Victorian Highlands
Bioregions: Highlands - Southern Fall,
Highlands - Northern Fall, Otway Ranges

The Bioregional Landscape
The Natural Capital of the Landscape
Land Management Themes
Biodiversity Condition
Management Responses
Tables and Charts for the Victorian Highlands

The Bioregional Landscape
The Victorian Highlands area includes mountain ranges and associated foothills of the Great Dividing Range between Melbourne and the New South Wales border and of the Otway Ranges to the south-west of Geelong. It is divided into three bioregions: Highlands - Southern Fall, Highlands - Northern Fall and Otway Ranges.

Many of Victoria’s major river systems originate from within the Victorian Highlands which are composed of dissected uplands with moderate to steep slopes between 400 and 1200 metres in altitude.

The region has a temperate climate. Summers are generally warm; winters are cool to cold. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, but is greatest in the winter and spring. Snow falls are common above 900 metres in winter, with snow persisting for long periods during winter above 1200 metres. Annual rainfall varies between 1000 and 2000 mm. In some areas, a marked rainshadow effect is associated with higher ranges, such as in the Licola area, north-east of the Baw Baw Plateau.

Most of the Aboriginal peoples using the highlands at the time of European settlement also extended into lowland areas to the north or south. The dozen language groups or more, who made use of the various parts of the southern uplands would have occupied these areas on a temporary seasonal basis. This seasonal movement would also have included the major summer gatherings, which took place in alpine areas. The territory of the Gadubunud language group corresponded very closely with the Otway Ranges.

The Victorian Highlands area is generally sparsely settled despite the efforts of early pioneers to develop agricultural and mining pursuits. Parts of the Highlands - Southern Fall and the Otway Ranges bioregions were cleared for agriculture and settlement was attempted. Settlement in the Highlands bioregions is now generally restricted to the more gently undulating areas on the fringes such as the Dandenong Ranges, around Lake Eildon and Mansfield, and around Warragul and the more fertile river valleys.

Settlement in the Otways bioregion is concentrated between Beech Forest and Lavers Hill and coastal areas. Most of the settlement is based on agriculture, though tourism is increasing, especially along the coast at Apollo Bay, Lorne and Aireys Inlet.

Major conservation reserves within the Victorian Highlands include the Alpine, Morwell, Yarra Ranges, Dandenong Ranges, Kinglake, Mt Buffalo and Otway national parks. There are also numerous State, regional and other parks, conservation reserves and Historic Areas, the Wabba and Avon Wilderness Parks and the Razor-Viking, Mt Darling-Snowy Bluff and Indi wilderness zones.

The Victorian Highlands area is covered by several Catchment Management Authorities and is within the jurisdiction of many shires (see Appendix 3).

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The Natural Capital of the Landscape
Moist Foothill Forest Complexes and Dry Foothill Forest Complexes, with smaller occurrences of Lowland Forest Complexes, Heathy Woodland Complexes and Valley Grassy Forest Complexes, dominate the vegetation of the Victorian Highlands.

The Moist Foothill Forest Complexes BVT is generally located on the protected southerly and easterly slopes and plateaus, and most commonly includes the ecological vegetation classes, Wet Forest, Damp Forest, Montane Wet Forest and Montane Damp Forest. The gullies and river valleys support a variety of ecological vegetation classes including Riparian Forest, Riparian Thicket and Montane Riparian Thicket. The Victorian Highlands contains Victoria’s most extensive areas of Cool Temperate Rainforest. The drier, more exposed northerly and westerly slopes and ridges support several ecological vegetation classes including low, dry forests such as Heathy Dry Forest, Grassy Dry Forest, Shrubby Dry Forest and Montane Dry Woodland frequently associated with Herb-rich Foothill Forest and Shrubby Foothill Forest on gentler, more protected sites. Mosaics of these ecological vegetation classes are particularly common north of the Great Dividing Range.

There are about 533 species of vertebrates, 1091 species of vascular plants and a poorly documented but very substantial and diverse invertebrate fauna. The bioregion supports a wide variety of vascular and non-vascular plants, arboreal and terrestrial mammals, reptiles, forest-dwelling birds and birds of prey including the large forest owls. Both the faunal emblems of Victoria, the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possum are now restricted to this bioregion.

A number of species, including the Leadbeater’s Possum, Giant Gippsland Earthworm, Tall Astelia, Gully Grevillea, Sticky Wattle, Aniseed Boronia, Tree Geebung, Forest Sedge, Buxton Gum and Shiny Phebalium, are endemic to the Victorian Highlands. The rivers and streams of the Victorian Highlands support populations of native fish, including the endangered Barred Galaxias, and a wide variety of native aquatic invertebrates.

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Land Management Themes
The Victorian Highlands is predominantly forested public land, comprising State forest and numerous national parks, State parks and conservation reserves.

The extensive forests of the Victorian Highlands have supported timber harvesting industries since the late 1800s, and this remains the most important region for timber in Victoria. The Victorian Highlands also contains significant areas of coniferous and eucalypt plantations.

Water production is a major land use, with significant catchment areas in each bioregion supplying water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. Major impoundments include Thomson Dam, Lake Glenmaggie, Lake Dartmouth, Blue Rock Lake, West Barwon Dam, and the Upper Yarra and Maroondah reservoirs near Melbourne. Some of the impoundments also provide water to produce hydroelectric power for the Victorian electricity grid.

Tourism and recreation are major land uses in the Victorian Highlands. Popular activities include camping, fishing, deer hunting, bushwalking, canoeing, sight seeing and nature study. In settled areas, sheep and cattle grazing and dairying are the primary land uses. Some public land areas are also used for grazing and apiculture.

Most mining activity in the Victorian Highlands is associated with the extraction of rock and gravel for road construction and maintenance mainly on public land. Gold is still mined commercially in the Walhalla –Woods Point area.

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Biodiversity Condition
Over three quarters of the vegetation cover of the Victorian Highlands remains and biodiversity assets and the operation of ecological processes are in relatively good to very good condition across the landscape.

A diverse range of forest types dominate the landscape particularly at higher elevations. In general the rivers and streams are in good or better condition. Where clearing has taken place it has been concentrated mainly in the larger river valleys and on the edges of the area, in the Dandenong and Strezeleki Ranges. As a result the depleted BVTs are those restricted to these areas, and include Cool Temperate Rainforest and Valley Grassy Forest.

The biodiversity of the region is in the best condition in the extensive forested areas found on public land. Here broad-scale management issues across the forest estate which influence the condition of biodiversity are forestry practices, fire management, prevalence of environmental weeds, introduced predators and plant diseases. These issues require long term management and apart from harvesting, need to be addressed in both reserves and production forests.

Two of the major challenges to be resolved in the context of implementation of Regional Forest Agreements and Forest Management Plans are the development and adoption of ecologically sensitive fire regimes and reconciliation of the needs of silvicultural systems, in terms of rotation lengths, felling patterns and the retention of sufficient areas of undisturbed habitat.

Timber harvesting, particularly clearfelling silvicultural systems, can result changes from a forest dominated by old trees with a diverse structure and species mix to even aged stands with simplified structure and few old trees. Planned rotation lengths of about 80 years mean that the regrowth on harvested areas will not attain mature or senescent growth stages before again being harvested. The result is the reduction or loss of some characteristics of mature or senescent forests upon which a significant part of the biota depends, particularly species that utilise tree hollows, such as possums and gliders, and those that depend on such species, like large forest owls. There is also evidence from some sites of changes in the composition of the understorey following harvesting, particularly the decline of tree ferns and other species that usually regenerate vegetatively after physical disturbance. Forest Management Plans and Regional Forest Agreements are addressing these problems through the establishment of a network of special protection zones which complement the formal reserve system, and special management zones where forestry practices are modified to accommodate the needs of particular species found there.

Fire has been a major influence in shaping the ecosystems and evolutionary processes of the bioregion. The taller, wetter forests have evolved with relatively infrequent but high intensity fires, while the dry forests have evolved with more frequent fires. We cannot be sure of the exact pre-European fire regimes. It is likely that the scale and pattern of fire has changed significantly over the last 150 years, with consequent changes in the distribution of some species of flora and fauna. The frequency, intensity and seasonal timing of fires have all been manipulated to achieve particular management goals across the landscape.

Many species and ecosystems rely on a particular fire regime to facilitate regeneration, reinvigorate habitats and maintain ecological integrity. Fire which is too frequent, too infrequent, at the wrong intensity or during the wrong season may cause some species and ecosystems to decline or disappear. For example, rainforest is very fire sensitive and the larger, more intense fires of the type characteristic of severe fire seasons can deplete the area of rainforest. Frequent, low intensity burning, such as is used for most fuel reduction burns, favours certain species such as Wire-grass, some wattle species and Bracken at the expense of others which are either fire sensitive or require longer periods between fires to reach reproductive age.

Sustained increases in water turbidity and sedimentation rates pose a significant threat to stream fauna, especially the large invertebrates upon which many higher-order predators, such as native fish, rely. Poorly maintained roads, bridges and culverts are an important source of much of the sediment input to streams in the Victorian Highlands. Prescriptions in the Code of Forest Practices and Forest Management Plans specify buffers for coupes and construction standards for roads, bridges and culverts designed to reduce the impact of logging and related infrastructure on water quality and related fauna (e.g. Spotted Tree Frog).

Soil disturbance which results from logging operations and their associated infrastructure has also facilitated the invasion of environmental weeds and spread of Phytophthora. Forest managers are increasingly aware of the need to address this risk when planning new infrastructure, and in ensuring that vehicles do not act as vectors for weeds and disease.

Water supply impoundments and their management can have a direct adverse impact on the instream movement, migration and downstream habitat suitability for aquatic flora and fauna. Water extractions from rivers and streams can also adversely affect the condition of aquatic habitats and ecosystems both within the Victorian Highlands and in adjoining, downstream bioregions. The impacts of instream barriers to migration and dispersal and alterations to stream flow regimes on aquatic ecosystems are likely to be substantial.

Much private land has been cleared, mainly for grazing. Clearing, as elsewhere in the state has focused on those areas and BVTs on the more fertile and accessible terrain. The small size of many of the retained patches of native vegetation on farmland or roadsides increases the potential impact of weeds, grazing by stock, roadworks and incremental clearing. As these are sometimes significant remnants of depleted vegetation types, protection and effective conservation management of these areas into the future is a major concern. Clearing of native vegetation on private land has been regulated by the Native Vegetation Retention Controls under the State Chapter of the Planning Schemes (Planning and Environment Act 1989).

Weed invasions threaten native ecosystems in many parts of the bioregion. Introduced predators, especially foxes, feral cats and wild dogs, are a major threat to a suite of small and medium size mammals and smaller birds. Foxes and cats are widespread and the inaccessibility of large parts of the bioregion make systematic large-scale control programs difficult and expensive. Introduced trout are a significant potential threat to native freshwater fish, invertebrates and frogs, due to increased predation.

Of the 146 known threatened species and undetermined number of threatened ecological communities in this suite of bioregions there are:

• 79 listed vertebrates and plants, of which 32 have Action Statements;
• five listed invertebrates, of which one has an Action Statement;
• four listed communities, of which none has an Action Statement.

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Management Responses
The Victorian Highlands areas are a major reservoir of biodiversity in Australia, with the bulk of the area remaining as public land directly managed by the Victorian Government as State forest or conservation reserves.

The highest priority for biodiversity conservation in the Victorian Highlands is to ensure that the relevant processes for planning, management, monitoring and review of public land use and land management have access to accurate and current information, and that they operate effectively to deliver ecologically sustainable forest management. These processes and instruments include the Regional Forest Agreements, Forest Management Plans and National Park Management Plans.

The information required by these processes includes the locations, habitat requirements and ecological sensitivities of rare or threatened species and communities; the distribution, abundance and optimal management regimes of common species and ecological vegetation classes; and the responses of species, communities and ecosystems to various forms of disturbance, both human-induced and natural. The identification of sites of biological significance is particularly important.

Information will also be made available to the relevant Catchment Management Authorities and local government to ensure that decisions made within these spheres, particularly those affecting the fragmented landscapes around the fringe of the Victorian Highlands, are as favourable to biodiversity conservation as practicable. In particular, native vegetation should be protected and enhanced wherever possible, especially along watercourses. The Catchment Management Authorities have recently prepared Regional Catchment Strategies and draft Regional Vegetation Plans.

Of the potentially threatening processes and challenges affecting biodiversity in the Victorian Highlands, those to address as a priority are: establishing ecologically appropriate fire regimes, weed invasion, altered flow regimes in rivers and streams, the loss of habitat elements such as tree-hollows and predation by introduced predators. These require co-ordinated efforts across the landscape irrespective of tenure.

Together with the state-wide key directions outlined earlier, land and water managers and planners in each bioregion should consider the following priorities.

Highlands - Northern Fall

• Complete and implement the North East and Central Highlands Forest Management Plans and Regional Forest Agreements.
• Implement management plans for national parks such as Kinglake, Mount Buffalo and Burrowa-Pine Mountain.
• Develop and implement ecological fire management regimes, especially for sensitive species and communities, such as heathlands, heathy woodlands and rainforests as part of integrated processes outlined in the Code of Practice for Fire Management.
• Develop and implement strategic weed and introduced predator management approaches, with special emphasis on protection of Broad Vegetation Types such as Valley Grassy Forest Complexes and threatened species such as Long-footed Potoroo.

Highlands - Southern Fall

• Complete and implement Gippsland and Central Highlands Regional Forest Agreements and Tambo and Central Highlands Forest Management Plans.
• Implement management plans for national parks such as Yarra Ranges, Dandenong Ranges and Mitchell River, and the Avon Wilderness Park.
• Develop and implement ecological fire management regimes, as part of integrated processes outlined in the Code of Practice for Fire Management.
• Develop and implement strategic weed and introduced predator management approaches, with special emphasis on protection of habitats such as Riparian Forest.
• Encourage private landholders to protect remnant vegetation on their land, using a range of incentives and programs such as the Land for Wildlife program, targeting strategic areas, depleted BVTs such as Swamp Scrub Complexes and Riparian Forest Complexes, and habitat for threatened species such as the Helmeted Honeyeater.

Otway Ranges

• Complete and implement the West Regional Forest Agreement and review the Otway Ranges Forest Management Plan.
• Prepare and/or implement management plans for Otway National Park, and Carlisle and Angahook-Lorne State parks.
• Develop and implement ecological fire management regimes, especially for heathlands and heathy woodlands as part of integrated processes outlined in the Code of Practice for Fire Management.
• Develop and implement strategic weed and introduced predator management approaches, with special emphasis on protection of habitats such as Riparian Forests and threatened species such as the Spot-tailed Quoll.