BirdLife East Gippsland Conservation News Revised 1 June 2017 Recent news May 2017 VEAC Statewide Assessment of Public Land The final report together with a supplement to the discussion paper with updated information was released. April 2017 The final strategy Protecting Victoria s Environment - Biodiversity 2037 was released. This is a summary of the major conservation issues which are of interest to BirdLife East Gippsland. There are many Inquiries and Reviews happening on a State scale which will determine government policy in years to come. The following figure shows what is happening at a State level. You will see that there is a lot going on and, in particular, that Biodiversity 2036, the review of native vegetation clearing and the review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 are closely related. The following issues are of relevance, either directly or indirectly, to biodiversity conservation and bird life in East Gippsland. They are not listed in any particular order of priority. 1 Biodiversity 2037 & the review of native vegetation clearing The Victorian Government is developing a new biodiversity strategy originally called, Protecting Victoria's Environment - Biodiversity 2036. As the name implies, the strategy is intended to have a 20-year life. The strategy is consistent with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Commonwealth Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2030. The strategy is a complex document guided by 11 key principles which can be summarised as: Page 1 of 5
acknowledgement of the intrinsic values of all life forms and recognition of the interconnections between ecological, social, cultural and economics living systems need to respond to climate change and require resilience and long-term sustainability action requires engagement and sharing of responsibility in all sections of society clear and defensible decision making and processes that are fair, transparent and consistent valuing the generation and application of knowledge. Public submissions closed on 15 May 2016. A summary of submissions is available online. Protecting Victoria s Environment - Biodiversity 2037 was released in April 2017. A summary and the complete plan can be downloaded at www.environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/biodiversity-plan. An Implementation Plan will be released later in the year.... In Victoria, a permit is required to remove, destroy or lop native vegetation. These regulations are known as the native vegetation clearing regulations and are being reviewed. The Victorian Government conducted public consultations during 2015 and 2016 and published an Outcomes Report in November 2016. The report indicates that the regulations will be amended to provide for better consideration of important biodiversity values in decision making. This includes key habitats for dispersed rare or threatened species, large trees, endangered Ecological Vegetation Classes, and sensitive wetlands and coastal areas. Changes will also result in fairer offset obligations for removal of scattered trees, by acknowledging the greater habitat values of large trees, and reducing the offset requirements for smaller trees. Submissions on the proposed changes to the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP) closed on 8 March 2017. DELWP received 192 submissions. Where consent has been given, the submissions have been published on the EngageVictoria project webpage. For more detailed information see https://engage.vic.gov.au native-vegetation-review. 2 Review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 The Victorian Government is reviewing the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act), a key part of Victoria s legislative framework for the protection and management of biodiversity. The Act s objectives aim to conserve all of Victoria s native plants and animals. The Act establishes a range of mechanisms to achieve this objective, including: listing threatened species, communities and threats to native species requiring an overarching strategy for Victoria's biodiversity enabling the declaration of habitat critical to the survival of native plants and animals placing a duty on public authorities to have regard to the objectives of the Act in their operations requiring permits for activities that could harm threatened plants and fish and communities. Over 700 species and communities and 42 threats are listed under the Act. The Act has not been significantly amended since 1988 and approaches to conserving biodiversity have changed over the years. The impacts of climate change may also require a rethink of conservation strategies. Many believe that the FFG Act has not worked well due to deficiencies in the Act itself and to a lack of resources and commitment to implementation. Environmental Justice Australia states that only 50% of listed species have Action Statements, none have Management Plans, none have a statement of Critical Habitat Requirements and none have Public Authority Agreements in the last 10 years. Successive State of the Environment reports document the continuing decline of Victoria s plants and animals. A Consultation Paper was released recently for public comment. Submissions closed on 28 March 2017. Page 2 of 5
For more detailed information see https://engage.vic.gov.au/review-flora-and-fauna-guarantee-act-1988. 3 VEAC Statewide Assessment of Public Land The purpose of the investigation is to carry out a statewide assessment of public land in Victoria which considers the appropriateness of the current system of public land use categories. The focus of the investigation is to provide information and recommendations to assist management effectiveness and is not intended to change the current levels of protection underpinning Victoria's public land system. The Terms of Reference for this investigation are: options for consolidating the current system of public land use categories, e.g. National Park, State Forest, Coastal Reserve etc. assessing the current status of public land making an inventory of the types of values on public land. The investigation began in September 2014. An Interim Report on Public Land Classification was submitted to the Minister on 30 September 2015. The interim report covers the first three terms of reference. A Discussion Paper and Draft Proposals Paper were released on 19 August 2016 and public submissions closed on 7 November 2016. On 16 January 2017 the Minister granted an extension of time for the completion of the final report. The new date for submission of the final report to the Minister is 1 May 2017. A supplement to the discussion paper is proposed to be issued in May 2017 with updated information and maps. The final report together with a supplement to the discussion paper with updated information has now been released. For more detailed information see www.veac.vic.gov.au/investigation/statewide-assessment-of-publicland/reports.. 4 Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site management plan Ramsar is an international convention on the conservation of wetlands and migratory shorebirds and includes over 2000 sites worldwide. A revised management plan to guide management of the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site for the next ten years was prepared by the East Gippsland CMA, on behalf of the Commonwealth and Victorian governments, and released to the public in March 2016. BirdLife East Gippsland participated in the consultation process and made a written submission regarding the draft management plan. A copy of the final plan can be downloaded from egcma.com.au. 5 The SEPP (Waters) Review The Environment Protection Authority of Victoria is conducting a major review of the water quality objectives included in the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) and (Groundwaters of Victoria). BirdLife East Gippsland participated in the consultation phase. A draft Policy and Policy Impact Assessment was expected to be released in 2016. For more detailed information see DELWP>Water>Victorian Waterway Management program>state Environment protection Policy (Waters) Review. 6 Gunaikurnai Joint Management Plan Page 3 of 5
In 2010 the Federal Court determined that native title exists over large areas of Gippsland and that it is held by the Gunai/Kurnai people. This resulted in a range of initiatives by the Victorian government including joint management of ten parks and reserves in East Gippsland to be jointly managed by Parks Victoria and the Gunaikurnai as part of the Gunaikurnai native title settlement package. A Joint Management Plan is being prepared. BirdLife East Gippsland made a submission on 'issues and opportunities' in May 2015. We recommended that biodiversity conservation be given priority in the plan and that there are opportunities for collaboration with BirdLife East Gippsland and for involvement of the Aboriginal community in conservation management. We hope to continue to be involved as a stakeholder. For more information see www.gunaikurnai.com.au. 7 Federation University Federation University is developing a feasibility study for a Research, Education and Discovery Centre for the Gippsland Lakes. They indicate that the Centre would: connect research on the Lakes and the region with the local community provide opportunities for community to be involved in the research and environmental monitoring develop pathways for local youth to get excited about the Lakes, and the potential for employment, they provide through schools programs connected to researchers provide educational opportunities in environmental science, aquatic science, social science, and land and water management. A Business Plan was released in November 2016. BirdLife East Gippsland was represented at two stakeholder meetings. For more information see loveourlakes.net.au. 8 BirdLife Victoria Conservation Committee We continue to liaise with the BirdLife Victoria Conservation Committee. The Committee takes a particular interest in the duck shooting season in Victoria. The Victorian Government has announced a full duck season for 2017, contrary to a submission from BirdLife Australia which recommended cancellation of the season due to an all-time low in numbers of waterfowl. 9 Glenaladale mine A mineral sands mine is proposed for an area known as The Fingerboards, located at the crossroads of the Bairnsdale-Dargo Road and the Fernbank-Glenaladale Road, east of Lindenow, between Stratford and Bairnsdale. The heavy metal concentrate would be transported by road from the mine site to Port Anthony in South Gippsland, or possibly to Melbourne. Community groups have voiced concern over the possible effects of noise, traffic, dust and water contamination. The project is likely to require an Environmental Effects Statement which would include measures to minimise or manage harmful environmental effects. Public consultation would normally be required. 10 RAAF East Sale Airfield A consultative group has been formed regarding bird-strike at East Sale Aerodrome. BirdLife East Gippsland has agreed to take part in the committee. 11 Macleod Morass ecological management Macleod Morass is an extensive floodplain-wetland complex extending south from the town of Bairnsdale and draining into the Gippsland Lakes. It is managed as a Wildlife Reserve by Parks Victoria. It is recognised as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention and is also listed as part of the Gippsland Lakes Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. The Morass provides habitat for a wide Page 4 of 5
range of flora and fauna including migratory birds and many species that are listed as rare, threatened or vulnerable. Historically, the Morass has been subjected to degrading influences such as clearing for agriculture, grazing, modified water regimes and decreased water quality. It is also subject to high nutrient inflows from stormwater and, in the past, from the Bairnsdale sewerage treatment plant and saleyards. A major program has now commenced involving modification of water regimes, slashing/pruning, fire management and herbicide use. In April 2016 the program commenced with a planned (ecological) burn of a section of Macleod Morass. Control by burning has a fairly short term benefits and will need to be repeated in several years or followed up by other control methods. Page 5 of 5