Rabbits demand deep cooperation

I was munching on a chocolate rabbit's ear, Easter Sunday, thinking about rabbits. We'd had a seminar on rabbit management at the Neighbourhood House, hosted by Riddells Creek Landcare, and they were on my mind. What a nightmare! The first rabbits that came with the First Fleet actually didn't survive in the wild and it took the dedicated work of The Victorian Acclimatisation Society, just down the road near Geelong, to get them established on the mainland. 24 rabbits were released on Christmas Day 1859, for hunting and to help settlers feel more 'at home'.

So now we have the perpetual task of killing enough rabbits to keep their numbers low enough not to reproduce and overwhelm us, but without ever being able to get rid of them completely. We heard that at Skipton, the other side of Ballarat, farmers are keeping rabbit numbers down below one rabbit per spotlight kilometre, but that takes total cooperation.

The rabbits are just half of the challenge. The last government staff left standing are trying to hold the line on rabbits, but their expertise is technology and information, and that only goes so far. They're stitching together a campaign to release a new strain of virus that kills rabbits in the middle of next year, and our little meeting was one stop on a roadshow encouraging the rest of us to be ready to destroy our local rabbit warrens just after that release, when rabbits are at their lowest ebb.

That is a massive task demanding cooperation between neighbours across the landscape, and while our three speakers on the night got us started with information, they didn't leave time for us to talk with each other to work out how we can cooperate to do this.

Getting our neighbours into the game is as difficult as finding the next virus that kills rabbits, and I have to confess I left the evening feeling I'd been given enough information to reach the point of despair, but without time to build with the other landowners there some possibility of hope!

Anyway, the Landcare committee will put their heads together to work out what to do next on rabbits. On a happier note, you'll have noticed the orange-brown patches of weed along roads around Riddells. That's the awful Carpetweed, or Galenia pubescens, turning up its toes after spraying by our contractor.

In a joint project between Landcare and Greening of Riddell, Lyn Hovey tracked down Galenia locations over summer, and she found several outbreaks in the new estates. This weed loves newly broken soil, where it moves in to smother everything else, but you can see it around town - beside the pedestrian crossing at the Primary School and by the Bakery, for example.

So the job's done for this year, not without a bit of grumbling from the Shire. The office people rang up to question who we had permission from, and who gave us the money, and did we know how to use the chemicals, in short, did we know what we were doing, as if we wouldn’t after 10 years of doing it.

Anyway Riddellers, keep an eye out for Galenia, now you know about it, email Lyn if you spot it (ljhovey@bigpond.com) and check out our map of its past locations, at the Riddells Creek Landcare website, under "Projects".

The old grey

It's the end of summer. A grey morning of low cloud that may or may not lift, that may or may not rain, and probably not much if it does. It's Riddells in-between time, away from the heat of summer but not yet to the cold edge of winter. Walking out into Barrm Birrm, the undergrowth hasn't had the revitalising autumn rains that will plump up the groundcovers, and I can see through to the bones of the earth, and to the odd beer bottle or can that was hidden, now washed to surface.

I retrieve these artefacts as an archaeologist might, reconstructing a history of drinking habits in which beer in big bottles gives way to stubbies, then to mixers, then back to beer, but this time in long necks for the thrill of craft beer. I gather as I go, a habit of care, but what I've come for this pale morning is to see how a carcass is progressing.
I came across the roo three days ago, smelt him first, then found the body. The vital organs eaten out by an opportunistic fox, and belly a writhing surface of pale maggots, but haunches untouched. Stomach lying discarded beside the carcass. A fat tail, so I assumed an old male, and wondered if it was the last of the big fella who has been around the house the last two summers. He comes for the green pick and to drink from the bird bath. Every couple of days, he eats through the night and can still be there at dawn. He travels alone, sometimes camping out daytimes in the creek bed, in the soft sand and the shade of the mana gums.

When he first appeared, we were each wary of the other. Big-framed and slow moving, when I intruded on his safe zone, he would stand and consider  - is it was worth the effort of moving away from this human? When he did move, it was slowly, deliberately, a way of moving I understand as I get older. We figured out he was hard of hearing too, because sometimes people moving around the house and studio would almost run into him. Standing upright on his tail and look straight at you, he is a presence to be reckoned with, and though he would give way to me and move off if I insisted, I've taken to going back around the other way, whatever way that is, out of respect for age and his prior occupancy of the landscape.

We've become more at ease with each other this summer, and he grazes the front lawn while I sit at dusk on the veranda. If this is him, this big body down amongst the trees, I'll miss his company. But when I find again the place the body was, there's nothing much there. No rib cage, and no legs. Just tufts of fur. He's gone completely, in less than a week.

I walk on and home, thinking of a clean death, a fast return to the earth, the world and it's affairs closing over me as if I had never been there. A few days later, a slow grey presence moves quietly down the side of the house and settles in to eat. We have the last of the summer to enjoy.

The Shire's new Draft Environment Strategy

As expected, the MRSC Draft Environment Strategy is a high level document that defines Council’s objectives for four environmental themes, in order to give direction to Council’s plans and programs, in particular the Council Plan, which is a key driver of actual Council investment. It also makes policy commitments that will be binding on the action of all Council departments. At the end of each of its four themes, it spells out current and prospective actions, their relative priority and relative costs.

Given that past Strategies have been ham-strung by lack of funding, this all seems like necessary groundwork, though I’d be interested to hear from old hands whether the same kind of groundwork has been done before, and still failed to influence Council spending.

The four themes are climate change, biodiversity, catchment management and resource efficiency. There’s much said by way of objectives and policy commitments that is easy to agree with, and I thought the Strategy and its Background Paper has done a good job of describing the legislative and governance context of each of the themes.

Then I had a close look at the priority ratings for the themes of biodiversity and catchment management.

For Biodiversity priorities, many in Landcare will be pleased that a roadside management plan rates as not too expensive and for immediate action. There’s a swag of work indicated for development of a Biodiversity Strategy (see page 24), including a connectivity plan. Personally I’m wary of Council getting caught up in detailed planning and building monitoring processes when areas of bush are being degraded now and action is needed to protect these. 

A triage assessment might get the obvious priority geographic areas clear, and allow Council (with community groups) to build up planning and action focused on these areas.  “Reviewing the application and effectiveness of local policy and controls for biodiversity in the Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme” will I hope be covered by the current Ministerial Review, and I can’t see how assessing Shire-owned open space adds to biodiversity conservation, except as an element in connectivity in landscapes.

“Continue to implement the Weed and Pest Animal Strategy, reviewing and updating the document as needed” led me to search for the document on the Council website, but I couldn’t find it. Weeds is an area where Council is already cooperating with Landcare groups (through funding them to work on weeds) and some joint thinking about priorities would guide each party in what we do about weeds and ferals.   

For Catchment Management priorities (p 30), an assessment of which of the various strategies will contribute most to better land and water quality would be useful, including assessing the adequacy of action already underway (since many items are part of on-going operations). Then discussion with community groups about best ways to implement could be had. Until that happens, they likely will remain sceptical of the sincerity of Council intentions. 

Take for example an item like “Promote and facilitate the application of existing best practice guidelines and codes of practice for different land uses.” Yes, there are guidelines to hand to people, but how will Council, other agencies and community groups work together to get adoption of these practices? Development Applications require a Farm/Land Management Plan, but how closely are these monitored and enforced? What size holdings and what types of land use are contributing most to land and water degradation, and what can we do to target these to improve land management practices? We need targeted action, where community group and Council action fits together.

So it’s all in the detail, and the detail isn’t here yet.

In Riddells Creek Landcare’s discussion with Council in preparation for this draft, we asked for collaboration in design of specific programs of action. I relation to this, we have a distinction (p 35) between communication (to raise awareness), engagement (to facilitate action) and partnership (for collaborative planning and action), with an indication of the kind of involvement that will be sought with various stakeholders.

For “Landcare and Friends Groups working on public land”, “Engagement / Partnerships” is proposed. That seems to me a step towards talking with Landcare groups when making specific plans, to tap their understanding of their local biodiversity and what will best protect it.

For “Landholders / Landcare groups working on private land”, “Communication/Engagement” is the level indicated. Hong on, surely Landcare groups, being made up of private landholders, often people experienced in good land management, are in a good position to contribute to decisions about how to improve management of private land, and warrant a level of collaboration for joint planning of at least some action within the Shire? For example, to decide the mix of actions that might best “Promote and facilitate the application of existing best practice guidelines and codes of practice for different land uses”.

There’s a short survey beside the draft Strategy. After you’ve had a look at the Strategy, I recommend you give your opinion, and if there are specific matters that are underdone or heading in what you consider the wrong direction, that you write to Sylvana Predebon SPredebon@mrsc.vic.gov.au at MRSC.

Olive-backed Orioles

For the past weeks we have noticed a wattle-bird sized bird with a black-flecked white belly on the grape vine outside our lounge-room window. It is very flighty and takes off if it detects the slightest movement so it has been difficult to get a good look or take a photo.

However, today I got a good look and it is unmistakably an Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus).
We haven't heard its distinctive 'orry-orry-orriole" call.
I believe this bird is not common in the Macedon Ranges.
Has anyone else seen Orioles in the Macedon Ranges or Riddells Creek?

Here is a photo I took of an Olive-backed Oriole further north where they are more common.
The adults develop a red eye and pinkish bill.

David Francis, Mount Macedon

Protecting the character of Macedon Ranges

In the run up to the last State election, a promise was made to provide better protection for the Macedon Ranges. Just what does that mean and how can such protection be provided?

Wednesday 18th November, the Planning Minister Richard Wynne and local member Mary-Anne Thomas fronted an audience of residents to speak to this. The Minister announced that he will appoint an Expert Panel, to hear community opinions and make recommendations to him, which he promises to act on in this term of government. 

To get the ball rolling, we had community members up the front giving their take on what is needed (from Woodend Primary School, MR Sustainability Group, MR Residents' Association and Landcare Woodend), alongside the Director of Planning and Development, MRSC, who copped criticism for poor communication of planning processes to community members, like the current change to the Riddells Creek Structure Plan, and the review of the provisions for the Rural Living Zone. 

Highlights for me were the pointed questions from the floor (many wise heads with much experience in the room), and the presentation from Christine Pruneau from the Macedon Ranges Residents' Association. Christine laid out 14 recommendations for protecting the character of the Macedon Ranges, based on opinion from the Association's members. Here are those 14 points:

1. Emphasise why protection is needed, and re-align government thinking and decisionmaking with a ‘protection’ culture (by which they mean having protection as the primary focus of planning decisions, rather than facilitation of decelopment)

2. Recognise that Macedon Ranges Shire has its own identity, strengths, constraints and needs, and is different to Melbourne, Sunbury and neighbouring areas.
 
3. Recognise the services a well-protected Macedon Ranges provides to Melbourne’s population: proximity, breathing spaces and recreation places.

4. Recognise that the contrast between our natural environment and Melbourne is what
drives tourism.


5. Provide an enduring legacy of strong legislation and State policy settings that take
Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 forward.

6. Protect the entire Shire as the “surrounds” of the Macedon Ranges.
 
7. Make protection of natural resources, environment, landscapes and rural character THE
priority for all decisions.
 
8. Provide certainty about what can and cannot be done, and how it will be done, in this area, including “must” and “must not” planning controls.
 
9. Regulate and cap population growth. Towns spilling into rural land, urbanisation of rural areas and intensifying rural living signal a failure to understand and protect non-renewable resources.
 
10. Identify our towns as integral to the ‘bigger picture’, stop their suburbanisation and make existing town boundaries permanent.
 
11. Defend water catchments and rural areas with tenement controls and development
restrictions, and by requiring parliamentary approval to reduce subdivision sizes.
 
12. Build on existing rural strengths by promoting nature-based tourism and recreation, local produce, and reduced food miles.
 
13. Recognise the inter-generational benefits and sustainability of protecting natural resources.
 
14. Re-empower this community by making it an equal partner in all decision-making.
 
In their view, the Council is going in a different direction, and it's up to the community with the State Government to set up strong, permanent protection.

The Expert Panel will start hearing from residents in face-to-face meetings in the New Year, so look out for that.

What Pope Francis said

At the opening of the Threatened Species of Riddells Exhibition, I quoted Pope Francis from his recent encyclical Laudato Si.In this, he says why we're destroying the earth, and what we need to do. Here is the piece I read:

" ...a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.

"Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right."

There's a lot more besides - find it online.

Ross Colliver, President, Riddells Creek Landcare 

Exhibition of Threatened Species of Riddells Creek

We officially opened Riddells Creek Landcare's exhibition of Threatened Species Sunday 1st October, at Seasons Bistro. These fourteen species are part of the ecological communities of Riddells Creek and all are threatened. The principal threats are continued clearing of native vegetation for agriculture and urban settlement, the spread of weeds and pest animals like foxes and cats, and for grasslands species, the lack of regular burning.

All these species are all listed on the Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Species in Victoria, 2005. The Purple Diuris Orchid (Diuris punctata var punctata) is listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, the Victorian legislation for the conservation of threatened species and communities. Matted Flax Lily (Dianella ameona) is listed as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Australian Government's key piece of environmental legislation.

The idea for an exhibition came for the RCL Committee of Manageement, as part of our Rail Reserve project.The Reserves along the railway lines across Victoria are an important refuge for native vegetation. In the approaches to Riddells Creek Station, the remnants of the original grasslands are home to four plants on the Rare or Threatened Species List: Purple Diuris Orchid; Matted Flax Lilly; Large-flower Crane’s-bill (Geranium sp. 1); and Branching Groundsel (Senecio cunninghamii var. cunninghamii).

Riddells Creek Landcare is organising removal of weeds that threaten these species. These are weeds that you'll see in many places - blackberry, english broom, gorse, spear thistle, serrated tussock, briar rose, pine seedlings, fennel, mirror bush, cotoneaster, prunis and phalaris. In the Rail Reserve these weeds are crowding out native species, and need to be controlled.

With funding through a Community Grant from the Port Philip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, we are able to employ a contractor (Indigwedo) to spray these weeds. The endangered species have all been mapped, and the contractor knows how to remove the weeds without damaging native vegetation.

Thanks to NatureShare.org.au, we had access to high resolution photographs of all 14 species, and Lyn Hovey has had these printed to canvas, mounted and then hung them at Seasons Bistro. Take the opportunity to drop in and see these delights, and take one home for what it cost us to make them up.

RCL Members and guests at the opening of the Threatened Species Exhibition