Chapter 13 - Victorian Environmental Assessment Council

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Commonwealth landSpecific ‘no-go’ and ‘no-impact’ zones are identifiedto protect sensitive areas. As defined by theDefence Department, the:• ‘no-go’ areas are fenced and signed to excludeall vehicles. These areas may not be targetedfor any direct firing. Activities are restricted tofoot movement that does not involve diggingor vegetation disturbance; and• ‘no-impact’ areas are mostly not fenced andgenerally do not exclude vehicle movement.These areas must not be subject to targetingor direct firing from explosive rounds.Fire protection and management are key issues atPuckapunyal and Graytown, particularly with livefiring and the need for asset protection. Managementof the area needs to continue to recognise theimportance of appropriate strategies for fire. Pestplant and animal control are also activelyundertaken in the military area and should continue.13.2 LongleaLonglea (496 ha) was formerly a magazine area forthe storage of bulk high explosives, propellants andchemicals. The land has been under Commonwealthcontrol since 1941 and, apart from the munitionsstorage buildings and roads, the forest community isintact. The primary public land value at Longlea isthis little-disturbed Box-Ironbark forest. There arefew large old trees, but parts have trees notablylarger in diameter than in Box-Ironbark forestssubject to harvesting and culling. Basal area ofwood in many parts is unusually high, at around 20to 24 square metres per hectare.The Defence Department has recently indicatedthat it will retain all or part of Longlea for driverand other training purposes for the foreseeablefuture. Under Commonwealth Government tenure,the ECC proposes that the majority of Longlearemain substantially as at present, and be managedfor nature conservation.Intermittent use of the existing road network byAustralian Defence Industries (ADI) for testing theBushmaster and other vehicles is compatible withmanagement of the forest for nature conservation.A management plan to be prepared by the DefenceDepartment is expected to provide, among otherthings, for appropriate nature conservationmanagement of the forested areas. Development ofthe management plan will include a flora and faunasurvey to clarify the natural values of Longlea.To ensure safety, Longlea should remain fenced andclosed to public access during training and vehicletesting. Construction of any limited special testingsites should take place in the existing cleared areas.Open public access for recreation should not bepermitted but, by arrangement with the DefenceDepartment, access for educational, research andnature study groups could be facilitated.Around five hectares located in the cleared landadjoining Atlas Road is proposed to be developedas a multi-user depot for Bendigo cadet brigadesand other users. Other proposed and future userswould need to retain ready access from Atlas Road.Potential use of part of the road network for acommunity driving school is a matter to be resolvedbetween the Commonwealth and the proponents. Ifsuch use is agreed, it should be limited to a levelthat does not reduce nature conservation values,and the tenure should not extend beyond the periodLonglea is used by ADI.Acquisition by the Victorian GovernmentThe Minister for State and Regional Developmenthas indicated that the Victorian Government willacquire Longlea from the Commonwealth.Discussions between the Commonwealth andVictorian Governments, to resolve this matter, arecontinuing. Once transferred to Victoria, the landwould become public land under the EnvironmentConservation Council Act 1997.The status of the former munitions storagebuildings, and to what extent they are to bedemolished and hazardous materials removed bythe Commonwealth, needs to be determined.Before demolition, a heritage survey should becarried out to determine if any of the structuresshould be retained for heritage purposes.When the area is no longer required for training andvehicle testing, the majority of the forested landshould be included with the adjoining BendigoRegional Park (see Recommendation C1).13.3 MangaloreAnother 525 ha Commonwealth property atMangalore is to continue under the management ofthe Department of Defence. This area has remnantBox-Ironbark vegetation on less than half of itsarea, and some of that vegetation is patchy and/orEnvironment Conservation Council – Box-Ironbark Forests and Woodlands Investigation 95
Commonwealth landdisturbed. However, there are some intact and semiintactexamples of Box-Ironbark Forest EVC, andsmall, partly modified remnants of Plains GrassyWoodland EVC.Extensive areas that formerly carried GrassyWoodland and Granitic Hills Woodland EVCs arehighly modified, now supporting introduced pasturegrasses with only scattered trees.Much of the tree cover comprises dense stands withrelatively small diameter stems, although somelarger hollow-bearing trees remain. Tree cover andparticularly large trees should be retained whereverpossible.The Atlas of Victorian Wildlife has several recordsof bush stone-curlews (endangered) and one recordof a brush-tailed phascogale (vulnerable) fromMangalore. Bush stone curlews nest on the ground,and require areas with fallen wood for shelter and asa source of insects for food. Elsewhere, collectionof domestic firewood removes this shelter but atMangalore much wood has been left.Stock grazing has been carried out by arrangementwith the Department of Defence, and this hasprevented regeneration of trees. Drainage lines andareas with relatively intact vegetation need to beprotected from stock grazing. Management strategiesto minimise the impacts of stock grazing on naturalvegetation have been developed, with fencing ofsensitive areas.13.4 Community viewsThe Department of Defence drew attention to threeagreements between themselves and EnvironmentAustralia under relevant Regional Forest Agreementarrangements, for the protection of nominatedforest ecosystems in five states. The Departmentconsiders this displays further its commitment toprotecting natural values on managed land.Submissions regarding PMA mostly proposed thatthe area be protected in a national park should theland be returned to the State and no longer used as amilitary area. Several proposed incorporating PMAinto a large national park based on the Rushworth-Heathcote forest area. Another suggested theRushworth-Heathcote State Forest south of Mt IdaNature Conservation Reserve be added to thereserve to form a protected link with Puckapunyal.Others proposed current environmental managementstrategies for the area continue and that mineralexploration and mining activities be excluded.Submissions specifically concerned with Mangaloredefence area proposed that the area should bemanaged to provide for fauna conservation,particularly for bush stone-curlews, and protected ina national park or other reserve when no longerrequired for its current purpose.In including these significant areas of land in itsoverview of Box-Ironbark ecosystems, the ECCacknowledges the effort undertaken by theDepartment of Defence as the land manager toprotect, manage and rehabilitate significant habitatsoccurring on these lands and recommends that thiscontinue. The ECC supports the inclusion of theseareas to the reserve system when no longer requiredfor defence purposes..Exploration and mining for minerals areinappropriate uses of these areas and should beexcluded, as the primary uses include live artilleryfiring and military training activities. Importanthabitats for threatened species in these areas shouldcontinue to be managed for nature conservationwhere possible.13.5 Proposals for Commonwealth landThe PMA, Longlea and Mangalore areCommonwealth land, hence are not ‘public land’ asdefined under the Environment Conservation CouncilAct 1997. Accordingly, the ECC cannot makeformal recommendations for this land. Thefollowing proposals are put forward in order toinclude these significant government land blocks inan overview of Box-Ironbark public land use forthe region.Unexploded ordnance occur on Puckapunyal andGraytown ranges. Training, involving firing,continues year-round. It would be therefore notfeasible to permit public access to these ranges.According to the particular environmental andAboriginal cultural values, and their sensitivity todisturbance, application of zoning may either limitaccess to foot only, or may permit appropriate militarytraining but not disturbance. Constructed creekcrossings (in accordance with current procedures)would be necessary to provide access for trackedvehicles between cleared areas. Normal trainingwould continue in the extensively cleared areas.The flora and fauna survey report for Puckapunyaland Graytown includes some of the followinglocations.96 Environment Conservation Council – Box-Ironbark Forests and Woodlands Investigation
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Chapter 13 - Victorian Environmental Assessment Council

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