Dear All,
One last reminder that the Environment Conservation Council has released
its draft recommendations for the use of public land in the Box-Ironbark
woodlands of Central and Northern Victoria. This area is located on the
northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and over 83% of the original
vegetation has been cleared from this area, the remaining forest is mainly
on public land. This area supports a wide diversity of avifauna, of which
20 species are already listed as endangered or vulnerable. Many of these
are either highly mobile (Regent Honeyeater), migratory (Swift Parrot,
Painted Honeyeater) or require large territories (Powerful Owl). Other
species are ground foraging or dwelling (Bush Stone-curlew, Speckled
Warbler). The ECC Box-Ironbark investigation area is around 3.1 million ha
or 14% of the land mass of Victoria. Public land represents 14.3% or
approximately 437,000 ha of the total area. The ECC has recommended an
increase in conservation reserves from 13.6% of public land to 27.1% of
public land. This only represents approximately 110,000 ha or only 3.75% of
the total study area. It is unlikely that this small percentage of land
will be able to support viable populations of woodland bird species in the
long term.
State forests with the main aim of timber extraction are proposed to occupy
over half of the remaining public land making it by far the largest land
use category.
The decline of woodland birds continues unabated (Hooded Robin, Diamond
Firetail, Crested Bellbird, Scarlet Robin, etc) and if we are to retain our
avifauna then larger forest areas devoted to the preservation of the flora
and fauna of these areas are needed.
An increase in the size and number of National and State parks in this area
will increase tourism in this area, which will improve local employment
opportunities.
The ECC report can be viewed at the website www.nre.vic.gov.au/ecc and is
open for public comment until the 8th of August. Submissions can be sent to
the ECC by email or by snail mail at the address below.
The ECC investigation offers one of the best (and possibly last)
opportunities for the protection of a reasonable proportion of these vital
ecosystems. Send a submission to the ECC detailing the values of this area
and the need to conserve it. Submissions to the ECC do not have to be long,
detailed or scientific in nature. Submissions can be limited to either a
small area or to a single issue. Local knowledge is vitally important in
this process as is input from interstate or overseas tourists who have
visited these areas. The economic benefit of increased tourism to this area
will help to preserve it.
Tell the ECC what these woodlands and their avifauna mean to you.
Regards
Stuart Dashper
CONTACT DETAILS
The Executive Officer
Environment Conservation Council
3rd Floor, 250 Victoria Parade
East Melbourne 3002
Phone: (03) 9412 5100
Facsimile: (03) 9412 5153
Toll Free: 1800 134 803 (Victorian country callers)
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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