Governmental Reserve Targets for the Bioregion & Scientific and administrative recommendations for reserves in the Strzeleckis

 

1. “Sites of Zoological Significance”

Recommended that all public land within marked areas should be incorporated into an integrated system of reserves due to the areas being of zoological significance. -Mansergh and Norris 1982

1. Traralgon ck headwaters

2. English Corner

3 Olsens Bridge

4. Gunyah Gunyah

5. Darlimurla

6. Gellions Run

7. Yinnar South

8. Tarra Valley

9. Alberton West

 

2. “Sites of Botanical Significance”

 -Gullen et al 1984

1. Gunyah - State Significance

2. Ryton - State significance

Others:

Gelliondale, etc Alberton

The report as presented did not appear to include any recommendations

3. Deferred Forest Areas

The "Deferred Forest Areas" (DFAs) identified by the Gippsland RFA before the sale of the VPC. These were areas of public land eligible to be considered for reservation. A moratorium on logging was supposed to be in place pending the outcome of the RFA. Temporarily, all of it was a reserve.

The Strzelecki DFAs (light Green) took in all public forested land apart from existing reserves (dark green), the 8600 ha. leased to Amcor and the native forest within designated softwood zones. These areas define much of what appears in the many other past and present reserve proposals for the Strzeleckis. In the map below, the original DFA map has been superimposed over a base map showing the bioregion

 

4. The “Cores and Links” reserve proposal

The Strzelecki Working Group (SWG)formed by the South Gippsland Shire and with conservation, HVP & Shire representatives, commissioned BIOSIS to carry out the Strzelecki Ranges Biodiversity Study, which identified five high biodiversity Core Areas and habitat links joining the Gunyah Rainforest reserve to Tarra Bulga NP and College Creek. The study was confined to Hancock leased State Forest and some of the land immediately adjacent. The proposal would add some 8000 ha. to the reserve system. HVP agree to it as long as they are compensated for the foregone harvesting rights. The company agreed to a temporary moratorium on logging in the Cores and Links but have announced that they will be harvesting there in October.

5. Draft Regional Vegetation Plan for West Gippsland

Reservation targets for fragmented bioregions such as the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion:

 

EVC                               Reserve Target             Relevant Strz. Ra. Bioregion EVC’s

LC                                    35% of extant                  0

D                                    35% of extant                    1: Wet Forest   extant 41,000 ha (+reforestation)     

V                                   60% - 90% of extant            2: Herb rich foothill forest, Lowland Forest

                                                                                       extant     1396 ha.        + 5396 ha.     

E                                     90% - 100% of extant        8: EVCs* 1 mosaic, 1 complex :

                                                                                       Sub-total extant 11,000 ha.      

R                                      90% - 100% of extant      1: Coast Heathland Scrub 2 ha

X    - - - - - -- - - - -Nothing left to reserve - - - - - - -     3:  extinct EVCs  1 extinct mosaic

 

*Damp Forest, CT Rainforest, WT Rainforest, Plains Grassy Forest, Riparian Forest, Swamp Scrub, Rocky Outcrop Shrub, Shrubby Foothill Forest.

 

To meet minimum targets, at least  60% - 90% of all areas of all EVC types (except Wet Forest) within the SR Bioregion need to be reserved or covenanted. The remaining extent of these EVCs comprises 8239 ha of Damp Forest, 600 ha of rainforest, and 10,000 ha of all other EVCs. 19,000 ha in all, of which around 2000 is already reserved. 90% across the board reservation targets for all of these Rare, Vulnerable and Endangered EVCs within the bioregion would require a total of 17,000 ha in reserve, therefore an additional 15,000 ha.  of non Wet Forest EVCs would need to be added to the SR bioregion reserve system.

In addition, minimum RVP targets of 35% of extant Wet Forest would require14,350 ha reserved. Approximately 3000 ha. is currently reserved, thus requiring an additional 11,350 ha of Wet forest in reserve.

 

In all, reserves in the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion need to cover 29,300 ha, some 25000 ha. more than is presently reserved, to meet minimum reserve targets according to the Regional Veg Plan. This would bring overall reserve percentages for the bioregion as a whole from around 1.5% to around 10%

 

6. Nature Conservation Review, Victoria 2001 by Barry Traill & Christine Porter, VNPA, March 2001

This was commissioned by the Victorian National Parks Assoc. to identify gaps within Victoria’s reserve system. The report stressed that ‘the wetter forests of the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion stand out as a forested bioregion requiring special attention due to the high level of threatened Ecological Vegetation Classes and very poor reservation’. It recommended a major new park system for the Strzelecki Ranges to ‘ensure protection of the remaining biodiversity of the wet and damp eucalypt forests and cool temperate rainforests of the region’. 

In this review, minimum reservation targets are set higher than Regional Vegetation Plan targets in the 4 following categories

In Non fragmented bioregions:

LC targets set in terms of 30% of extant, rather than 15% of pre 1750 extent

D targets raised to 60 % 0f extant, rather than 35% of extant

In Fragmented Bioregions such as the Strzeleckis:

LC 50% of extant is reserve target, rather than 35% of extant

D    90% of extant is reserve target rather than 35% of extant

 

NCR targets for fragmented bioregions such as the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion:

 

EVC       Bioregion     Reservation Target

LC          Fragmented            50% of extant

D            Fragmented             90% of extant

V             Fragmented             90% of extant

E       Fragmented or not          90% - 100% of extant

R       Fragmented or not           90% - 100% of extant

X                                            Nothing left to reserve

 

The only EVC in the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion affected by the differing targets is Wet Forest Under Nature Conservation Review targets, the reserve target for Wet forest is 21,700 ha higher (36000 ha) than for the Regional Vegetation Plan targets (14,300 ha)

In all, the NCR sets reserve targets totalling 49,300 ha (16% of total area of bioregion) for

the Strzelecki Ranges Bioregion, some 45000 ha. more than is presently reserved.

 

Summary of 5. and 6.

 

Draft Regional Vegetation Plan for West Gippsland :              an extra 25,000 ha. of reserves

Nature Conservation Review:                                                        an extra 45,000 ha. of reserves

 

Some other relevant reports

  Sites of Botanical Significance for Rainforest in South Gippsland  1990 Natural Resources & Environment Flora and Fauna Survey and Management Group

In 1990 the Flora and Fauna Survey and Management Group Rainforest Project Team surveyed some areas of South Gippsland.  The study found significant regional, state and national sites of rainforest in the Strzeleckis  at Morwell National Park, the Tarra Valley, Turtons Creek, Gunyah and Rytons.  Gunyah Gunyah  was rated as being of national significance.  It  contained the, rare rainforest epiphyte,  the Slender Fork-fern, Tmesipteris elongata and the Slender Tree-fern and Skirted Tree-fern.


4. Rainforests and Cool Temperate Mixed Forests of Victoria 1999  B.Peel

This report  identified  College Creek as a significant site for rainforest  in the Strzeleckis.  College Creek  was given a state significance  rating. 

The vegetation community, Strzeleckis Warm Temperate Rainforest  is described.   This community is restricted to the Strzelecki Ranges.

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