findings by bioregion - Victorian Environmental Assessment Council

Distribution of site condition scoresArea (ha)• Public land8,000• Private land6,0002,0001,00000 20 40 60 80Site condition scoresPublic land median score – 53.4Private land median score – 43.8[Statewide median score – 36.8]Distribution of landscape context scoresArea (ha)• Public land20,000• Private land15,00010,0005,000BIOPHYSICAL BASISThe Otway Plain includes coastal plains, river valleys andfoothills and swamps in the lowlands extending from theBellarine Peninsula west to Princetown. There is also smalloutlier near Werribee, on the western shore of Port PhillipBay. The Otway Plain is one of three similar bioregions thatform the coastal plains of southern Victoria, the other twobeing the Warrnambool Plain and the Gippsland Plain.The bioregion is dominated by gently undulating plainsof Tertiary deposits. Ridges mark positions of ancientshorelines. Soils types and fertility vary across thebioregion. The soils associated with the upper terrain aretexture contrast soils and support Lowland Forest andHeathy Woodland EVCs. The dunes around Anglesea arepredominantly low fertile, sandy soils. The fl oodplains andswamps are earths, pale yellow and grey texture contrastsoils supporting Grassy Woodland and Plains GrassyWoodland. Dry sclerophyll forest dominated by MountainGrey Gum and Messmate occur around the Otwayfoothills. River Red Gum woodlands occur along somedrainage lines.The bioregion is drained in the east mainly by the BarwonRiver (which originates in the Otway Ranges) and itstributaries. In the west the bioregion is drained mainlyby tributaries of the Gellibrand River, although somestreams fl ow north to Lakes Corangamite and Colac inthe Victorian Volcanic Plain.00 5 10 15 20Landscape context scoresAverage annual rainfall across the bioregion: 500-1000 mmDaily mean temperature across the bioregion: 12-15˚CPublic land median score – 15.7Private land median score – 13.5[Statewide median score – 14.9]LAND USE HISTORYPresently, much of the Otway Plain is used for grazing,cropping and dairying. In recent years viticulture hasbecome a local land-use, particularly in the BellarinePeninsula. Firewood and some timber is produced fromthe foothill forests. Blue gum and pine plantations arebeing established in the western part of the bioregion.Brown coal is mined near Anglesea. That part of thebioregion near Werribee is dominated by the sewagetreatment plant west of the Werribee River, and intensivehorticulture and residential development to the east. Partof the greater Geelong urban area occurs in the bioregion,with signifi cant semi-urban areas and residential subdivisionsoccurring along coastal areas, at the outskirtsof Geelong and on the Bellarine Peninsula. Other coastalareas are popular tourist destinations.79