Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10

Approved management plans were released for:❚ Great Otway National Park and Otway Forest Park❚ Paddys Ranges and Kooyoora state parks❚ Devilbend Natural Features Reserve.The management plans for Alfred National Park,Lerderderg State Park, Lind National Park, MountLawson State Park, Mount Granya State Park, WabbaWilderness Park and Werribee Gorge State Park werereviewed and extended for a further five years.Landscape scale conservationThe Habitat 141º Alliance aims to restore and reconnectthe landscapes spanning the South Australian andVictorian borders. Parks Victoria continued itsinvolvement in the Alliance, facilitating communityand government partnerships to deliver the Alliance’svision. During the year, on ground works weredelivered, a draft strategic plan prepared, and a brand,logo and promotional DVD seeking philanthropicinvestment were developed. Habitat 141º was includedin the Land and Biodiversity White Paper and astrategic partnership was formed with MECU Limited.Threatened species and communitiesParks Victoria works with DSE, research partners andcommunity organisations to protect threatened species.Twelve months on from the trial reintroduction of theBrush-tailed Rock-wallaby in the Grampians NationalPark, seven of the ten animals released have survived.In October, a further five Brush-tailed Rock-wallabieswere released into the park. Remote digital cameras areused to monitor the colony and make sure their habitatremains fox free. The first wild-born pouch young wasrecently discovered.MANAGING RIVER RED GUM PARKSWITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGELocal knowledge will inform the managementof the new River Red Gum parks. TraditionalOwners of the land are central to the futurecare of the parks through co-managementarrangements that are being established firstlyat Barmah National Park with the Yorta YortaPeople and Nyah-Vinifera Park with the WadiWadi People.As part of the Active Forest Health Program,Parks Victoria has commenced an ecologicalthinning trial in the Barmah National Park withtwo teams of former timber workers. Theseteams bring with them vast forest knowledge tothe program.Minister for the Environment and ClimateChange, Gavin Jennings said: “These workershave worked day-in, day-out in these forestsfor years, so they have a wealth of knowledgeabout the natural features and the history ofwhat’s taken place.”Forty-four captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters werereleased into Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park in May2010. Of the birds released, 32 were confirmed at homein the bush a number of weeks later. Monitoring ofthe birds continued through to July. Parks Victoria,DSE, Birds Australia, Friends of Chiltern-Mt PilotNational Park and other volunteers worked to protectthe Regent Honeyeater’s habitat and ensure theircontinued existence in the wild.The former timber workers will focus onimproving and maintaining the health of theRiver Red Gum forests and assist in deliveringkey aspects of active forest health managementsuch as weed and pest control, fencing works,restoring historic sites and fire risk work.The approach integrates scientific, traditional,local and industry knowledge into themanagement of these forests – benefiting notonly the environment, but also park visitors.Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 15