Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

People interested in contributing their local knowledge to national systems should consider going to a video conference in Bendigo on February 2nd on DELWP and citizen science data bases. The conference will be held at the DELWP office, 1 Taylor Street Epsom, from 9,45 to 12.45, and light refreshments will be provided. Topics include:

–Atlas of Living Australia – Peter Brenton (CSIRO)

–Victorian Biodiversity Atlas – Mel Hardie , DELWP

–Bowerbird – Ken Walker, Museum Victoria

–Visualising Victoria’s Biodiversity & SWIFFT – Rob Milne, Centre for eResearch & Digital Innovation (CeRDI), Federation University

Numbers are limited. If you’re intending to go, email  peter.johnson@delwp.vic.gov.au

Ah…Facebook. FOBIF is a bit derelict, we have to confess, in putting material on its Facebook page; interpret that as you like…

And we’re not great at following other Facebook pages, or at coping with social media generally. Twitter? Oh…must think about that…Instagram? Um, er…

But this week our attention was drawn to Parks Victoria’s Facebook page, which had a pic of Expedition Pass reservoir, and the advice:

‘Feeling the heat? Come along and enjoy Expedition Pass Reservoir near Castlemaine. It’s a great spot for the family to enjoy a swim in the cool waters.’

More than one of the responses on the page pointed out that it was pretty astonishing that Parks should be promoting the Res as a hot weather destination when it’s already stressed to the limit on hot days, that parking there is sometimes a nightmare, and that there are unresolved problems with dogs.

Maybe someone in Parks’ Melbourne office was looking for something to put on the Page, and didn’t worry too much about local conditions. In any case, you sometimes do get the impression that Parks Victoria’s management is much more interested in pretty promotions than providing the resources to protect our environment. Maybe we need more rangers, and less promotion?

FOBIF has received a few clarifying details from Parks Victoria on the infestations by St John’s Wort and other weeds on Mount Alexander [see our Post]. Essentially they confirm our impression: that weed control programs are intermittent and dependent on unreliable funding [currently limited]. Biological controls on St Johns Wort are only partially effective, and in the recent good spring the weed has become more rampant than ever.

We have written to Coliban Water about their supposed program to control environmental weeds on the Coliban Race reserve, but have had no reply. The reserve is currently infested with a wide range of weeds, including the picturesque but diabolical Patersons Curse, which has been kept under reasonable control by Parks on the eastern side of the Mount. There doesn’t seem to be any co ordination of weed control efforts between the two authorities: a pity, because it means [for example] that any effort by Parks Victoria to control a weed in the park is doomed because of the certainty of re infestation from the adjacent race reserve.

The map below shows DELWP’s intention to burn a significant section of Kalimna Park on the town side of the tourist road this autumn. The lower red section is bordered on the south by Doveton street track. The small white circle is the Hunter Street water tank. The golf course lies between the two red sections.

Click to enlarge.

* In red is where planned burning will take place this Autumn 2017.
* The orange and pink circles will be target by mulching (either Gorse or Broom bush) and
* Tourist Park Rd and the track around Parker St may have mulching applied to assist in track/access maintenance.
No burning will occur to the eastern [Happy Valley] side of Tourist park drive. DELWP  is working through removing the Pines near the rotunda.

FOBIF has written to Vicroads regarding its September update on the Pyrenees highway project. Part of this update reads: ‘A reduction of the speed zone would not lead to a decrease in the amount of barrier treatments used in this instance. The impact of an errant vehicle with a roadside hazard (tree, power pole) at 80 kmh can still lead to a serious injury or fatality. The Installation of safety barriers provides the safest option.’

Pyrenees Highway between Newstead and Green Gully: is this stretch of road safer at speed than the Midland?

Our questions are:

1. Does this statement imply that there is no difference in the likelihood or nature of a run off road accident at 80 kph, compared to 100 kph? If so, it would seem to contradict campaigns like the ‘wipe off five’ campaign.

2. We understand that recent limit reductions on the Midland Highway between Castlemaine and Harcourt and on the Pyrenees between Chewton and Tunnel Hill were made for safety reasons. Does Vicroads believe that the stretch of road between Green Gully and Newstead is more manageable at speed than those two stretches of road?

3. Are we to understand from this document that plans for vegetation management are the same as originally proposed?

We’ll publish Vicroads reply when it comes./.