Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan 1 - Macedon ...

Basis for action:
Our region’s natural ecosystems, rural landscapes and water
catchments are critical to its attractiveness, liveability and economy
and are a unique part of its cultural heritage. Our settlements
are surrounded by forest, with Box-Ironbark Forests and National
Parks creating our unique greenbelts. Forest and valued rural
landscapes are both in public and private land and their protection
and enhancement will also contribute to our tourism attraction.
Pressures from climate change, land use, fire and its management,
pests and management neglect pose a threat to these values and
may lead to a decline in environmental condition. Investment
and management intervention are required to ensure natural
environments and farming systems remain resilient.
Our natural environments are among the more disturbed in the
state. Most of our remaining areas of native vegetation have
experienced multiple cycles of disturbance from historical land
uses, such as mining, livestock grazing, timber and firewood
production. Introduction and spread of pest plants and animals
has added to the disturbance.
Despite this history of clearing, settlement and land use, some
native vegetation remains to support our diverse populations
of native flora and fauna. The largest and most intact natural
environments are generally located in our National Parks and other
conservation reserves. However, vegetation along road reserves,
in drainage lines and scattered across private landholdings provide
connectivity between theses and make an important contribution
to the region’s biodiversity and visual amenity.
Our region includes parts of the upper and middle reaches of
the Campaspe, Coliban and Loddon Rivers. These are important
catchment areas and help to provide water for our urban
populations, our riverine and wetland habitats and for dryland
and irrigated agriculture. Our landscapes and soils support various
forms of primary production, including agriculture, horticulture
and forestry. They and the vegetation they support are important
sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The greatest risks to sustaining our natural environment are climate
change, population growth, fire and its management and rural
land use change. Several important influences may at least partly
reduce risks associated with these hazards. These include a greater
appreciation and understanding of natural environments and the
services they provide, including through the landcare movement;
investment into regional natural resource management initiatives;
controls on vegetation clearing; improved operation of water
markets; modernisation of irrigation infrastructure and investment
in environmental water provision.
Built heritage
In addition to providing tourism opportunities, the built heritage
from the goldfields is a defining characteristic of the Region: from
the grand architecture of Pall Mall in Bendigo, or more simple
pieces of infrastructure like the Malmsbury Reservoir water-race
and humble miners cottages. This built heritage enhances quality
of life and should be conserved for present and future residents to
enjoy.
Bushfire
Following the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, issues of human
safety in forested urban fringe areas have come to the fore. There is
strong pressure to manage bushfire risk in these areas. A challenge
in doing so and implementing recommendations from the 2009
Bushfires Royal Commission will be to manage threats in a way that
does not compromise the ecological values associated with these
important areas. A collaborative approach between the CFA, DSE
and landowners will be required.
Biolinks
Our region retains many important natural ecosystems with
high conservation and amenity value including riverine and
wetland ecosystems along the major rivers and their floodplains;
Box-Ironbark and Stringybark Forests through the Goldfields and
along the Great Dividing Range; and grassy woodlands of the
Loddon and Campaspe Plains. We host some of Victoria’s priority
biodiversity conservation zones, including parts of the Goldfields
‘flagship area’ (one of 14 such areas in the State) and the regional
biolink connecting major segments of the Goldfields flagship area
with each other and the Murray River flagship area.
One of the key means of improving the resilience of natural
environments and maintaining ecological function is to improve
their connectivity of landscapes. Establishment of such ‘biolinks’
is one of the three main platforms of the Victorian Government’s
white paper for land and biodiversity at a time of climate change
and forms part of our region’s aspiration for the future. Action
is required to identify priority areas for improving landscape
connectivity, including by better understanding ecological and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage values
associated with remnant vegetation areas. A regionally coordinated
program of planning and implementation is needed to protect
and manage priority remnants and restore landscape connectivity
where it is currently deficient. The program is also required to more
strong engage communities in management and restoration of
natural environments and would be implemented on both public
and private land.
Environmental markets are one of the tools favoured by the
Victorian Government to mobilise the capital and resources
required to enhance natural environments. These markets create
value for landholders from activities that protect or enhance land,
water and/or biodiversity. Markets for carbon sequestered by trees
established for such purposes represent one of the most promising
environmental market opportunities.
This will require strong support from landholders and the
broader community and significant capital and labour resources.
Environmental markets, which generate value for landowners
from improved environmental management outcome, provide
the opportunity for private landholders to actively participate
and derive benefit from the protection of native vegetation and
ecosystems. Programs such as ‘Bushtender’ that promote the
benefits of protecting the natural environment that so strongly
characterises this region should be strongly supported. Our region
also has active Landcare groups who continue to work with rural
landholders and the community, promoting good natural resource
management.
Climate change
Climate change projections for our region are similar to those for
elsewhere in northern Victoria. The climate is projected to become
warmer and drier and as a consequence, streamflows are projected
to fall, droughts are projected to become more intense and
bushfire danger is projected to increase.
Southern Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan 35