On the Road Again - Program

This seminar was held on 30 September 2010 at DEWHA, 33 Allara St, Canberra City.

VEAC is an independent statutory authority that advises the Victorian Government on public land use, usually in accordance with terms of reference for specific investigations requested by the Government.  Currently VEAC’s Remnant Native Vegetation Investigation is examining ecological connectivity in Victoria’s fragmented landscapes.  A Discussion Paper was released in June 2010 and the subsequent public comment period finished at the end of August 2010.  Comment received will be incorporated into the Final Report due with the Victorian Government in March 2011.  The Discussion Paper provides a large number of key statistics for remnant native vegetation in fragmented landscapes including its extent on private land and within and outside conservation reserves in the various Victorian bioregions.  These statistics are also a key input to VEAC’s framing of recommendations for ecological connectivity for the Final Report.  Amongst other things, they show the prominence – in terms of extent, at least – of native vegetation outside conservation reserves in grassy ecosystems.  Examples of this information and potential responses to it will be presented for discussion.

The Travelling Stock Route network now harbours some of the last intact remnants of the endangered woodland communities that once covered what has become the NSW ‘wheat-sheep’ belt. However, to date little empirical work has investigated how species beneficial to agriculture use the network, and how they interact with the surrounding farm landscape.

This PhD project consists of woodland bird, native bee and insectivorous microbat surveys carried out in both stock routes and adjacent paddocks in the box-gum woodlands of south- and central-west New South Wales. Data will be used in conjunction with systematic conservation planning tools to help prioritise sections of the network which should be protected or earmarked for restoration.

Vegetation condition and structural connectivity is widely recognized as a requirement for ecosystem viability and resilience, and the presence of viable populations of vertebrate fauna is commonly used as an indicator of ecosystem health. Our case-study demonstrates how the consideration of these factors for three broad habitat types (moist forest, dry forest and woodlands), modeled using GIS raster data analysis techniques has proved to be an invaluable decision support tool for planning at several scales in the NSW Environmental Trust-funded Great Eastern Ranges (GER) Hunter Regional Partnership area.

Managing threats to 805 ha of Weeping Myall and Natural Grasslands TECs on TSRs. Commenced in June 2010 this pilot project is a collaboration between BR-G CMA, Land & Property Management Authority, North West Livestock Health & Pest Authority and both Narrabri and Moree Plains Shire Councils. This project raises community awareness of TECs, and for a relatively low price per hectare, enables the control of environmental weeds, minimisation of grazing pressure and management of pest animals for these communities.

Only 3% of the nationally endangered Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland community remains. Many remnants are found on small public land parcels or the network of unused road reserves that criss-crosses the agricultural landscape of south-eastern Victoria. These reserves are often reservoirs of biodiversity and highly important strategic linkages. Managing them for the best biodiversity outcome requires good co-operation between public and private land managers and a supportive policy environment.

There is a growing network, working for the creation of a unique Australia-wide network of bush corridors. These 'grass routes' are essential to protecting our heritage and native habitats, as well as providing areas for sustainable livelihoods.

Please RSVP to John Vranjic DEWHA (02) 6274-2897 or Toni McLeish GBW CMN 02 62297119 by 28th Sept