The broadacre farm and pastoral landscapes in Victoria are predominantly used to produce food and fibre for local and export markets. These landscapes are also the source of a wide range of natural resources such as water, minerals and construction materials. Rural communities service not only farming activities but also the wider demands of society for tourism, recreation, communication and energy services.

Early European settlers sought the most fertile soils, sited their farms and towns close to water resources and had an obvious preference for flat, open grasslands where cereals could be readily grown. As a consequence some ecosystems were almost totally converted to agricultural production and are not adequately protected in the reserve system. Up to 70 per cent of the State’s wetland environments are in the rural landscape and in many cases are depleted. The stream and river environments are characteristically more degraded than those flowing through extensive areas of native vegetation. Biodiversity assets in this environment persist as remnants of the original vegetation types and vary in both condition and extent.

The key management approaches in rural landscapes are:

• to integrate catchment management into the planning framework to achieve sustainable development of natural resource-based industries and the conservation of biodiversity;
• to protect environmental values as part of the reform of water management and the development of bulk water entitlements;
• to maintain and enhance the viable remnants of native vegetation and habitats through a combination of public land reserve management, planning processes and cooperative agreements on private land in the context of Regional Vegetation Plans;
• to ensure that public agencies managing land or water incorporate biodiversity goals in their work programs, and ensure that they have the necessary skills and access to tools to achieve continuing improvements in their performance;
• to support the participation of rural landholders and communities in conserving biodiversity through initiatives such as Landcare and Land for Wildlife.

The rural landscape is predominantly agricultural but is categorised by a multitude of management regimes, both public and private. There are many thousands of licensed occupations. Further, Vicroads, Public Transport Corporation, local government and Cemetery Trusts and many other public authorities have responsibility for areas that contain important biodiversity assets. For example there are over 330 sites of botanical significance on rail reserves, over 60 cemeteries have significant biodiversity assets and 45% of the remaining western plains grassland sites occur on roadsides. This pattern of occupancy contrasts with the broad areas of natural environments, where the essential two management regimes focus on timber production, conservation, catchment protection, recreation and tourism.

Catchment Management Authorities (CMA) have been established recently to provide a focus for the development, management and conservation of land and water resources in each of the nine Regions. Together with the Port Phillip Catchment and Land Protection Board, each CMA has produced a Catchment Management Strategy. The purpose of the strategies is to coordinate sustainable land and water management and biodiversity conservation is a central objective. The Catchment Management Authorities are cooperating closely with Victoria’s 78 local councils to ensure the proper planning and management of activities in catchments.

Water is a critical component in the conservation of biodiversity in this landscape. The quantity, quality and seasonal flow of water all contribute to the health of the aquatic environments. Modification to the natural water regimes has affected the in-stream biota (e.g. fish), wetlands and associated flora and fauna, and forest types of the flood plains. Adequate environmental flows are crucial for biodiversity in the rural environment.

The rural landscape offers exciting possibilities for enhanced protection, rehabilitation and restoration of biodiversity consistent with sustainable productive use. The Government recognises the immense challenges that rural landholders face in contributing to the conservation of biodiversity. Addressing these challenges, such as the long term decline of trees in the landscape and the widespread impacts of rising groundwater, within an environment where pressure is placed on landholders to increase agricultural outputs, needs an integrated and cooperative approach.

Government is working in partnership with rural landholders towards a higher level of protection of biodiversity values. The development and implementation of Regional Vegetation Plans, produced under CMAs, will be an important component in achieving sustainable production and conserving biodiversity. They will be supported by scientifically based advice and will provide a regional focus for protecting, enhancing and restoring native vegetation.

Rural communities increasingly recognise that remnant native vegetation makes a significant contribution to the overall health of their living environment by improving soil stability, water quality, and the productivity of farm enterprises while protecting native flora and wildlife. Restoring and repairing natural ecological processes is perceived as a major aim of management. This perception is reflected in a recently completed study of vegetation changes between 1990 and 1993. The annual rate of clearing dropped to about 1500 ha per year compared to 9407 ha a year in 1987–1990 and 10 766 a year between 1972 and 1987 (Victorian Catchment and Land Protection Council Annual Report 1995/96, pp. 15 & 16).

While remnant landscapes contain some of the most vulnerable biological resources, the protection and enhancement of those resources is not straightforward. Management options used in the extensive areas of native vegetation may not be effective in these landscapes. In many rural areas mature trees are not being replaced by regeneration, leading to a decline in hollow availability for a suite of dependent bird and mammal species. Components of the more natural environment, such as native predators, have disappeared and it is now necessary for land managers to intervene to control some populations of native species. It is only when total grazing pressure is managed that species of some plants will regenerate. On public land, grazing of native vegetation needs to be linked to defined management outcomes which reflect the ecological processes and biodiversity values.

Remnant vegetation is fragmented in the rural landscape. Government agencies, private landholders and local groups are already working on revegetation projects to reconnect previously isolated vegetated areas, such as at Black Range, Dundas, Goulburn River and in the Mallee. Reconnection of vegetation (biolinks) presents a high potential value for enhancing the habitat for the long-term survival of flora and fauna. Restoration and revegetation is a major challenge with potential benefits to biodiversity, water quality and the amelioration of land degradation and salination.

Grasslands, grassy woodlands and shallow freshwater marshes are examples of ecological communities that are now highly restricted in extent and are heavily dependent on private landholders for their continued existence. Private landholders are being encouraged to restore these native plant communities and where possible to connect them to adjacent areas of public land. These often tiny remnants contain the only regional habitat of some flora and fauna species.The Plains Wanderer is now only found on a few sites in what were once extensive grassy plains across northern Victoria, and most of these are on private land.

The Good Neighbour Initiative encourages cooperative management of common issues between government authorities and adjacent landholders. The Land for Wildlife Scheme is an indication that landholders feel increasing custodianship for conserving biodiversity.

This is a voluntary scheme to which over 4000 landholders, who manage over 110 000 ha of vegetative and wetland habitats, have committed part of their properties for conservation.

Similarly, the Landcare movement has increasingly incorporated the enhancement of biodiversity into its core goals. The focus on Property Management Planning through the Victorian Farm$mart program also provides an opportunity to build on the economic benefits of biodiversity conservation.

Public authorities and larger commercial companies are using business planning to incorporate ecologically sustainable development goals and biodiversity conservation measures into their management processes. Public Authority Management Agreements are suitable mechanisms through which these bodies can advance biodiversity conservation. Industry has increasingly adopted quality systems, including those that demonstrate positive performance in environmental management such as International Standard ISO 14001. Training and accrediting staff in environmental and habitat management will lead to better and more efficient outcomes.

The Commonwealth owns numerous parcels of land in Victoria and uses them for a variety of purposes including military installations. A number of these areas are of high conservation value, either because of their location as enclaves within reserves or because their use has excluded or minimised human entry and development pressure. The Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 provides for the protection of endangered and vulnerable species on Commonwealth land and water and for Commonwealth agencies to conduct their activities so as not to further threaten these species and communities.

Biodiversity outcomes will be enhanced through good strategic direction, coordination and planning. The community will play a critical role and will take a major part in the achievement of on-ground outcomes.

Key Directions

• Build on cooperation between CMAs and local councils to ensure that biodiversity values are protected in rural landscapes.
• Develop and implement Catchment Management Strategies and Regional Vegetation Plans to provide for sustainable utilisation of natural resources while enhancing biodiversity values across the landscape.
• Promote the use of Land Management Co-operative Agreements, Public Authority Management Agreements, codes of practice, guidelines, Environmental Management Systems (e.g. ISO 14001), and reporting on biodiversity in annual report and audits.
• Support landowners through schemes such as Landcare, property management planning, and Land for Wildlife to enhance the practical management of biodiversity, and target assistance to depleted or otherwise significant habitats.
• Develop an off-reserve system within the rural landscape incorporating Public Authority Management Agreements, Trust for Nature, Land for Wildlife and other cooperative, mutually beneficial mechanisms.
• Ensure biodiversity diversity data and advice are available and accessible to all planning processes, landholders, industry and the community for achieving ecologically sustainable development.
• Maintain a partnership model for integrated pest plant and environment management as embodied in the Good Neighbour Initiative.
• Continue to recognise significant contributions to biodiversity conservation through State and National Landcare awards.