Rural Strategy - Surf Coast Shire

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Surf Coast Shire Rural Strategy Review Final Report concentrated along the Barwon River, Thompson Creek and in pockets around Freshwater Creek. Other features include the 2 large water bodies of Wurdi Boluc Reservoir and Lake Modewarre. Around Breamlea in the eastern end, the landscape is characterised by saltmarshes centred around the lower reaches and estuary of the Thompson Creek. The key characteristics of the precinct include: An open, undulating terrain with a rural outlook from road corridors. Long distance views to a low horizon in the west and east, contrasting with a sense of enclosure in the centre aided by undulating topography, remnant vegetation and shelter belt planting. Large paddocks, occasionally delineated by shelter belts. Indigenous vegetation emphasising some landscape features (Barwon River, road reserves). The character of simple farming structures and their discreet placement among the vales and trees. The landscape objectives for the precinct, noted in GORLASS, include: To increase indigenous vegetation in the precinct, particularly adjacent to road corridors and waterways, while retaining a rural outlook from inland main road corridors. To emphasise the sense of enclosure in the hinterland landscape, maintaining shelter belt planting as a feature of the area. To recognise the contribution of farming structures to the character of the working landscape. To improve the appearance of residential and other development located on the fringes of townships, particularly on hill faces and ridges. To minimise the encroachment of urban structures, signs and development into the landscape, particularly in the low lands, hill faces and main road corridors. To protect wetlands and saltmarshes from the impacts of urban development and agricultural practices. Environmental Values The precinct is within both the Victorian Volcanic Plain and Otway Plain bioregions. Prior to European settlement in 1750 the Victorian Volcanic Plain bioregion featured extensive native grasslands with small patches of open woodlands and riparian vegetation along the rivers and shallow lakes. The Otway Plain bioregion featured open forests with heathy understorey dominated by Eucalyptus particularly River Red Gum along drainage lines. Heathy and native grassy woodlands and coastal scrubs dominated the coastal areas. There has been substantial clearing of all vegetation types particularly those on the more fertile soils utilized for agriculture and along the coast as a result of urban and tourism development. The precinct includes a series of lakes, rivers, creeks, wetlands, swamps and estuaries. Lake Modewarre, Lake Dubin, and Lake Gherang are all shallow lakes and are significant wetlands in the Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion. The lakes are flocking sites and provide RMCG Consultants for Business, Communities & Environment Page 72
Surf Coast Shire Rural Strategy Review Final Report habitat for a range of threatened water birds including the Australian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis), Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa) and Brolga (Grus rubicunda). The Barwon River supports endangered riparian vegetation and provides instream habitat for numerous aquatic fauna and includes a series of wetlands that are also significant in the Bioregion. The river and wetlands provide habitat for numerous threatened water birds including Lathams Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) and Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia). The Spring Creek and Deep Creek support endangered riparian woodland containing the threatened Bellarine Yellow-gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. Bellarinensis) in very high densities. Near the coast Spring Creek supports Moonah and Deep Creek contains Drooping Sheoake. The Spring and Thompson Creeks support a wide range of threatened in stream species including Yarra Pygmy Perch (Nannoperca obscura), Shortfinned Eel (Anguilla australis) and Spotted Galaxias (Galaxias truttaceus), and estuarine/marine fish including Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) and Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta). Spring, Thompson and Deep Creeks also support an assemblage of threatened water birds including the Fairy Prion and Great Egret, and Spring Creek supports the threatened Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis). The Breamlea saltmarsh is a regionally significant wetland due to the threatened status and diversity of species it supports. Providing habitat for State and Nationally threatened species including the Hooded Plover and the Orange Bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster). Point Impossible supports relatively intact coastal vegetation with Coast Wirilda (Acacia retinoides var. uncifolia) in large numbers and is a nesting site of the Hooded Plover and a variety of threatened sea birds. The precinct contains patches of grasslands and woodlands. The grasslands support a diverse range of native grasses and herbs potentially providing habitat for the Legless Lizard (Delma impar). There are numerous patches of endangered grassy woodland with an over storey of either Drooping Sheoake or River Red Gums including high densities of the threatened Bellarine Yellow Gum around Torquay. The precinct also includes scattered paddock trees providing breeding sites and habitat for threatened fauna including the Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua). Key attributes: A network of significant wetlands supporting endangered flora and fauna. Intact grasslands, patches of woodland and scattered hollow bearing trees. Key threats: Pollution from land use. Grazing by stock and weed invasion. Fragmentation of vegetation with poor linkages. Urban growth. 10.5.2 Rural Land Use Observations While there is a trend towards farming for lifestyle in the area there is a perceivable future for agriculture in the precinct. In the west the allotment and tenement sizes are conducive to agricultural production and broad acre farming. The agricultural viability of the land is reflected in its current use as grazing land for cattle and sheep. In the east the potential exists for sustaining an irrigated agricultural industry through the use of recycled water from the near by water treatment plant. With such irrigation the classification of the lands agricultural capability is likely to increase significantly RMCG Consultants for Business, Communities & Environment Page 73
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Rural Strategy - Surf Coast Shire

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