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

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Executive Summary The River Red Gum forests and their associated ecosystems are appreciated for their natural, aesthetic, cultural and economic values and uses. However, there are many pressures on these areas. Many River Red Gum forests are severely stressed and there is strong evidence that without improved environmental water flows onto the floodplains, many of these forests may be lost over time. As many ecosystems in the Investigation area are poorly represented in the conservation reserve system, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) proposes a substantial increase in the reserve system to improve their protection. In these proposals, VEAC considered the potential impact of climate change and the need to maintain and enhance connectivity across the landscape. However, protection of these ecosystems with conservation land management alone is not enough. Water management is also vital for ensuring the long-term survival of the riverine forests and wetlands, particularly the provision of adequate environmental water flows to allow regular and substantial flooding of the riverine floodplain. Scope of the Investigation The Victorian government asked VEAC to: • identify and evaluate the extent, condition, values, management, resources and uses of riverine red gum forests and associated fauna, wetlands, floodplain ecosystems and vegetation communities; and • make recommendations relating to the conservation, protection and ecological sustainable use of public land. In addition, VEAC must take a number of specific matters into consideration (see Chapter 1 for details). The Investigation began in April 2005 and a Discussion Paper was released for public comment in October 2006. Public comment is sought on this Draft Proposals Paper (released in July 2007), and a Final Report is required to be submitted to the Minister for Water, Environment and Climate Change by 1 February 2008. Social and economic effects An independent assessment of the social and economic implications of the draft proposals was commissioned and a summary of the report is included at Appendix 1. The full report is available on VEAC’s website (www.veac.vic.gov.au). Chapter 4 includes a discussion of the socio-economic analyses (benefit cost analysis and the regional input output analysis) and the broad social and economic implications of the draft proposals. Consultation process VEAC used three primary consultation methods to assist with developing its draft proposals: • Advisory groups-VEAC established a Community Reference Group, Government Contact Group and Indigenous Steering Committee to provide input and advice. Members of the Community Reference Group include people with backgrounds in recreational uses, industries (timber and grazing), rural communities, local government authorities and other agencies. Members of the Indigenous Steering Committee provided advice on the Indigenous consultation program. • Formal submissions process-two submission periods have been conducted to date with over 1350 written submissions received in response to the Discussion Paper. • Direct consultation-VEAC has met with individuals and groups in local communities, community forums, local government authorities, industry bodies, recreation and conservation groups, and government agencies. Summary of major proposals The following major proposals are included in this report. Major new or additional areas of national parks • Barmah National Park-establishment of a large new national park from state park, state forest and River Murray Reserve in the largest River Red Gum forest along the River Murray. • Gunbower National Park-establishment of a new national park from state forest and River Murray Reserve on the River Murray near Cohuna. • Lower Goulburn River National Park-establishment of a new national park mostly from state forest extending from the River Murray, along the Goulburn River to the south of Shepparton and including Kanyapella Basin. • Warby Range-Ovens River National Park-enlargement and addition to the Warby Range State Park of regional park and state forest along the Ovens River. • Leaghur-Koorangie National Park-establishment of a new national park in the Loddon and Avoca River floodplains west and south of Kerang, from a number of public land units, the largest of which include Leaghur State Park, Koorangie (The Marshes) Wildlife Reserve and Wandella Flora and Fauna Reserve. • Murray-Sunset National Park-substantial area addition of state forest (including Wallpolla Island), Mullroo Creek Wildlife Area and River Murray Reserve to this existing national park. • Terrick Terrick National Park-addition of several grassland nature conservation reserves and other public land units to this national park. Major new or additional areas of regional or other parks • Murray River Park–consolidation of the River Murray Reserve and incorporation of regional parks at Echuca, Tocumwal, Cobram, Yarrawonga and Wodonga. • Four (three new) parks balancing recreation and conservation objectives along the River Murray-Kings Billabong Park incorporating Kings Billabong Wildlife Reserve and Bottle Bend; Murray-Kulkyne Park incorporating the existing park and River Murray Reserve near Colignan; Gadsen Bend Park incorporating state forest and River Murray Reserve south of Robinvale; and Nyah-Vinifera Park incorporating Nyah State Forest and Vinifera forest (River Murray Reserve) downstream of Swan Hill. • Two new regional parks close to regional centres-Kerang Regional Park incorporating Fosters, Back and Town Swamps and Cemetery Forest Wildlife Reserve; and Shepparton Regional Park adjoining the proposed Lower Goulburn River National Park and incorporating part of the Lower Goulburn State Forest, Shepparton Flora and viii River Red Gum Forests Investigation July 2007
Fauna Reserve and Mooroopna Recreation Reserve. Nature conservation areas There are 27 new, nine expanded and 13 existing nature conservation reserves in the Investigation area. The majority of the new nature conservation reserves are in the Victorian Riverina bioregion. State forests • Gunbower State Forest–incorporates 75 percent of the area in the existing state forest that was previously available for timber harvesting. • Benwell and Guttram State Forests (northwest of Koondrook)–remain unchanged. Other areas There are numerous other areas of public land in the Investigation area. These include 110 natural features reserves and many public land water frontages, three new or modified and 10 existing historic and cultural features reserves, five new or modified community use areas and many water production, service and utilities and earth resources extraction areas. Changes to land-use categories alone are not sufficient to protect natural and cultural values on public land. VEAC has also proposed changes to public land management in four overarching themes: environmental water, Indigenous involvement, recreation and tourism, and domestic stock grazing. Major issues Environmental water To achieve sufficient flooding and maintain ecological connectivity between the rivers and their floodplains, a volume of water in the order of 4000 gigalitres is required for a floodplain inundation event at least every five years, although VEAC has commissioned further research to refine these figures. Indigenous involvement in public land management There is a clear need for resourcing and capacity building to support increased involvement of Traditional Owner groups in public land management and decision-making, including Traditional Owner identification, registration, establishment of internal decision-making processes and informed consent protocols. VEAC proposes comanagement of the proposed Barmah National Park and the Nyah-Vinifera Park through Boards of Management with majority Aboriginal membership and a range of other arrangements for shared management including Aboriginal Advisory Committees for west Walpolla Island and Bumbang Island. A change of provisions is required to allow for traditional cultural practice by Traditional Owners across public land through a consent and permit system involving Indigenous Traditional Owners of the specific area. Recreation and tourism The sustainable promotion and maintenance of recreation and tourism is an important factor for the River Red Gum Forests Investigation area. VEAC is proposing an increased diversity of camping experiences with more regulated camping in some areas to ensure the sustainability of this immensely popular activity. In addition a ban is proposed on solid fuel fires and firewood collection on all public land during the high fire danger period and all year in national parks and nature conservation reserves. The development of a River Murray Strategy will provide a long-term framework for sustainable recreation, tourism, commerce and similar uses along the length of the River Murray in Victoria. Domestic stock grazing Significant changes are proposed for domestic stock grazing in the Investigation area including the exclusion of broad-acre domestic stock grazing across public land, other than unused roads and a five-year phase out of grazing on public land water frontages. Summary Across the Investigation area, the conservation reserve system (land in national parks, nature conservation reserves and some other areas), would increase from 25 percent of public land to 65 percent; or from 5.7 percent of the original extent of River Red Gum forests, wetlands and associated ecosystems to 14.5 percent. Summary of uses and effects The independent social and economic assessment found that, overall, VEAC’s proposed recommendations would result in a net increase in economic value to Victoria of $92 million per year excluding the costs of environmental water. Most of the benefits result from non-use values for environmental protection, which are heavily dependent on adequate environmental water. The principal economic costs of the proposed recommendations are also related to environmental water but are difficult to determine largely because of the variable price of water. If the water can be acquired for less than between $1320 and $2880 per megalitre, the recommendations would continue to deliver net benefits to Victoria. The benefits of the proposed recommendations would accrue mostly to people outside the Investigation area, especially in Melbourne, while the costs would be largely borne within the Investigation area particularly in areas near where public land timber harvesting and grazing are focussed: the towns of Cohuna, Koondrook, Nathalia and Picola are likely to be most sensitive to these effects. Environmental water The most urgent and serious environmental problem in the Investigation area is the imminent loss or degradation of large areas of wetlands and riverine forests as a result of greatly reduced frequency of flooding. This reduced frequency of flooding is already having substantial negative impacts on natural values (especially biodiversity), Aboriginal associations, recreational values and the sustainability of timber harvesting, and these impacts are likely to become severe without prompt and significant action. Many tens of thousands of hectares of forests and wetlands may be lost without adequate flooding in the near future. Changes to public land-use categories alone will not be sufficient to address this problem. As a result, VEAC’s proposed approach goes beyond such changes to identify the approximate frequency and extent of flooding required to maintain wetlands and riverine forests in a healthy condition and recommends that such flooding be brought Draft Proposals Paper for public comment ix
Page 1 and 2: River RedGum Forests Investigation
Page 3 and 4: FOREWORD The River Red Gum forests
Page 5: Contents What is the Victorian Envi
Page 9 and 10: the different aspirations of differ
Page 11 and 12: Draft Proposals Paper for public co
Page 15 and 16: 1 Introduction The River Red Gum fo
Page 17 and 18: • the desirability of greater inv
Page 21 and 22: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS Implementat
Page 23 and 24: There is also likely to be variatio
Page 25 and 26: The simple account above serves to
Page 27 and 28: Increasing Indigenous involvement i
Page 29 and 30: The draft proposals presented here
Page 31 and 32: RECOMMENDATIONS Aboriginal advisory
Page 33 and 34: experience—especially if people a
Page 35 and 36: impetus for the removal of grazing
Page 37 and 38: RECOMMENDATIONS General recommendat
Page 39 and 40: RECOMMENDATIONS Murray-Sunset Natio
Page 41 and 42: individual wetlands as new nature c
Page 43 and 44: RECOMMENDATIONS Terrick Terrick Nat
Page 45 and 46: However, because of the intensity o
Page 47 and 48: RECOMMENDATIONS Warby Range-Ovens R
Page 49 and 50: used by Lower Murray Water for dire
Page 51 and 52: B4 Kings Billabong Park The propose
Page 53 and 54: B7 Nyah-Vinifera Park The proposed
Page 55 and 56: C State forests The River Red Gum f
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C1-C2 Benwell and Guttram State For
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considerably. There has also been s
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D25 Pyramid Creek Nature Conservati
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E Historic and cultural features re
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considers that the new reservation
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G Natural features reserves Natural
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RECOMMENDATIONS Public land water f
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I Community use areas Designated co
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J Services and utilities areas Nume
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RECOMMENDATIONS General recommendat
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Draft Proposals Paper for public co
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every five years. The costs of prov
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camping will be prohibited in locat
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domestic stock grazing on public la
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Parrots, require hollows in mature
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The two main types of socio-economi
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The six samples used in the surveys
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Demographic data Demographic data (
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Conclusions It is apparent from the
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three towns and the only one with r
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River Red Gum Forests Investigation
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APPENDIX 3: Extract of Report on th
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Access to public land areas within
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Workshop program and presentations
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they were to be involved in a simil
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Section 4 of the report “Demystif
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Figure 2 Current Options being Purs
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Participation in management of publ
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opportunities where ‘service cont
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What we would like to see happen A
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Last word - Aboriginal cultural her
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Organisation Contact Sub. Period No
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Organisation Contact Sub. Period No
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Mr R. Berb
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Ms Claire
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Ms Louise
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Ms Helen K
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Ms Bernade
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 M- & M- L.
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Mr Peter S
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Name Sub. Period No. 1 2 Mr Zach Wo
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APPENDIX 6: Species names used in t
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Recommendations for natural feature
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Recommendations for natural feature
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APPENDIX 10: Reservation status of
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