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Conservation Management Networks

Nature doesn’t know the difference between public and privately-owned land, so conserving biodiversity needs cooperation between private landholders, public agencies and the broader community. In Australia, Conservation Management Networks (CMNs) have been used since the mid-1990s as an effective way to bring these groups together. The Victorian Government actively supports CMNs, but they have been established by many other groups as well. On this page is information on the following CMNs active in Victoria: Broken-Boosey Wedderburn Mid-Loddon Whroo Goldfields East Gippsland Rainforest Gippsland Plains Northern Plains In other states, there are CMNs in the Grassy Box Woodlands, Far South Coast of NSW, Monaro Grasslands and Southern Tablelands Grassy Ecosystems.

In 2008, the supporting agencies of several Victorian CMNs published the following strategic plan:

CMN Strategic Plan - full version (PDF - 897 KB)
CMN Strategic Plan - accessible version (RTF - 1.5 MB)

The information below covers the role and activities of these CMNs. It is also available in printed form in the following brochure:

Conservation Management Networks brochure (PDF - 1.9 MB)

What is a Conservation Management Network?

A CMN is a network of sites with native vegetation. A CMN is also a network of people who work together to protect and restore these sites, and also work to expand and link them across the landscape. Members of a CMN include interested private landholders, managers of remnant vegetation on public land, and other interested community members.

The people in a CMN focus on a local ecological community – or a group of plants and animals that coexist in nature – such as rainforest, native grassland or woodland. Members work to protect threatened species like the endangered Bush Stonecurlew, Striped Legless Lizard, Malleefowl, and the vulnerable Powerful Owl. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Most of our native plants and animals only occur here, and many of these are found on private land.

CMNs are busy on both public and private land with site-based activities like revegetation, and addressing landscape-wide problems like tree die-back, weeds and foxes. Community education is also an important CMN activity. The community has a strong say in deciding the activities of the CMN. CMNs work closely with local Landcare, government agencies and nongovernment organizations.

Networks across the Landscape

The physical area of a CMN spans the landscape, linking protected areas for biodiversity. Remnant vegetation on private land is linked through revegetation to scattered parcels of public land and to larger reserves.

There are currently seven CMNs in Victoria, each with their own direction and links to local community but all working broadly to a statewide Strategic Plan. In its 2007 inquiry into River Red Gum Forests, the Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC) recommended that additional CMNs be established in the future.

Broken Boosey CMN

• This CMN focuses on protecting Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands. The CMN area covers approximately 3,500 square kilometres and includes Broken Boosey State Park and a number of private properties along 200km of the Broken and Boosey Rivers, in the Goulburn-Broken catchment. The CMN was established under the State government’s Box-Ironbark Program in 2002.
• The area is home to a number of threatened species including the Bush Stone-curlew, Superb Parrot and the Brolga. The Brolga is known for its spectacular dance that can be performed at any time of the year. The CMN has been conducting a coordinated fox baiting program for several years. More than 120 local landholders enjoy participating in the program in the knowledge that their activities help to protect both local wildlife and improve lambing rates.

Wedderburn CMN

• The Wedderburn CMN covers approximately 170,000 ha between the townships of Wedderburn and Wychitella, in the North Central catchment area. The area includes fragmented public land blocks and freehold properties important for conservation of Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands. The Malleefowl is the signature species of this CMN.
• Recently, members of the Wedderburn CMN were instrumental in the purchase of the 245 ha Nardoo Hills Reserve by Bush Heritage Australia, Australia’s largest nonprofit private land conservation organisation.

Mid-Loddon CMN

• The Mid-Loddon CMN was established in 2007 following the success of the two CMNs already established in the Box-Ironbark region.The Mid-Loddon CMN includes Lockwood State Forest, Shelbourne Nature Conservation Reserve and a number of other reserves and adjoining private properties in the North Central catchment region. The area contains rare box and red gum woodlands. Rare and threatened species in the area include the Bush Stone-curlew, Tree Goanna and Brush-tailed Phascogale.
• Mid-Loddon CMN is working with local community members to implement a large scale fox baiting program for the Bush Stone-curlew and planning an ecological thinning project in the Shelbourne Nature Conservation Reserve.

Whroo Goldfields CMN

• Whroo Goldfields CMN spans a diamond-shaped area of reserves and private land within the Box-Ironbark region of the Goulburn Broken catchment. The area includes the central Victorian towns of Puckapunyal, Costerfield, Rushworth and Greytown, and the Puckapunyal Military Area.
• The Whroo Goldfields CMN is currently planning a coordinated fox control program in the area surrounding Puckapunyal Army Base. Local landholders will bait foxes on private land at the same time as land managers at Puckapunyal Army Base are carrying out their annual fox control program.

East Gippsland Rainforest CMN

• The East Gippsland Rainforest CMN focuses on the protection and restoration of East Gippsland’s rainforests from the Mitchell River to the state border, many of which are nationally significant. The CMN recently completed a submission to the East Gippsland Shire Council Urban Design Framework (UDF) which stimulated debate about the importance of rainforest to the local community.
• Members include the Shire, Trust for Nature, landholders with rainforest (many under covenant) and other interested people.
• A Koorie works team is being trained in protection and regeneration of rainforest. This team is implementing restoration works on priority CMN sites on public and private land.

For more information see the East Gippsland Rainforest CMN website.

Gippsland Plains CMN

• The Gippsland Plains CMN works to protect scattered remnant vegetation across private and public land on the Gippsland Plains. It is located in the West Gippsland and East Gippsland catchment areas.
• A current program to protect scattered trees involves assessing the trees for wildlife presence and providing subsidies for fencing and regeneration. CMN member Gerard Deery has had a pair of White-Bellied Sea Eagles nesting in scattered trees on his property for 15-20 years. He was keen to be involved in the program and “anything that might lead to a more long term future for them”.
• The CMN has undertaken a number of management trials with new and innovative techniques to restore woodland ecosystems. A regular newsletter is circulated sharing new ideas and techniques between landholders.

For more information see the Gippsland Plains CMN website.

Northern Plains CMN

• The Northern Plains CMN is a network of grassland and grassy woodland sites covering the Patho Plains in the North Central catchment area. Natural lowland grasslands of south eastern Australia have been fragmented to such an extent that they are considered one of the most threatened ecosystems in Australia.
• The CMN has been working actively with community and government agencies to manage the important remnants that exist. These are home to species such as the Striped Legless Lizard, Hooded Scaly Foot and Plains Wanderer. A regular newsletter, On the Plains, is circulated to the community, providing useful information on these species and tips on grassland management.
• The CMN is also planning a major re-vegetation project in the Terrick Terrick National Park.

Find out more about CMNs

To find out more about Conservation Management Networks in your area, contact the regional office of your Catchment Management Authority, Trust for Nature, Parks Victoria or the Department of Sustainability and Environment.