1. Outdoor and Environmental Studies UNIT 4 TAYLORS LAKES SECONDARY COLLEGE OUTCOME 2 REVISION 2014

2. Key Knowledge ▪ Management strategies and policies for achieving and maintaining healthy and sustainable outdoor environments that may be adopted by public and private land managers, including at least one from the following: – Trust for Nature (Victoria) – Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2020 (Australia) – Victoria’s Native Vegetation Management: A framework for action (Victoria)

3. Private land management

4. Trust For Nature Our vision Within two decades, protecting native plants and wildlife on private land will be recognised and valued as a central part of mainstream Australian environmental practice. There will be a shared expectation and responsibility among communities, landowners and governments that significant natural areas on privately owned land should be conserved, just as national and state parks are protected.

5. What are we? ▪ Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit organisation that works to protect native plants and wildlife in cooperation with private landowners. ▪ The Trust was established under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 to enable people to contribute permanently to nature conservation by donating land or money. ▪ We have since evolved into one of Victoria’s primary land conservation organisations, with several tools to help people protect biodiversity on private land.

6. Ned’s corner property

8. Covenants ▪ In 1978 Trust for Nature was given the powers to enter into legal agreements with private landowners called conservation covenants to protect native plants and wildlife on their land. ▪ These covenants remain in place even when the land changes hands. ▪ So far, more than 47,000 hectares of private land is protected across Victoria through more than 1115 conservation covenants (as at January 2012).

9. Revolving Funds ▪ The Revolving Fund is tool that uses the real estate market to achieve conservation outcomes. ▪ We use funds from bequests, donations and government to buy land that supports threatened habitats. ▪ We then place a conservation covenant over the properties and sell them on to people interested in conservation. ▪ The proceeds of each sale go back into the Revolving Fund for future property purchases.

10. Question ▪ Evaluate the effectiveness of a private land strategy or policy in maintaining the health of an outdoor environment you have visited or studied. Trust for Nature (TFN) has a positive influence on private land management through paying to protect and support the conservation of private properties, including the purchase of Ned’s Corner in far North West Victoria. Unfortunately organisations such as TFN, Landcare and Land for Wildlife are independent and rarely communicate, including in the management of Ned’s corner, greatly decreasing their ability to effectively conserve land in Victoria. Overall TFN has been highly effective in maintaining the health of outdoor environments such as Ned’s corner, as well as the protection of over 47,000 hectares across Victoria.

11. Strategies for the management of public land in Victoria Overview… Maintain and modify tracks and signs Carry out surveys of heavily visited sites and damaged areas Provide guided walks and events, give talks and educational activities for schools and the public Respond to requests for information and advice from students, visitors, the media and tourism industry Assist emergency services with local knowledge and expertise

12. Strategies for the management of public land in Victoria Create and maintain conservation reserves Develop wildlife corridors between pockets of remnant vegetation Reintroduction of species into areas where they used to occur Regulate behaviour and restrict access, duration, equipment etc. Manage fire regimes Control introduced species Things to do/know for the exam: Be able to describe and evaluate management strategies and practices that you’ve seen used in environments you’ve visited What are they? How are they used? Are they effective or not?

13. Key Knowledge ▪ At least two acts or conventions related to the management and sustainability of outdoor environments, – Including at least one from the following: ▪ Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Vic) ▪ Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) ▪ Ramsar Convention (international treaty, 1971)

14. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (Victoria) ▪ The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) is the key piece of Victorian legislation for the conservation of threatened species and communities and for the management of potentially threatening processes.

15. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (Victoria) There are three main components or lists that are critical to the success of the Act. ▪ The Threatened List contains plants and animals that are threatened, for example, the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and Spotted Tailed Quoll. ▪ The Excluded List contains native plants and animals that are not to be protected because they are a serious threat to the survival of humans. The only item on this list is "human disease organisms". ▪ The Processes List contains potentially threatening processes, such as the toxic substances into Victorian rivers and streams, the decline of plant life along rivers, and the infection of amphibians (frogs, toads, newts, salamanders) with Chytrid Fungus.

16. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (Victoria) ▪ Anyone can nominate a plant or animal for listing on the Threatened List or the Processes List. Plants or animals that are eligible to be listed are either threatened or likely to become threatened, possibly resulting in extinction. ▪ An independent Scientific Advisory Committee, made up of seven scientists, considers all nominations. If the nomination meets the Flora and Fauna Guarantee listing criteria, the committee prepares an initial recommendation for public comment. ▪ After a minimum of 30 days, the committee reconsiders the recommendation in the light of any further evidence and public comment presented. ▪ Finally, the committee makes a recommendation to the Minister for Environment, who can then add or remove a listing by regulation. ▪ Since the introduction of the act, more than 300 Victorian plant and animal species have been listed as endangered.

18. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (Victoria) What happens after a plant or animal is listed? ▪ The Department of Sustainability and Environment prepares an action statement for each plant or animal as soon as possible after it is listed. Action statements are like brief management plans. They provide information and outline what actions are required to protect the species.

22. Negatives of the FFG act ▪ Not strictly enforced.. Very few cases of penalties being given out under this act ▪ Victorian only ▪ Lack of political will for the implementation of the FFG Act. ▪ Lack of funding and resources to allow the effective implementation of the Act. ▪ Objectives of the FFG Act being overridden by objectives and interests of bodies with conflicting agendas, such as the forestry industry

23. Question ▪ Describe an act or convention and identify how it reduces environmental impacts in a environment you have visited of studied.. The Flora and Fauna Guarantee act 1988 (VIC) (FFG act) aims to conserve species and genetic biodiversity of native flora and fauna in the wild along with ensuring that the use of flora and fauna by humans is sustainable. Significant fines can be given for violating this Act although this has rarely been enacted. The FFG act has included the Superb Parrot under its list of vulnerable species since 1991 enabling the species to be effectively protected across Victoria and within its native habitat of Barmah NP.

24. Ramsar Convention ▪ International Treaty on the protection of wetlands around the world. ▪ Three Pillars of the convention- – Wise Use – Ramsar List- includes more than 1900 wetlands called Ramsar Sites. – International Consultation in regards to matters concerning wetlands around the globe.

25. Barmah Forest Ramsar site ▪ The Barmah Forest Ramsar Site was listed in 1982. ▪ The Ramsar site is 225 kilometres directly north of Melbourne, on the Victorian floodplain of the Murray River between Tocumwal and Echuca.

27. Barmah Forest Ramsar site The Barmah Forest: ▪ is the largest River Red Gum forest in Victoria ▪ consists of a system of permanent and temporary wetlands that depend on regular river flooding ▪ is an important drought refuge and feeding and breeding area for waterbirds ▪ supports a large diversity of native plants and animals including the nationally vulnerable Superb Parrot and the largest area of Moira Grass plains in Victoria ▪ These include the Australasian bittern, superb parrot, Mueller daisy, swamp wallaby grass, silver perch, Murray cod and trout cod. ▪ Land in the Ramsar site is reserved in the Barmah National Park along with the River Murray Reserve and is managed by Parks Victoria.

28. Question Describe an act or convention and identify how it reduces environmental impacts in a environment you have visited of studied....As a class

29. Key Knowledge ▪ Actions undertaken to sustain healthy outdoor environments, including at least two of the following: – green building design – integrated farming – urban planning – renewable energy – Landcare.

30. Green Building Design ▪ Green Building design refers to how dwellings or commercial buildings are designed to be more environmentally responsible. Healthy outdoor environments are a consequence of green building in that resources, disturbance and ongoing demands should be minimised.

31. Green Building Design Continued… ▪ There are five main principles to this environmental responsibility. – Sustainable site for the building. – Minimising energy consumption through intelligent use of five simple passive design principles. – Minimising resource consumption through intelligent design and practices. – Maintaining and minimising water conservation and quality. – Developing a healthy indoor environment. ▪ Real world example.. – 60L Building Carlton

32. Renewable Energy ▪ Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural resources such as wind (wind farms), sunlight (solar panels), rain (hydroelectricity), tidal/wave and geothermal heat. So in other words it is energy that is naturally replenished and energy that can be accessed on a ‘day to day’ basis depending on the season which makes it more sustainable. ▪ Unlike fossil fuels which are not renewable and add to the effects of climate change.

33. Renewable Energy ▪ Renewable energy was a very high priority on the Australian government’s list as it plays a strong role in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions which helps us meet our Kyoto target (and beyond), thus improving the state of our highly valued outdoor environments. ▪ Only 8% of Australia’s electricity is generated from renewable energy or ‘green power’ which means 92% of our electricity used is generated from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. ▪ This means Australia as a country is a huge contributor to the amount of greenhouse gas being released into the already fragile environment.

34. Renewable Energy ▪ Advantages of renewable energy: – Renewable = sustainable – Facilities generally require less maintenance = reduces cost and energy of operation – Very little waste products such as carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants – Economic benefits to rural and regional settings – Increased employment in rural and regional settings

35. Renewable Energy ▪ Disadvantages – Reliability of Supply limited technology for harnessing battery life and seasons of weather – Difficult to produce large quantities of power

36. Landcare ▪ ‘Landcare’ is an organisation that is made up of several community groups within Australia. The sole goal of these community groups is to sustain and improve the state our natural environments/resources for future generations. ▪ Landcare understands the importance of the state our natural environments are in so they do all that they can to preserve this. There are more than 4000 Landcare groups and 2000 Coastcare groups’ across the country, these groups are made of volunteers and employers. Landcare was formed by the Commonwealth government in 1990 as a non-profit organisation and is still managed by the government today.

37. Landcare ▪ Landcare was introduced as the government become aware that environmental protection was very important for sustainability and there needed to be something done to create awareness and support for maintaining the health of Australia’s environment as most individuals value what it has to offer. ▪ Landcare groups participate in a number of projects which improve and manage the effects of erosion and salinity levels within our farmlands, improve the quality of our waterways, improve our fragile coastlines through vegetation projects and pest control, restore our wildlife habitats and they also improve our urban environment through clean up days and park management.

38. Question ▪ Describe an action undertaken to sustain outdoor environments and evaluate its involvement in improving the health of an environment you have visited or studied. Renewable energy is the creation of energy through a method that is sustainable and does not rely on finite resources. The use of Renewable energy such as solar energy on houses along Taylor’s Creek is becoming progressively more popular as it provides a reliable energy source with no pollution once the solar panels are manufactured. The negative aspect of solar energy is that it has a large cost for the initial production and set up. The positive of solar energy is that less greenhouse gas emissions are being released into the atmosphere around Taylors lakes and beyond, as fossil fuels are not being burnt in the energy production process. Overall, solar energy is an effective action to maintain the environments around Taylors Lakes as the sun is, by and large, an infinite resource.