Gippsland Environment Group Inc
Lobbying against environmental threats on the unceded lands of the GunaiKurnai, Yaitmathang, Ngarigo and Bidwell Peoples
Community Rally at DELWP Bairnsdale for greater protection of biodiversity in planned burns
16 May 2018
On Wednesday 16th May a crowd of more than fifty people gathered outside the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) office at Bairnsdale to protest at DELWP’s failure to protect threatened species and ecosystems from the impact of planned burns.
The rally organised by Gippsland Environment Group (GEG) was also attended by various community environment groups and concerned individuals. People come from all over East Gippsland highlighting the widespread concern felt by locals over DELWP’s planned burn program. A phalanx of people and placards lined the highway outside the DELWP offices then proceeded peacefully to the main entrance.
Mr John Hermans, President of GEG, read out a letter detailing key concerns and a list of demands and handed it to Mr Chris Stephenson Assistant Chief Fire Officer Gippsland region. The letter has also been sent to the Minister forEnvironment and Climate Change Lily DÁmbrosio and Chief Fire Officer DELWP Darrin McKenzie.
In light of the severity of the ongoing dry season experienced by East Gippsland GEG requested that the Minister directs DELWP to halt any further planned burns in Gippsland and East Gippsland this autumn. In addition GEG requested that the State Government:
-
·implements mandatory, consistent state-wide protection for threatened species including the nationally endangered Greater Glider, from the impact of planned burns
-
undertakes a review of the environmental impact of DELWP’s hazardous trees program
-
increases funding for biodiversity surveying, and updating the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas database
-
increases numbers of biodiversity staff to conduct on-ground flora and fauna assessments pre and post-burn;
-
increases numbers of biodiversity staff to conduct on-ground flora and fauna assessments pre and post-burn; · and directs the EPA to install air quality monitors in Gippsland and East Gippsland east of the La Trobe valley.
“Australia has one of the worst extinction records on the planet,” said Mr John Hermans, President GEG. “Just last week another 40 species were added to Australia’s endangered list which now numbers almost 2000 species.”
“In Gippsland GEG’s citizen science surveys repeatedly find threatened species in areas scheduled for planned burns that DELWP were completely unaware of because they simply do not undertake any surveys. When species records are reported to local DELWP little to nothing is done to ensure species are protected’’
“In fact biodiversity protection across the state appears to be an ad hoc affair with mitigation measures for planned burns varying considerably between the regions. For instance we have recorded a number of the nationally endangered Greater Glider in Mt Alfred State Forest in planned burns. The population of the Greater Glider has crashed in recent decades and planned burns are one of the key causes. But DELWP Bairnsdale does not exclude Glider sites from burning even though in other areas of Victoria such as Wombat State Forest Midlands DELWP has avoided burning this year around known Glider records during the breeding season.”
“Similarly with the endangered Powerful Owl which in South Gippsland is completely protected from planned burns during their breeding season. However in the Gippsland forest region DELWP only excludes fire from a radius of 250m around a nest site. Powerful owls depend on 2-3,000ha of good quality i.e. unburnt habitat to hunt in when raising young. No food, no offspring!”
“We could provide many examples where burn plans have ignored significant flora and fauna values. At present DELWP’s planned burning program is contributing to the loss of endangered species and habitats right across Gippsland and East Gippsland,” continued Mr Hermans. “It’s time the State Government prioritised biodiversity protection before DELWP incinerates what’s left of biodiversity in the region.’’
