Media Release

PROTECTING AND NURTURING BIODIVERSITY IN GIPPSLAND

Friday, 31 August, 2018

The Andrews Labor Government announced $6,048,081.71 to help protect plants and wildlife in Gippsland part of the biggest funding boost to biodiversity in Victoria’s history.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing today unveiled funding for 16 local biodiversity and marine environment projects to mark the start of Biodiversity Month.

Some of the project include:

  • Building the Bass Coast Biolinks.
  • Extirpation of Sambar Deer from Wilsons Prom
  • Managing feral pigs in the eastern borderlands

The full list of grants is listed below.

The funding is part of a $35 million funding boost announced today by the Labor Government which will support 89 projects across Victoria – 85 focused on biodiversity on-ground action and four marine environment projects.

The Labor Government is supporting a broad range of rehabilitation efforts by community and volunteer groups and agencies to improve the resilience of the state’s native plants and wildlife.

The projects have been developed collaboratively with Traditional Owners, non-government organisations and passionate community members, and respond to the priorities determined by stakeholder-led working groups.

The projects are part of the Labor Government’s $86.3 million investment over four years to implement Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.

Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing

“These grants provide localised protection for threatened species and their natural habitats in Gippsland and tackle the ongoing challenge of pest and feral predators, herbivores and invasive vegetation.”

“We’re determined to support local groups and passionate environmentalists to nurture our unique biodiversity at a grassroots level, and to reduce and eradicate the flora and fauna that cause significant loss and damage.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“We’re investing more funding than ever before to protect Victoria’s native plants and wildlife.”

PROJECT TITLE LGA TOTAL FUNDING SUMMARY
Building the Bass Coast Biolinks. Bass Coast Shire, South Gippsland Shire. $413,319.71 BCLN, in partnership with Bunurong Land Council, Parks Victoria, Birdlife Australia, Holden and BCSC, will improve habitat and reduce predator threats to Southern Brown Bandicoot, Growling Grass Frog, Swamp Skink, Swift Parrot, Orange Bellied Parrot, Powerful Owl and Swamp Antechinus across 1212ha of private land and 448ha of public land.
Extirpation of Sambar Deer from Wilsons Prom Southern Gippsland $230,000.00 Sambar Deer are highly invasive introduced herbivores, which impact on natural ecosystems by wallowing in waterways, destroying vegetation, disturbing soil creating erosion. A small population, estimated at less than ten individuals, has been detected at Wilsons Prom National Park. This project will detect and extirpate this population before it establishes.
Landscape-scale conservation of threatened invertebrates of the Western Strzeleckis Bass Coast shire, Baw Baw Shire, Cardinia Shire, South Gippsland $417,058.00 This project will protect and restore habitat of 30 colonies of Giant Gippsland Earthworm and three threatened species of burrowing crayfish, the development of a cost-effective and non-destructive method for surveying for burrowing crayfish and detailed species lists for revegetation of GGE habitat.
Developing control options for feral cats at Wilsons Prom to improve on-ground management capability South Gippsland $500,000.00 We have limited understanding of when and where to use current and emerging feral Cat control tools in Victoria. This project will develop and test strategies and control tools (trapping, shooting, baiting) to improve management capabilities and provide standards for the control of feral cats at Wilsons Promontory National Park.
Managing feral pigs in the eastern borderlands East Gippsland $900,000.00 This project involves controlling pigs in the Eastern Forests borderlands to protect a range of environmental, cultural and social assets.
Mitigating impacts of invasive herbivores on Alpine wetlands East Gippsland, Towong, Wellington Shire. $190,000.00 In this project, the increasing destructive impacts of feral horses, deer and/or pigs in the Alps will be mitigated by fencing areas of priority wetlands and alpine peatlands.
Managing Feral Cats in the Victorian Alps Alpine, East Gippsland, Falls Creek Alpine Resort, Monut Hotham, $275,000.00 This project will undertake feral cat control works in priority areas associated with threatened Mountain Pygmy-Possum habitat in the Victorian Alps
Managing the impacts of transformative coastal weeds in Far East Gippsland East Gippsland Shire, Gabio Island. $450,000.00 This project will control high priority weed infestations and contain transforming weeds at a diverse suite of inlets, rocky headlands and isolated beaches of high ecological value on the Far East Gippsland coastline, including the Cape Howe Wilderness and Sand Patch Wilderness, Croajingolong National Park and Cape Conran Coastal Park
Enhancing Biodiversity at Dutson Downs Wellington Shire, $165,000.00 This project will control predators (foxes) and pest herbivores (rabbits) across 6000 ha to assist the prevalence of numerous species including the New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae), Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea), Wellington Mint-bush (Prostanthera galbraithiae), Dwarf Kerrawang (Rulingia prostrata) and the Trailing Hop–bush (Dodonaea procumbens).
Enhancing Biodiversity at the Bunurong Coastal Landscape South Gippsland $1,062,000.00 This project will control predators (foxes) and pest herbivores (rabbits) across 16000 ha to assist the prevalence of approximately thirty threatened fauna species, 17 migratory bird species and ten threatened flora species.
Management to improve habitat for threatened mammal species in the Upper Snowy River East Gippsland $450,000.00 The Upper Snowy River is the stronghold for three of Victoria’s most endangered mammals – southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Spot-tailed Quoll and Eastern Wallaroo. This project continues successful predator control strategies, trials new predator management techniques, supports sBTRW genetic rescue through supplementation, and delivers targeted threat abatement and threatened species recovery monitoring.
Rodent free Gabo Island Gabo Island $220,000.00 This project will remove introduced rodents (Brown Rats and House Mice) from Gabo Island making the island a haven for breeding seabirds.
Lake Tyers Deer Management East Gippsland $500,000.00 The East Gippsland Rainforest Conservation Management Network plan to connect landowners and public-land managers with accredited shooters in a coordinated response at a landscape scale. Scientific monitoring along with partners including TFN, GLAWAC, Landcare, ADA, ASSA and PV, DELWP and more will increase knowledge and trial a novel control system.
Aquatic predator control for biodiversity gain in headwater streams: upper Morwell River Latrobe City $33,700.00 This project contributes to the management of the landscape-wide threat to the majority of native headwater fish species by removing aquatic predators and increasing suitable predator-free habitat for the Morwell Galaxias in the headwaters of the Morwell River, re-linking two nearby but currently isolated sub-populations.
Aquatic predator control and translocations for biodiversity gain in headwaters streams: East Gippsland Forests baw baw shire, East Gippsland $137,200.00 This project contributes to management of aquatic predation, the landscape-wide threat to the majority of native headwater fish species in eastern Victoria, by removing aquatic predators, and locating translocation sites and undertaking translocation ‘top up’ for six species of upland native galaxiids from west to east Gippsland.
Aquatic predator control and translocation for biodiversity gain in headwater streams – south of GDR Alpine Shire, Wellington Shire $104,804.00 This project contributes to management of aquatic predation, the landscape-wide threat to the majority of native headwater fish species in Victoria, by removing predators, and locating translocation/undertaking translocation ‘top up’ for three species of upland native galaxiids in the NE Forests & Alps area, south of the Great Dividing Range.