Nature’s Voice
Victorian National Parks Association newsletter – Number 12
April-May 2012
Groups stand up for habitat regulations M
ore than 36 national, state, regional and local environment groups representing thousands of Victorians have signed a joint statement calling on the Baillieu Government to undertake extensive and open consultation in its proposed review of native vegetation regulations. Releasing the joint statement earlier this month, VNPA Executive Director Matt Ruchel said native vegetation rules have been the cornerstone of efforts to protect native habitat on private land. He warned they should not be changed behind closed doors. The call followed confirmation in March that the Victorian Government is undertaking a review of the rules, but no formal policy, scope or consultation process has been announced. Brendan Sydes from the Environment Defenders Office fears changes could wind back laws designed to protect native plants and animals on private land. “Victoria’s native vegetation retention laws have been developed and refined over many years under successive governments,” he said. “These are the only Victorian laws that protect plant and animal habitat on private land in Victoria. It’s important these protections are not undermined by winding them back.” President of the Environmental Farmers Network, Andrew Bradey, says changes to the rules
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Hard work by volunteers helping to restore habitat on private land could be undermined by Photo: David Fletcher changes to Victoria’s native vegetation laws.
could undermine years of tree planting and bushland restoration. “Many of the signatory groups are involved in tree planting and restoration of bushland to address the clearing of the past, and we do not want the regulatory ‘rug’ pulled out from under community volunteers,” he said. And the VNPA’s Karen Alexander, who is also president of John’s Hill Landcare group in Emerald, said a holistic approach is needed for improving native habitat. “We need good input from scientists and community groups, as well as the people on the ground, to develop regulations which are effective, efficient and most of all deliver real improvements for our stressed-out native plants and animals,” she said.
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Ranger speaks out for our parks
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The groups have called for key elements of the framework to be retained, including the over-arching Net Gain policy, introduced by the Kennett Government in the late 1990s. They also questioned inflated compliance figures of $395 million a year when a 2010 Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission review cited costs of only $41 million annually, and have recommended the establishment of a new independent native vegetation regulator.
TAKE ACTION Tell Premier Ted Baillieu we need native vegetation regulations to protect Victoria’s flora and fauna. Visit nativeveg.vnpa.org.au to find out how.
Firewood bungle sparks free-for-all
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Bastion Point reprieve