Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10

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SUPPORTING HEALTHY PARKS HEALTHY PEOPLEOver the course of the hearings, the Commissionheard evidence from 434 witnesses. Parks Victoriaprepared 30 witness statements and 10 Parks Victoriastaff members appeared as witnesses before thecommission.Parks Victoria supported DSE to implementrecommendations of the Victorian Bushfires RoyalCommission’s Interim Report released on 17 August2009, such as the new Code Red/Catastrophic FireDanger Ratings. There will be a continued involvementfollowing release of the final report.Bushfire responseThere were 609 bushfires reported across the stateduring the 2009-10 season, affecting 37,232 hectares.Of the bushfires reported, 205 started in Parks Victoriamanaged areas, burning 8,708 hectares. The largestof these started on 2 November 2009 at Cape Conranin East Gippsland, resulting in 4,667 hectares of landbeing burnt.Planned burningEach year, Parks Victoria works with DSE to prepare fireoperations plans and implement an extensive plannedburn program on public land. In 2009-10, 703 burnswere conducted as part of the DSE program, treatingan area of more than 146,000 hectares.The fire operations plans for 2009-10 included aprogram of about 60,000 hectares of Parks Victoriamanaged land to be treated by planned burning. Thistarget was exceeded with just over 68,000 hectarestreated (total of 226 individual burns). Parks Victoriamanaged land made up nearly 50 per cent of the areatreated by the planned burn program.2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal CommissionOn 27 May 2010, the Royal Commission concluded155 days of public hearings into the 2009 Victorianbushfires.Melbourne Bushfire Protection programIn July 2009, the Victorian Government allocated $21million over four years to improve fire managementplanning and prevention activities in and around theouter Melbourne fringe. Parks Victoria is leading theprogram, working with DSE, the Country Fire Authority,Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board andthe Municipal Association of Victoria.In the first year of the program, Parks Victoria increasedfire preparation works on public land and improvedcommunity information and engagement.In 2009-10, $4.1 million was spent onactivities such as:❚ The purchase of eight ‘slip on’ units for fire fighting❚ Creation of 21 new positions to deliver the program❚ Mapping and spatial analysis of the 550km of existingfuel breaks❚ Improvements to 113km of the fuel-break network❚ Slashing of grass and undergrowth at theDandenong Ranges National Park, Warrandyte andArthurs Seat state parks, Lysterfield Park, Langwarrinand the Pines flora and fauna reserves and othersmall reserves on the Mornington Peninsula❚ Installing information signs in metropolitan parks❚ Flora and fauna assessments❚ Developing procedures for native vegetationassessments❚ Increasing community engagement through a mediacampaign, fact sheets and community meetings.36 Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10
SIGNS OF RECOVERY AT KINGLAKE NATIONAL PARKIn the 18 months since bushfires swept across thestate in February 2009, there have been encouragingsigns of recovery. At Kinglake National Park, plantsand animals are demonstrating remarkable resilience.In a damp gully a few kilometres east of MountSugarloaf, two kilometres of the blackened bush wasfenced off by park rangers just after the bushfire.Over a year later, the area is showing new life. Theswamp bush pea (Pultenaea weindorferi), a nativeplant listed as “vulnerable”, has sprouted in itsthousands.“Once all this starts flowering, the birds will comein, the insects will feed off the nectar,” says RangerTony Fitzgerald.In January, rangers spotted the first koala since thebushfires. It was a healthy young male who hadmade a long journey estimated to have been manykilometres from the nearest unburnt forest.“It was a welcome surprise to see this animal back inthe burnt forest this soon after the fire,” said Rangerin Charge, Ion Maher.Another welcome return is the song of the lyrebird,now heard throughout the park. Mr Maher said:“They were quite remarkable survivors. I rememberseeing one down near Masons Falls a couple of weeksafter the fire.”For the fire affected area of Kinglake, the mostimportant unburnt linking forests are aroundToolangi and south to St Andrews andChristmas Hills.To help more native animals return to the park,thousands of native trees and grasses have beenplanted at St Andrews. An 80-hectare former dairyfarm was planted with 7,000 eucalypts and 11,000understorey species and then fenced to protect themfrom browsing animals.“For a lot of people the recovery of natural areas isvery important in their own recovery,” Mr Fitzgeraldsaid. “When the first trees started to sprout, the firstgrasses started to flower and the first birds started tobe heard in the forest again, there’s no doubt that fora lot of people that was very uplifting.”Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 37
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSREPORT OF OPERATIONSChairma
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RISK MANAGEMENT ATTESTATIONRISK MAN
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AUDITOR’S REPORTParks Victoria -
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NOTESParks Victoria - Annual Report
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SIGNS OF RECOVERY - KINGLAKE NATION
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Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10

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