society’s Richard Hughes wants the State Government to protect the environment and jobs by ordering VicForests to stop supplying logs for export.

“There should also be an immediate halt to the so-called

2 – Nature’s Voice | No 9 | July-August 2011

bushfire salvage logging operation,” he said.

Scientists say the salvage logging threatens the survival of Leadbeater’s Possum and is damaging forests as they recover from the fires.

Mr Hughes said the fact that whole sawlogs are being exported confirms the domestic market is drying up.

“We should be accelerating the shift to a plantation-based industry, not selling our precious forests overseas so log dealers can make a quick buck,” he said.

The logs are being trucked from Central Highlands forests near Healesville to Melbourne’s docks, and then loaded for export.

Victorian National Parks Association

Urban reserves the key to saving grasslands ften called ‘wildflower meadows’, native grasslands are a special part of our natural heritage.

But the grasslands in Melbourne’s outer western and northern suburbs are listed as ‘critically endangered’ under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The listing, reserved for species and ecosystems one step away from extinction, shows just how close these grasslands are to being lost forever. Yet clearing of native grassland continues.

The biggest threat is urban sprawl, rapidly encroaching on the few areas of grassland left within Melbourne’s urban growth boundary (UGB).

Right now, 70% of native grasslands within the UGB are zoned for development, including many irreplaceable sites of high conservation significance.

A system of urban reserves is the only way of protecting Melbourne’s critically endangered grasslands from the rapid development taking place on the city’s outskirts.

The Victorian Government has yet to outline its policy for expansion of the UGB and grassland reserves, but this is expected in coming months.

Meanwhile, the VNPA will continue its work to highlight the

Photo: Ada Nano

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Megan O’Shea (left) and a volunteer monitor Striped Legless Lizards.

Help needed to monitor Striped Legless Lizards NatureWatch is starting two new Striped Legless Lizard monitoring projects this year, and we need your help! Two sites will be monitored under the expert direction of Dr Megan O’Shea.

training day where volunteers will learn about these lizard species, monitoring techniques, safety, etc.

Site 2 set-up will take place on Sunday 31 July at 10am. There will also be a volunteer training day on Saturday 10 September at 10.30am.

We will also conduct searches for the endangered Grassland Earless Dragon at one of these sites in early 2012.

The surveys are a fantastic opportunity for NatureWatch volunteers to contribute important data on these reptiles, and to gain new skills by working with expert biologists.

We are also holding a (compulsory)

values of grasslands and the threats facing them. You’ll hear more about grasslands from us soon!

Please phone Ada on 9341 6513 (Wednesdays and Fridays) or email adan@vnpa.org.au to register.

There may be another Plains Yam Daisy monitoring event in August, and Golden Sun Moth and Growling Grass Frog monitoring later in the year.

Find out more

For more information please visit www.grasslands.vnpa.org.au

Fire and biodiversity under the spotlight T he VNPA, in conjunction with the Royal Society of Victoria, is planning a Fire and Biodiversity Symposium on 24 and 25 October this year.

Bringing together some of the state’s most renowned biologists and fire ecologists, it will aim to resolve three questions: • What do we know about fire and biodiversity in Victoria?

• What research programs and

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monitoring do we need to help refine fire management?

• How should we design burn prescriptions?

Presentations will be published as Proceedings of the Royal Society, and the findings will be published by the VNPA. Check our website for more information.

Since the terrible events of Black Saturday, fire in the landscape has understandably been under

unprecedented scrutiny. But it is important to build our knowledge and expertise, not just respond with populist solutions.

At a recent fire conference organised by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, there was little enthusiasm for Victoria’s simplistic annual 385,000 ha statewide burn target. Visit www.events.vnpa.org.au for more information.

– Phil Ingamells Nature’s Voice | No 9 | July-August 2011 – 3

Barmah Lake in flood, November 2010. Will it flood again?

Photo: Keith Ward

Federal Government must stick to Murray buybacks

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ictorian environment groups have called on the Federal Government to stick to its election promise to save the Murray-Darling river system by buying back water entitlements from willing sellers.

The report of the Windsor Inquiry into the socio-economic effects of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, released on 2 June, suggested an immediate halt to the Commonwealth’s voluntary water buyback program.

The VNPA’s Nick Roberts said that the Commonwealth’s buyback program has been far more effective than any other program in returning water to the Murray.

“Other measures like infrastructure improvements can play a role in the overall solution, but alone they will never be enough to save the river,” he said.

Jonathan La Nauze of Friends of the Earth said water saved through infrastructure efficiency measures costs ten times as much as water bought on the open market.

“Right now, while water levels are higher, is a good time to purchase water from these willing sellers,” he said.

“Waiting until the next drought would just have more impact on farmers and Basin communities.”

Save our lifeblood!

Eighteen organisations from across Australia have joined forces to petition the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to deliver a strong, scientifically credible Basin Plan to save the country’s ‘lifeblood’.

The petition is on a new website, www.lifeblood.org.au, and urges the

Parks under threat Many thanks to all who have supported our recent parks under threat appeal.

You can still contribute by filling in the coupon on page 7 or donating online.

Thank you!

4 – Nature’s Voice | No 9 | July-August 2011

Donate now!

Visit www.donate.vnpa.org.au.

Authority to provide enough water to make the rivers and wetlands healthy again. The VNPA encourages members and supporters to sign the petition.

“We urge Minister Burke and Authority Chair Craig Knowles to ensure that action is taken to revive the Basin’s rivers and wetlands, and give the Murray enough water to flush out salt at its mouth,” said Goulburn Valley Environment Group President Helen Reynolds.

ACF campaigner Ruchira Talukdar said that the coming together of people with such diverse interests as farming and fishing, conservation, human health and grassroots advocacy shows what Australians feel about the Murray-Darling crisis.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is likely to release the draft Basin Plan for public review soon.

We’re on Facebook!

Have you visited us on Facebook yet? > Go to www.facebook.vnpa.org.au Victorian National Parks Association

Groundswell of activity in underwater world Simon Branigan Marine & Coastal Project Officer

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ustralia-wide, there’s a lot of political activity on the marine front.

In Victoria, the State Government is expected to release draft terms of reference soon for the VEAC investigation into marine conservation.

Community input is crucial to cementing the overwhelming benefits of the current no-take areas, and pressing for better management of the whole marine environment.

On the downside, the government has also moved to fast-track the massive expansion of the Port of Hastings with a new Transport Amendment Bill to set up the Port of Hastings Development Authority.

No consideration is given in the legislation to ensuring this new Authority is also required to protect Westernport’s Ramsar wetlands.

Each year at least 250 threatened Australian Sea Lions die in fishing nets off Australia’s south coast. Yet current plans for new marine parks leave most of their feeding areas unprotected.

Photo: Glen Cowans

Meanwhile the NSW Government has caved in to a radical minority and agreed not only to a moratorium on any new marine national parks, but also to winding back protection in some areas.

The moratorium will remain until an audit of marine parks and sanctuary zones is completed.

Scientists say the moratorium is anti-conservation, but are confident that if the audit is truly objective, the conservation importance of marine national parks will be reinforced.

In the south-west of Australia, there’s an historic opportunity to protect marine life in Commonwealth waters.

The Federal Government has released draft maps of marine sanctuaries for offshore areas between Kangaroo Island and the Abrolhos Islands, proposing one large multiple-use marine park far offshore.

But most inshore waters are left unprotected.

The precedent established here will greatly influence the protection offered for the Kimberley, Top End and East Coast later this year, so it’s critical we get this first one right.

Victorians are asked to help support the Save our Marine life campaign by writing a submission – see www.saveourmarinelife.org.au.

Find out more

For more on Victorian marine issues visit www.marine.vnpa.org.au

World risks global marine extinctions W

orld science leaders meeting at Oxford in April were unanimous that we face losing marine species, and entire marine ecosystems, within a single generation.

One of their key recommendations was to establish a globally comprehensive and representative system of marine protected areas to conserve biodiversity.

The meeting was organised by the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) in partnership with the IUCN. Participants said that unless action is taken now, the consequences of our activities are at a high risk of causing globally significant extinctions in the ocean.

Key points underlying this

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conclusion include: • Human actions have resulted in warming and acidification of the oceans, and are now causing increased hypoxia (loss of oxygen).

• Resilience of the ocean to climate change impacts is severely compromised by the other stressors from human activities, including fisheries, pollution and habitat destruction.

• Ecosystem collapse is occurring as a result of both current and emerging stressors, including chemical pollutants, agriculture runoff, sediment loads and overextraction of many components of food webs.

Participants recommended actions in four areas:

• Immediate reduction in CO2 emissions.

• Urgent actions to restore the structure and function of marine ecosystems, including reducing fishing to sustainable levels and avoiding or stringently regulating oil, gas and mineral extraction.

• Proper and universal implementation of the precautionary principle so that activities only proceed if they are shown not to harm the ocean.

• Urgent introduction by the UN of effective governance of the High Seas, with a global body to ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Download the full report from www.stateoftheocean.org Nature’s Voice | No 9 | July-August 2011 – 5

Carbon fund a winner for biodiversity Karen Alexander Victoria Naturally Alliance

An endangered Regent Honeyeater.

Habitat restoration project fit for a regent

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he Victoria Naturally Alliance, representing ten environment organisations in Victoria, has warmly welcomed the Biodiversity Fund of almost $1 billion announced on 10 July as part of the carbon package.

This new fund is a triple winner – less carbon in the atmosphere, more habitat for wildlife, and new jobs in the rural sector.

Protecting and increasing native habitat takes carbon out of the atmosphere and stores it in the trunks, branches and roots of vegetation. That’s good for wildlife and the climate.

It also creates new jobs in the rural sector. When farmers and land managers receive support to pursue climate change action on the land and improve biodiversity, new jobs are created.

Almost 20% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from clearing of native vegetation and inappropriate land management, so significantly reducing clearing, as well as

Photo: Chris Tzaros

The Regent Honeyeater Project in the Lurg Hills near Benalla has reported two sightings of Regent Honeyeaters.

The project’s Ray Thomas says Ironbark blossom has attracted hordes of honeyeaters, and that it was really just a matter of time before someone spotted a Regent Honeyeater, one of

improving land management, can reduce emissions very quickly.

For instance, a recent study using Habitat 141, the environmental renewal project in western Victoria, showed that creating 250,000ha of new habitat stores an additional 18 million tonnes of carbon over 30 years.

This is the same as taking 4.5 million cars off the road for a year.

The Fund will also add muchneeded support to address the crisis in the health of our natural environment. In Victoria alone almost a third of our native animal species are threatened.

Victoria’s most threatened bird species.

He says there could be more Regent Honeyeaters in nearby hills hiding from the more aggressive honeyeaters.

“And that’s where our denser plantings really help, by giving these shy birds the cover they need to get a fair share of the honey,” says Ray.

However, the new Biodiversity Fund must be in addition to the funds provided by the Caring for our Country program. If the funds merely replaced part of the existing program, it would simply be a case of money being moved around.

The Alliance also welcomes the announcement of the independent Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Advisory Board, which will oversee the funding of biodiversity conservation and Carbon Farming Initiative related activities, as well as the decision that biomass from native forests will no longer be counted as renewable energy.

Housing threatens Brolga sanctuary Yellingbo study on

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erendip Sanctuary north of Lara has been captive-breeding Brolgas, bustards and other threatened species since the mid-1960s, and has been open to the public since 1991.

But Serendip, managed by Parks Victoria, is under threat, because hundreds of houses may be built on its doorstep.

At its council meeting on 12 April, the City of Greater Geelong moved to recommend to the Minister of Planning the rezoning of 38 ha of rural residential land across the road from Serendip. This would enable the building of up to 380 houses and mean hundreds of cats and dogs would threaten the Sanctuary’s wildlife.

Please contact Victorian Planning

cards for VEAC

Help Serendip’s breeding Brolgas.

Minister Matthew Guy to ask him to prevent the rezoning of this land to high density residential housing. This will ensure that Serendip can continue to breed endangered species, and educate people about our wildlife.

Visit www.tlcgrouplara.com for more information.

6 – Nature’s Voice | No 9 | July-August 2011

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change is considering asking the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) to investigate public land around the Yellingbo Conservation Reserve (near Woori Yallock and Cockatoo).

This area has threatened flora and fauna, including the state’s two fauna emblems – Leadbeater’s Possum and the Helmeted Honeyeater.

The investigation is likely to finish

by February 2013.

For more information please visit the www.dse.vic.gov.au Victorian National Parks Association

Reef Watch coastal forum a winner Wendy Roberts Reef Watch Co-ordinator

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NPA’s Reef Watch program recently hosted a weekend marine forum at Warrnambool with Deakin University.

Members of south-west Victorian conservation groups and dive clubs, and Deakin students, came together to learn more about marine and coastal conservation.

Reef Watch Coordinator Wendy Roberts explained the Reef Watch program and its monitoring work, and Simon Branigan presented the Marine Nature Conservation Review, emphasising conservation issues of the south-west and areas that need further protection.

Other topics included Blue Whale monitoring, the influence of the Bonney Upwelling on species diversity, habitat monitoring of subtidal areas off the south-west coast, and volunteer

Associate Professor John Sherwood led a field trip to Griffith Island, Port Fairy.

Photo: Simon Branigan

opportunities available with Coastcare Victoria.

Feedback from the forum was very positive, one participant writing: “I think we face a lot of problems and have much work to do in the southwest to improve attitudes to and knowledge of local flora and fauna.

“Forums like yours can help us reinterpret obstacles as opportunities.”

To get involved with Reef Watch visit www.reefwatch.vnpa.org.au

Von Guérard winners pick Tower Hill Thanks to all those who entered our June Park Watch competition, and congratulations to members D. Lee, M. Evans, L. Cranage and J. Peake, who won tickets to the outstanding Nature Revealed exhibition at NGV

Fed. Square (closes 7 August).

As most respondents stated, the park revegetated using a von Guérard painting as a guide was Tower Hill.

See page 8 for the planned BWAG visit to the exhibition.

Buffs warm to VNPA trivia night Which national park did Skippy live in? What product was Tasmania’s Coles Bay the first place to ban? Can you name one of Victoria’s marine national parks?

If you know the answers, maybe you should have been at the VNPA’s Trivia Night in June. Over 60 trivia buffs came along to Abbotsford, to puzzle over answers and catch up with friends.

The theme ‘It’s easy being green’ was reflected in the questions, people’s apparel, food, transport methods and the prizes.

The evening raised over $1100 for the VNPA, our generous major sponsors including Bogong Equipment, Text Publishing, Lonely Planet, Luna Park, Mountain Design, Palace Cinema, Sun Theatre and Wild Magazine. Many members, and the VNPA office, also donated prizes.

Answers: Skippy lived in the (fictitious) Waratah NP; Coles Bay banned plastic shopping bags. If you can’t name one of our 13 marine national parks, keep reading Park Watch!

– Russell Bowey, BWAG

More signatures needed!

We are still collecting signatures against alpine cattle grazing – see www.petition.vnpa.org.au for more forms, or sign online. Or phone us if you’d like more petition forms by post.

✓ Yes! I want to support the VNPA with a tax deductible gift.

I would like to make a regular financial contribution to provide VNPA with secure funding for critically important conservation work.

I’d like to give: $50 per month $20 per month $............. a month Regular financial contributions are managed by credit card or direct debit only, with debit made on the 28th of each month.

You will receive a tax receipt at the end of each financial year, and can stop or change your donations at any time.

One-off Donation - I’d like to give a one-off tax-deductible donation of $................

PAYMENT METHOD

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Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Please post or fax with payment to VNPA, Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton 3053 OR you phone us on 03 9347 5188, fax 03 9347 5199.

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Photo: Trevor Barker

OUT AND ABOUT Bushwalking and Activities Bushwalking Highlights and updates 31 July (Sun) Social activity Eugene von Guérard: Nature Revealed – NGV Fed Square See this superb exhibition before it closes on 7 August! Afterwards we will enjoy a drink and chat. Meet 2pm in the National Gallery of Victoria foyer. Exhibition entry is $15 per adult. RSVP by 29 July by emailing us at vnpa@vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

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10 August (Wed) Social night: star photography Phil Hart, award-winning night sky photographer, reveals his secrets of the universe! Doors open 7pm at 60 Leicester St, Carlton. Presentation starts 8pm. Optional BYO dinner and BWAG will provide drinks for a gold coin donation. Contact: 9347 5188 / vnpa@ vnpa.org.au

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13 Aug. (Sat) U35 Dinner & disco ice skate To book or find out more email vnpa@ vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

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20-21 August (w/e) 14th annual Hindmarsh tree-planting weekend For details and registration details, see June Park Watch. Come and take part in this great nature conservation project!

Limit 150. 370 km W Melb. To book or find out more email vnpa@vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

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7 September (Wed) Social night: Lord Howe Island Odyssey 2011 Join Garry and Wilma van Dijk as they share stories from their amazing island

If undelivered – return to

Join us at Hindmarsh this year!

A big opportunity to help revegetate Victoria is coming up at the 14th annual Project Hindmarsh Landcare weekend, 20-21 August. You can also make new friends and enjoy country hospitality in and around Nhill. For more information, and to find out how to book your spot visit www.events.vnpa.org.au. odyssey (with 18 bushwalkers in tow!)

Doors open 7pm at 60 Leicester St, Carlton. Presentation starts 8pm.

Contact: email vnpa@vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

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17-18 September (w/e) Regent Honeyeater tree-planting Help establish habitat for endangered species in the Benalla area. Free accommodation in the local hall, or just come for a day. To book or find out more email vnpa@vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

Visit a country market at historic Chewton, followed by walks in Castlemaine’s old goldfields. Leader: Geoff Durham. Limit 57.

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Saturday 24 September: Anglesea Wildflower Show Visit the Anglesea Wildflower Show and enjoy a clifftop walk at Airey’s Inlet lighthouse. Limit 57.

To book email vnpa@vnpa.org.au or phone 9347 5188.

VNPA AGM Excursions Saturday 20 August: Coach excursion to Castlemaine and Chewton

Tuesday 11 October: 6.30pm, 60 Leicester St, Carlton Council nominations must be at the VNPA office 5pm, Tuesday 13 September.

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Victorian National Parks Association Level 3, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton 3053

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