Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Here’s a reminder: you have two days to give an opinion on the draft plan for indigenous co management of five parks in north central Victoria.

We’ve noticed a bit of negativity in some web discussion groups about this proposal, based, as far as we can see, on misconceptions, or worse. In our opinion the draft proposal is a generous effort to be inclusive of all groups in the community. An example, from the document:

‘Prospecting continues to be welcome in many areas of the Parks. However careful examination of the registered Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites identified four areas with a high density of sites where prospecting is currently allowed. In addition, three small fauna refuges that include significant cultural heritage, and where prospecting is currently allowed, were identified. It is proposed to restrict prospecting in these seven areas to protect the significant heritage values.’

In other words, some tweaking has been done to arrangements for this activity. Unfortunately this has been interpreted by some as follows: ‘Dja Dja Wurrung are taking over the management and banning various user groups…prospectors would be excluded from this land grab.’ [Quotes are from a Castlemaine website.’]

Facts are still facts. Let’s judge things on that basis, and not on prejudice and rumour.

A drop in session in Castlemaine on Sunday 20 May was a chance for interested residents to check out plans for indigenous co management of parks in north central Victoria.

None of the parks in question are in the Mount Alexander region, but the environmental and management problems faced by all of them are very similar to what we are dealing with, so the management approach being proposed is of great interest to us.

The draft joint management plan for the parks is open for public comment now. You can find it here. It’s a fascinating document, definitely worth a read [see a few details below].

The draft proposal is open for public comment till June 19. Submissions can be emailed to: consult@dhelkunyadja.org.au ; Posted to: DDLMB Senior Project Manager, C/- DELWP Level 3, 8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne 3002; or made online here.   the procedure for submissions is simple:

1. How strongly do you support the vision of the draft plan?
2. How strongly do you support the proposals of the draft plan overall?
3. What do you like about the draft plan?
4. What would you like to see changed in the draft plan?
5. Do you have any other comments?

The draft plan is a challenging, even exhilarating document. Its objectives are ambitious:

‘Healing Land (Country) goes beyond ridding the environment of pest plant and animals, managing fire and visitor impacts. The Draft Plan is as much about Dja Dja Wurrung People as it is about the land – we are a part of it. Dja Dja Wurrung People are part of the land and cannot be separated from it now and into the future.’

‘Sustainable management of the Dja Dja Wurrung Parks generating social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits for Dja Dja Wurrung People and the wider community.’

Mount Franklin from Muckleford: the distinctive dark cap is a pine plantation, a quite unnatural imposition on the volcanic cone. One of several proposals for land restoration in the plan is to gradually restore native vegetation to the mountain.

It’s fair to say that conservation reserves are currently regarded as places to visit, refuges from the ordinary run of daily life. The idea that they could actually be a central part of a community’s culture is still a radical one.

The draft plan is too complex to summarise in detail, but here are a few challenging ideas:

— ‘The use of Dja Dja Wurrung language names for places and features of cultural significance is a key priority for DDW People.’

— ‘the reintroduction of Gal Gal [dingo] and other culturally important animals within the landscape is identified as an action in [the Country Plan]’

–‘ Gradually restore native vegetation to the Lalgambuk (Mt Franklin) section of Hepburn Regional Park in order to recognise and restore the outstanding cultural significance of this place to DDW People.’

— ‘Dams fragment the watercourse they’re built on, preventing movement of aquatic animals between parts of the stream on either side of the dam. Dams and channels can decrease gatjin [water] flows downstream, particularly in low rainfall periods, reducing streams to disconnected pools, or causing problems associated with low flows, such as algal outbreaks.’

— ‘Manage road, track and trail maintenance to protect natural and cultural values All and maintain (and where possible reduce) the extent of road verges.

In view of all of the very positive ideas fielded in the draft document, there’s one observation in it which gives pause for thought. It’s on page 46:

‘High quality planning is critical in a time when visitor numbers and expectations are growing faster than budgets; assets are ageing and climate change is increasing the frequency of fire, floods and storms.’

As we’ve pointed out before, Victoria’s population has grown by over a million in the last ten years, and in that time Parks Victoria’s staffing has stayed about the same. After ruthless cuts made during the recent period of the state coalition government, budgets have still not really been restored. And any visitor to our local parks can confirm from the sight of rotting and out of date signage that ‘assets are ageing.’

Co management is a great idea, a proven winner elsewhere in Australia . Let’s hope it’s given a fair chance to succeed.

A cloudy day provided perfect conditions for FOBIF’s May walk on Sunday. A group of 17 negotiated obscure tracks in the back country of the Poverty Gully race under the leadership of Richard Piesse and Elaine Bayes. The nooks and crannies of this area have many fascinations, cultural and natural, and there were frequent pauses to explore them. The tunnel of the Crocodile Reservoir water race in its deep cutting proved particularly interesting: fortunately none of those who peered over the edge needed to be rescued.

What are they looking at? Walkers check out the northern entry to the Croc Res water race tunnel.

Our thanks to Richard and Elaine for a stroll in air fresh enough to be invigorating without being uncomfortable!

Next month’s walk will be led by Jeremy Holland into the Tarilta Valley. Check the program for details.