Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
Key
site specific
region wide
Landholders grow bush links for wildlife east of Melbourne
Tree planting corridor
Fresh tree plantings in vegetation corridor, reducing effects of salinity
The project aims to reduce salinity affected soil
Landholders in the Westernport catchment have created wildlife habitat links across the landscape by protecting native plants, waterways and wetlands.
Twenty dairy, sheep and beef farmers excluded stock from 15 hectares of bushland about 100 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. Around 25 kilometres of fencing was put up around stands of mature vegetation on farms and streams to prevent grazing and to encourage regrowth.
About 30,000 plants of local provenance were planted in and around fenced-off areas to create a network of vegetation corridors. These are designed to link across to large nature reserves such as Bunyip State Park to increase the amount of territory required by native fauna such as the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater and the Southern Brown Bandicoot.
Funding
The project, led by the Westernport Catchment Landcare Network, received more than $130,000 from the Australian Government. Additional support was provided by the Victorian Government and Cardinia Shire Council.
Project Coordinator Anthony Hooper said that, in addition to creating habitat, one of the aims of the project was to improve the health of the world-renowned Western Port ecosystem.
"The Bunyip River is a major drainage outlet to Western Port, which supports millions of plants and animals including seagrasses. Our activities are having a positive impact on seagrasses by reducing the amount of sediments flowing into local waterways," Anthony said.
Activities
A key outcome of work was the Bunyip River Catchment Action Plan, a sophisticated document to guide the development of vegetation links. It involved mapping the region, including its plant types, the corridors already created, potential sites for new links and areas for restoration activities.
Members of the eight Landcare groups involved in the project controlled weeds such as Blackberry and Kikuyu Grass over an area of about 15 hectares. Weeds displace threatened Indigenous species such as Green Scent Bark, degrade the land and reduce farm and forest productivity.
All landholders signed a voluntary management agreement to protect and maintain the bush corridors. Some landholders also agreed to the use of voluntary conservation covenants, which legally bind future owners to protecting remnant bushland. The covenants were devised by conservation group Trust for Nature to permanently protect Victoria's remnant bushland, much of which lies on private land.
A series of field days and workshops were held to give landholders a first-hand demonstration of the benefits of protection measures such as fencing.
More information
- Dr Anthony Hooper, Cardinia Environment Coalition President: (03) 5941 8446 or cec@dcsi.net.au
- Cardinia Environment Coalition: www.bccln.org.au
See also
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