The government has recognised the value of the woodlands. Now to turn recognition into protection.
By Catherine Watson
THE conflict between sand quarrying and protecting biodiversity in the Western Port Woodlands has been a festering sore in the Bass Coast community for more than 30 years.
With 11 quarries already operating in the woodlands, and several more approved, a planning panel for the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) project was tasked with sorting out the mess.
This was one of many messes they had to deal with but it was the most contested DAL issue, with more than 500 submissions calling for increased protection for the woodlands and a solitary submission from a multinational mining company calling for more protection of sand mining.
THE conflict between sand quarrying and protecting biodiversity in the Western Port Woodlands has been a festering sore in the Bass Coast community for more than 30 years.
With 11 quarries already operating in the woodlands, and several more approved, a planning panel for the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) project was tasked with sorting out the mess.
This was one of many messes they had to deal with but it was the most contested DAL issue, with more than 500 submissions calling for increased protection for the woodlands and a solitary submission from a multinational mining company calling for more protection of sand mining.
An alliance of Save Western Port Woodlands, South Gippsland Conservation Society and Victorian National Parks Association presented to the planning panel, seeking an Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) across the woodlands.
Our alliance presented eight expert witnesses, and there were supporting presentations from many allies, and Bass Coast Shire Council.
Last Tuesday the State Government released the long awaited Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) for Bass Coast, the final stage in a six-year DAL process. So what did we achieve?
We didn’t get the ESO we sought but there is enough in it to give us hope that it will finally happen.
First the positives. The SPP recognises the Western Port Woodlands as being an area of “outstanding environmental significance” providing habitat for threatened species including the Strzelecki gum, tea-tree fingers fungus, thick-lip spider orchid, southern brown bandicoot, giant Gippsland earthworm, swift parrot, lace monitor and powerful owl.
Our alliance presented eight expert witnesses, and there were supporting presentations from many allies, and Bass Coast Shire Council.
Last Tuesday the State Government released the long awaited Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) for Bass Coast, the final stage in a six-year DAL process. So what did we achieve?
We didn’t get the ESO we sought but there is enough in it to give us hope that it will finally happen.
First the positives. The SPP recognises the Western Port Woodlands as being an area of “outstanding environmental significance” providing habitat for threatened species including the Strzelecki gum, tea-tree fingers fungus, thick-lip spider orchid, southern brown bandicoot, giant Gippsland earthworm, swift parrot, lace monitor and powerful owl.
It also acknowledges “long-standing community concerns about the potential impacts of expanded extractive industry activity on the biodiversity values of the woodlands”.
This is a breakthrough since the draft SPP didn’t recognise the woodlands or acknowledge the land use conflict.
The draft SPP had lots to say about protecting the sand resource from “encroachment by incompatible land uses” but nothing to say about protecting the woodlands from encroachment by incompatible land uses such as sand mining.
The final SPP recalibrates that: “It is important to balance protecting Victoria’s unique biodiversity and environment with the safeguarding of extractive resources essential for meeting the housing, infrastructure and employment needs of Victoria’s growing population. These goals need not be mutually exclusive.”
SWPW has no argument with that. Given the State Government’s recent designation of massive sand resources on cleared farmland in Cardinia and Baw Baw shires there is no longer a rationale for clearing woodland to extract sand.
We had hoped the final SPP would resolve this land use conflict but it states that further investigative work is needed to understand the extent of the woodlands, their intrinsic values and the efficacy of protections under existing planning and extractive industry regulations.
“There is a need to identify and confirm if there are areas with high biodiversity value within the Western Port Woodlands to help conserve them and inform land use planning, including planning for managing strategic extractive resources.
“Consideration would be given to best practices regarding biodiversity and extractive industry planning and whether new or revised regulations (such as planning controls or other interventions) are required to better protect areas of high biodiversity values within the woodlands to ensure a balance with the development of extractive resources to support Victoria’s growth.
“Any investigation would need to be carried out in collaboration with Traditional Owners. It would involve engagement with landowners and occupiers, community groups, industry and other relevant stakeholders.”
It looks as though the work will have to be undertaken by our own council rather than the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, but we hope the State Government will fund it at least.
We have sought a meeting with the council to discuss the next steps. We would hope for a joint working party to scope what remains to be done, with a time frame.
We are not starting from scratch. SWPW members and our allies have already completed studies that prove the values of the Western Port Woodlands. Evidence from our expert witnesses will be crucial, along with recent flora and fauna studies of the former Holden Proving Ground – the central chunk of the woodlands – co-ordinated by the council.
We have also indicated an investigation area for mapping of the woodlands, which is included in the SPP, though it notes this is subject to change.
This is a breakthrough since the draft SPP didn’t recognise the woodlands or acknowledge the land use conflict.
The draft SPP had lots to say about protecting the sand resource from “encroachment by incompatible land uses” but nothing to say about protecting the woodlands from encroachment by incompatible land uses such as sand mining.
The final SPP recalibrates that: “It is important to balance protecting Victoria’s unique biodiversity and environment with the safeguarding of extractive resources essential for meeting the housing, infrastructure and employment needs of Victoria’s growing population. These goals need not be mutually exclusive.”
SWPW has no argument with that. Given the State Government’s recent designation of massive sand resources on cleared farmland in Cardinia and Baw Baw shires there is no longer a rationale for clearing woodland to extract sand.
We had hoped the final SPP would resolve this land use conflict but it states that further investigative work is needed to understand the extent of the woodlands, their intrinsic values and the efficacy of protections under existing planning and extractive industry regulations.
“There is a need to identify and confirm if there are areas with high biodiversity value within the Western Port Woodlands to help conserve them and inform land use planning, including planning for managing strategic extractive resources.
“Consideration would be given to best practices regarding biodiversity and extractive industry planning and whether new or revised regulations (such as planning controls or other interventions) are required to better protect areas of high biodiversity values within the woodlands to ensure a balance with the development of extractive resources to support Victoria’s growth.
“Any investigation would need to be carried out in collaboration with Traditional Owners. It would involve engagement with landowners and occupiers, community groups, industry and other relevant stakeholders.”
It looks as though the work will have to be undertaken by our own council rather than the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, but we hope the State Government will fund it at least.
We have sought a meeting with the council to discuss the next steps. We would hope for a joint working party to scope what remains to be done, with a time frame.
We are not starting from scratch. SWPW members and our allies have already completed studies that prove the values of the Western Port Woodlands. Evidence from our expert witnesses will be crucial, along with recent flora and fauna studies of the former Holden Proving Ground – the central chunk of the woodlands – co-ordinated by the council.
We have also indicated an investigation area for mapping of the woodlands, which is included in the SPP, though it notes this is subject to change.
The Western Port Woodlands investigation area is indicated by the grey dashes.
Source: Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy.
Source: Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy.
While there is still work to be done we are hopeful that with goodwill on all sides it can be completed expeditiously.
The final Statement of Planning Policy is available at Engage Victoria.
Catherine Watson is a member of Save Western Port Woodlands.
The final Statement of Planning Policy is available at Engage Victoria.
Catherine Watson is a member of Save Western Port Woodlands.