Meander
Valley
December 2004
Vegetation
Management Strategy
Contents
Recommended Citation:
Bennett M., Bower D. and Brownlea S. (Ed’s) (2004),
Meander Valley Vegetation Management Strategy,
Meander Valley Council, Westbury.
1. Introduction
1
1.1 Purpose
1
1.2 Alignment with state legislation and policy
1
This document was produced through updating, editing
and adapting the earlier Draft Vegetation Management
Strategy, September 2002 to ensure currency at time
of production and to make it suitable Council policy.
1.3 Role of local government in vegetation
management
2
1.4 Native vegetation values and management issues
2
The Meander Valley Council gratefully acknowledges
the contributors to this early draft (2001 – 2002):
1.5 At-risk native vegetation (categories)
3
1.6 Use and management of forest vegetation
4
Production Oversight
2. Objectives
5
Steering Committee for the Vegetation Management Strategy
A Sub-Committee of Meander Valley Council’s
Natural Resources Management Committee
3. Strategies
6
David Elliott
Richard Jamieson
Maureen Bennett
David Bower
Sean Cadman
Richard Barnes
Jenny Dornauf
Louise Gilfedder
Project Manager, Meander Valley Council
Town Planner, Meander Valley Council
Community Representative, Deloraine
Private Forests Tasmania, Prospect
Bushcare, Prospect
Bushcare, Hobart
Councillor, Meander Valley Council
Ecologist, Vegetation Conservation
Branch, Parks and Wildlife Service,
Department of Primary Industries,
Water and Environment, Hobart
Community Consultation and Initial Drafting
3.1 Participation strategy
6
3.2 Amendments to the planning scheme
7
3.3 Financial incentives and compensatory mechanisms
8
3.4 Need for investment security
8
3.5 Organisational and institutional change
9
3.6 Information management
9
3.7 Conservation incentives
10
3.8 Education program
11
3.9 Community funding for works consistant with VMS 12
3.10 Management of riparian zones
12
3.11 Management of roadside vegetation
13
Funding
3.12 Weed strategy
13
Production funding supplied by the Natural Heritage Trust.
3.13 Lobbying
14
3.14 Monitoring and evaluation
14
Arnhem Environmental Impact Assessors Pty Ltd
PO Box 295, Armidale NSW 2350
4. Links to the MVC Natural Resources Management
Strategy
4.1 Refinement of mapping
15
15
4.2 Identification of threats to vegetation communities 16
4.3 Vegetation management at the sub-catchment level 16
4.4 Funding environmental works
16
1
Introduction
1
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of the Meander Valley Vegetation Management Strategy is to improve the
management of native vegetation within the Meander Valley municipality, while at the same time
recognising the importance to the region of agriculture and forestry.
The strategy has been developed through community consultation and participation and addresses
the ‘triple bottom line’ of economic, social/cultural and environmental values.
This vegetation management strategy covers all land under council jurisdiction, that is, 31.7% of the
total land area in the municipality. It does not include crown land or private timber reserves.
1.2 Alignment with state legislation and policy
Council operates within the state’s Resource Management and Planning System, an integrated
policy, statutory and administrative framework that pursues sustainable development. In particular,
Council has responsibility for land use planning under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act
1993, and a regulatory role in environmental management under other Acts. Council’s planning
scheme must be consistent with all state and Federal legislation, policies and agreements.
(left) The rural landscape has to be
managed for numerous values
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
1.3 Role of Local Government in vegetation management
The role of Local Government is to protect and conserve native vegetation from inappropriate land
use changes and to encourage a balance between economic development and maintenance of
biodiversity.
Councils play a major role in the long-term management of vegetation through the creation and
maintenance of parks and reserves that contain both native vegetation and non-native vegetation
with heritage values. These areas not only provide the significant community benefits of recreation
and amenity, but also provide important habitat for native plant and animal species (LGAT 2000).
Councils also manage vegetation through operational strategies such as fire hazard reduction
control and roadside maintenance. It is important that such activities do not have a negative
impact on native vegetation especially where threatened species are present.
The 1995 planning scheme for the Meander Valley includes a rural strategy which asserts the need
for the protection, conservation and sustainable development of rural resources.
In June 2003, Council was advised by the Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment of
a new State Government policy on the conservation of rare, vulnerable and endangered non-forest
plant communities within Tasmania. The government seeks to achieve conservation outcomes
through cooperation with landowners, and with policy implementation assistance through local
council planning schemes. Although the Meander Valley municipality has not been identified as a
high priority area for these non-forest plant communities, it is, like all councils, required to address
the issue through its planning scheme and the Tasmanian Government plans to attain its minimum
policy objectives on this matter through general Planning Directives if substantial progress has not
been made at local level.
2
1.4 Native vegetation values and management issues
The Meander Valley was one of the first areas of Tasmania to be radically altered by European
farming. The forests in the western end of the municipality grew on the best soils and were
cleared and the land sown to exotic grasses in the first half of the 19th Century. Throughout the
municipality the settlers replaced the native trees with exotics more to their liking, bringing about
a considerable change in the landscape.
The considerable stands of native bush that remained are today under threat from many of the
exotic flora introduced by the early settlers, in particular gorse and blackberries and to a lesser
extent, willows.
The retention and rehabilitation of native vegetation has many benefits, including:
• biodiversity conservation
• soil and water conservation
• recreation
• an attractive landscape for residents and tourists
• enhancement of farm productivity
• improved water quality
• production of wood and other non-wood products
• reduction in the impacts of salinity.
Clearance, conversion and inappropriate disturbance are recognised as the greatest threats to
native vegetation in the Meander Valley. The goal of native vegetation management is to reduce
these threats by implementing achievable and cost-effective strategies. Planning and cooperation
from all levels of government and community are needed to reach this goal.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
The public consultation process identified a number of issues of concern, principally:
• fragmentation and degradation of priority vegetation communities
• conversion of private land to forest plantations
• subdivision and urban development
• threatened species
• water quality and riparian (river - related area) health.
There are certain difficulties in landowners retaining and managing native vegetation. These include
the native plants and animals that proliferate in bushland and constitute a pest to agricultural
production, thereby reducing the viability of both agricultural land and biodiversity values in
surrounding natural habitats.
3
(above) Woody Vegetation Change in the Meander Valley Municipality 1991 – 2000
[Source: Cadman S. (2003), Landscape Change in the Meander Valley: A Case Study for Monitoring and Reporting of Land Use
Modification, Vegetation Condition and Biodiversity Loss. Report to Meander Valley Council and Environment Australia]
1.5 At-risk native vegetation (categories)
The State Vegetation Management Strategy describes a very high diversity of vegetation types and
species in the municipality. As part of the Natural Resources Management (NRM) Strategy, Council
undertook an assessment of vegetation, including plant communities at risk.
Plant communities in the municipality were allocated to one of the following categories:
• critical: extremely high priority for conservation management
• urgent: a very high priority for conservation management
• important: a high priority for conservation management
In addition to communities at risk, a number of threatened species of flora and fauna have been
identified in the council area.
The Council is not, through this Strategy, imposing additional controls over State conservation
requirements.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
(above) Distribution of Priority Vegetation Communities, Meander Valley Municipality (2000 data)
1.6 Productive utilisation and management of forests vegetation
This strategy recognises the following points:
4
1. State and Federal Governments support the development of plantations on cleared
agricultural land.
2. Forestry, in both plantation and native forests, is an important economic driver in the
Meander Valley.
3. Through strategic planning for the provision of a stable land base for plantations, Council
has an important role in the sustainability of the forest industry.
4. Council should encourage sustainable native forest management, especially where both
economic and environmental outcomes can be achieved simultaneously.
(left) Forestry is an important economic
activity in the region, and sustainable
native forest management is encouraged
to reduce impact on natural values
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
2
Objectives
5
The following objectives and strategies can only be applied in a formal sense to land under Council
jurisdiction. However, it is important that activities be coordinated across the various jurisdictions to
ensure the highest consistency of outcomes.
As noted above, the purpose of the Meander Valley Vegetation Management Strategy is to improve
the management of native vegetation within the Meander Valley.
The strategy has been developed through consultation and when implemented will assist in
reducing community conflict about vegetation management within the municipality.
The strategy addresses the “triple bottom line” of economic, sociocultural and environmental
aspects and how they inter-relate, with the importance of good environmental stewardship being
recognised by all stakeholders. This means that the objectives need to be implemented with an
emphasis on achieving good stewardship outcomes.
The following objectives for the strategy have been developed out of the consultation process; they are to:
1.
protect and enhance native vegetation and the biodiversity it supports
2.
promote the benefits of preventing landscape fragmentation, a major threat to
biodiversity, with revegetation activities strategically located at sub-catchment levels
3.
encourage landholders to adopt ‘whole of farm’ approaches to vegetation management
4.
encourage good environmental stewardship while recognising that profitable economic
activity is important to the people in the area
5.
protect and enhance water quality and riparian health
6.
encourage native vegetation management targeted at reducing the risk of salinity
7.
reduce conflict over native vegetation management
8.
promote the economic benefits of native vegetation under responsible management.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
3
Strategies
6
In order to implement these objectives, a number of strategies have been developed, again
through consultation with stakeholders. These strategies are of three types: those that will directly
influence on-the-ground outcomes; those that will have indirect effects; and those that will involve
a combination of both.
For short-term improvements, strategies that have a direct effect are the best. In the medium to
long term, indirect strategies can be more effective because they can be aimed at changing the
way people think about the issues and how they make their decisions, thus leading to solutions
that address systemic causes rather than symptoms.
3.1 Participation strategy
Opportunities for cross-stakeholder involvement in decision making about the management of
native vegetation is likely to reduce conflict and wasted effort.
Such a participation strategy is consistent with the vision statement in the Meander Valley Council
NRM Strategy:
The community, government and industry working together to achieve practical, cooperative
and creative solutions for sustainable management of natural resources within the Meander
Valley Council area. (de Gryse and Hepper 2000)
Strategy
Council will adopt a participative approach for ongoing decision making
about native vegetation management.
Implementation
The NRM Committee will facilitate a stakeholder reference group to provide
guidance on maximising opportunities and identifying processes for wide
stakeholder participation. Trial a participative process for addressing native
vegetation management issues at the sub-catchment scale.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
It is anticipated that this Strategy will link to outcomes from the Future Search Conference held by
Council in April 2004 to identify community issues and values that are need to be addressed within
the municipality, and that appropriate participants from that conference will be included in its
implementation.
3.2 Amendments to the planning scheme
General
Guidelines for vegetation management will be included in the Meander Valley Council Planning
Scheme.
Strategy
Council will implement planning instruments to assist in the achievement of
vegetation management priorities where relevant and allowable under the
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.
Implementation 1. Planning provisions representing the principles and priorities of the
Vegetation Management Strategy will be developed and implemented in the
current planning scheme review.
2. Planning provisions will be included to protect rare, vulnerable and
endangered non-forest vegetation communities in line with state policy.
Native forests
Strategy
Council will encourage the sustainable management of native forest for
multiple outcomes, including production and conservation.
7
Implementation Where harvesting and silvicultural management of native forest is deemed to
be appropriate/acceptable, Council will:
• encourage sound environmental protection standards during and
following harvesting (with the Forest Practices Code establishing the
minimum standard)
• encourage harvesting and silvicultural systems that satisfy production
needs while providing maximum opportunities for regeneration
• encourage harvesting and silvicultural systems that maintain or
improve the integrity of the particular native forest community
involved.
(right) Young Eucalyptus plantation
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Plantations
Plantation forestry varies greatly in scale, the main types being:
•
integrated farm forestry: shelterbelts and small woodlots integrated into existing farm
enterprises (these may or may not require a forest practices plan)
•
large industrial development: joint venture (share farming) or lease of part or whole farms
by industrial forestry companies
•
prospectus-driven industrial forestry: purchase of farms by industrial forestry for
development of tree farms.
Strategy
Council will develop an approvals process relevant to the location, scale,
complexity and species composition of plantation development.
Implementation Council will:
1. investigate refining the definition of forestry within the Planning Scheme to
reflect the differing scales of plantation forestry.
2. develop a checklist of performance criteria and standards, or a guide to
assist forestry interests and the public to understand the components of the
planning scheme relevant to plantation forestry.
3.3 Financial incentives and compensatory mechanisms
8
Over the last four years a number of incentives have become available to landowners to protect
conservation assets on their properties. These include payments to landowners as part of the
implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) on private land; fencing incentives and
other management incentives provided through Natural Heritage Trust; and more recently the
tax deductibility of losses in property value associated with the protection of conservation assets
through covenanting.
In addition, Council is now providing rate rebates for landowners with conservation covenants on
their land.
To date the State Government has made only very minor efforts to help landowners who have to
forego development activities because of the presence of conservation values.
Strategy
Council will seek to source fair and reasonable compensation for landowners
who have to forego or curtail activities or developments and incur capital
or income loss where the conservation priority given to native vegetation
restricts or precludes that development, including the harvesting of native
vegetation or plantation development.
Implementation Where priority native vegetation status restricts or precludes forestry
operations, or plantation development, Council will seek from the State
Government realistic compensation to landowners.
3.4 Need for investment security
Landowners and industry require security and a stable land base for plantation forestry and native
forest operations. Downstream processors require sustained and guaranteed wood flows over time
in order to maintain a viable industry. Landowners currently gain security through the establishment
of Private Timber Reserves (PTRs).
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Strategy
The Council’s planning scheme should provide long-term security for
(development permit) approved plantation establishment, giving forest
owners confidence in their investment.
Implementation 1. Council will provide security to the whole forestry cycle (establishment and
regeneration; management and harvesting) through development permits
that approve, in principle, the whole cycle (a separate permit would be
required to deal with the logistics of removal and transport of wood or
forest products at the time of harvesting).
2. Council will design, in consultation with the forestry industry, a forestry
operations development application form.
3.5 Organisational and institutional change
To avoid duplication and wasted effort a cross-agency perspective on environmental management
will be adopted. The involvement of industry and the community within the cooperative networks
will be beneficial.
Strategy
Wherever possible, Council will implement strategies in cooperation with
other stakeholders including government agencies, industry and the
community.
Implementation Council will work with NRM North and Region North, industry and the
community and align efforts with initiatives to build better partnerships with
State Government.
9
3.6 Information management
Digital information, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS), should be reliable and up-to-date.
When ‘ground-truthing’ occurs at the local level, the revised information can be validated and fed
back into the main databases maintained by agencies such as the Nature Conservation Branch and
Parks and Wildlife Service.
Strategy 1
To support the role of Local Government in vegetation management, Council
will develop information sharing protocols and mechanisms with other
councils, the Local Government Association of Tasmania
and appropriate government agencies.
Implementation Council will:
1. identify various data sources and mechanisms to share them in
a cost-effective and timely manner.
2. ensure that end users within the Council have valid and timely data
available to them, and are trained in its use in their planning and
development activities.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Strategy 2
Council will encourage interested parties to participate, through recognised
organisations and with the written permission of landowners,
in on-ground assessment and validation of data.
Implementation Council will encourage the community, amateur botanists, scientists and
science students, and environmentalists to provide information about
changes to vegetation and to identify inaccuracies in the data set, with a
view to improving the reliability of data in the GIS. An important aspect of
this approach would be the need to protect data integrity. Suitably qualified
Council or State Government officers may need to audit and/or validate the
information. Information gathered on private property should also be fed back
to landowners.
The Council website should support the implementation of the VMS. It would be feasible to expand
the website to include:
• information and updates on vegetation management
• information for community groups about funding sources
• links to relevant information and data sources
• stories and photographs about good environmental outcomes
• opportunity for comment on proposed amendments to the planning scheme regarding
vegetation management.
Strategy 3
Council will extend the current MVC website to support widespread
dissemination of information and creative dialogue about the implementation
of the VMS.
Implementation The Council’s NRM Officer will contribute information on vegetation
management to the website as appropriate and as needed.
10
3.7 Conservation incentives
Conservation can include actions taken to directly rehabilitate or revegetate the environment, as
well as the adoption of agricultural and forestry practices that minimise undesirable environmental
impacts.
Forestry best practices have been incorporated into the Forest Practices Code, and are implemented
through the Tasmanian Forest Practices System1. The Bushcare Toolkit (Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Gilfedder,
L.A. 1999) provides best practice guidelines for on-farm native vegetation management.
Economic incentives can be used to encourage landowners to adopt conservation practices.
Examples of current incentives include:
• The Meander Valley Council Rate Rebate Scheme (as described above)
• The Threatened Species Fund: established under the Threatened Species Protection
Act 1995, as a trust account to provide financial assistance for activities relating to the
conservation of native flora and fauna, as well as compensation to landholders in certain
circumstances for financial losses relating to environmental protection.
• The Australian Bush Heritage Trust which purchases land for conservation purposes,
• The Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement makes funds available for setting aside land
and providing stewardship in a covenanted priority forest.
1
See www.fpb.tas.gov.au
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Examples of further incentives that could be developed include:
• an environmental levy, payable by ratepayers in the Council area, to support activities
consistent with the VMS
• public and private sector investment in biodiversity values. Such investment could
provide added incentive for private landholders to manage land to achieve improved
biodiversity outcomes.
• a ‘revolving fund’ whereby land containing targeted vegetation communities is
purchased, conservation covenants are placed on it, and it is on-sold to a purchaser
prepared to manage for conservation outcomes
• a low interest loan scheme to support primary production activities with conservation
outcomes
• an annual award for the best ‘triple bottom line’ performance by a landholder in the
municipality
• incentives to encourage forest productivity while enhancing biodiversity and forest
recognition
• improvements to Council’s own environmental practices to demonstrate commitment
and leadership e.g. using recycled paper.
Strategy 3
Council will encourage more widespread adoption of environmental best
practice in primary industries (i.e. agriculture and forestry).
Implementation The Council’s NRM Committee will foster best practice and facilitate
stakeholder exploration of it.
11
3.8 Education program
It is important that any environmental education program has as a clear objective the
encouragement of environmentally-friendly behaviour that will lead to improved environmental
outcomes.
It is recommended that any education program be based around principles of participative
stakeholder learning. Through such a process, stakeholders will be able to suggest ways in which
they could contribute to sustainable vegetation management.
Additional resources that can be used in support of this include:
•
weed management guidelines, such as those provided for in the regional and Meander
Valley Strategies
•
the Tasmanian Bushcare Toolkit – guidelines for identifying vegetation communities,
threatened species and weeds.
•
Training courses and information sessions run by the CAR Reserve Program, Private Forests
Tasmania, Forest Practices Board, DPIWE Nature Conservation Branch, Parks and Wildlife
Service etc.
•
the funding available through the Farmbis program for natural resources management
training.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Strategy
Council will recognise the past good efforts of rural landowners, and
encourage landowners to adopt strategic whole-of-farm approaches to
managing and further establishing vegetation on their farms.
Implementation Council will:
1. through NRM Committee and NRM Officer seek out programs and funding
sources for, and facilitate the delivery of, vegetation management planning
courses.
2. seek funding assistance (e.g. NRM process) to implement elements of
subsequent vegetation components of property management plans.
3.9 Community funding for works consistent with the VMS
In order to ensure the maximum effectiveness of efforts into the future, priorities for funding should
be established in accordance with the priorities identified in the VMS and Regional NRM Strategy.
Strategy
Council will encourage Landcare, Rivercare and Bushcare groups to consider
the VMS when applying for funding, and to align their projects with its
priorities. Groups would have a better chance of securing funding if the
applications are written to address priority issues identified in the VMS.
Implementation Council will promote the VMS through Landcare, Rivercare and Bushcare
networks.
3.10 Management of riparian zones
Riparian land is important from both economic and environmental perspectives. It provides habitat,
food and shelter for animals, and is vital for maintaining good water quality.
12
Riparian vegetation plays an important role in:
•
stabilising river banks
•
maintaining water quality
•
providing habitat for aquatic species
•
maintaining habitat conditions
One of the most serious threats to healthy river systems is farm stock. Increasingly, landholders are
actively controlling stock access to riparian land2.
Strategy 1
Council will encourage the assessment of the condition of riparian vegetation
in order to determine priorities for conservation and/or restoration, and
where possible support sub-catchment community groups in these activities.
Implementation Council will promote the benefits of riparian vegetation assessment to the
community and riparian land managers.
(left) Riparian zones contain valuable native
vegetation and provide habitat for a range
of species
2
Further information about riparian vegetation is available from http://www.bushcare.tas.gov.au/info.htm
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Strategy 2
Council will encourage the fencing of riparian zones to exclude livestock.
Implementation Council will seek funding for fencing of riparian zones through the Meander
Valley Council NRM Officer as recommended by the Council’s NRM
Committee.
3.11 Management of roadside vegetation
Roadside vegetation is important because it often contains threatened plant species.
Strategy
Council will adopt a roadside vegetation management strategy suitable for
the Meander Valley municipality.
Implementation As an initial measure, Council will adopt the Roadside Native Vegetation
Marker System developed by Greening Australia (Tasmania). Council will
further investigate opportunities to build on this to create a complete roadside
native vegetation management plan for the municipality.
(right) Rural roads often have significant
native species in their reserves
13
3.12 Weed strategy
During the community workshops weeds were identified as a significant issue impacting on native
vegetation and farm productivity in the MVC area. They can also affect the natural environment
by changing the appearance of the land, fire regimes, stream flows (for example, through the
presence of willows) and animal habitats.
The Meander Valley Weed Strategy (MVWMG 1996) provides a plan for coordinated community
action to contain the spread of weeds in the municipality and prevent the establishment of new
weeds. It constitutes an integrated approach to weed management, including the promotion of
awareness of weed problems.
The Regional Weed Management Strategy (currently in Draft form) builds on the local Weed
Strategy and looks at ways of managing ways through coordination and resource-sharing at
a regional level. It will provide the basis for a Regional Weed Management Investment Plan
to strategically direct available resources and encourage investment. The importance of the
implementation of the Regional Weed Management Strategy is recognised within the Regional
NRM Strategy, thus providing a further sound basis for investment.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Strategy
Council will pursue further funding for strategic activities identified in the
Regional Weed Management Strategy and associated Investment Plan,
particularly as it applies to weeds that impact on native vegetation and
biodiversity.
Implementation Council will:
1. pursue funding through applications to appropriate government programs.
2. pursue resource-sharing opportunities to address weeds
3. review its procedures relating to the spread and disposal of weed species
within the municipality.
3.13 Lobbying
Lobbying is a legitimate part of the democratic process. In order to more effectively pursue some
of these objectives, it may be necessary to solicit support from appropriately empowered officials,
both elected and non-elected.
Strategy
Council will use lobbying where appropriate to assist in the implementation of
strategies
Implementation Council will use lobbying as required.
3.14 Monitoring and evaluation
14
Long-term monitoring is the way to document what is changing in the environment, at what
rate, and with what results. The results of monitoring should also give warning of what is likely to
happen, and thus allow for preventive or adaptive action.
Strategy
Council will ensure the continued monitoring and evaluation of vegetation
management within the municipality.
Implementation Council will pursue funding to continue the monitoring and evaluation
of native vegetation management within the municipality where
appropriate.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Links to the
MVC Natural
Resources
Management
Strategy
4
15
4.1 Refinement of mapping
The need to refine mapping arises from a recognition of the limitations of the available data,
sourced mainly from interpretation of aerial photographs or Landsat satellite imaging. Inaccuracies
and problems of scale make it difficult for management decision making. The use of sub-catchment
data (refer section 3.6) will help to improve the accuracy and reliability of the recently-completed
state-wide vegetation mapping project (TASVEG) information. These data are to be made available
to Meander Valley Council.
On-ground assessment of vegetation composition by professional botanists is by far the most
reliable source of information, but it is more costly and time-consuming. Further comments follow.
Continual satellite imaging, monitoring and ground truthing
This activity would build on previous studies and continue to provide a means of monitoring
vegetation change, as well as assisting with future assessment of VMS outcomes. It will, however,
require adequate levels of funding.
The remaining strategies in this section are based on the collection and generation of accurate data.
A potentially more reliable and timely approach would be to obtain funding to hire professionals
to carry out the work. It is recognised that this can be very difficult to achieve, and thus the low
budget solutions are suggested.
Further refinement of RFA mapping of forest types
On-ground assessment is an ongoing activity achieved in conjunction with the development
application process, and through the preparation of forest practices plans as required for
forestry activities.
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
Mapping of non-forest vegetation types
This issue is probably best addressed at the sub-catchment level. People could identify vegetation
types using the identification keys provided in the Tasmanian Bushcare Toolkit to check TASVEG
mapping. This process could be encouraged as part of existing NRM programs, supported by subcatchment workshops and field days. Another potential resource could be school and university
student projects. Assistance can also be gained through the collaborative government Non-forest
Vegetation Project.
Further mapping of threatened species
This issue is also probably best addressed at the sub-catchment level, and implemented in the
same way as the mapping of non-forest vegetation (above).
Surveying and mapping of riparian and roadside vegetation
A sub-catchment approach may again be useful. Volunteers with sufficient knowledge of vegetation
may be approached to assist with roadside mapping. Council could subsidise expenses such as
costs incurred for travel. Surveying and mapping riparian vegetation could be supported by river
management and sub-catchment land management groups.
4.2 Identification of threats to vegetation communities
16
This would be done in conjunction with the refinement of mapping. The new Reticle information
system developed by the State Government to map weeds is designed so that registered
community groups and individuals can both enter and access data on weed distribution and
dynamics. The utilisation of this tool should be encouraged so that sufficient information is available
to strategically address the weed threat. Other threats worth identifying could include salinity,
climate change, the overall health of the catchment, and the impacts of human activity.
4.3 Vegetation management at the sub-catchment level
An important principle underpinning the VMS is that there be wide stakeholder participation in
its implementation. It is suggested that stakeholder groups address VMS priorities through the
development of detailed plans for their respective areas.
4.4 Funding environmental works
Council, community groups and private landowners
should seek funding through government programs
such as the Natural Heritage Trust, National Action
Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, the national
Landcare program, and Envirofund to address urgent
environmental issues.
(above) Farmers such as Rod Curwen have
recognised the values of riparian zones and
moved to protect them
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy
An environmental levy could be introduced, with
the proceeds being used to pay for works such
as mapping, fencing remnant vegetation, willow
removal etc., if State legislation could be suitably
amended. Council may support the spreading of
costs for environmental works across the wider
community.
Local government may also seek new and additional
funding streams from the Australian and Tasmanian
Governments to help meet its increasing obligations
in the area of natural resource management.
References
Cadman S. 2003. Landscape Change in the Meander Valley: A Case Study for Monitoring
and Reporting of Land Use Modification, Vegetation Condition and Biodiversity Loss.
Report to Meander Valley Council and Environment Australia.
de Gryse, J, and Hepper, J. 2000. Meander Valley Council Natural Resource
Management Strategy, Inspiring Place Consultants, Hobart.
Kirkpatrick, J.B. and Gilfedder, L.A. 1999. Tasmanian Bushcare Toolkit.
Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart.
LGAT (Local Government Association of Tasmania) 2000.
Local Government and Vegetation Management. LGAT, Hobart.
MVWMG 1996. “Meander Valley Weed Strategy”,
Meander Valley Weed Management Group, Westbury.
17
Meander Valley Council Vegetation Management Strategy