Draft Proposals Paper - Full - Victorian Environmental Assessment ...

River Murray Strategy
Many aspects of camping and associated recreational
activities on public land along the River Murray are similar
to the Victorian coast. These include:
• the narrow, linear nature of the public land in many
places
• the opportunity for affordable family holidays
• the perception of ‘being close to nature’
• the perception of the safety of the destination
• areas of high environmental degradation
• the concept of the area being ‘loved to death’
• the complexity and changing nature over the length
with areas closer to Melbourne experiencing higher
demands or impacts
• the importance of visitors to the economy of local small
towns
• multiple access points across and to public land
• the tendency for families to repeatedly camp at the
same location over many years and develop a sense of
‘ownership’ of the area
• the increasing pressure on the environment in peak
periods and the inability of these areas to sufficiently
recover between peaks
• the pressure placed on public land by developments on
adjacent private land.
The complexity and differences in many parts of the coast
is recognised by successive governments in the Victorian
Coastal Strategy which was developed to take an
integrated approach to coastal planning and management.
VEAC proposes that a River Murray Strategy, similar to the
Victorian Coastal Strategy, be developed to bring together
multiple stakeholders and agencies with responsibility for
managing different parts of the River Murray, its
anabranches, wetlands, catchments, and adjoining public
and private land. The objectives of this strategy are to
improve outcomes for conservation, recreation and
appropriate and sustainable development using a process
of long term strategic planning. This is particularly
important along the River Murray given the added level of
complexity associated with cross border issues. Like the
Victorian Coastal Strategy, such a strategy is not intended
to replace or duplicate the detailed management plans for
specific parks and reserves on public land, but is intended
to articulate a long term vision for use and development
of the River Murray corridor, and to pick up longer term
planning issues, particularly those relating to pressures
from outside the public land estate such as adjacent
private land and activities on the River Murray itself.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Integrated strategic planning
R32 That:
a River Murray Strategy be developed within three
years of government acceptance of these
recommendations, in consultation with relevant
Victorian and New South Wales government
agencies and relevant planning bodies to provide a
long term framework for the use of the River
Murray on a sustainable basis for recreation,
conservation, tourism, commerce and similar uses.
Domestic stock grazing
Public land grazing by domestic stock was highlighted as a
significant issue in the Discussion Paper, and attracted
considerable comment in public consultations. Council has
considered these and other inputs in forming the view
that while domestic stock grazing can be an effective
management tool to address specific problems at
particular locations and times, the scientific evidence
indicates that in general it adversely affects natural values
especially biodiversity, water quality and soil condition.
Accordingly, VEAC is recommending that domestic stock
grazing be generally excluded from public land in the
Investigation area, with some limited exceptions.
This proposal to largely exclude grazing on public land is a
significant change in emphasis from most existing
management of domestic stock grazing on public land. As
documented in the Discussion Paper, domestic stock
grazing is currently common on public land water
frontages (formally known as ‘natural features
reserves–stream frontages’), unused roads (formally
‘services and utilities–transport (roads)’ that are not in
use), state forests, regional parks and some other public
land use categories. In most of these areas public land
grazing continues largely on the basis that it is permitted
unless it is demonstrated to be not ecologically sustainable
or causing environmental damage. That is, although a
growing body of research demonstrates that stock grazing
usually has significant impacts on ecological communities
which have not evolved under such grazing regimes,
demonstrating specific environmental damage (or
sustainability) at individual locations is costly, timeconsuming
and is consequently rarely done.
This approach differs from the intent of earlier
government-approved recommendations of the Land
Conservation Council. For example, the LCC (1991) Rivers
and Streams Investigation recommended that grazing
continue on stream frontages where it does not conflict
with several other uses, notably conservation of native
flora and fauna, and restoration of indigenous vegetation.
Although this recommendation has provided some
22 River Red Gum Forests Investigation July 2007