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Issue 64 | May 2016 | Trust for Nature
CON SERVATION
B ULLETIN
1
FROM THE CEO
Victoria Marles
Chief Executive Officer
As we all know, Trust for Nature works in Victoria; this work,
however, is part of a global approach to nature conservation.
This edition of the Conservation Bulletin pans outwards to
demonstrate the global impact of the conservation work being
done here in Victoria by our covenantors and staff – and of course,
by the supporters who make our protection work possible.
It will probably not surprise you to learn that many of our staff,
particularly the regional staff, have Trust for Nature covenants on
their properties, giving them an insight into the responsibilities,
challenges and satisfactions that come with managing a
property for conservation. In this issue our Conservation Science
Coordinator, Dr Doug Robinson, recounts his family’s journey
over more than 20 years managing a covenanted property near
Violet Town, and shares some of the lessons learned along the
way which have proved invaluable in guiding their management.
We know that covenants are important at a local level, not just
for the native plants and animals that may live on the property,
but also because of the connectivity they can provide between
patches of native vegetation. Landscape connectivity is one
of the key directions in our Statewide Conservation Plan, as it
enables species to move between areas and playing a critical
role in maintaining genetic diversity among species. Covenants
play a vital role in decreasing the space between protected
areas, and contributing to the creation of wildlife corridors at a
local and state level. However, covenants are vitally important
at a global level as well. We look at the important role individual
covenants play in meeting Australia’s global responsibilities
to protect ecosystems, not just as part of the National
Reserve System, but as part of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature network of global protected areas.
As well as contributing to Australia’s biodiversity targets,
covenants and other permanently protected areas are vital
tools to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Forests
Alive have recently provided us with an assessment of the
carbon stocks on areas protected by Trust for Nature, either
through conservation covenant or through properties which
the Trust owns and manages. This is measured through “CO2
equivalents”, a measurement to describe how much global
warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may
cause, using the functionally equivalent amount or concentration
of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a reference. Altogether, even a
conservative estimate of the CO2 equivalent of tree carbon
stores reveals that Trust for Nature is responsible for protecting
a carbon sink containing the CO2 equivalent of over 12 million
tonnes – which, as a comparison, is more than the total amount
CO2 equivalents emitted by the Australiancommercial services
and construction sector in 2013. Every landowner with a Trust
for Nature covenant over their property is helping mitigate the
effects of climate change for our future generations.
While many people are aware of the high rates of carbon
sequestration which occurs as a result of new plantings, there
is as yet little public awareness of the role of older forests in
sequestering carbon. Yet we know that older forests continue
to sequester carbon as long as they are alive, and that the
biodiversity found in natural forests confers resilience on the
ecosystem, which in turn contributes to improving the security
of the carbon stock. A growing body of evidence suggests
that protecting intact native forest carbon stocks is the most
effective climate mitigation action. We look forward to seeing
more research into the links between natural forests and climate
mitigation. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading the insights
on page 11.
Trust for Nature’s Chairman, Max Ervin, and Victoria with covenantors
Byron Jones and Rosina Tauschmann on their High Camp property in April.
INDEX
From the CEO............................................................................. 2
Recently covenanted..................................................................14
News from the Trust.................................................................... 3
Support Trust for Nature............................................................16
Threatened species projects....................................................... 4
Women in Conservation Breakfast 2016 wrap-up......................16
Lessons learnt in land management............................................ 8
Bequests and gifting shares.......................................................17
Your covenant in the global picture............................................10
Covenanted properties for sale..................................................18
Carbon stock on covenanted land.............................................11
Help us protect Victoria’s threatened ecosystems..................... 20
Grazing exclosures.....................................................................12
Conservation and kangaroo control: a vexed issue....................13
Cover: A thunderstorm approaches a covenanted property in the Indigo Valley,
north eastern Victoria. Photo: Will Ford.
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impact
report
2015
3
how far we’ve come
with your support
trustfornature.org.au/impact-report-2015/
NEWS FROM THE TRUST
WELCOME TO OUR NEW TRUSTEES
Trust for Nature is very pleased to welcome our newest Trustees
of the Board, who joined us in December 2015:
Gayle Austen is a communications specialist with extensive
experience in strategic communications and public engagement.
As a former journalist specialising in both environment and rural
affairs, and having grown up in a farming family, she has a strong
interest in the way agribusiness can positively contribute to the
conservation of the environment it relies upon. Gayle has held
executive positions at several large corporate companies, as
well as senior roles in journalism across Australia, China and
the UK, and is currently the Principal of Gayle Austen Corporate
Communications.
Dr Charles Meredith has over 30 years’ experience in ecological
and environmental consulting and has published 22 papers.
His considerable experience in the natural environment
across Victoria has given him unique insights into the need for
conservation of private land; that ecological systems do not
recognise the boundaries between public and private land,
and the conservation of both are equally important. Charles
holds a PhD in Zoology/Earth Sciences, a Bachelor of Science
(Botany, Genetics), and is a Fellow of the Environment Institute of
Australia and New Zealand.
Amanda Noble has long been passionate about sustainable
land management balanced with active conservation of habitat
and wildlife. Her experience extends across risk management,
investment management, strategy and operational areas
including new business integration. She has worked in both the
public and private sectors, predominantly in finance for the past
15 years, with significant trust management experience. Amanda
is currently Chief Risk Officer with Trustee Partners and is a
qualified solicitor.
Cas Bennetto is a passionate advocate for the preservation of
Victoria’s native plants and wildlife, and believes their protection
through covenants is essential. Cas has extensive experience
in executive management positions across corporate and
professional services, not-for-profits, government, the arts and
tertiary sectors. She holds a Master of Arts (Organisational
Communication) and graduated from the Harvard Club of
Australia’s Not for Profit Leadership Program. She is currently
CEO of the Kimberley Foundation Australia.
We look forward to their valuable expertise in helping Trust for
Nature achieve our vision.
STATE GOVERNMENT BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND
LEGISLATION REVIEWS
Over the past year, Trust for Nature has been actively involved in
the development of the Victorian Government’s recently released
draft Biodiversity Strategy Protecting Victoria’s Environment
- Biodiversity 2036 as a member of the Stakeholder Group,
Private Land Working Group and Science Reference Group. We
are encouraged by the draft strategy’s commitment towards
increased support for permanent protection on private land,
private land conservation, landholder stewardship and effective
management of protected areas on private land as well as
public land. We will be providing formal feedback on the draft
and continue our active involvement with the next stage of the
process.
Complementing the Biodiversity Strategy, the Victorian
Government has also released a consultation draft review of the
native vegetation clearing regulations and a discussion paper
on the review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. Trust for
Nature has also been actively engaged in the preparation of
these two documents and will be making formal submissions
on each review from the perspective of a conservation
organisation whose focus is working with landholders to improve
conservation on private land.
You can find out more about the strategy and legislation reviews
at http://haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/biodiversity-plan
LAUNCH OF NEW STANDARDS FOR ECOLOGICAL
PLANNING
The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA)
launched the first ever National Standards for the Practice of
Ecological Restoration in Australia in March this year.
Trust for Nature was one of twelve expert partners assisting
with the development of the new Standards, which identify the
principles underpinning restoration philosophies and methods,
and outline the steps required to plan, implement, monitor and
evaluate a restoration project to increase the likelihood of its
success.
The new Standards provide a blueprint of principles and
standards that will aid voluntary as well as regulatory
organisations in their efforts to encourage, measure and audit
ecologically appropriate environmental repair in all land and
water ecosystems of Australia.
Our staff across the state are looking forward to using the
Standards to help guide our work and measure restoration
success across our own properties and conservation covenants
for years to come.
To learn more, visit www.seraustralasia.com
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THREATENED SPECIES PROJECTS
Many threatened species of plants and animals in Victoria critically depend on private land habitat for their
ongoing survival. Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan identified, for the first time in Victoria,
which threatened species occur principally on private land, and should therefore be a focus of our ongoing
conservation efforts, including 148 threatened flora and 88 fauna species. Based on this research, Trust
for Nature has been actively seeking funds enabling us to assist with the survival of some of these species;
here are some of our new threatened species projects being funded through the Victorian Government’s
Threatened Species Protection Initiative.
Velvet Daisy-bush (Olearia pannosa subsp.
cardiophylla)
The FFG listed, vulnerable Velvet Daisybush exists in many small populations
across Victoria on both public and
private land, in particular the areas
of Greater Geelong, Golden Plains,
Surf Coast, Greater Bendigo and
Campaspe.
This project will survey all currently
known populations across four
broad population areas in the state.
Velvet Daisy-bush.
Photo: Chris Clarke.
Abundance, health and current
threats will be identified, and herbivore
exclusion zones, rabbit and weed control will be undertaken in the
most threatened populations.
Research, in partnership with the Arthur Rylah Institute, will monitor
plant growth, flowering and seed set, and before and after pest
control analysis.
Trust for Nature will also be working with groups such as the
Friends of Brisbane Ranges to undertake survey activities.
Importantly, private landholders are encouraged to permanently
protect their land for conservation where populations of the Velvet
Daisy-bush occur.
New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae)
This project aims to ensure the survival
of the nationally threatened New Holland
Mouse by improving habitat management
and securing new populations, primarily in
the Gippsland Plains’ Providence Ponds
Reserve and nearby private land; now one
of only three known extant populations in
Victoria.
Very little is known of the occurrence of this
species on private land. One of our priorities
is to survey for new populations on four
private properties with potential habitat adjacent to the Reserve.
New Holland Mouse. Photo:
Robyn Edwards.
A lack of knowledge in the management of the species’ habitat
has been identified as a major threat, particularly in response
to fire. We will establish ongoing monitoring of the Providence
Ponds population post fire, and develop a vegetation monitoring
methodology, to determine the vegetation requirements of the New
Holland Mouse and identify the vegetation triggers for ecological
burning.
Predation by feral animals is also a critical threat, especially after
fire. Cat and fox populations will be assessed with motion sensing
camera surveys, forming the basis for a strategic control program
for the coming years.
Goldfields Orchids
Seven threatened orchid species in
the Goldfields Bioregion will benefit
from a range of conservation activities
on covenanted private land. These
orchid species are: Stuart Mill Spiderorchid (Caladenia cretacea), Red
Cross Spider-orchid (Caladenia
cruciformis), Woodland Leek-orchid
(Prasophyllum validum), Candy Spiderorchid (Caladenia versicolor), Robust
Stuart Mill Spider Orchid.
Greenhood (Pterostylis valida), McIvor
Photo: Reiner Richter.
Spider-Orchid (Caladenia audasii), and
Bendigo Spider-orchid (Caladenia sp aff fragrantissima). Each of
these species is listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act
1988 and requires immediate intervention to persist in the wild.
To remove the pressures of herbivore grazing we will be constructing
herbivore exclusion zones. We will also be identifying potential
reintroduction sites, and reintroducing already propagated seedlings
onto covenanted and fenced properties.
Working closely with landholders and community groups on
recovery activities is an important part of the project, such as
population surveys, and identifying high priority sites for future
covenants and orchid conservation work.
The information gathered from this project will provide valuable
data for many agencies in Australia on the populations of these
threatened orchids.
Hooded Robins (Melanodryas cucullata) and
Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis)
Trust for Nature will be working with
private landholders around the ChilternMt Pilot National Park in the North East of
the state to increase the connectivity of
protected habitat for Hooded Robins and
Squirrel Gliders through our Private Land
Action for Threatened Species project.
The edges of vegetation in this area
are favoured habitat for the threatened
Hooded Robin; we will be seeking
sighting feedback from landholders
to gain a better understanding of their
movements, population health and
conservation requirements. Also prime
Top: Hooded Robin. Photo:
habitat for Squirrel Gliders, we will be
Chris Tzaros. Bottom:Squirrel
helping landholders in the area remove
Gliders.Photo: Will Ford.
top-line barbed wire fencing and replace
it with plain wire; barbed wire is a significant threat to Gliders, as they
often become entangled and unable to free themselves.
Critical to this project is building positive relationships with landholders
in the area and assisting them with conservation land management,
as both of these species habitat occur primarily on private land. These
properties are important buffers surrounding the Chiltern-Mt Pilot
National Park, and will guide the future potential for larger, long-term
protection initiatives to connect habitat remnants in the area.
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Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops
cassidix)
Mornington Peninsula flora
One of Trust for Nature’s priority
projects is to conserve and
rehabilitate habitat for the critically
endangered Helmeted Honeyeater,
our state’s bird emblem and the only
avian species endemic to Victoria.
Trust for Nature has an extensive
history with the conservation
of this species. We helped to
Helmeted Honeyeater. Photo: purchase Logan’s Swamp, which
Ben Cullen.
now forms a large portion of the
Yellingbo population habitat area.
More recently our work includes the purchase of a Yellingbo
conservation property, thanks to the generosity of public donors
in the past 12 months.
This protection, restoration and ongoing management of their
preferred habitat in the outer eastern ranges of Melbourne is
essential to the survival of the species. Birds have been recorded
nesting and foraging on sites that have been revegetated and
are now protected; evidence that our conservation efforts are
working, and will benefit future releases of the birds into the area.
Swamp Everlasting. Photo:
Russell Best.
In partnership with Parks Victoria, the
Australian Native Orchid Society, the
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne,
and the Southern Peninsula Flora and
Fauna Association, this project is a
collaborative approach to achieving
on-ground outcomes for several
threatened plant species in high
priority plant communities of the
Mornington Peninsula area, such as
Coastal Moonah Woodland.
Threatened flora species include
Leafy Greenhood (Pterostylis cucullata subsp. cucllata),
Coast Helmet-orchid (Corybas despectans), Venus Hair Fern
(Adiantum capillus-veneris), Late Helmet-orchid (Corybas sp. aff.
diemenicus), Coast Tobacco (Nicotiana maritima), French Island
Spider-orchid (Caladenia insularis), and Swamp Everlasting
(Xerochrysum palustre).
Activities will include population surveys, weed control, erecting
herbivore exclusion zones, property fencing, seed collection, and
working with private landowners on conservation management plans.
With this additional funding from the State Government, we will
be carrying out further conservation management activities
alongside our partner organisations including the Friends of the
Helmeted Honeyeater, the Department of Environment, Land,
Water and Planning, Zoos Victoria, Port Phillip and Westernport
Catchment Management Authority, Yarra Ranges Shire and
Yarra 4 Life.
Threatened species recorded on covenanted properties
Over the past five years, individual threatened species recorded on private land protected by a conservation
covenant include more than:
165 plants
61 birds
5
14 mammals
8 reptiles
7 frogs
Trust for Nature gratefully acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government through funding from their
Threatened Species Protection Initiative program.
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Top habitat on private land
The table below shows the top 50 threatened native fauna
species whose modelled habitat occurs primarily on
private land, based on the Department of Environment,
Land, Water and Planning’s Species Distribution Models.
These models were used to inform the prioritisation of
threatened fauna for conservation on private land in
Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan. The
results highlight the importance of private land for the
conservation of all of these threatened species.
Nearly one-third of the priority fauna species identified in
our Statewide Conservation Plan are listed as nationally
threatened, and more than two-thirds are listed as threatened
under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG
Act). Additional strategic permanent protection and ongoing
management of these species’ remaining habitat on private land
is therefore critical to their future chances of survival.
Plains-wanderer 98%
Eastern Barred Bandicoot 97%
Striped Legless Lizard 96%
Grassland Earless Dragon 95%
Fat-tailed Dunnart 91%
Tussock Skink 91%
Banded Lapwing 89%
Australian Pratincole 89%
Helmeted Honeyeater 89%
Brolga 89%
Curl Snake 88%
Grey-crowned Babbler 88%
Bush Stone-curlew 87%
Grey Falcon 86%
Australasian Shoveler 85%
Woodland Blind Snake 85%
Bearded Dragon 84%
Hardhead 83%
Giant Bullfrog 83%
Squirrel Glider 82%
Black Falcon 82%
Corangamite Water Skink 82%
Diamond Firetail 81%
Red-chested Button-quail 80%
Orange-bellied Parrot 80%
Growling Grass Frog 80%
Intermediate Egret 80%
Eastern Great Egret 80%
Whiskered Tern 79%
Tessellated Gecko 78%
Baillons Crake 78%
Royal Spoonbill 78%
Swift Parrot 78%
Inland Dotterel 78%
Gull-billed Tern 78%
Regent Honeyeater 77%
Lathams Snipe 77%
Australian Bustard 77%
Southern Pigmy Perch 77%
Inland Broad-nosed Bat 76%
Little Button-quail 76%
Glossy Ibis 76%
Yarra Pigmy Perch 75%
Ground Cuckoo-shrike 74%
Broad-shelled Turtle 73%
Murray Short-necked Turtle 73%
Little Egret 73%
Glossy Grass Skink 72%
Australasian Bittern 72%
Grey-headed Flying Fox 71%
The full list of priority threatened species can be found in our
Statewide Conservation Plan, available to download from our
website.
SUBMIT YOUR SPECIES RECORDS
Our conservation landowners are a great asset when it
comes to recording species sightings. After all, you know
your land best and you have your eyes on it the most. We rely
on your recorded sightings species (particularly threatened
species) to inform our conservation management plans.
If you have a covenanted property and would like to send
through your species records, please get in touch with us!
Contact your local Trust for Nature staff member, or email us
directly at [email protected] or call
(03) 8631 5888 and we’ll direct you to your closest
Stewardship Officer.
Critically endangered Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana).
Photo: Michael Williams / itsawildlife.com.au
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LESSONS LEARNT IN LAND MANAGEMENT
Trust for Nature’s Conservation Science Coordinator, Dr Doug Robinson,
takes us on his family’s journey of protecting and rehabilitating their
covenanted property in Violet Town, two hours north of Melbourne.
THE BEGINNINGS
My partner and I bought our 84 hectare property north of Violet
Town with friends in the early 1990s to work on woodland bird
conservation, particularly conservation of the endangered Greycrowned Babbler.
The property was typical of the box-ironbark country found
throughout Victoria – a grazed sheep paddock with a few
scattered large trees and a couple of patches of regrowth Grey
Box, Red Box, Green Mallee and Wattles. Most of the property
had lost its topsoil due to over-grazing by rabbits and stock.
Tunnel and gully erosion, combined with dryland salinity were
also major threats. Due to these issues, the previous owners had
extensively mechanically ripped much of the property, sowing the
envirtonmental weed Canary-grass (Phalaris) sp. as a technique to
help hold the soil and reduce impacts of dryland salinity.
Nevertheless, the property itself was strategically placed within
the largest cluster of habitat remaining in the local Landcare area
with high quality, old growth woodland habitat in the bordering
roadsides. As a result, the local district was a relative haven for
woodland birds and other wildlife, with threatened species such
as the Grey-crowned Babbler, Bush Stone-curlew, Lace Goanna,
Hooded Robin, Swift Parrot and Squirrel Glider calling it home. As
keen naturalists, we were smitten! As conservationists, we saw
the challenge as a personal way we could contribute to helping
protect some of these declining species.
THE HUMAN JOURNEY: ASKING FOR HELP IS A GOOD
THING
When we began the initial land management of our property,
we focussed on revegetation of the open paddocks, smallscale weed control and shooting rabbits. We applied for soil
erosion and salinity grants from the local Department of Primary
Industries (DEPI). We also joined the Land for Wildlife program
which gave us access to their expertise on managing our
property as wildlife habitat.
With increasing time spent on the property, and now also with
a young family, our next important phase of management was
learning to tackle the major threats to the land in the right order,
at the right scale and as efficiently as possible.
After spending years pulling out Paterson’s Curse across the
property, we applied for a local Landcare grant for a contractor
to spray our neighbour’s invasive patches; ever since, our land
has remained almost “Pato-free”. DEPI’s BushTender funding
enabled us to buy a much-needed quad bike and spray unit
so that we could access weed infestations and rabbit warrens
easily, keeping pest plants and animals under control. The
BushTender grant also enabled us undertake revegetation at
larger scale, supporting direct-seeding of an understorey into
many hectares of open paddock.
Aware that the next landowners could undo our conservation
work by stock grazing or cropping our few areas of fertile soil, we
decided to protect our property with a conservation covenant.
This has safeguarded the land from future subdivision, cultivation
and grazing by stock, and ensures the land is always managed
for nature conservation. We consider this conservation covenant
on our property title to be a powerful form of succession
planning for ourselves, our family and for the environment.
THE CONSERVATION JOURNEY
When we first bought the property, a predominant theme in
conservation science was the impacts of habitat loss and habitat
fragmentation on ecosystems and species in terms of health,
functionality and survival. This theme was especially true for
woodland birds, with many studies documenting widespread
declines of species across much of their former range in southeastern Australia.
The response to these findings was focussed on addressing
further habitat loss and trying to restore habitat extent and
connectivity. Like many other landowners and local community
groups, our initial focus was to increase the extent of habitat by
re-establishing vegetation, by natural regeneration or by planting
and direct seeding.
Looking east from our front gate, the improvement to native vegetation
from 1995 to now is clearly visible.
Paradoxically, however, while habitat extent on our property has
improved over time, habitat condition of the remnant patches of
woodland has declined. Two factors have driven this decline: a
rapidly drying climate causing plant growth and abundance to
substantially decrease – including once common ground plants
such as lilies, rice-flowers, hibbertias and bluebells – and the loss
of some large trees due to lack of moisture and over-abundant
loads of native mistletoes; and kangaroo populations
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booming inside ours and our neighbours’ properties, resulting in
large decreases in the cover and abundance of palatable shrubs,
native herbs and native grasses.
It took a long time and multiple grazing enclosure plots to
convince us that an over-abundance of kangaroos really was the
major cause of the decline in vegetation condition across our
property. Using established methods to estimate the number
of kangaroos on both ours and neighbours’ properties, we
calculated that both properties were supporting six times the
population capacity of kangaroos than they should be to allow
regeneration of native grasses and shrubs - almost 300 in 230ha
rather than a sustainable population of about 40. For 15 years
we tried to address this issue through active control by shooting
under permit and small-scale exclosures, but continued to watch
the condition of the bush decline without being able to achieve an
effective reduction in kangaroo numbers. It wasn’t until the
construction of a kangaroo-proof fence around ours and our
neighbours’ properties and entering into the State Government’s
pet food trial for kangaroo control with two of our neighbours
that things took a turn for the better. Less than a year later we are
beginning to see signs of recovery, with native shrubs appearing
in some open areas and the reappearance of plant species
palatable to kangaroos that were being detrimentally affected by
their grazing, including Kangaroo Grass, bitter-peas and Buloke.
ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE
The longer we have lived on our property, the more it has
become clear that climate change is pushing the bush to its
limits. Many of our Red Box, which are at the edge of their
natural range here, have already died and we expect to lose them
as a local species over time. We have also documented
substantial shifts in flowering times and seed set times for many
of the widespread native species on the property, with
consequences for the insects and other animals that rely on them.
Like many other Australians we have tried to take some
straightforward steps to reducing our impact on the planet; living
off-grid; growing some of our own food; revegetating and
restoring as much native vegetation as possible; using public
transport to the extent we can in the country; and changing our
superannuation funds to ensure we do not invest in coal.
LESSONS LEARNT
The kangaroo issue is especially salient. It was difficult, as
people who love nature, to accept the reality that kangaroos
were seriously degrading the bush, and that we had probably set
its health back by ten years by using less effective means.
That said, looking back at old photos of the land, many
improvements are evident. The lessons we have learnt along the
way, and found invaluable in guiding our land management, have
been:
1. Establish photo points
Take photos of the same area over time to monitor change.
2. Try grazing animal exclosures
We have built many of these, most with just a few star pickets
with netting or a hinge joint around them. They let us see the
level of grazing inside and out and see what species emerge
inside that are being grazed on outside.
3. Keep a property diary
Going back to the early 1990s, we have annual records of
rainfall, natural history observation and management work
done on the property. From these records, we know that the
number of rabbit warrens and quantity of Paterson’s Curse have
decreased by more than 90% compared to when we first bought
the land. We also have a sense of the relative status of species
over time and changes in flowering time or migration dates for
our plants and animals which helps inform our thinking when our
memory gets rusty!
4. Connect to conservation programs
As covenantors, we have access to Trust for Nature’s expertise
and assistance. We also became Land for Wildlife members, and
received a comprehensive manual full of guidance and a regular
newsletter with practical scientific information and management
advice. Being members of our local Landcare group has helped
us with support for erosion work, weed work and revegetation,
as well as taking part in some of the group’s research projects
such as soil tests and groundwater measurements.
And, of course, Friends of the Grey-crowned Babbler have had
a close association with our property and can celebrate the fact
that twenty-five years later, babblers now nest here.
In terms of helping the bush tackle climate change, our
philosophy is that we urgently need to reduce every other threat
affecting the bush and its wildlife to give it the best chance
possible to survive. In addition to the ongoing kangaroo
management and weed control, these management activities
include:
• Two rabbit control programs per year
• Systematic fox control
• Removal of all barbed wire from our six kilometres of
boundary fencing to remove the threat to Squirrel and Sugar
Gliders
• spreading thousands of branches across bare slopes to
provide cover and reduce soil erosion
• Shooting Noisy Miners under permit
• Small grazing exclosures around individual plants that are rare
on our property and sensitive to any grazing pressure, such
as hoveas, templetonias, indigoferas, glycines, and Cane
Spear-grass (Austrostipa breviglumis)
• Removal of some mistletoe clumps from large trees that are
showing visible signs of dieback and moisture stress.
Our next major project is to begin ecological thinning of
patches of dense eucalypt regrowth to increase the amount
of fallen wood on the ground and improve growth rates of
the remaining trees. We also hope to install many nest
boxes in the next couple of years to provide additional
habitat for hollow-dependent wildlife.
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Grey-crowned Babblers (Pomatostomus temporalis). Photo: Chris Clarke
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YOUR COVENANT IN THE GLOBAL PICTURE
Each parcel of private land under covenant is contributing to a local, national and global network of protected
areas for conservation.
Across Victoria, hundreds of landowners have now entered
into voluntary conservation covenants on their land, helping to
conserve our natural heritage and native plants and animals
forever.
Each of these 1,300 covenants represents a unique decision
and unique story for these landowners. It also represents a
substantial ethical and legal commitment by those landowners to
ensure that their parcel of land will be managed for conservation,
forever!
Imagine – in a state where 80% of native vegetation has been
lost on private land already, with a continued estimated 4,000ha
of native vegetation removed every year – willing landowners
are prepared to enter into binding agreements on their land to
help ensure that their vision for what remains of Victoria’s natural
heritage is protected in perpetuity.
What some covenantors may not realise is how their unique
covenant also forms part of the national and global networks
of protected areas. Since 1992, Australia has been a signatory
to the Convention on Biological Diversity, along with 195 other
nations around the globe. As part of this Convention, Australia
has a binding responsibility to meet various agreed biodiversity
targets, including targets relating to the formal protection of
ecosystems. The most recent revision of these targets, the
Aichi Biodiversity Targets, was completed in 2010 and commits
signatory nations under Goal 11 to:
By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland
water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas,
especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity
and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively
and equitably managed, ecologically representative
and well-connected systems of protected areas and
other effective area-based conservation measures, and
integrated into the wider landscape and seascape.
This goal clearly has many strands to it, but its fundamental
purpose is deliver an established system of ‘protected areas’.
‘Protected areas’ do not simply mean areas fenced off from
grazing by stock or areas not being actively farmed or used.
‘Protected areas’, in the context of the Convention on Biological
Diversity, are defined by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as:
A clearly defined geographical space, recognised,
dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective
means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature
with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.
• Private conservation reserves owned and managed by a
range of organisations for the primary objective of nature
conservation
• Private protected areas owned by landowners and protected
under a conservation covenant, and
• Indigenous Protected Areas.
Most conservation covenants therefore help contribute to
Australia’s National Reserve System, and to the global network
of protected areas, along with better-known iconic reserves and
national parks such as Wilson’s Promontory, Kakadu, Uluru,
Yellowstone in the US and the Serengeti in Africa. And while
the size and natural richness of individual covenants in Victoria
cannot match these iconic reserves, it is worthwhile reflecting
on the recognised conservation value of all of these protected
areas - both big and small - and the fact that all of these parcels
of land are being protected in perpetuity for the primary purpose
of nature conservation.
In Victoria, where two thirds of the land area is privately owned
and threatened ecosystems occur principally on this private
land, private protected areas have a critical role to play in the
conservation of Victoria’s natural heritage.
Most representations of Victoria’s reserve system only show our
public reserves. If private protected areas are included as well,
as seen below, and we consider the ratio of private protected
areas to public protected areas across Victoria, one can see that
the reserve system is much more extensive. However, in many
districts, private protected areas represent a higher proportion of
protected areas than public reserves, and the private protected
areas network has the crucial capacity to grow. Every new
landowner deciding to protect part of their property under
covenant is another contribution towards building Victoria’s
reserve system, the National Reserve System and the global
system of protected areas.
From little things, big things grow – thanks to all of our
covenantors.
Public reserves
Covenanted private land
Covenanted Trust for Nature reserves
Dudley, 2008, Guidelines for Applying Protected Area
Management Categories, IUCN
In Australia, this definition applies to four categories of land, all
of which then contribute to the federal National Reserve System
– Australia’s system of protected areas. These four categories of
land are:
• Public protected areas (including national parks, wilderness
areas and conservation reserves)
Victoria’s public reserves and covenanted private land combined.
www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin |
11
CARBON STOCK ON COVENANTED LAND
In February this year, Trust for Nature engaged leading independent carbon assessor, Forests Alive, to
calculate the carbon stocks on covenanted land throughout Victoria. The results are substantial and incredibly
positive for conservation and mitigating the effects of climate change.
There is a significant body of literature indicating that the
protection of existing intact forest ecosystems is the most
effective climate mitigation action in the forest sector; followed
by restoring damaged and degraded natural forests, and lastly
planting biodiverse natural forests.
The report has highlighted the potential size of carbon stocks
in forest vegetation that is now being conserved by landholders
choosing to protect their land with a conservation covenant, and
by Trust for Nature’s own land reserves.
Measurement of the CO2 equivalents used the conservative
methodology of FullCAM, the Federal Government’s land
use carbon model. The Ecological Vegetation Classes
(EVCs) measured in this report included Dry Forests, Heathy
Woodlands, Herb-rich Woodlands, Lower Slopes or Hills
Woodlands, Lowland Forests, Mallee, Plains Grasslands
and Chenopod Shrublands, Plains Woodlands and Forests,
Rainforests, Riparian Scrubs or Swampy Scrubs and
Woodlands, Riverine Grassy Woodlands or Forests, and Wet or
Damp Forests.
CO2 equivalents
Total tree carbon store on
Vic covenanted land
on emitte
b
r
a
million
tonnes
9
c
12
To read the full report, visit our website trustfornature.org.au.
d
n stoc
o
b
r
k
ca
million
tonnes
By protecting native vegetation and restoring degraded
ecosystems, covenantors and Trust for Nature are building and
protecting a green carbon store which contains over 12 million
tonnes of carbon. We will be continuing to work on the carbon
value of our covenants and the economic and government
framework opportunities this presents.
CO2 equivalents
services & construction
sector in 20131
Private land with a
Trust for Nature
conservation covenant
= 50,000 hectares
9.7
million
tonnes
Trust for Nature
covenanted
conservation reserves
= 45,000 hectares
2.3
million
tonnes
1
CO2 equivalents
CO2 equivalents
Australian Government, 2013. National Inventory by Economic Sector 2013; Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts.
12
| www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin
GRAZING EXCLOSURES
Fencing off areas can be an effective way to protect areas of vegetation and determine species of flora that
will naturally thrive in that location. Grazing exclosures can be particularly useful in combatting grazing from
kangaroos, wallabies, deer and rabbits.
Here are some examples of grazing exclosures used on conservation covenanted properties.
Pamela and John Land wanted
to create a herbivore free area for
newly planted endangered Whipstick
Westringia (Westringia crassifolia) on
their covenanted property, north of
Bendigo, in an area heavily grazed by
Swamp Wallabies, Grey Kangaroos and
rabbits. Although terribly dry conditions
were challenging for the success of
the plantings, several have grown and
flowered, and the exclusion zone has
been beneficial for the regeneration
of other native plants such as Twiggy
Bush Pea (Pultenaea largiflorens),
Spreading Wattle (Acacia genistifolia),
Inland Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus),
the near threatened Broom Bitter
Pea (Daviesia genistifolia), and native
grasses.
In an area heavily overpopulated
by kangaroos, Trust for Nature’s
Neds Corner Station reserve has
the challenge of vast areas of land.
However, even fencing off just several
hectares has had some excellent
results.”
This large 490ha exclosure, along
with several much smaller ones
across the property, has informed
our conservation management and
protected a variety of threatened plant
species. With a solid wire fence to
discourage kangaroos, rabbits and
other herbivores from overgrazing,
these vulnerable FFG listed Darling
Lilies (Crinum flaccidum), previously
struggling to survive on the property,
were able to thrive earlier this year.
Find advice on land management techniques on our website: trustfornature.org.au/land-ownersupport/land-management-advice/improving-biodiversity/
Or get in touch with your Trust for Nature Regional Manager for advice on creating grazing exclosures on
your property: trustfornature.org.au/about-us/our-staff/
www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin |
13
CONSERVATION AND KANGAROO CONTROL:
A VEXED ISSUE
Jonathan and Susan Hayman live on a covenanted property in the Goulburn Broken region, east of Bonnie
Doon. After purchasing their new property through Trust for Nature’s Revolving Fund, their eagerness and
passion to manage their land for conservation is inspiring to witness. And, like most rural landowners,
particularly those committed to conservation, they’re facing some of the challenges of balancing their love of
nature with the tough decisions that positive land management can bring. Jonathan tells their story.
In the late spring of 2015, Susan and I purchased a 65 hectare
property in central Victoria of rolling grassland and open forests
through Trust for Nature’s Revolving Fund. According to the
Statewide Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs), coverage
on the property supported Grassy Dry Forests on the upper
slopes and hilltops, and Valley Grassy Forest in the lower slopes
and drainage lines. The property has never been fertilised or
cultivated, and stock have been absent for twelve years.
GEMS IN THE VEGETATION
Late last year we employed a botanist specialising in grasslands
to carry out extensive research into the vegetation across our
Kangaroo- and Wallaby-grassed property. The results were
heartening: a total of 184 vascular plant taxa were recorded,
comprising 64 naturalised or exotic taxa and 120 indigenous
plants. Three flora species of great significance were also found
during the assessment, and given the quality of the remnant
vegetation, it’s likely more could be found with further research
to be carried out in 2016 and beyond.
Patches of endangered Plump Swamp Wallaby-grass
(Amphibromus pithogastrus) were recorded. A handful of
uncommon Slender Tick Trefoil (Desmodium varians) were
observed in the north east of the property; a species with little
data but known to inhabit inland parts of east Victoria, mainly
in woodland and open forests. The other significant species
we found was the vulnerable Arching Flax Lily (Dianella sp. aff.
longifolia (Benambra)).
hand weeding is an ongoing task. And with the excellent advice
of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
(DELWP), erosion control is being managed successfully.
The issue of kangaroo numbers and their management presented
us with an entirely different problem. It appeared to us that the
kangaroo numbers were well out of kilter, with mobs of eighty
or more regularly sighted feeding on the grasses, especially the
Wallaby-grass, and water at the dams. From our observations
walking around the property it appeared that the kangaroos, and
to a lesser extent rabbits, were eating areas of grassland down to
stubble, giving the grasses no chance to recover.
It has become apparent that kangaroo numbers are out of
control in our area, and so we have embarked on determining
exactly how big the population is, the areas they are affecting,
and how best to manage the problem. So far we have
constructed two 25 metre exclusion zones in an attempt to gain
a greater perception of kangaroo damage to the grasses. The
same issue of kangaroo overpopulation also applies to the two
neighbouring large grazing properties. We are in discussion
with our neighbours to find a solution for us to work together on
controlling the issue of kangaroo over-grazing.
In only 6 months of ownership, our property has presented its
challenges. But the discoveries, beauty of the land, and shared
goals of others who care about Victoria’s nature are making the
journey so rewarding. Susan and I are looking forward to many
years of achievement for conservation on our land.
LAND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
When we took over the property, there were a number of
significant problems for us to tackle. These included the control
of weeds, large rabbit and kangaroo numbers and erosion
control. These issues had to be addressed immediately or there
would be a possibility that the vulnerable native vegetation,
particularly the grasslands, could suffer greatly, and our
restoration efforts go partly unrewarded. Already we were
witnessing areas of our grasslands being eaten down to stubble.
The problems with rabbits and weeds have been reasonably
easy to control. With ongoing poisoning, rabbit numbers have
decreased and been held in check. The continual spraying and
Susan Hayman working on revegetation on the property in 2015, using
pink tree guards which are effective against kangaroo and rabbit grazing,
and mitigate wind stress and water evaporation. So far revegetation has
been at least 75% successful.
14
| www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin
RECENTLY COVENANTED
Currently there are 1,338 Trust for Nature conservation covenants on
private land protecting more than 60,770 hectares of the state
(as at April 2015). Since the last edition of the Bulletin, there have been
14 new covenants registered, described below. The people who have
chosen to protect these parts of Victoria are now part of the solution.
To make a donation to support our work with private landowners, please
visit: www.trustfornature.org.au
PORT PHILLIP & WESTERNPORT
NORTH CENTRAL
0.61ha
94.49ha
PATE, EMERALD
HOLT, FENTONS CREEK
This covenant is located in the Highlands
– Southern Fall bioregion and is part
of the Yarra Cardinia Catchments focal
landscape. The property directly adjoins
the Emerald Quarry Reserve, which
protects what is thought to be the largest
known population of the FFG listed White
Star-bush. The land itself is a remnant of
Shrubby Foothill Forest. The overstorey
is dominated by Messmate Stringybarks,
some of which are old and large,
providing habitat for arboreal wildlife. The
regenerating understorey is dominated
by colonising plants such as Bracken and
Hop Goodenia, as well as typical species
within Shrubby Foothill Forest such as
Yellow Rice-flower, Common Heath and
flat peas.
This covenant is located in the Goldfields
bioregion and is part of the Victorian
Midlands focal landscape. This property
contains depleted Hillcrest Herb-rich
Woodland, , and areas of derived native
grassland belonging to the critically
endangered White Box-Yellow BoxBlakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland
and Derived Native Grassland ecological
community. It also features a high quality
patch of vulnerable remnant Grassy
Woodland, belonging to the nationally
endangered Grey Box Grassy Woodlands
and Derived Native Grasslands of SouthEastern Australia ecological community.
The Grassy Woodland supports a large
population of young to ageing Buloke,
which have been largely lost from the
surrounding landscape. Some beautiful
mature Grey Box and Yellow Gum are
also present throughout the property. The
eastern metamorphic ridge has retained
some magnificent large old Yellow Box
and a relatively intact ground layer,
dominated by native grasses and forbs
and a high diversity of lilies and orchids
during spring. Although this property has
been recently heavily grazed, it possesses
great potential to recover.
CORANGAMITE
13.04ha
KIKORIO PTY LTD, MARENGO
This covenant is located in the Otway
Ranges bioregion. This magnificent
coastal property, located on the eastern
edge of Marengo township near Apollo
Bay, is host to a variety of vegetation
communities between the coast and
the Great Ocean Road. The high quality
Damp Heath Scrub on the mid-slope
of the covenant is an endangered
vegetation community and is otherwise
poorly represented in the area. Its
Lowland Forest and Coastal Headland
Scrub are both depleted communities in
Victoria. This covenant will also protect
significant flora and fauna, including the
near threatened Rufous Bristlebird, the
vulnerable Grey Goshawk, the vulnerable
Otway Grey Gum, and the rare Broadleaf Prickly Moses. A report developed
by Ecological Horticulture Pty Ltd for the
Marengo Association in 1992 found the
site to be of state significance.
NORTH CENTRAL
61.8ha
KINRARA PTY LTD, CARAPOOEE WEST
This covenant is located in the Goldfields
bioregion and is part of the Victorian
Midlands focal landscape. This property
protects a large mosaic of remnant
Grassy Woodland / Heathy Woodland,
Grassy Woodland / Alluvial Terraces Herbrich Woodland - both EVCs that belong
to the nationally endangered Grey Box
Grassy Woodlands and derived Native
Grasslands of South Eastern Australia
- and a small section of Box Ironbark
Forest which is depleted in this bioregion.
The property has lost the majority of its
canopy trees, but does contain a small
patch of remnant Yellow Gum, and several
scattered old Red Stringybark, Buloke,
Yellow Gum and Grey Box. The ground
layer remains diverse with native perennial
species, including the FFG listed Small
Milkwort. The shrubby understorey and
ground layer have also been retained and
consist of species such as Spreading
Wattle, Spikey Hibbertia, Twiggy Bushpea and Peach Heath. The owner has
sparsely direct seeded open grassy areas
with Eucalypt canopy species consistent
with the EVC Benchmarks, and some
acacias, to restore the main habitat
components missing on this property.
This property lies next to another
covenanted property to the west, which is
adjacent to the St Arnaud Range National
Park.
NORTH CENTRAL
114.6ha
66.68ha
121.4ha
KINRARA PTY LTD, GLENALBYN
These three covenants form a 303ha
property located in the Goldfields
bioregion which was purchased by private
land conservation company, Cassinia
Environmental, in 2014. The property
also lies within Trust for Nature’s Victorian
Midlands focal landscape.
A large, high quality patch of FFG listed
Buloke Woodland is present, providing
important habitat for the FFG listed
Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird
Community.
150ha contains generally high quality
remnant native vegetation consisting of
the threatened Grassy Woodland and
Alluvial Terraces Herb-rich Woodland
EVCs which both belong to the nationally
endangered, EPBC listed Grey Box
Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native
Grasslands of South-eastern Australia
ecological community.
Much of the remaining 150ha of
historically cleared and grazed land has
still retained a relatively intact ground layer,
dominated by native Wallaby grasses and
Rough Spear-grass. Remaining cleared
sections across the property have been
direct seeded and re-planted to restore
missing habitat components and include
overall habitat quality
www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin |
15
GOULBURN BROKEN
EAST GIPPSLAND
WEST GIPPSLAND
60.16ha
8.43ha
5.35ha
JONES & TAUSCHMANN, HIGH CAMP
TARPEY, BRUTHEN
ANDERSON, FLYNN
This covenant is located in the Central
Victorian Uplands bioregion and is close
to the Victorian Midlands focal landscape.
The property had only been owned by
one previous family since early settlement
in Victoria, but had not been heavily
grazed or fertilised, resulting in its intact
condition.
This covenant is located in the East
Gippsland Lowlands bioregion. A
significant site backing onto State Forest
to the north of Bruthen and bordering
Ramrod Creek, the majority of this
property represents bushland that
has regenerated since initial clearing
during the late 19th century. Due to its
topography the vegetation is diverse with
riparian/wet forest occurring in the lower
sections adjacent to Ramrod Creek, and
drier forest on shallow rocky soils at the
highest points of the property. A Powerful
Owl has recently been observed on
the property and a population of Giant
Burrowing Frogs have been observed on
areas of Ramrod Creek nearby.
This covenant is located in the Gippsland
Plains bioregion and is close to the
Gippsland Plain and Gippsland Lakes
Catchment focal landscape. The covenant
protects an area of endangered Floodplain
Riparian Woodland and seasonal wetland
which are being restored with River Red
Gums and an understory of Lightwood,
Blackwood, Kidney-weed, and Common
Tussock Grass. During high rainfall events
and river flows, the property’s floodplain
area develops into a billabong which
provides habitat for a range of aquatic
wildlife.
This property helps protect a remnant
patch of the critically endangered White
Box-Yellow Box-Blakely’s Red Gum
Grassy Woodland and Derived Native
Grassland ecological community; a
classic example of this endangered
community, with well-spaced large
eucalypts and a diverse groundlayer
including spear grasses, wallaby grasses,
Kangaroo Grass, Weeping Grass and lilies
such as Early Nancy.
Mt William Creek borders the west
of the property, adding to its habitat
diversity and connectivity This property
is also situated in a position of strategic
importance as an integral link in the Great
Eastern Ranges wildlife corridor between
box-ironbark forests to the north and the
Great Dividing Range to the east.
GOULBURN BROKEN
30.22ha
WILLS, VIOLET TOWN
This covenant is located in the Victorian
Riverina bioregion and is close to the
Eastern Riverina focal landscape.
The property contains the critically
endangered White Box-Yellow BoxBlakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland
and Derived Native Grassland ecological
community. Endangered Grey Crowned
Babblers are also found on the property.
Small gilgai ephemeral lake formations are
an unusual element that also occur here.
Its vegetation is a combination of sparsely
wooded areas containing Grey Box,
White Box, Yellow Box, Yellow Gum
and Blakely’s Red Gum. There are
small amounts of naturally regenerating
Drooping Cassinia. The ground layer is
dominated by native grasses, particularly
wallaby-grass species, with Chocolate
Lilies, Common Rice-flower, Bulbine
Lilies, mat-rush, and Pink Bindweed also
occurring.
MALLEE
79.37ha
EAST GIPPSLAND
132.4ha
BANKSIA RISE PTY LTD, LINDENOW
SOUTH
This covenant is located in the
Gippsland Plain bioregion and is close
to the Gippsland Plain and Gippsland
Lakes Catchment focal landscape.
This property is of high conservation
significance both because of its location
within the landscape and the vegetation
communities and species present. It
contains approximately 70 - 80ha of three
threatened vegetation types: 30 - 40ha
of nationally endangered, high quality
Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland;
five modified sedge wetlands totalling
15 - 20ha; and patches of degraded
Plains Lowland forest totalling 20 - 30ha.
It also contains the nationally endangered
wetland plant Dwarf Kerrawang.
WEST GIPPSLAND
57.06ha
FRAIR, BENGWORDEN
This covenant is located in the
Gippsland Plain bioregion and is part
of the Gippsland Plain and Gippsland
Lakes Catchment focal landscape. This
covenant is of high conservation value
due to its large size and position in this
focal landscape, and in relation to the
Perry River Corridor and Trust for Nature’s
Friar’s Reserve and Bush Family Reserve.
Conservation values specific to the site
include the presence of endangered
Swampy Woodland and vulnerable
Lowland Forest / Damp Sands Herb Rich
Woodland mosaic.
Covenanting this property is contributing
significantly to our goal of strengthening
the Perry River Corridor and linking
protected sites in the area.
MATTHEWS, MERINGUR
This covenant is located in the Murray
Mallee bioregion. Containing high quality
vegetation, this property helps secure
vulnerable and depleted Ecological
Vegetation Classes in the bioregion in a
largely cleared environment, including
Woorinen Mallee, Semi-arid Woodland,
and Woorinen Sands Mallee. Its habitat
is ideal for the nationally endangered
Regent Parrot, a priority threatened fauna
species for conservation on private land.
Carpet Pythons, Umbrella Wattle, Wait-awhile, and Round Templetonia have been
recorded in the covenanted area.
This property lies close to Trust for
Nature’s Murray Scroll Belt Focal
Landscape and sits within the Habitat
H141 Wildlife Corridor, contributing to
connectivity between the Murray Sunset
National Park and Trust for Nature’s Neds
Corner Station property.
16
| www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin
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DONATION TODAY
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land across Victoria, including threatened ecosystems
like our unique coastal areas.
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A big thank you to everyone who attended our
fifth annual Celebrating Women in Conservation
Breakfast in March. Held in partnership with Bush
Heritage Australia, and with the support of our
sponsor NAB, the event was fully booked and
received wonderful feedback.
Our special guest speaker was
acclaimed rural businesswoman,
Pip Job, who shared her insights
on balancing agribusiness and
conservation.
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Pip is a strong advocate for
sustainable agriculture, rural
communities and healthy
landscapes, and has been
helping farming families do the
best for their businesses, their
communities and the land they work on.
‘We’ve got to work on making agriculture an incredible
industry to be in but one that isn’t just about productivity. That
it’s about managing and conserving our environment so that
it’s productive into the future for humans and all other living
things. That it’s also a really healthy place to be economically
and socially, that humans can thrive.’
Pip stresses that good farmers are already focused on
improving natural cycles – from water to carbon and
biodiversity – and says her biggest contribution is raising
awareness about social strengths and weaknesses and
putting a value on it.
Pip has been a cattle producer for 20 years and has worked
in the not-for-profit sector for the last ten. In 2014, she was
awarded the RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year. Her leadership
as CEO of the Little River Landcare Group resulted in her
induction into the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame,
and in 2015 she received the NSW Landcare Facilitator Award.
Pip is now leading a new initiative within the NSW Department
of Primary Industries Business Resilience team.
Sponsored By:
Send this completed form to Trust for Nature, Level 5, 379
Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 or email a scanned copy to
[email protected].
Thank you for supporting Trust for Nature’s work,
protecting native plants and wildlife in Victoria
forever.
www.trustfornature.org.au
Our annual Breakfast recognises the expertise and value of
women working in conservation, and is a great opportunity
to network with others working in the field of conservation
and sustainability.
We hope to see you at our next Breakfast in 2017!
www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin |
17
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT
OUR WORK BEYOND THEIR LIFETIME
GIFTS IN MEMORY
MS MARGARET JENNIFER SCARLETT
In memory of Margaret Scarlett, who passed away in October 2015, family and friends donated to Trust for
Nature. Margaret’s partner, Clive, shared with us how Margaret’s knowledge and love for the bush increased
over the years.
“Margaret always liked walking and camping in the bush. In the early 1970s she started her large suburban
garden with mainly Australian native plants. Her curiosity led her to learn much more about a wide range
plants and birds, which added extra enjoyment identifying them during her walks. From the late 1980s
Margaret was also active in the local conservation and tree planting group, and also campaigned on many
conservation issues. She was pleased that Trust for Nature was preserving native flora and fauna.”
GIVE A MEANINGFUL GIFT
Making a gift to Trust for Nature is a thoughtful way to celebrate loved ones. If you would like to make a gift in memory or to celebrate
a milestone of a friend or family member, please contact Vanessa Meachen on (03) 8631 5888 or [email protected]
LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL
We understand that making your Will can be a very personal matter. If you’ve already included Trust for Nature in your Will, or are
considering doing so, it would be great to hear from you. We would like to thank you personally, and also discuss your wishes
with you.
To discuss making a gift to the Trust in your Will, please contact Vanessa Meachen on (03) 8631 5888 or [email protected]
DONATING SHARES
Did you know that you can support Trust for Nature by donating shares through ShareGift Australia?
ShareGift Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that provides
shareholders with an easy and cost effective way to support
the community by donating their shares to charity. Through
ShareGift Australia you can ‘convert’ your shares into charitable
donations without paying brokerage fees. When the proceeds of
the sale of shares you donated exceeds $50, you can nominate
Trust for Nature as your recommended charity to benefit from
ShareGift Australia’s donations.
Endorsed by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the
Australian Shareholders’ Association, ShareGift Australia works
to make charitable giving sustainable and transparent. The
organisation is a registered charity (DGR 2), which means that
shareholders can receive a tax deduction for donations over $2.
According to recent figures, approximately 900,000 Australians
own small parcels of shares in excess of $93 million – and
ShareGift Australia says that donating just a fraction of these
shares to charity could make the world of difference. Since 2007,
ShareGift Australia has donated over $1.1 million to more than
400 registered Australian charities.
To find out how you can support Trust for Nature through
ShareGift Australia, call 1300 731 632 or
visit sharegiftaustralia.org.au.
18
| www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin
COVENANTED PROPERTIES FOR SALE
The properties listed below are for private sale. Please call the landowners or agents directly for further details.
All properties below are subject to Trust for Nature conservation covenants. If you are buying or selling a
covenanted property, you may want to make a tax deductible donation to support the next generation of
private land conservation covenantors and the advertising of these properties. For the full text of our listings
and to make a donation, see our website: www.trustfornature.org.au
Port Phillip & Westernport
Price
Area
Contact
‘Marook’, 792 Skyline Road, Christmas Hills
$680,000
10.6ha
Mandy Lovell 0418 586 079
Boonoorong, 25 Eastern Grey Rise, Flinders
Contact agent
20ha
Meg Pell (03) 5989 1000 or 0403 161 105
205 A’Becket Road, Bunyip
$550,000
8.64ha
Shirley (03) 5629 5619
‘Implexa’, 58 Possumtail Run, Merrimu
$995,000
6.07ha
Sharon Jones 0409 536 740
290 Leppitt Road, Beaconsfield Upper
$655,000 ono
8.5ha
Helen Foster (03) 9707 4222 or 0414 250 557
Corangamite
Price
Area
Contact
370 Taylors Road, Meredith
$750,000
27ha
David Falk, Falk & Co Real Estate (03) 5561 1677
or 0407 878 213
‘Willow Bryn’, 1145 Barham River Road, Apollo Bay
$785,000
23.11ha
Jocelyn Dexter (03) 5237 7751 or 0419 877 286
Lot 129H, Morris Road, Parish Yarrowee,
Napoleons $220,000
40.85ha
Gary Wynen 0449 883 670
Lot 1, Nidschelms Lane, Durham Lead
$110,000 negotiable
8ha
Stephen Whitworth (03) 5223 3401 or
0419 310 031
Glenelg Hopkins
Price
Area
Contact
‘Summerland’, 3138 Portland Nelson Road,
Portland
$298,000
26.31ha
Allan Barrett, Seaview Real Estate
0438 660 057 or (03) 5523 3822
Wimmera
Price
Area
Contact
Bridgewater Road, Kiata South
Offers invited
647ha
Geoff Edwards (07) 5497 6910 or 0488 505 887
‘Jilpanger’, off Jallumba-Douglas Road, Douglas via Offers invited
Horsham
320ha
Sharon East 0439 553 074
Long Gully Road, Pomonal
Negotiable
110ha
Adam Blake or Fiona Copley of Trust for Nature
(03) 5382 0919 or 0429 431 099
North Central
Price
Area
Contact
75 Acacia Road, Creswick
$345,000
8ha
Jane Marriott 0402 811 659
41 Gallway Street, Chewton
$399,000
5.2ha
Tammy Elliot, Cantwell Property Castlemaine (03) 5472 1133 or 0433 032 526
‘Montana’, Lot 3, Wedderburn-Serpentine Road,
Glenalbyn
$125,000
100ha
Luke, FP Nevins Real Estate (03) 5438 3041 or
0418 510 066
64 Shanahans Road, Eppalock
$495,000-$525,000
8.6ha
Tim Rooke, PH Property Bendigo
(03) 5454 1999 or 0408 108 810
150 Horvaths Road, Trentham
$650,000
16ha
John Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Property
(03) 5424 1866 or 0418 518 322
Lot 3, Sheedys Lane, Derrinal
$272,000
43.69ha
Christine (03) 5425 5415 evenings
Lot 3, 51 Mount Teneriffe Road, Riddells Creek
$190,000
22ha
Jenny Grounds and John Nicholson
(03) 5428 7684 or 0407 287 684
Joseph Young Drive, Mount Alexander
$195,000
2ha
Genevieve Cantwell, Cantwell Property
(03) 5472 1133 or 0418 362 270
‘Burrabungle Park’, 459 Wedderburn-Serpentine
Road, Wedderburn
$590,000
141ha
Richard John 0406 506 719
‘Liarga’, 1083 Fogarty’s Gap Road, Maldon
$720,000
52ha
Ferenc and Cheryl Jakab (03) 5475 2777 or
0419 312 349
Corner of Greens Lane and Sheltons Road,
Fentons Creek
94.5ha
$160,000
Brett Douglas, Ray White Real Estate St Arnaud
(03) 5484 2400 or 0447 162 455
243 Goldspeck Gully Road, Chewton Bushlands
$400,000
2.4ha
Gabrielle Possetti 0419 308 672
www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin |
19
Goulburn Broken
Price
Area
Contact
‘Rowanmoon’, 375 Ennis Road, Tallarook
$440,000
20ha
Jenna Carole (03) 5795 1890 or 0427 059 498
140 Campbells Creek Road, Murrindindi
$400,000
160ha
Sue 0414 884 499
175 Pontings Lane, Nagambie/Baileston
$180,000 ono
40ha
Anne Casey [email protected]
661 Upper Boho Road, Boho
$220,000
8.7ha
Terry Frewin (03) 5790 8635 or 0429 908 635
15 Allowah Court, Whroo
$125,000
20.23 ha
Brian Howe (03) 5762 6232 or 0418 575 978
92 Steep Lane, Glenrowan West
$185,000
15.5ha
Stephen Gerard Kelly 0427 863 768
East Gippsland
Price
Area
Contact
480 Barkhill Road, Forge Creek
$379,000
70.4ha
John Riches, Elders Estate Bairnsdale
0402 082 643
Woodpile Road, Meerlieu
$320,000
128ha
Sean Sabell , Elders Real Estate Bairnsdale
0437 898 426
Brookville & Burwood Roads, Brookville
$250,000
121.5ha
David Hill 0417 538 220
1545 Bendoc-Orbost Road, Bendoc
$168,000
12.66ha
Trish Everett 0408 942 403
220 Fergusons Lane, Kalimna
$225,000
18.65ha
Ken Jakobi 0400 609 741 or (03) 5155 2464
West Gippsland
Price
Area
Contact
410 Meeniyan-Mirboo North Road, Meeniyan
$525,000
44ha
Barry Redmond (03) 5662 4033 or 0418 515 666
550 Central Road, via Mirboo North
Offers invited
60.7ha
Ron Brown (03) 5664 8205
195 Dollar-Woorarra Road, West Road, Foster
North
$395,000
120.21ha
Alex Scott & Staff Real Estate Leongatha (03)
5662 0922 Andrew Newton: 0402 940 320 Peter
Dwyer: 0428 855 244 Alan Steenholdt: 0409 423 822
Yarram-Blackwarry Scenic Road, Blackwarry
Negotiable or
cooperative
ownership
expressions of
interest
51ha
Byron Jones and Rosina Tauschmann
(03) 5784 1178 or 0448 688 658 or 0499 149 658
Mallee
Price
Area
Contact
Werrimul North Road, Werrimul
$550,000
640ha
Kevin Coogan (03) 5028 1261
ADVERTISE YOUR CONSERVATION PROPERTY WITH US
If you have a property for sale whose purpose is for conservation,
you can advertise it on our website. Properties for sale with a
conservation covenant are also featured here in our Conservation
Bulletin and listing is free of charge. The fee for non-covenanted
property advertising is $120 for three months.
To list your property, download our advertising form at
trustfornature.org.au/place-an-ad/.
HAS YOUR COVENANTED PROPERTY CHANGED
OWNERSHIP?
It’s important for Trust for Nature to know when your covenant
has changed ownership. Let us know by calling (03) 8631 5888
or email [email protected] with your property details
and the contact details, if known, of the new owners.
Help us put our Statewide Conservation Plan into
action: protecting Victoria’s threatened ecosystems
Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan is a scientific
framework for preserving the most threatened ecosystems and
species on Victoria’s private land. The Plan has been guiding our
activities across Victoria since its publication in 2013, and will
continue to do so into the future. This work is sustained by the
generosity and vision of our supporters.
One of our six conservation objectives is to improve the
protection of significant coastal ecosystems. In Victoria this is
particularly pertinent, as nearly half of the state’s coastal land is
privately owned. Of that private land, only 25% contains native
vegetation, and only 1% is currently protected with a Trust for
Nature conservation covenant. Many of the remaining privately
owned areas, which contain over one third of under-represented
native Ecological Vegetation Communities within coastal
ecosystems, are in danger of habitat loss through clearing for
agricultural or urban development.
Our conservation mechanisms which focus on private land, such
as conservation covenants and our Revolving Fund, are therefore
vital to increasing the permanent protection of these unique
coastal habitats. With the support of donors and covenantors,
and in collaboration with our conservation partners, Trust for
Nature works across the state to protect our most rare and
threatened ecosystems forever.
By making a donation to Trust for Nature’s winter appeal, you
can help us protect some of Victoria’s most precious natural
areas, including these unique coastal environments.
Please donate today – turn to page 16, visit
http://support.trustfornature.org.au, or call us
on (03) 8631 5888 to help us safeguard our natural
environment, for all our futures.
Trust for Nature is Australia’s oldest private land trust, working
with private landowners in Victoria to protect the native plants and
wildlife on their properties in perpetuity. Since it was established
in 1972, Trust for Nature has achieved impressive results in
environmental conservation. We use a number of methods
including voluntary conservation covenants, land purchase, a
Revolving Fund and ongoing land stewardship programs.
RECEIVE THE BULLETIN BY EMAIL
Would you like to receive your copy of the Conservation Bulletin
electronically? Help us reduce our environmental impact by
choosing email over print. Just send your email address, name
and contact number to [email protected] with the
subject line ‘Conservation Bulletin email’ or phone us on
(03) 8631 5888. Thank you for helping us reduce our impact on
nature.
As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on your generous support
for our conservation work. Trust for Nature holds Deductible Gift
Recipient (DGR) endorsement for charitable purposes with the
Australian Taxation Office. All contributions of $2 and over are
tax-deductible.
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
Do we have your email address? Would you like to receive email
updates from us? Please contact us at [email protected]
or phone (03) 8631 5888 with your name and email address so
that we can send you important announcements and news about
our events and latest appeals.
Trust for Nature (Victoria)
ABN: 60 292 993 543
5/379 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Phone: +61 (0)3 8631 5888
Freecall: 1800 99 99 33 (Australia only)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trustfornature.org.au
PATRON
The Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC
TRUSTEES
Max Ervin (Chairman) Geoff Driver (Deputy Chairman)
Cas Bennetto
Sylvia Geddes
Mick Lumb
Gregory Moore
Chief Executive Officer Gayle Austen
Camilla Graves
Charles Meredith
Amanda Noble
Victoria Marles
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