Victorian Government needs to get serious & act now to protect endangered grasslands & woodlands

The release of the Victorian Auditor-General’s report on the State Government’s failure to protect critically endangered native grasslands in Melbourne’s west and red gum woodlands in the northern growth corridor was disappointing and of immense concern, said Friends of Merri Creek (FoMC) Vice President Ann McGregor.

The report explains why the audit is important: Two of Victoria’s most important and biodiverse ecological communities—the Natural Temperate Grasslands and Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain—are under serious threat. While they once covered over a third of the state, they are now small and fragmented.  Their protection is vital to ensure their future existence.

“With less than 5% remaining, these are two of Australia’s most endangered ecosystems, and provide habitat for many endangered fauna species. They must be safeguarded at all costs”, affirmed Ann McGregor.

The offset system that was devised as part of the flawed Melbourne Strategic Assessment (MSA) has only delivered 10% of the agreed land purchase. 

Ann McGregor continued, “This means that good quality, critically endangered native grasslands and red gum woodlands are being destroyed for urban development, but the reservation of equivalent areas as required by national environment law has not occurred”.

“To make things worse, much of the 10% purchased is low quality grassland that has been further degraded by weed invasion in the absence of appropriate management”.

The MSA was an agreement between the federal and state governments that switched off federal approvals for individual projects within Melbourne’s urban growth area. 

Under the arrangement, environmental assessments were put into the hands of the state who in turn would establish a western grassland reserve and a grassy eucalypt woodland reserve by 2020 to offset clearing for the development of new suburbs.

The Auditor-General found that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DEWLP) has not met its commitments to deliver these reserves by 2020.  

“DELWP intended these reserves to offset native vegetation loss from urban development within the extended Urban Growth Boundary.  However, delays in acquiring land, and continuing threats of degradation, pose significant risks to the ecological values of native vegetation within the reserve” according to the report.

“Precious native grasslands and red gum woodlands in the Merri Creek catchment were written off through the MSA process.

“The limited areas designated for conservation in the Northern Growth Corridor are not being managed to maintain their ecological values while awaiting transfer into some sort of reserve status. They are likely to degrade for decades!” said Ann McGregor.

Seven recommendations in the Auditor-General’s report call for resourcing, assessment, support and governance measures to deliver on the promise of protection.

Ann McGregor concluded, “No progress has been made on securing the Grassy Eucalypt Woodland reserve, just east of the Merri catchment.  We are talking about nationally endangered vegetation communities, heading for extinction while government avoids its responsibilities. 

“The environment can’t wait – time is running out”.

ENDS

Issued by:                  Friends of Merri Creek       www.friendsofmerricreek.org.au

Media enquiries:                 Mr. Joe Perri,

T: 0412 112 545   E: jperri@joeperri.com.au