Environmental Planning Atlas - City of Hume · This is a zone, where strategic planning must strike a balance between a multitude of competing interests and priorities. In this context,

Environmental Planning Atlas

September 2004Victoria

Agriculture Victoria ServicesHume City Council

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ENVIR ON MENTAL PLANNING ATLAS HUME CITY CO UN C I L

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HUME CITY COUNCIL

ENVIRONMENTAL

PLANNING

ATLAS

September 2004


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Hume Environmental Planning Atlas has been developed under contract by Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd (AVS) for the Hume City Council. The valuable input of many different groups and individuals into the project is much appreciated. Special thanks are to extended Bill Hansen, DSE; Graham Hawk, Southern Rural Water; Brad Roberts, PPWCMA; Heather Bannerman, PPWCMA, Adam Kay, DPI; and to Hume City Council officers, Michael Sharp and Matt Ruchel.

© Hume City Council, 2004

Disclaimer: This is a report of work carried out by Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd (ACN 006 598 198) of Mickleham Road, Attwood, Victoria, (“AVS”) under contract and on behalf of the client identified above (“Client”). The Representations, statements, opinions and advices, expressed or implied in this report (“Content”) are for the benefit of the Client only and are not endorsed by the Government of Victoria. This report is a commercial document. Neither it nor its Contents are Government policy, nor does the report or its Contents purport to be reflective of Government policy. The Content is produced in good faith but on the basis that the Client and AVS (and any person or entity represented by or acting through AVS), and their respective agents and employees are not liable (whether by reason of negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any or all of the Content.


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Hume City Council occupies a strategic position in Metropolitan Melbourne owing to its unique community, industry and natural environment. The region lies at an important meeting point between the expanding urban areas of Melbourne and the surrounding, natural and rural areas. This is a zone, where strategic planning must strike a balance between a multitude of competing interests and priorities. In this context, the Environmental Planning Atlas provides a foundation for strategic, long term planning, and provides key spatial data as the basis for the assessment of land use and development in the area. This Atlas provides the most up to date information on the distribution of environmental resources in Hume and specifically, provides mapped information about the areas biodiversity, water resources, landform and soils. A key aspect of the Atlas and its approach is the philosophy of "sustainable development", or "sustainability", and its underpinning principles. To achieve sustainable development, it is essential to incorporate ecological thinking into decision-making processes. Among an endless list of benefits, this Atlas will provide invaluable environmental input into the development of the Council's Growth Area Plan and the Green Wedge Management and Implementation Plan. Chapter 1 of this Atlas presents an outline of how the Atlas fits into the Hume planning framework and, in particular, underpins the Sustainable Growth Plan. The chapter outlines the key principles that lay behind the Atlas, and places those key principles in their international, national, regional and local policy context. Chapter 2 provides a snapshot of Hume City Council, its regional setting, a description of current land use and its cultural context. The region is presented as a dynamic area where a growing population is accommodated within a largely rural setting. This setting contains sites of historical and cultural importance and includes sites of significance to the areas Indigenous heritage. Chapter 3 is an important chapter in the Atlas, providing the most up to date information on the distribution of the areas biological resources. The chapter begins by defining the key concepts that underpin the role of biodiversity and outlines the importance of biodiversity from the perspectives of ecosystem processes, ethics, aesthetics, culture, and economics. Key maps are presented showing how the area fits into the regional management of biological resources as Bioregions and Landscape zones. Important biological assets are mapped, and are presented as Ecological Vegetation Classes showing the distribution of current vegetation, predicted historical vegetation and the conservation significance of the present remnant vegetation. The challenges involved in mapping rare and threatened species are discussed and the distribution of pest plants and animals is dealt with in detail. Chapter 4 discusses in detail the role of water in the landscape of the region, discussing catchment management, water supply, water availability, water quality and groundwater issues. Water is presented as an important issue in the region, not confined to the stream itself, but as an active component of the wider landscape. Chapter 5 presents a detailed description of the physical landscape. The chapter begins by telling the story of the geological history of the area and then discusses its key geological features. The available geological data is mapped, as well as sites of geological and geomorphological scientific significance. Maps are then presented showing the unique topography of the region and the distribution of slopes, including the steeper slopes that are critical to the development of soil


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erosion. Chapter 5 also contains a detailed analysis of agricultural soils. The analysis reports on an investigation of activities included collation and examination of previous studies, aerial photography, radiometry and field work conducted to verify the desktop study. Importantly, the soil analysis discusses the agricultural potential of soils in the region, concluding that future work would be wisely expended on investigating the agricultural potential of those valuable soils developed from alluvial sediments and the rich soils on the slopes of volcanoes. The picture formed by these chapters is of a unique natural environment, altered by generations of agricultural development. This Atlas comes at a decisive time in the history of this region, as the encroachment of urban development is increasingly, coming into conflict with the natural and agricultural values of the regional landscape. The Atlas represents the most up to date information on the distribution of environmental resources within the region and will provide an invaluable input into planning for the future.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................................II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................III TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF MAPS ...............................................................................................................................................VII

SCOPE, PROCESS AND STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 SCOPE AND BASIS OF THE ATLAS................................................................................................ 1 1.2 INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, STATE, AND REGIONAL POLICY CONTEXT ......................................... 6 1.3 LOCAL POLICY CONTEXT .......................................................................................................... 13

LAND USE AND CULTURAL CONTEXT......................................................................................................... 16 2.1 A SNAPSHOT OF THE HUME CITY COUNCIL................................................................................. 16 2.2 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 CULTURAL CONTEXT................................................................................................................ 23

REGIONAL BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.1 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ............................................................................................................ 28 3.2 VICTORIAN BIOREGIONS........................................................................................................... 30 3.3 PRE-COLONISATION NATIVE VEGETATION.................................................................................. 35 3.4 BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION SIGINIFICANCE.............................................................................. 41 3.5 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE ........................................................................................ 45 3.6 RARE AND THREATENED FLORA AND FAUNA.............................................................................. 47 3.7 PEST PLANTS AND ANIMALS ..................................................................................................... 50

WATER ............................................................................................................................................................. 63 4.1 WATERWAYS........................................................................................................................... 63 4.2 GROUNDWATER ...................................................................................................................... 78

LANDFORMS ................................................................................................................................................... 85 5.1 REGIONAL GEOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 85 5.2 GEOMORPHOLOGICAL OR GEOLOGICAL SITES ........................................................................... 88 5.3 TOPOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 90 5.4 SOIL ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 94

REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................ 113 REFERENCES CITED IN REPORT ..................................................................................................................... 113 RELEVANT LEGISLATION................................................................................................................................ 116

APPENDIX ONE ............................................................................................................................................. 117 A1 ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASSES DESCRIPTION .................................................................. 117 A2 RARE OR THREATENED FAUNA AND FLORA.............................................................................. 120 A3 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE ...................................................................................... 133 A4 PEST PLANTS ........................................................................................................................ 134 A5 GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE........................................................................ 136


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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1.1 RELATIONSHIP OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING ATLAS TO EXISTING COUNCIL POLICY.................. 2 FIGURE 1.2 HUME SUSTAINABLE GROWTH PLAN.......................................................................................... 3 FIGURE 1.3 DECISION-MAKING FIELDS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT....................................................... 5 FIGURE 1.4 POLICY CONTEXT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ...................... 7 FIGURE 1.5 HUME STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN 1................................................................................... 14 FIGURE 1.6 HUME STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN 2................................................................................... 15 FIGURE 5.1 ROCKY PADDOCK AT WILDWOOD........................................................................................... 102 FIGURE 5.2 A CUTTING AT THE SUNBURY LANDFILL AND WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE ............................... 103 FIGURE 5.3 FITZGERALD HILL, SUNBURY ................................................................................................. 104

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 3.1 CLASSIFICATION OF EVC CONSERVATION STATUS................................................................... 41 TABLE 3.2 CONSERVATION STATUS OF EVC IN HUME............................................................................... 44 TABLE 3.3 PRIORITY WEEDS IN HUME LGA.............................................................................................. 50 TABLE 4.1 SUMMARY OF CURRENT WATER ALLOCATION IN THE YARRA, WERRIBEE AND MARIBYRNONG

CATCHMENTS.......................................................................................................................... 73 TABLE 4.2 BENEFICIAL USES OF WATER PROTECTED IN VICTORIA.............................................................. 74 TABLE 5.1 GEOLOGICAL TIME SCALE ....................................................................................................... 85 TABLE 5.2 DESCRIPTIONS OF GEOLOGY IN HUME ..................................................................................... 86 TABLE 5.3 LANDSYSTEMS IN HUME FROM JEFFERY (1981) ....................................................................... 94 TABLE 5.4 SOIL TYPES IN HUME FROM WHITE AND KELYNACK (1985)........................................................ 97 TABLE A1 ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASS (EVC) DESCRIPTION.......................................................... 117 TABLE A2 AUSTRALIAN RARE OR THREATENED SPECIES IN HUME (AROTS) .......................................... 120 TABLE A3 VICTORIAN RARE OR THREATENED SPECIES IN HUME (VROTS)............................................. 122 TABLE A4 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE ..................................................................................... 133 TABLE A5 DECLARED NOXIOUS WEEDS................................................................................................. 134 TABLE A6 GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE ...................................................................... 136


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LIST OF MAPS

MAP 1.1 GREEN WEDGE AND URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY.................................................................... 12 MAP 2.1 HUME CITY COUNCIL .............................................................................................................. 17 MAP 2.2 LAND USE IN HUME................................................................................................................. 22 MAP 2.3 CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES .................................................................................................... 26 MAP 2.4 ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES ................................................................................. 27 MAP 3.1 VICTORIAN BIOREGIONS.......................................................................................................... 33 MAP 3.2 LANDSCAPE PLANNING ZONES ................................................................................................ 34 MAP 3.3 PRE-COLONISATION ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASSES......................................................... 36 MAP 3.4 CURRENT ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASSES ........................................................................ 38 MAP 3.5 EVC DATA COLLECTED BY HUME ............................................................................................ 39 MAP 3.6 CURRENT EVCS WITH PROTECTION OVERLAYS ....................................................................... 40 MAP 3.7 ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASSES: CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE........................................ 43 MAP 3.8 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................................................... 46 MAP 3.9 VICTORIAN RARE OR THREATENED FLORA SPECIES – POST 1986 ............................................ 48 MAP 3.10 FAUNA OBSERVATIONS FROM HUME DATA............................................................................... 49 MAP 3.11 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 54 MAP 3.12 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 55 MAP 3.13 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 56 MAP 3.14 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 57 MAP 3.15 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 58 MAP 3.16 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 59 MAP 3.17 APPLICATIONS FOR WEED REBATE .......................................................................................... 60 MAP 3.18 RABBIT CONTROL AREAS ........................................................................................................ 62 MAP 4.1 SURROUNDING CATCHMENTS.................................................................................................. 65 MAP 4.2 SURROUNDING CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES ........................................................ 69 MAP 4.3 MAJOR WATERWAYS AND DRAINAGE. ...................................................................................... 70 MAP 4.4 ACTIVE WATER QUALITY MONITORING SITES. .......................................................................... 75 MAP 4.5 INDEX OF STREAM CONDITION................................................................................................. 77 MAP 4.6 GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT UNITS ..................................................................................... 79 MAP 4.7 BORE LOCATIONS AND DEPTH ................................................................................................. 81 MAP 4.8 ACTIVELY MONITORED BORES: LOCATIONS AND DEPTH ........................................................... 82 MAP 4.9 DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER ...................................................................................................... 83 MAP 4.10 RISK OF SALINITY – BASED ON DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER ....................................................... 84 MAP 5.1 GEOLOGY OF HUME ................................................................................................................ 87 MAP 5.2 SITES OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE............................................. 89 MAP 5.3 SHADED RELIEF DEVELOPED FROM THE 25M DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL (SCALE OF TOPOGRAPHY

IS EXAGGERATED). .................................................................................................................. 91 MAP 5.4 SLOPE ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................... 92 MAP 5.5 CRITICAL SLOPES ................................................................................................................... 93 MAP 5.6 LAND SYSTEMS IN HUME FROM JEFFERY (1981) ...................................................................... 96 MAP 5.7 SOIL TYPES IN HUME REPORT BY WHITE AND KELYNACK (1985) ............................................... 99 MAP 5.8 OBSERVATION POINTS AND SOIL SAMPLING SITES IN HUME .................................................... 100 MAP 5.9 GENERALIZED INDICATION OF THE LOCATION OF SOILS IN HUME.............................................. 110


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SCOPE, PROCESS AND STRUCTURE 1.1 SCOPE AND BASIS OF THE ATLAS

Project Context

The current State Government metropolitan strategy, Melbourne 2030, (see below) confirmed the designation of Hume as a "growth area" and reiterated the commitment to the retention of the non-urban wedge between Broadmeadows and Sunbury. Within this context, the Hume City Council (hereafter “Hume”) decided to prepare a "Sustainable Growth Management Plan" for its jurisdiction. It also decided to formulate the plan in stages as shown in Figure 1.1. This study is the first stage of work described in that figure under Stage 1 - Environmental Planning Atlas. See Figure 1.1. Rural land occupies approximately 72 per cent of the municipality. In particular, extensive rural areas to the north and west of the Merri Growth Corridor and Melbourne Airport, and around Sunbury, define the character of Hume's towns and suburbs, providing open space and a sense of spaciousness, and providing a home to valuable environmental assets. A portion of this land is used for rural living or hobby farm purposes; however, the majority is generally used for some form of agricultural activity, predominantly for sheep and cattle grazing and cereal cropping. The proximity to Melbourne and expectations of development potential has, in the past, limited investment in agriculture across the peri-urban areas of Metropolitan Melbourne. Ecologically sustainable management of our landscape demands that planning decisions are made using the most up to date evidence of the scope and quality of our environmental resources. It is with this background that the Environmental Planning Atlas provides the most up to date information on the distribution of environmental resources in Hume. Specifically, the Atlas provides mapped information about biodiversity, water resources, landform and soils. The accompanying text, then, discusses the important issues in Hume and places them in the regional context. The objective for the Atlas is that it will provide Council with specific information that can, directly, feed into all policy areas that require environmental information. In particular, this information can serve as fundamental input into the Municipal Strategic Statement, and provide valuable input into other policies and strategies, including the Hume Sustainability Framework and the State of Environment report (see Figure 1.1).


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Figure 1.1 Relationship of Environmental Planning Atlas to Existing Council Policy

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Project Principles - Sustainable Development

A key aspect of the Atlas and its approach is the underlying philosophy of "sustainable development", or "sustainability", and its underpinning principles. The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), or the “Brundtland Commission” (named after its chairperson) defined the concept as follows; “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable – to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED 1987), p. 8). Similarly, Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is defined in the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, adopted by the Australian Governments, as follows; “Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased” (COAQ 1992). This definition is the one adopted in this study. The principles underpinning the concept of ESD provide guidance about the way it can be made operational. However, what constitutes the core principles is subject to some debate. For the purpose of this study, the relevant sustainability principles are the following; Maintenance of biological diversity (or biodiversity) - maintenance of the variety of all life forms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems of which they form a part. Conservation and use of natural resources - conservation of non-renewable resources and use of renewable resources according to their rate of replenishment. Intra- and inter-generational equity - ensuring that each generation passes on its inheritance to the next, so protecting its inherited capital in perpetuity for the enjoyment of all future generations. Enhancement of socio-cultural and economic wellbeing - improved quality of life and economic prosperity which does not compromise the other principles. Social integrity - community involvement and participation - ensuring the resilience and continuity of social and cultural systems. Precautionary measures - taking a precautionary approach to decisions that affect the environment and natural resources, which means dealing with risks and irreversibility. This was adopted as Principle 15 of the “Declaration of Rio de Janeiro on Environment and Development” in 1992: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by states according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.” (UN 1992) It follows from the above that to achieve sustainable development, it is essential to incorporate ecological thinking into decision-making processes. In Australia, however, much current decision making is still based on the implicit premise that the prime consideration is economic and that environmental problems can always be solved if the economy is sound. (SEAC 1996), p. 10-12). The Environmental Sustainability Framework (2002) contains a number of principles and these are used to guide the operations of Hume. The principles that the council follows are based on the


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general principles presented above and include: equity within and between generations, commitment to continuous improvement, ecological integrity, community involvement, integration, economic policies and incentives, solutions orientation, focus on long term outcomes and the precautionary principle. The only basis for sensible long-term decisions is the approach shown in Figure 1.3. At the broad level of aggregation chosen here this gives explicit recognition to four dimensions (or sub-processes) of development taking place in corresponding fields or domains. It indicates that development must be analysed simultaneously in socio-cultural, economic, ecological, and organisational or politico-administrative fields. It recognises that the economy is a sub-set of overall sustainable development since many important aspects of society or nature do not involve economic activity. Similarly, human activity is constrained by the natural ecology of our planet.

Figure 1.3 Decision-making fields for sustainable development

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The organisational (or politico-administrative or institutional) field is, by its nature, different to the others; nonetheless, the view that sustainable organisations/institutions are crucial for the realisation of ESD is supported by initial evidence from development studies in developing countries (Brinkerhoff. D and Goldsmith. A 1990) and more recently by studies in developed countries (Hall. P 2000); (Dimitrou. H & Thompson. R 2001); (OECD 2002). Everything that happens in one of the fields inevitably affects the others and causes changes in them. Thus, transformations in the various fields can be produced either directly, by changes within a given field, or indirectly, by changes occurring in the other fields and causing repercussions in the first one. Further, these decision-making fields (encapsulated in the diagram of Figure 1.3) suggest the need for a holistic approach to reconcile (not to trade-off) socio-cultural, economic, and environmental values and principles for the long-term good of the environment and the present and future members of the community. In this approach, it is not merely the end objective that drives the decision-making, but the key principles which we agree to that shape the direction in which we head and the outcomes to be attained.


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1.2 INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, STATE, AND REGIONAL POLICY CONTEXT

International and National Policy Context

Many Treaties and Bilateral Agreements relate to the environment, conservation and heritage and, hence, they are relevant to the preparation of the strategy for Hume. The extensive list is presented in Appendix 1 to the Australia - State of the Environment Report (SEAC 1996). The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (COAQ 1992) and The National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity are particularly significant because they tie the actions of the Commonwealth and State Governments to pursue Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) and identify, conserve and manage Australia's biodiversity (COAQ 1992).

State and Regional Policy Context

At State Government level, the main policy documents can be divided into Acts, Policy Statements and Strategies. Important legislation for the planning and management of natural resources and the environment includes the Catchment and Land Protection Act (CaLP Act; 1994, the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988), the Planning and Environment Act (1987), and several acts related to agriculture, fisheries and minerals. The relevant Acts, policy statements and strategies fall within the areas of natural resource management, environment, and planning - portfolios of the newly established Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Department of Primary Industries (DPI). The new Department of Infrastructure is responsible for transport, ports and airports. Another important area of State Government activity, related to regional and local development, falls within the portfolio of the new Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD). Figure 1.4 acknowledges the various levels of governance that influence the policy context for environmental and Natural Resource Management.

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Natural Resources and Environment Framework Relevant State Government strategies and recent initiatives in the areas of biodiversity greenhouse emissions, vegetation, salinity and agriculture are briefly outlined below. Victoria’s Biodiversity: Directions in Management aims to increase an awareness for the need to conserve biodiversity and indicate how objectives of flora and fauna conservation and management in the context of ecological sustainability can be achieved (DNRE 1997). Various goals and actions are outlined for the management of biodiversity within a set of defined bioregions in Victoria. Victorian Greenhouse Strategy describes in detail the background and key issues that impact upon Victoria through the “enhanced greenhouse effect”. It is considered that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the World, and Victoria, in particular. The Strategy advances a series of initiatives in the areas of renewable energy development, waste management, reducing Government energy consumption, and greenhouse best practice in industry and agriculture. The Victorian Government has allocated $100 million to climate change programs over the period to 2004; the actions range from R&D to direct grants to households for the use of greenhouse-friendly devices. (DNRE 2002c). Victoria's Native Vegetation Management Framework sets up the strategic direction for the protection, enhancement, and revegetation of native vegetation across the State (Dept. Of Sustainability and Environment DSE 2003). The framework identifies principles and goals that apply to private and public land but recognise that the management approaches to achieving the goals will vary according to the tenure status and the conservation value of the vegetation. The primary objective of the native vegetation framework is to reverse the trend of net loss, particularly of Ecological Vegetation Classes. Victoria’s Salinity Management Framework provides an outline of Victoria's progress in the management of salinity since Salt Action: Joint Action, Victoria's strategy for managing land and water salinity (DNRE 2000a). The framework was released in August 2000 and establishes directions and targets to guide action for the future. Right to Farm - As part of this initiative, the State Government has recently launched an educational campaign, which includes facts about rural impacts so that people know each other’s rights and responsibilities. The campaign works alongside other actions, particularly an Amendment to the “Sale of Land Act” that warns potential rural land buyers that may be affected by agricultural activity. At regional level, the main strategic documents used by the ten Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) are the Regional Catchment Strategies (RCS). These documents identify catchment management issues for each region of concern, and develop a vision and set of integrated programs for sustainable development. A RCS is an overarching strategy for the development, management, and conservation of land and water resources in each region and play an important role in ensuring the health of our catchments. The Port Phillip and Westernport CMA has recently released its Regional Catchment Strategy for Port Phillip and Westernport that provides for the development of better information about the biophysical and environmental values and risk of the area. It recommends a range of activities that focus on issues facing the Hume landscape and water resources.


SRP 9

The Planning Framework Under the Planning and Environment Act, planning schemes provide for a single instrument of planning control for any area of Victoria. In the current Planning Scheme Structure, every planning scheme includes the State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) and the Local Planning Policy Framework (LPPF). The SPPF sets out state-wide policies and requirements for the use, development and protection of land. It covers matters of strategic importance which are listed under six headings; Settlement, Environment, Housing, Economic Development, Infrastructure, and Particular Uses and Development. The Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP) is a state-wide planning reference document from which planning schemes are sourced and constructed; it is not a planning scheme and does not apply to any land. The components of the VPP are: (a) Objectives of planning in Victoria, (b) Purposes of the planning scheme of concern, (c) User guide, (d) State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF), (e) Standard zones, (f) Overlays, (g) General and Particular Provisions, (h) Incorporated documents, and (i) List of amendments to the planning scheme. The SPPF underlies the planning scheme of each municipality in Victoria and is substantially implemented through the LPPF. All local policies must therefore be consistent with those at the state level. The LPPF consists of two components: (i) the Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS), and (ii) the Local Planning Policy (LPP); see section below on Local Policy Context for more detail.

Melbourne Metropolitan Strategy - Melbourne 2030 Melbourne 2030 - Planning for sustainable growth is the Victorian Government's strategic plan for the sustainable management of growth in the urban and non-urban areas of Metropolitan Melbourne and surrounds (Doi 2002). It envisions a liveable, prosperous and sustainable Melbourne within a long-term timeframe of 30 years. "The main thrust is to continue to protect the liveability of the established areas and to increasingly concentrate major change in strategic redevelopment sites such as activity centres and underdeveloped land. This will help prevent urban expansion into surrounding rural land.” (Doi 2002). The substance of Melbourne 2030 is contained in nine key "directions" (D) that embody the Government's aims of sustainability and providing a better future for all. The directions and key policies pertinent to this study are: D1 - A more compact city - Build up activity centres as a focus for high-quality development, activity, and living for the whole community - (Policy 1.1). The "Principal Activity Centre" in Hume is Broadmeadows, while "Major Activity Centres" are Gladstone Park, Roxburgh Park and Sunbury. D2 - Better management of metropolitan growth - Establish an urban growth boundary to set clear limits to Metropolitan Melbourne's outward development (Policy 2.1). Protect the green wedges of Metropolitan Melbourne from inappropriate development (Policy 2.4). D3 - Network with the regional cities - Control development in rural areas to protect agriculture and avoid inappropriate rural residential development (Policy 3.2). D4 - A more prosperous city - Maintain access to productive natural resources and an adequate supply of well-located land for energy generation, infrastructure and industry (Policy 4.1). Create opportunities for innovation and the knowledge economy within existing and emerging industries (Policy 4.4). D5 - A great place to live - Protect heritage places and values (Policy 5.4). Improve the quality and distribution of local open space and ensure long-term protection of public open space (Policy 5.6).


SRP 10

Rectify gaps in the network of metropolitan open space by creating new parks and ensure major open space corridors are protected and enhanced (Policy 5.7). D6 - A fairer city - Increase the supply of well-located affordable housing (Policy 6.1). D7 - A greener city - Protect water and land resources (Policy 7.5). Protect native habitats and areas of important biodiversity through appropriate land-use planning (Policy 7.7). D8 - Better transport links - Plan urban development to make jobs and community services more accessible (Policy 8.3). D9 - Better planning decisions, careful management - Develop a strong partnership with Local Government (Policy 9.4). DSE is the lead agent and is working with Local Councils, industry, and the community to implement the vision set out in Melbourne 2030. Six (draft) Implementation Plans directly support the metropolitan strategy through policy initiatives, planning measures, and new legislation. The first plan demarcated the (then interim) urban growth boundary (UGB) which essentially places limits on urban expansion, directs future urban growth to existing urban settlements, and protects rural areas. Recently, the Government introduced legislation to ensure that a legislative process is followed to modify the UGB; and it also adjusted the boundaries in some municipalities, including Hume. Other implementation plans deal with growth areas, housing, activity centres, integrated transport, and green wedges. For the preparation of the Atlas, the Growth Areas and the Green Wedges Implementation Plans are especially relevant.

Hume Growth Area Growth Areas are locales on the fringe of Metropolitan Melbourne that have been designated for urban use. They are in or around major regional transport corridors. Already prominent in planning for Metropolitan Melbourne and accommodating many tens of thousands of people, they will be extended to house and serve new communities of the future. They are located in the municipalities of Hume, Wyndham, Melton, Whittlesea, Casey and Cardinia.

Green Wedges Green wedges are open landscapes that will conserve rural activities and significant features and resources between the growth areas of metropolitan Melbourne, as they develop out along major roads and rail links. They were “set aside over 30 years ago, to conserve rural activities and significant natural features and resources” (DoI 2002b). Green wedges are designed to “protect important non-urban uses including conservation areas, recreation, agriculture, airports, sewage treatment plants and quarries”. Melbourne 2030 designates twelve green wedges outside the urban growth boundary (Map 1.1). It also introduced a new “Green Wedge Zone” to the current suite of rural zones in the Planning Scheme, which specifically deals with rural land within the metropolitan areas and, if required, rural land adjacent to regional cities and towns. The role of green wedges is detailed accordingly: Provide opportunities for agricultural uses, such as market gardening, viticulture and broad hectare farming Preserve rural and scenic landscapes Preserve conservation areas close to where people live Preserve renewable and non-renewable resources and natural areas (such as catchments) Provide and safeguard sites for infrastructure that supports urban areas (such as airports and sewage plants) Allow industries such as sand and stone extraction to operate close to major markets Enable the development of networks of open space


SRP 11

Provide opportunities for tourism and recreation. A number of recommended actions are associated with green wedge implementation, including the development of an individual Action Plan for each green wedge. The Atlas will provide important inputs to the development of the Growth Area Plan and for the Green Wedges Management and Implementation Plan.

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1.3 LOCAL POLICY CONTEXT

Hume Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS)

The Hume Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) outlines the vision for the future of the municipality, with a focus on strategic planning, land use and development. The MSS sets out the key objectives and a system of strategies and actions founded on the Council’s long-term goals. Zones and overlays are applied as spatial tools guiding land use management. Achieving a balance between community, environmental and economic interests are central to the overall planning process. Often, this means reconciling complex planning decisions in an environment with conflicting interests and varied strategic objectives. The MSS's vision for Hume is reflective of community aspirations, the Hume Corporate Plan and existing strategies and policies. It is as follows: "Hume City Council will recognise, enhance and plan for a community which: - is diverse, prosperous, safe and respectful of our heritage and environment; - provides a range of education and employment opportunities; and - works in partnership to achieve the long-term sustainability of quality urban and rural lifestyle choices." The MSS has an overall timeframe of 2011; however, with the release of Melbourne 2030, this needs to be extended to that year. Broad planning objectives in relation to land use and development support the MSS vision. The Council has developed a Strategic Framework Plan (Clause 21.02-5) which shows the future land uses and movement patterns for Hume, and, in essence, is a physical interpretation of the MSS vision and broad planning objectives. See Figure 1.5 and 1.6.


SRP - 14

Figure 1.5 Hume Strategic Framework Plan 1


SRP - 15

Figure 1.6 Hume Strategic Framework Plan 2

ENVIR ON MENTAL PLANNING ATLAS HUME C ITY CO UNCIL

SRP 16

LAND USE AND CULTURAL CONTEXT 2.1 A SNAPSHOT OF THE HUME CITY COUNCIL1

Regional Setting

Hume City (hereafter "Hume") is located about 20 kilometres north-west of the centre of Melbourne. It is bordered by the Merri Creek to the east, Jacksons Creek, Gunns Gully Road and Deep Creek to the north, the Maribyrnong River and the Calder Highway to the west and the Western Ring Road to the South. Hume covers an area of 504 square kilometres, extending approximately 21 kilometres in north-south direction and 22 kilometres in an east-west direction. See Map 2.1. The Hume City Council (hereafter "the Council") was created in December 1994. It shares borders with the City Councils of Whittlesea to the east, Moreland to the south and Brimbank to southwest; and with the Shire Councils of Melton to the northwest, and of Macedon Ranges and Mitchell to the north. Despite its size, the majority of Hume’s population reside in the eastern-most third of the municipality or in the town of Sunbury. There are a number of smaller townships and settlements located within Hume, which provide local services and facilities to surrounding rural areas and are important foci for community interaction. The upper reaches of the Maribyrnong River and Merri and Moonee Ponds Creeks are in Hume and have regional environmental, recreation and heritage value. Other notable heritage and landscape features include the Organ Pipes National Park, Woodlands Historic Park, Cooper Street and Evans Street Grasslands, Rupertswood Mansion, Emu Bottom Homesteads, "Glenara' and five aboriginal ceremonial rings. Hume is situated within the Port Phillip and Westerport Region. Approximately 40 per cent of the municipality is located in the catchment of the Yarra River and the remainder in the catchment of the Maribyrnong River. A small area west of Sunbury along the Calder Highway drains to the Werribee River catchment. Land use within Hume significantly influences the health of both the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers and their catchments. The Hume Highway, Western Ring Road, Calder and Tullamarine Freeways pass through Hume giving it excellent access to the national road network, the principal seaports of Melbourne and Geelong, regional centres such as Bendigo and Ballarat, and the northern and western sub-regions of Metropolitan Melbourne. The Melbourne-Sydney rail service passes through the eastern sector of Hume, whilst the Melbourne-Bendigo rail line passes through Sunbury.

1 Otherwise stated, most of the information in this section is extracted from the Hume Planning Scheme, Municipal Strategic Statement, Hume City Council (2003). Municipal Strategic Statement. Melbourne, State of Victoria. .

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SRP - 18

The international Melbourne Airport is located within Hume which, due to ownership by the Commonwealth, is excluded from the Hume Planning Scheme. Nevertheless, the transport and other impacts of the airport operations are of great significance to the planning of Hume. The airport also contributes substantially to the Local, State and National economy. Hume is experiencing rapid development and population growth owing mainly to a large supply of serviced and reasonably priced residential and industrial land.

2.2 LAND USE

Key Concepts

Land Use, Land Cover and Land Management Practice Changes in land use and land management practice (combined selectively with land cover changes and engineering solutions) are major tools for improving the condition of the land resource, vegetation and water resources. Land uses have a major impact on Australia's natural resources and environment through their effects on water, soil, nutrients, plants and animals. There is also a strong link between changing patterns of land use and social and economic conditions, particularly in peri-urban (urban-rural interface) areas and in regional Australia. Hume is an example of a peri-urban locality that experiences rapid changes in land use and socio-economic conditions. Land use mapping shows how and where the land resources are used. This includes the production of goods (such as crops, timber and manufactures) and services (such as biodiversity, recreation and natural resources protection). Land use information contributes to a better understanding and the sustainable use of our landscape systems. However, there is often confusions between the terms "land use" and "land cover" because of the common use of remotely sensed data (either satellite-based or airborne) for mapping (see Hossain and Morse McNabb, 2004). The distinction between land use and land management practice is also poorly understood. The accepted definitions at the national level are the described below (Bureau of Rural Sciences - BRS, 2002): Land cover - This refers to the physical surface of the Earth, including various combinations of vegetation types, soils, exposed rocks, water bodies as well as anthropogenic elements such as agriculture and built environments. Land cover classes can generally be discriminated by characteristics patterns using remote sensing applications. Land use - This refers to the land management objectives. Some land uses, such as agriculture, have a characteristic land cover pattern. These generally appear in land cover classifications. Other land uses, such as nature conservation, are not readily discriminated by a characteristic land cover pattern. For example, where the land cover is woodland, land use may be timber production or nature conservation. Land management practice - The means by which the land management objective is achieved - the "how" of land uses. For example, cultivation practices such as minimum tillage and direct drilling. Patterns in land cover can relate to land management practice and land use.


SRP - 19

Commodity - Usually refers to an agricultural or mining product that can be processed. Commodity information may relate to land use and land cover, particularly at fined division of classification.

ALUM Classification - Key Concepts Land use mapping in Australia is based on the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) Classification Scheme that entails the ordering of land use in a systematic and logically consistent way. The ALUM Classification has a three-tiered hierarchical structure with primary, secondary and tertiary classes broadly organised in terms of the potential degree of modification and impact on a supposed 'natural state' (essentially unmodified native land cover). The principles that underpin the ALUM Classification approach include (Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2002, p. 14) the following:

• Level of intervention - The classification is based on identification and delineation of types and levels of intervention in the landscape, rather than descriptions of land use based on outputs. Precedence is also given to the modelling capabilities of data over monitoring capabilities, and monitoring capabilities over descriptive uses.

• Generality - The classification is designed to provide for users who are interested in both

processes (e.g., land management practices) and outputs (e.g. commodities).

• Hierarchical structure - A hierarchical structure provides for and promotes the aggregation/disaggregation of related land uses, the addition of levels or classes and relevance at a range of scales.

• Prime/ Ancillary use - Parcels of land may be subject to a number of concurrent land

uses. A multiple production forest has for instance, its main management objective being the production of timber. However, the forest may also provide conservation, recreation, grazing and water catchment services. Land use class allocations based on prime use are based on the primary land management objective of the nominated land manager. Ancillary or secondary uses can also be recorded.

Five primary levels of land use are distinguished in order of generally increasing levels of intervention or potential impact on the natural landscape. Given its importance, water is also included in the classification as a sixth primary class. Tertiary classes can include commodity groups, individual commodities, land management practice or vegetation information. Data at this level is of particular value in many land use and natural resource planning and management applications, but it is often expensive to collect. The classification is intended to be flexible so that new land uses or management systems can be accommodated as long as there is no conflict with other existing elements in the classification.

ALUM Land Use Class Definitions The six levels employed in the ALUM classification are the following (Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2002, pp. 15 - 23): 1. Conservation and natural environments - A relatively low level of human intervention, with the anticipated consequence of little change to natural ecosystems. There may be change in the condition of the land in response to natural processes in isolation from any imposed use. The land may be formally reserved by government for conservation purposes, or conserved through other legal or administrative arrangements. Areas may have multiple uses; however, nature conservation


SRP - 20

is the prime use. Some land may be unused as a result of a deliberate decision of the government or landowner, or due to special circumstances. 2. Production from relatively natural environments - Land generally subject to relatively low levels of intervention. The land may not be used more intensively owing to its limited capability. The structure of the native vegetation generally remains intact despite deliberate use, although the floristics of the vegetation may have changed markedly. Where the native vegetation structure is, for example, open woodland or grassland, the land may be grazed. Where the native grasses have been deliberately and extensively replaced with improved species, the use should be treated under the next category. 3. Production from dryland agriculture and plantations - Land in this class is used principally for primary production, based on dryland systems. Native vegetation has largely been replaced by introduced species through clearing, the sowing of new species, the application of fertilisers or the dominance of volunteer species. The range of activities in this category includes plantation forestry, pasture production for stock, cropping and folder production, and a wide range of horticultural production. 4. Production for irrigated agriculture and plantations - This class includes agricultural land uses where water is applied to promote additional growth over normally dry periods, depending on the season, water availability and commodity prices. This includes land uses that receive only one or two irrigations per year, through to those uses that rely on irrigation for much of the growing season. The degree of intervention involved in irrigation and its potential impact on hydrology and geohydrology warrants the creation of this primary class. 5. Intensive uses - Land uses involving high levels of intervention with natural processes in associations with human settlements. This level of intervention may be sufficiently high as to completely remodel the natural landscape (the vegetation, surface and groundwater systems and the land surface). They include intensive horticulture in glasshouses; manufacturing and industrial uses; residential, both urban and rural; services; utilities, transport and communications; mining; and waste treatment and disposal. 6. Water - Water features are regarded as essential to the classification because of their importance for natural resources management and as points of reference in the landscape. The inclusion of water is, however, complicated as it is normally classified as a land cover type. At the secondary level the classification identifies water features, both natural and artificial. Tertiary classes relate water to intensive use (Class 5). ANZLUC CLASSIFICATION The Australian and New Zealand Land Use Code (ANZLUC) is a hierarchical code for describing the purpose and manner in which land is used. It has an Australian and New Zealand standard (AS/NZS 4584). The code consists of a four level hierarchy, with auxiliary codes used for specific purposes. Land management (tenure) is not covered in the classification. For example National Parks and State Forests are not represented in the classification. Surface cover and physical features are also absent from the ANZLUC classification. The codes do not exclude any land; they only restrict coding to the purpose and manner for which the land is used. Standards Australia, (1999), AS/NZS 4584(Int):1999: Geographic information - Australian and New Zealand land use codes, Sydney, http://www.standards.com.au/catalogue/script/Details.asp?DocN=stds000023916


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COMPARISON OF ANZLUC TO ALUM LANDUSE CODES The ALUM and ANZLUC land use classifications are both currently used in Australia and concentrate on different types of land use mapping. The ANZLUC classification has 9 primary classes, as compared to the 6 primary classes of the ALUM classification. The primary ANZLUC classes are:

1000 Accommodation 2000 Manufacturing 3000 Commerce 4000 Services 5000 Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture 6000 Mining or Extractive Industries 7000 Protected and Recreational Areas 8000 Transport, Storage, Utilities and Communication 9000 Land not elsewhere classified

The ANZLUC classification comprises more than 1,400 classes with emphasis on commercial and industrial uses rather than rural and conservation land uses. For the 71 classes that discriminate dryland and irrigated agriculture at the tertiary level in the ALUM classification, there are 64 ANZLUC classes. For the 19 tertiary ALUM classes describing uses associated with conservation and natural environments there are 11 ANZLUC classes. The ALUM classification is more suitable for land use mapping of rural / agricultural land and nature conservation / natural environments.

Land Use in Hume

Land Use mapping for Hume was undertaken using a staged process. The first stage involved collecting existing land use information and compiling it into a digital dataset using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The second stage involved the interpretation and assignment of land uses according to the ALUM Classification. The final stages included field checking, editing draft land use maps and validation. This mapping presents a single ‘snapshot’ in time. However the use of digital data and GIS means that new information can be easily incorporated to update the existing map. Current land use in Hume is shown in Map 2.2. The dominant land uses in the non-urban areas are modified grazing pastures and rural residential.

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SRP - 23

2.3 CULTURAL CONTEXT

Urban Areas

The urban areas of Hume are located principally in the south-eastern corner of the City, and extend from the suburbs of Broadmeadows and Jacana, to Dallas, Coolaroo and Meadow Heights to the north, Campbellfield to the east, and Tullamarine, Gladstone Park, Westmeadows and Greenvale to the west. The combined population of these areas in 2001 was approximately 91,000 people. Sunbury is the other major urban area within Hume and is situated approximately 15 km northwest of Broadmeadows. In 2001, it had a population of approximately 23,000. Sunbury's distance from the metropolitan built-up area, its location in the Jacksons Creek Valley and its rural surrounds, give it a distinct country town atmosphere that is enhanced by the presence of streetscapes, landscapes, and sites of heritage value. One of the challenges for the Council and Hume residents is to achieve a balance between maximising Sunbury's development potential and maintaining the distinctive rural landscape character and heritage. The focus for residential development is in the Merri Growth Corridor, which is bounded by Somerton Road, Merri Creek, Mt. Ridley road and Mickleham Road, comprising Roxburgh Park, Craigieburn and substantial tracks of undeveloped land around Craigieburn. Growth in this area is being driven primarily by new residential development, although new industrial development predominates along the Hume Highway.

People

On the 2001 Census night (7 August 2001), the population of Hume was 135,986, whilst the estimated resident population one year later was 140,353; thus giving a growth rate of 3.2 per cent.2 The forecast population in 2031 is 218,364, represents an increase of 82,378 residents over the 30 year period (2001 - 2031) (DSE 2003). Hume is one of the outer municipalities with growth rates consistently higher that the metropolitan average. Overall, of outer Melbourne's total forecast for residential building activity in the next ten years, 9,500 dwellings are expected to be located in Hume. The Merri Growth Corridor and Sunbury are expected to accommodate most new population growth over the 30 year planning period. When fully developed, the Hume Growth Corridor is likely to accommodate around 200,000 persons, while the total population of Sunbury is estimated to increase to between 50,000 to 55,000. In contrast, the older established areas of Hume are predicted to remain stable or decline over that period. Hume has a more youthful age structure than Melbourne as whole, with a substantially larger proportion of the population under 18 years of age (32.4% in Hume) compared with 25% in Metropolitan Melbourne. Hume also has a smaller proportion of people in the post-retirement age.

2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population figures are published in three stages: preliminary, revised and final. Final figures are only produced for the five years preceding a Census, once the Census has been fully counted and all components of population change reconciled. In this report, data to June 2002 are preliminary estimates, whereas data to 30 June or earlier are final, since the last Census was conducted in 2001. Preliminary figures are usually updated to revised figures one year later, once all data is available. DSE (2003). “Victorian Population Bulletin.” (9). .


SRP - 24

Hume is home to a culturally diverse community. Over a quarter of the residents were born overseas and over a third of the population speak a language other than English at home. The residents also have a diverse range of religious beliefs and lifestyles.

Housing

Currently, the most common form of housing in Hume is the single, detached dwelling and is likely to remain so for some years even though the size and type of HH is gradually changing from the traditional 4-person HH (two parents and two children) to "empty nesters" (two parents only), single parents, and lone persons. Another important challenge for the Council is then to facilitate the construction of a greater variety of housing types to meet the changing accommodation and lifestyle need of the community. In common with other peri-urban metropolitan municipalities, the amount of medium density housing construction and site development is considerably less when compared with inner or middle metropolitan municipalities. Nevertheless, the issue of protecting areas of unique urban character and streetscape value from inappropriate medium density development remains. This is especially the case in the 'old areas' of Sunbury and Westmeadows, and in the townships of Kalkallo and Bulla. Housing in the non-urban areas of Hume is generally in the form of rural dwellings, rural living and low density residential. Rural living and low density residential is becoming increasingly popular throughout the peri-urban and regional areas of Victoria. Hume has seen an increase in the number of rural living developments, especially in the Sunbury area and environs. Rural living developments can cause a number of problems in these non-urban environments. There is a trend for developments to occur on land with a high degree of slope, as they are able to enjoy the increased viewsheds. These developments can cause an increased risk of erosion, examples of development induced erosion can be found in the Sunbury area. The other potential impact these developments have is on native vegetation.

Rural Areas

Rural land occupies about 72 per cent of the total area of Hume. Much of this land is characterised by a flat and sparsely treed landscape that enables open views across wide expanses of cleared grazing land and of attractive creek valleys. One of the consequences of such open landscape is that there is only a limited amount of development that can be absorbed without changing the rural character substantially. Three small townships are located within the rural areas. Bulla is a township of about 350 people situated between the metropolitan built-up area and Sunbury, within the Deep Creek Valley. Kalkallo township is located in the north-eastern corner of the municipality, adjacent to the Hume Highway and has about 150 permanent residents. Bulla is constrained in its growth due to its proximity to the airport. The third township is Mickleham which contains few residential buildings, a school, recreation reserve, and several heritage places.

Cultural Heritage

Hume has also a rich and diverse cultural heritage that includes a significant collection of heritage bridges, ruins of bluestone cottages, flour mills, pastoral homesteads, sites associated with John Batman's explorations in the 1800s, wineries, and sites associated with community events. Map 2.3 shows the cultural heritage sites within Hume. The sites are divided into three categories, sites that


SRP - 25

are of state or national significance and are included on the Victorian Heritage Register, sites that are covered by a Council heritage overlay and sites that have been proposed to be covered by a heritage overlay. Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites are abundant within Hume, with five ceremonial Earth Rings located across the municipality. This is very significant as only another three have been found across the remainder of the state. The Earth rings in the Sunbury area range between 15 and 25 metres in diameter and are located near the tops of hills or ridges on the western side of Jacksons Creek Valley (Sutherland & Richards, 1994). The location of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites have been protected by only allowing their location to be mapped in 1km grid squares. Map 2.4 shows the approximate locations of known heritage sites in the Hume area. Each grid square shown on the map illustrates the heritage category which is dominant within that grid square. For example if in one grid square a scar tree and two artefact scatter sites where found then the grid square on the map would be coloured to indicate the artefact scatter.

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SRP 28

REGIONAL BIODIVERSITY 3.1 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Definitions

Biological diversity or "biodiversity is the variety of all life forms - the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems of which they form a part. Consequently, biodiversity is considered at three levels: ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity." (State of the Environment Advisory Council - SOEAC, 1996, p. 4-4). Genetic diversity is the variety of genes contained in all the species in a given area. There are so many genes and different possible combinations of genes, that for most type of organisms, every individual, population and species is genetically distinct. Species diversity refers to the number of species and their relative abundance in a defined area. Ecosystem diversity relates to the variety of habitats, biotic communities and ecological processes, as well as the tremendous diversity present within ecosystems in terms of habitat differences and the variety of ecological processes. Each ecosystem differs from all others because it contains a unique combination of species (and therefore genes) because these species interact with each other and with each environment in distinctive ways. Australia has evolved in relative isolation for at least the past 50 million years. This has resulted in a rich diversity of unique life forms. Many of them are found nowhere else (that is, they are endemic). The SOEAC points out that the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity are important for four key reasons related to ecosystem processes, ethics, aesthetics and culture, and economics (SOEAC, 1996, p. 4-5): • Biodiversity provides the critical ecosystem processes that make life possible and are often

taken for granted. Healthy ecosystems are necessary to maintain the quality of the atmosphere including the air that we breathe, and to maintain and regulate the climate, fresh water, soil formation, cycling of nutrients and disposal of wastes.

• Ethical values reflect the view that all species have an inherent right to exist. Biodiversity

belongs to future as well as the present and no species or generation has the right to sequester Earth's resources solely for their own benefit.

• Biodiversity has intrinsic values, such as beauty, tranquillity and isolation. Many Australians

place a high value on native plants, animals and ecosystems, which are essential to a sense of cultural identity, spiritual enrichment and recreation.

• Elements of biological diversity have economic value and can be used to create wealth.

Australia's plants and animals attract tourists and provide food, medicines and other pharmaceutical products, energy and many kinds of raw materials, including building ones. They are used for controlling pest plants, animals and diseases and pollinating crops.


SRP 29

While the benefits of such biodiversity components are considerable, the value of biodiversity is not restricted to them. The sheer diversity of life is of inestimable value. It provides a foundation for the continued existence of a healthy planet and our own well-being. Possibly the greatest value of the variety of life may be the opportunities it gives us for adapting to change. The many values of biodiversity and its importance for development indicate why biodiversity conservation differs from traditional nature conservation. It entails a shift from a reactive posture - protecting nature from the impacts of development - to a proactive effort, seeking to meet people's needs from biological resources while ensuring the long-term ecological sustainability of Earth's biotic wealth. Thus, the conservation of biodiversity seeks to maintain the life-support systems provided by nature in all its variety, and the living resources essential for Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD), (DEST, 1993).


SRP 30

3.2 VICTORIAN BIOREGIONS

Definitions

Native flora and fauna are inherently diverse and exists within complex ecosystems. There is a need, therefore, for a framework that can simplify this complexity and connect us more directly to the biodiversity assets and challenges in our own environments. "Biogeographic regions (bioregions) capture the patterns of ecological characteristics in the landscape or seascape providing a natural framework for recognising and responding to biodiversity values. As bioregions reflect underlying environmental features, they can also be related to the patterns of use of land and sea. Thus, they can be used to identify the relationships between many natural resource based activities and biodiversity assets" (DNREc, 1997, p. 26). Bioregions can be defined at national or state level. Bioregions identified in Victoria form part of national frameworks for terrestrial and marine environments: the "Interim Bioregionalisation for Australlia" (IBRA) and the "Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia" (IMCRA). However, the broad scale that is appropriate for national purposes may no discriminate adequately between areas with meaningful differences at the state-wide scale. This is particularly the case for terrestrial systems where further refinement has delineated 27 Victorian Bioregions. In Victoria, there are thus 5 marine and 27 terrestrial bioregions. Hume is included in two Victorian bioregions - the Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP), and the Central Victorian Uplands (CVU)( See Map 3.1).

Bioregional Biodiversity Action Planning

Biodiversity Action Planning (BPD) at the Landscape Scale Bioregional biodiversity action planning (BAP) is a structured approach to identifying priorities and mapping significant areas for native biodiversity conservation at the bioregional and landscape geographical scales. It is based on the application of scientific principles for the landscape conservation of biodiversity. The purpose of BAP is to identify the key biodiversity assets of the bioregion and/ or landscape of concern, and summarise the actions and tools that are required to realise national and state biodiversity goals. In particular, BAP translates the principles and process identified in the State's Biodiversity Strategy (DNREa, 1997) to the regional and landscape scales. BAP is also guided by the Native Vegetation Management Framework (DSE, 2002), the River Health Strategy, and wetlands policy. These policy documents spell out the priorities by assigning conservation significance to each biodiversity type. The significance of each asset type is assessed on the basis of the extent of depletion, the condition of the asset relative to its natural conditions, and its use by significant species. (Taylor et al, 2003). Specific information on assets and priorities for actions in landscape zones within the bioregion in question is assembled in Landscape Plans. These plans include the native vegetation priorities identified in the regional Native Vegetation Plans (NVP) and advance the best options for restoring native vegetation at a more detailed scale than is possible in the NVPs. The Landscape Plans


SRP 31

provide the foundation for producing detailed local area biodiversity action plans to direct on-ground works by private landholders, community groups, corporations, and all levels of Government. Conservation management of the bioregions must target the specific environmental threats. In considering biodiversity across large bioregions, (e.g., > 100 km wide), it is however useful to define manageable sub-units (for instance, zones of < 100 km across, or about 30 square km) within which common features of landscape and biota are identifiable. The Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Bioregion has thus been divided into 19 smaller zones, whilst the Central Victorian Uplands (CVU) Bioregion has been divided into 10 zones for landscape action plans. These zones are largely based on landscape, land-use and pre-1750 Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs), see below. Three of these landscape zones fall partially within Hume: the Craigieburn Landscape Zone, the Wallan Landscape zone and the Werribee Landscape Zone (Map 3.2).

Key Features of the Bioregions and Landscape Zones in Hume

Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion and the Werribee and Craigieburn Landscape Zones The Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Bioregion covers a large part of western Victoria from Craigieburn in the east to Portland in the west, and from Clunes in the north to Colac in the south. This bioregion has formed over old lava flows and its landscape is dominated by flat or undulating plains, extinct volcanoes and a variety of grasslands and woodland vegetation. Few major rivers cross the VP, although the Hopkins River system is a prominent feature of the landscape. The bioregion has a unique and relatively early history of European settlement due partly to the ease access to the open grassland plains. The landscape has radically been altered within the last 150 years. The native vegetation of the VP Bioregion is one of the most depleted of Victoria. Most of the region is private freehold land dominated by agriculture and there are small areas of public land.

The Craigieburn Landscape Zone The Craigieburn Landscape Zone falls entirely within the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Region. Its boundaries have been determined by reference to land systems, EVCs and hydrology (Maribyrnong River and Jacksons, Deep and Emu Creeks). This landscape consists predominantly of undulating volcanic and stony volcanic plains with deeply incised river a number of prominent volcanoes, including Mount Fraser, Bald Hill, Mount Gisborne, Mount Kororoit and Melbourne Hill. Average annual rainfall varies from 560 mm to 695 mm and generally increases to the north and east. Although the native vegetation has been extensively cleared and altered for agricultural, urban and industrial use, there are relative large remnants of predominantly native vegetation, including woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. (Ross, Lowe, Boyle and Moorrees, 2003a)

Werribee Landscape Zone The Werribee Landscape Zone extends from the south-west region of the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA into the eastern region of the Corangamite CMA. The zone is bounded by the Moorabool River and Sutherland Creek in the west and by the Maribyrnong River and Jacksons Creek in the east. In the north it is bounded by Toolern Vale, Bacchus Marsh and the foothills of the Brisbane Ranges and in the south by Port Phillip Bay, Corio Bay and the coastal plains. The zones boundaries have been determined by land systems, pre-1750 EVCs and hydrology. Only a small proportion of the Werribee Zone extends into Hume City Council (see Map 3.2).


SRP 32

The landscape of the Werribee zone is primarily undulating volcanic plains with steep incised gorges along the Werribee, Maribyrnong and Little Rivers. Significant landscape features include the lava shield volcano of Mount Cottrell and the scoria cone of Mount Anakie. Average annual rainfall is lower in the central regions of the zone and varies from 450mm at Eynesbury up to 595mm at Sunbury. Vegetation on the dry plains of the Werribee Zone previously consisted of Plains Grasslands. Other types of grasslands and various types of woodlands and wetlands formerly occurred throughout the region, with the vegetation communities reflecting the low rainfall. Extensive clearing of native vegetation through agricultural activities, urban expansion and industrial uses has occurred; however, there are some areas of remnant woodlands, wetlands and grasslands remaining. There are numerous conservation reserves and other areas of public land; however they are generally small with vegetation in relatively poor condition. Ross, Lowe, and Moorrees (2003b)

Central Victorian Uplands and the Wallan Landscape Zone The Central Victorian Uplands (CVU) Bioregion covers 1.2 million hectares extending over 20 Local Government Areas and seven CMAs. It stretches from the Grampians and Ararat in the west, to Porepunkah in the east, and from Lurg in the north, to the You Yangs and Lara in the south. It is dominated by Lower Paleozoic deposits giving rise to dissected uplands at higher elevations, amongst granitic and sedimentary terrain (with Tertiary colluvial aprons). Metamorphic and old volcanic rocks have also formed steeply sloped peaks and ridges. The bioregion has a unique and relatively early history of European settlement due to the Gold rushes in nearby regions in the 1850s. The settlers of that period were quick to recognise the productive potential of the VU's woodlands and Dry Grassy Forest complexes and, consequently, the landscape has been radically and rapidly changed in the last 150 years. In particular, the fertile valleys have been extensively used for agriculture (primarily sheep and beef cattle grazing). Sharing a common boundary with the Goldfields Bioregion, some areas of the western VU suffered extensive clearing and modification. Freehold land accounts today for about 78% of the region and is dominated by agriculture, and there are large areas of public land including major National Parks and State Forests. There is currently no published information describing the Wallan Landscape zone. Information in this section has been drawn from general information on the Central Victorian Uplands Bioregion: (Hengstler, Way and Lowe, 2003)

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SRP 35

3.3 PRE-COLONISATION NATIVE VEGETATION

Ecological Vegetation Classes

Australian native vegetation includes all vegetation that naturally occurs in the country and has not been introduced to the continent by humans from other parts of the World. Native vegetation has a large impact on many sectors of the community's activities including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism. The extent of native vegetation throughout Australia has been dramatically reduced since European settlement, mainly through land clearing and urbanisation. Approximately 66% of Victoria's native vegetation has been cleared since the 1750s. Nevertheless, the existing native biodiversity of the state is diverse and complex. There are some 3,221 native plant species, of which 1,479 are threatened and around 220 Ecological Vegetation Classes. (DNRE, 2002 Biodiversity Action Planning) Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) are the basic unit used in Victoria for mapping biodiversity and describe areas of similar native vegetation. The definition of an EVC is based on plant communities, ecological information (such as life form and reproduction), and information about variations in the physical environment (such as climate, soils, and aspect). Each EVC represents one or more plant communities that occur in similar types of environments and respond to environmental events, such as bushfires, in similar ways. For a detailed list of all EVCs recorded in Hume (both historical and extant) see Appendix 1, Table A1. Map 3.3 shows the approximate distribution of EVCs in Hume prior to European settlement; i.e., prior to 1750. The map is the result of modelling based on the landscape systems, likely climate in that period and other factors influencing plant growth. Pre-1750, the plains of the Craigieburn Landscape Zone supported extensive areas of Plains Grassy Woodland communities often in a mosaic with Plains Grassland communities. Grassy Woodlands were also relatively common on freer draining soils. Riverine areas supported Valley Grassy Forest, Floodplain Riparian Woodland, Creekline Grassy Woodland, Riparian Woodland and Swampy Riparian Complex with Escarpment Shrubland on steeper escarpments. Scoria Cone Woodland was found on volcanoes such as Mount Gisborne, Mount Fraser and Mount Kororoit. Small areas of Box Ironbark Forest occurred in the west along with Heath Dry Forest and Grassy Dry Forest. A variety of wetland communities formerly occurred throughout including Plains Grassy Wetlands, Plains Sedgy Wetland, Canegrass Wetlands, and Grey Clay Drainage Line Complex. The native vegetation has been extensively cleared and altered for agriculture and increasingly for urban and industrial uses (Ross, Lowe, Boyle and Moorrees, 2003).

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3.3

Pr

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olog

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Veg

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Clas

ses

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lain

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rass

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54) C

reek

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ock

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ssla

nd(6

47) P

lain

s S

edgy

Wet

land

(124

) Gre

y C

lay

Dra

inag

e Li

ne C

ompl

ex

EVC'

s no

t lis

ted

as

curr

ently

occ

urin

g.

This

map

is s

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for s

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SRP 37

EVC Distribution in Hume

Map 3.4 shows the approximate current distribution of EVCs in Hume. As a result of limited recordings of the current EVCs, the map may not be conclusive. Since European settlement over 96% of the native vegetation has been altered, degraded or cleared for agriculture and urban or industrial development. Some EVCs are currently present in Hume that were not present prior to 1750. This may be due to a number of factors including disturbance, changes in land use and climate as well as the introduction of species to the area by humans. EVCs may also have been present prior to European settlement but have not been recorded. Additionally, modelling methodologies used to compile these data sets vary. It must be stressed that these data sets represent an interpretation of evidence for the distribution of vegetation types, they do not represent the results of an intensive survey. Additional EVC data has been collected by Hume and is shown in Map 3.5. This data represents a valuable addition to available information about biodiversity within Hume. While, in general, the two maps are in agreement; in detail, significant differences are visible. Differences between the two maps spring from three probable sources. Firstly, the original EVC data was collected for a study conducted on behalf of the Regional Forests Agreement. The coverage of this data was significantly less reliable in areas where there was little public land, and this was compounded even more in areas where there was little tree cover. Consequently, the coverage of grasslands away from broad areas of public land is the least reliable component of this data set. The second factor that has probably helped create the difference between the two data sets has been differing data collection methodologies. The DSE data is the result of a desktop study where areas on the map are defined, essentially, by regions identified from aerial photographs. Areas on the Hume map have been identified by verification from observations made on the ground, and then generalised to the map. Consequently, the mapped areas in both maps show considerably different texture. A third factor that may have influenced this variation is that there, is at present, no clear guidance for making corrections to the state-wide data set, or verifying that data collected by local governments can be confidently combined with data collected from elsewhere.

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Eco

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Vege

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es.

This

map

is s

uita

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for s

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plan

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purp

oses

. Fur

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det

aile

d si

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EVC'

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EV

C Da

ta C

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by

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N

Dat

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Addi

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C d

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colle

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by

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e.

This

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Map

3.6

Cu

rren

t EVC

s w

ith P

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n O

verl

ays

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is d

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Cur

rent

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logi

cal

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tatio

n C

lass

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nd

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ectio

n O

verla

ys

This

map

is s

uita

ble

for s

trate

gic

plan

ning

purp

oses

. Fur

ther

det

aile

d si

te a

naly

sis

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ldbe

car

ried

out p

rior t

o de

velo

pmen

t pro

ceed

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(68)

Cre

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e G

rass

y W

oodl

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(22)

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SRP 41

3.4 BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION SIGINIFICANCE

Biological Conservation Status of EVCs

Classification of Conservation Status The conservation status of an EVC is established within each separate bioregion. It is based on the classification assigned to a vegetation type within an entire bioregion, not specifically to a particular Local Government area. The conservation status is determined by comparing the current area of an EVC with the area covered by the same EVC prior to European settlement. Others factors to be considered are the degree of degradation of the remaining native vegetation and the status of the EVC prior to European settlement. Table 3.1 shows the full list of conservation classification and criteria.

Table 3.1 Classification of EVC Conservation Status

Status Criteria Extinct (x) • Probably no longer present in the bioregion Endangered (E) • Contracted to less than 10% of former range or less than 10% of pre-European

settlement extent remains • 10 - 30% of pre-European settlement extent remains and is severely degraded

over the majority of the area • Naturally restricted EVC reduced to less of than 30% of former range and is

moderately degraded over the majority of the area • Rare EVC moderately degraded/cleared over the majority of the former area

Vulnerable (V) • 10 - 30% if pre-European settlement remains • 30 - 50% of pre-European settlement extent remains and is moderately

degraded over the majority of the area • > 50% of pre-European settlement extent remains and is severely degraded

over the majority of the area • Naturally restricted EVC where > 30% of pre-European settlement extent

remains and is moderately degraded over the majority of the area • Rare EVC moderately degraded/cleared over a minority of the former area

Depleted (D) • 30 - 50% of pre-European settlement remains • > 50% of pre-European settlement extent remains and is moderately degraded

over the majority of the area Least Concern (LC) • > 50% of pre-European settlement extent remains and is subject to little or no

degradation Rare (R) • Total range generally < 10,000ha

• Pre-European settlement extent in one Victorian bioregion < 10,000 ha • Patch size generally < 100 ha

Naturally Restricted (NR)

• Pre-European settlement extent in one Victorian bioregion < 10,000 ha

Minor • Pre-European settlement extent In one Victorian bioregion less than approximately 1% of Statewide extent


SRP 42

Conservation Status in Hume Map 3.6 shows the approximate distribution of remnant vegetation in Hume and its conservation status, while Table 3.2 records the species and its status. Much of the native vegetation remaining in Hume is depleted, endangered or vulnerable.

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Map

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Ec

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Veg

etat

ion

Clas

ses:

Con

serv

atio

n Si

gnifi

canc

e

NTh

is d

ata

cann

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e gu

aran

teed

to b

e w

ithou

t fla

w o

f any

kin

d, a

nd th

eref

ore

AV

S di

scla

ims

all l

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of e

rror

or i

napp

ropr

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use

of t

he m

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ata.

Base

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pora

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Editi

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Proj

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No:

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tion.

02

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eter

s

Ecol

ogic

al V

eget

atio

n C

lass

es:

Con

serv

atio

n S

igni

fican

ceTh

is m

ap is

sui

tabl

e fo

r stra

tegi

c pl

anni

ngpu

rpos

es. F

urth

er d

etai

led

site

ana

lysi

s sh

ould

be c

arrie

d ou

t prio

r to

deve

lopm

ent p

roce

edin

g.

Dep

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dEn

dang

ered

Vuln

erab

le


SRP 44

Table 3.2 Conservation Status of EVC in Hume

Ecological Vegetation Class

Bioregion Conservation Status

Proportion of Hume (%)

68 Creekline Grassy Woodland

Central Victorian Uplands Endangered 0.22

Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered 22 Grassy Dry Forest Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Depleted 0.07

641 Riparian Woodland Central Victorian Uplands Endangered 0.13 Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered

71 Hills herb-rich Woodland Central Victorian Uplands Vulnerable 0.69 56 Floodplain Riparian

Woodland Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered 0.01

851 Stream-bank Shrubland Central Victorian Uplands Vulnerable 0.41 Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered

191 Riparian Scrub 0.002 132 Plains Grassland Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Vulnerable 0.21 55 Plains Grassy Woodland Central Victorian Uplands Endangered 1.92

Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered

175 Grassy Woodland Central Victorian Uplands Endangered 0.31 Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered

895 Basalt Escarprment Shrubland

Central Victorian Uplands Endangered 0.15

Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Endangered 64 Rocky Chenopod

Woodland Victorian Volcanic Plain (VP) Vulnerable 0.3


SRP 45

3.5 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Within the City of Hume, there are a number of sites that are biologically important, with significance of these sites ranging from local to international. Biologically significant sites identified in Hume, are shown in Map 3.7 and listed in Appendix 1. Significance is determined considering factors such as species or vegetation rareness, the representativeness of the vegetation, the cover of weeds at a site, the size of the remnant vegetation and the viability of the vegetation or populations of species (McDougall, 1987).

Sites of national significance generally contain species or vegetation types that are threatened with extinction.

Sites of State significance contain species or vegetation that were once common in Victoria and are now considered rare, with few viable disjunct populations (McDougall, 1987).

Sites of regional significance contain species or vegetation that were once common in the region, but are now restricted, with several disjunct populations in the region (McDougall, 1987).

Local sites of significance generally contain remnant vegetation that has been substantially altered, with better examples of the communities persisting at other sites.

Significance may also be determined on historical, cultural and geomorphological significance.

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Si

tes

of B

iolo

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nific

ance

NTh

is d

ata

cann

ot b

e gu

aran

teed

to b

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ithou

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f any

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ore

AVS

disc

laim

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l lia

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ropr

iate

use

of t

he m

ap d

ata.

Dat

a So

urce

: pD

ata,

200

1, D

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ctur

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OI)

Base

dat

a so

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pora

te G

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a Li

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SE.

Editi

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2004

Proj

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v01H

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No:

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tion.

01

23

4Ki

lom

eter

s

Site

s of

Bi

olog

ical

Si

gnifi

canc

e

This

map

is s

uita

ble

for s

trate

gic

plan

ning

purp

oses

. Fur

ther

det

aile

d si

te a

naly

sis

shou

ldbe

car

ried

out p

rior t

o de

velo

pmen

t pro

ceed

ing.

Loca

lN

atio

nal

Reg

iona

lSt

ate

Yet t

o be

det

erm

ined


SRP 47

3.6 RARE AND THREATENED FLORA AND FAUNA

Although the area of Hume has been the subject of massive environmental change, there are still many rare or threatened species that are present. Map 3.8 shows the distribution of recorded specimens of Victorian Rare or Threatened flora species after 1986. A complete list of these species appears in Appendix 1, Table A3. Also listed is a list of rare and threatened species from the Australia wide perspective in Table A2. The location of these species is an important consideration in conservation activities and the protection of these species and their habitat should be a conservation priority. The overall objective of mapping our environmental resources is to make sure that valuable environmental assets are accounted for, and protected. The spatial distribution of these assets must be an invaluable input into the planning process. However, as shown in the case of the data on rare and threatened flora and fauna, mapping these assets is not always simple. There are some crucial issues that pertain to this data and they are summarised as follows. When an observation of a rare plant or animal is made, in the past it has been duly noted, its location and other characteristics recorded. This is opportunistic data collection; it is extremely valuable information. However, when this information is mapped, it shows only the sightings that have been made; it does not show where other sightings would not have been successful. In the case of flora, such observations show where the flora is at the particular time, and we know that this observation probably indicates the presence of the species for a time before and after the observation. On the other hand, the observation of fauna may only indicate a transitory visit to a location by a specific animal. The range of a species may be over a large area, as it is with a number of species of birds, or over a small area, as it is with small mammals. The observation of a bird at a location on a particular day only tells us about that bird on that day, it does not tell us where the bird spends most of its time, and it does not tell us how many of these birds are in the area. This kind of information can be thought of as evidence in the continual work toward mapping our natural resources. We use evidence when we do not have all the information and, as is nearly always the case, resources for mapping environmental information are sporadic and seldom comprehensive; in truth we cannot continually monitor all aspects of our natural environment. The key to finding information about the probable distribution of our fauna and flora is to adopt spatially systematic data collection. Spatially systematic data collection involves the collection of data across readily identifiable spatial units. This data can either be collected intensively at the local scale and modelled to other locations, or collected regionally and modelled between locations. Central to these techniques is the consistent application of data collection methodologies across all sampled sites. Additionally, mapping of such data requires that the data collection is spatial in nature; qualitative descriptions that are so valuable at the local scale cannot easily be used as the basis for mapping at the broader scale. In the case of Hume, and in the case of nearly all of Victoria, data sets that show spatially systematic changes to flora or fauna over time and space are very limited. At the regional scale, data that might reliably show this kind of information is currently not available. Some systematic information is, however, clearly available from with current data sets. Map 3.9 shows the areas in which observations of fauna in Hume have been recorded over the last two hundred years. A one square kilometre grid has been used to summarise observations for that area. This is an indication of where, over the years, observations have been made, and could be used to infer the perceived environmental value of those locations.

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SRP 50

3.7 PEST PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Pest plants and animals are a significant environmental issue in Hume. Pest species can reduce agricultural productivity along with land degradation and can lead to a loss of biodiversity in an area. The impact of pest species in agricultural regions has been estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually in Victoria. The environmental value of an area is also often affected by the presence of pests, as these species out-compete native species for vital resources. The control of pest plants and animals in Victoria is governed by the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. The Act maintains that it is primarily the responsibility of the individual land owner or manager to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the growth and spread of pest species is prevented. The Victorian Pest Management – A Framework for Action (2002) provides for the management of pest species and identifies actions, responsibilities and timelines.

Pest Plants

The Catchment and Land Protection Act defines four categories of noxious weed. These are State Prohibited, Regionally Prohibited, Regionally Controlled and Restricted. The formal definition of each of these categories is included as Appendix 1. Weeds are categorised according to the level of infestation in a catchment area and the threat that the weed poses to an area. A table outlining the categorisation for each weed is included in the Act; Appendix 1 contains the declared noxious weeds for the Port Phillip East region. A number of high priority weeds have been identified in Hume. These weeds were outlined in the report by the Council, ‘Sustainable Land Management and Integrated Weed Control Strategy 2003 – 2006’. Table 3.3 lists those weeds identified as priorities within the Hume LGA. New emerging weeds should be of particular concern as the potential for impact is high. Prairie Ground Cherry and Boneseed are examples of emerging weeds in Hume.

Table 3.3 Priority Weeds in Hume LGA Weed Noxious Weed (controlled under CALP Act)

Serrated Tussock Yes Chilean Needlegrass Proposed for Listing Paterson’s Curse Yes Artichoke Thistle Yes Other Thistle Some declared Boxthorn Yes Furze/Gorse Yes Cape Tulip Yes Prairie Ground Cherry Yes Texas Needlegrass No Blackberry Yes Bathurst Burr Yes Boneseed Yes Cape Broom Listed for Port Phillip East Apple of Sodom Yes

Source: Hume City Council 2003.


SRP 51

Hume introduced a new Farm (Weed Management) Rate Rebate Scheme in 2002. In order to receive the rate rebate Council requires that eligible land owners practice weed control according to a Weed Management Plan. This new rebate scheme has a number of advantages, it gives land owners an incentive to practice responsible land management and it also provides council with mechanism for collecting data about the distribution of certain weeds across the local government area. Maps 3.10 and 3.16 illustrate the distribution of selected weeds across Hume. The information stored in the rebate database in highly valuable, however it must be emphasised that the rebate scheme is only available to those land owners that own ‘farm land’ (54% of rural land) and so does not include all privately owned land outside of the existing urban areas. Spatial information is also not available for the distribution of weeds on public land. So whilst this information provides a useful tool for monitoring weed distribution it does not tell the whole story.

Artichoke Thistle (Cynara cardunculus) Artichoke Thistle is an important pasture weed as it can become established and dominate the vegetation. Whilst sheep and cattle can graze on this plant if no other alternatives are available, it is common for stock to avoid the species because of its spiny nature (Parsons and Cuthbertson, 2001). Artichoke Thistle is listed as Regionally Controlled for the Port Phillip East region and as shown in Map 3.10 is well established across the entire Hume area.

Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) Paterson’s Curse can have a major impact on agricultural land, particularly on grazing pastures. The species is considered to be a concern for grazing areas as it reduces the quantity and quality of fodder. Management of the weed can be difficult and involves using a combination of cultivation and carefully managed livestock grazing. Paterson’s Curse is listed as a Regionally Controlled weed in the Port Phillip East region. The information from the Rate Rebate Scheme (Map 3.11) shows that the weed is well established and fairly dispersed across Hume.

Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis viscose) Prairie Ground Cherry is a perennial herb that is highly invasive and forms dense coverages. The weed is found in pasture, crops, on roadsides and public land. This weed is very hardy and will survive drought, shading and stock trampling. The weed is also easily dispersed by wind, water and animals, making control difficult. At present the information from the Rate Rebate scheme suggests that there are a relatively small number of infestations (Map 3.12). However, as the weed is classified as regionally prohibited major eradication measures should be undertaken before the weed becomes more widely established in Hume.


SRP 52

Serrated Tussock (Nassella trichotoma) Serrated Tussock is a significant problem in Hume, Map 3.12 shows that the weed is widely distributed throughout the local government area. It is listed as one of 20 weeds of National Significance and as a Regionally Controlled weed in the Port Philip East Region. This weed is a particular problem on land used for grazing due to the weeds tolerance of poor soil and low rainfall. Serrated Tussock is extremely invasive and can completely dominate pasture land, which has significant implications as the weed has no nutritional value for livestock. Native grasslands are also threatened by the serrated tussock as it out-competes native species, reducing regional biodiversity. This weed will continue to present a major risk to the Hume area due to the ease with which the species spreads.

Chilean Needle Grass (Nassella neesiana) This weed species is a problem in areas of sown pasture and native grasslands. Farm productivity can be significantly reduced as the plant is relatively unpalatable and the sharp seeds can injure stock and downgrade fleece and hide. The impact of Chilean Needle Grass on Native Grasslands may also be significant due to competition with indigenous species. Once established, Chilean Needle Grass is extremely difficult to manage as it is vigorous and highly competitive. The species thrives in a wide range of soils and climate conditions and tolerates drought and heavy grazing. The plant possesses a unique method of reproduction where by it produces self-fertilised seeds. This means that the plant can reproduce despite grazing, slashing and fire. The species also creates large seed banks in the soil allowing infestation to persist for many years. Chilean Needle Grass is not currently listed as a noxious weed in the Port Phillip East region. This species is, however, a serious problem in the Hume local government area and its listing for the region is under review. Map 3.15 illustrates that this weed is a particular problem in areas to the north of Bulla.

Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) Boneseed does not have a major impact on agriculture, as it does not persist in areas that are cultivated or heavily grazed. However, the species is highly invasive in native bushland areas, tolerating a wide range of climatic conditions and preferring sandy or medium textured soils. The long term control of this species is particularly important due to its production of large seed banks within the soil. Boneseed is an emerging weed in Hume and is primarily located around Deep Creek. As the weed primarily occurs on public land very little of the infestation in Hume has been identified by the Rate Rebate Scheme (Map 3.16).


SRP 53

Cape Tulip (Homeria flaccida) Both the one and two leaf varieties are listed as regionally controlled in the western portion of the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment. The information gathered from the rate rebate scheme indicates that Cape Tulip is confined to a small number of properties. The weed is regarded as an important emerging weed in Hume (Map 3.16). The weed occurs mainly in grazing land and is particularly hazardous as it is poisonous to stock. Newly infested areas present the greatest risk of stock loss as the animals are unaccustomed to the plant. As Cape Tulip is an emerging weed in Hume the risk of stock loss in the area is reasonably high. The weed can be difficult to control as it maintains a large seed in the soil.

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SRP 61

Pest Animals

There are a number of pest animals that are a cause for concern in the Port Phillip region. The most serious for the Hume area is the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and to a lesser extent the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes).

European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) The establishment of the wild rabbits across Victoria has lead to a wide range of environmental and agricultural impacts. These impacts include loss of potential grazing or agricultural land, increased soil erosion, reduction in plant coverage through intensive rabbit grazing and the alteration of plant species composition in some areas (Bloomfield, 1999b). The cost of these impacts to Victoria’s economy in 1998 is estimated to be $360 million (Bloomfield, 1999b). Rabbits were declared an established pest species in Victoria in the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Several management programs have been developed to control the rabbit population including the release of the Myxomatosis virus, the release of the Rabbit Calicivirus Disease, the Victorian Rabbit Buster program and Catchment Management Plans. The Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA) has developed a Rabbit Action Plan. The intention of the plan is to provide land managers with a clear understanding of their responsibilities and to provide a strategic framework for the management of rabbits on public and private land (PPWCMA, 2003). Currently within the Port Phillip region there are approximately 190,000 hectares of land classified as being “under long term control”. This means that rabbit numbers in those areas are at a level where they do not have a measurable impact on land suitability, productivity and biodiversity, and can be maintained with a routine program (PPWCMA, 2003). The PPWCMA has also identified a ‘high priority zone’ within the region were enhanced Government services will be focussed. This ‘high priority zone’ was defined following an analysis of:

• Soil type and rainfall data (indicating the inherent rabbit proneness); • The presence of native vegetation (indicating environmental importance); • Land use indicating potential economic value. (PPWCMA, 2003)

Map 3.17 illustrates the ‘long term control’ area and the ‘high priority zone’ within Hume. Most of Hume is covered by the ‘high priority zone’ area; this shows that the rabbit problem in Hume will receive extra government services. A small area to the south west of Sunbury is in the ‘long term control’ area which indicates that rabbits in this area are at a manageable level.

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SRP 63

WATER 4.1 WATERWAYS

In Hume, waterways with their sinuous watercourses, their sunken riparian land and the sometimes imposing escarpments support a wide variety of flora and fauna species and supply important freshwater for agriculture, industry and urban development. They also provide recreational opportunities and are an important element in the visual landscape. The water cycle involves complex interactions and relationships between different water resource components. In the urban and rural settings these different components can include waterways, but they also include groundwater, wetlands, estuaries, coasts, marine waters, sewage, urban stormwater and irrigation districts. All of these components can influence each other, and can, in turn, be influenced by each other. When humans enter this complex web and attempt to manage any one aspect of the water cycle what may seem like a simple intervention can have complex and sometimes unexpected results. Not only are the various components of the water cycle interconnected, but waterway systems are an integral part of the overall catchment system and their condition and health is directly linked to land use across this catchment. However, as in the case of Hume, administrative boundaries are often inconsistent with catchment boundaries. Hume straddles three important catchments, the Werribee River Catchment, the Maribyrnong River Catchment and the Yarra River Catchment (See Maps 4.1 and 4.3). The health of the waterways flowing through Hume is influenced by the diversity of habitats and biota within the area of Hume itself, and upstream, within the broader catchments. The health of a particular waterway is also determined by the effectiveness of its linkages. That is, the way that the waterway transfers sediments, nutrients and biota; how it connects to groundwater systems, and how it connects with its floodplain and the riparian land (DNRE, 2002). The waterways that flow through Hume and their catchments have been greatly altered from their pristine condition by the expansion of farming and urbanisation. The ongoing effects of these changes to catchment land use further threaten the health of these waterways. Threats to waterways include flow reduction due to water use and storage, degradation from adjoining land use practices, erosion resulting in the sedimentation of the watercourse and water pollution (DNRE, 1997). Water quality is threatened by both point sources and diffuse sources of pollutants. Point sources that contribute pollution can be domestic wastewater from wastewater treatment plants, or industrial wastewater. Diffuse sources of pollution, that is, pollutants carried in surface runoff, or via groundwater can include; sediment from erosion, runoff from forestry or construction sites, septic tanks, urban stormwater, irrigation drainage, litter, industrial effluent or rising water tables. Stream flow is a fundamental element of healthy stream ecology and alteration to flow can change the diversity of aquatic and riparian habitats and biota and affect the linkages between river and floodplain. In Hume, stream flow is threatened by upstream regulation of streams to supply irrigation, urban water supplies and also urbanisation in unregulated waterways (DNRE, 2002).


SRP 64

Waterways comprise several important visual components of the landscape, including the watercourse, adjoining riparian land, nearby escarpments and surrounding land. The watercourse is the river or stream itself and, in Hume, most waterways have been altered through vegetation clearance or adjacent urban development, which effect drainage patterns, rates of run-off and ultimately regional hydrological regimes. River and stream flow is also reduced as water is diverted for irrigation, urban and other off stream uses. Significant threats to watercourses include, bed and bank erosion, mobilisation and deposition of sediment, removal of in-stream woody debris, dredging or bridge building, drainage improvements and the introduction of barriers. Riparian land or ‘the area of land that adjoins, regularly influences, or is influenced by, a river’ (DNRE, 2002. p.90), may include the stream bank, regularly flooded gullies, wetlands and billabongs located on the floodplain. Riparian land, particularly that component nearest the watercourse, has a large influence on the health of the waterway. In particular riparian land contributes organic matter, supplies key habitat for many fish and invertebrates, is a source of shade which influences water temperature and light penetration and assists in bank stabilisation Land surrounding the riparian zone of waterways often has a large impact on the health of the waterway system and may contain significant areas of habitat (DNRE, 2002). In particular, significant threats to riparian land include: clearing, erosion, uncontrolled stock access, recreational use, weed invasion, stream crossings, salinity, urban development and water management.

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SRP 66

Catchment Management

At a state level, responsibility for catchment management in Victoria is divided among ten Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs). Hume is situated wholly within the responsibility of the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA. The management of individual CMAs is guided by a Catchment Management Strategy. The strategy for Port Phillip and Westernport CMA was formulated in 1997; however, it currently undergoing revision and the draft of a new strategy should be available during 2004 (see Map 4.2).

At a more local level, each CMA is responsible for the development of catchment management plans for individual sub-catchments. The Port Phillip and Westernport CMA is divided into five sub-catchments. As mentioned earlier, Hume straddles three of these catchments: Werribee River Catchment, Maribyrnong River Catchment and the Yarra River Catchment (see Map 4.3).

Maribyrnong River Catchment The Maribyrnong River catchment has an area of 143,000 ha and contains around 470 kilometres of waterways including the Maribyrnong River. Grazing and broad acre cropping are the main agricultural industries. There are approximately 420 farms covering 82,000 ha. Together, these farms annually contribute around $30 million to the Region's economy (Port Phillip CALP, 1999). At a regional level the Maribyrnong River has been identified as a major corridor for wildlife which provides habitat and passage for native fish including the vulnerable Australian Grayling. The river is also a corridor for a number of bird species, including sections of riparian forest that are much depleted throughout western parts of the Region. The catchment also supports some of the last remaining areas of native grassland close to Melbourne (Port Phillip CALP, 1999). The Maribyrnong River catchment covers the largest area of the three catchments in Hume. Jackson Creek, Deep Creek and its tributary Emu Creek are the most significant streams in the catchment (see Map 4.3).

Deep Creek Deep Creek rises in the Cobaw State Forest and drains about half the total catchment of the Maribyrnong River. Like other creeks in the basin, it is not a permanently flowing stream. It is not unusual for it to cease to flow during the summer months. When it does cease flowing, however, deep pools in some reaches provide important habitat for aquatic flora and fauna (Heron, Doeg et al.).

Emu Creek Within the Hume City Council, Emu Creek is the major tributary of Deep Creek. Emu Creek drains approximately 160 sq. km and, like the Deep Creek, it also dries out during the summer months. Its major tributaries are Bolinda Creek, Main Creek and Charlies Creek (Heron et al., 2002.).

Jacksons Creek According to Heron et al., (2002), under natural conditions, Jacksons Creek, like the others in the basin, would have been a temporary flowing waterway and dried into a series of pools during low rainfall periods. However, Jacksons Creek is now a regulated waterway whos flow is partly


SRP 67

determined by releases, including specified environmental flows, from Rosslynne Reservoir, a 24,700 ML storage located just upstream of the township of Gisborne. These releases generally occur between late November and the end of April and include 7 licences totalling 203 ML/year in Jacksons Creek and, in the Maribyrnong River downstream of the Deep Creek junction, 47 licences totalling 1096 ML/year (Heron et al., 2002.).

While catchment management is overseen by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority which has established the Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS), specific management objectives have been developed by a community committee of the CMA; the Maribyrnong Catchment Committee (CC). In 1999, this group developed a Catchment Action Program (CAP) with ‘aims to promote partnerships in the catchment and to guide the development of annual works programs by agencies, local government councils, community groups and other stakeholders by identifying priorities for local action including on-ground works’ (Port Phillip CALP,1999). The CAP identified the following specific management needs of the catchment:

Pest plant and animal control Waterway management and flood protection Water quality protection Integrated land management Native vegetation and habitat protection

Within the theme of waterway management and flood protection, the CAP identified the loss and decline of native vegetation in riparian areas, modified flow regimes, bed and bank erosion and channel modification as important issues in the catchment. Specifically, the CAP noted that streams in the Maribyrnong catchment ‘have become increasingly degraded over time through activities such as clearing and grazing of riparian areas, channelisation, de-snagging and urban development’ (Port Phillip CALP, 1999, p.17). As part of its integrated approach to management of the catchment, the CAP identified several organisations that overlap in responsibility for catchment management and would be required to participate in the action program. Apart from the CMA and the CIC, these were: Melbourne Water, Local Government, NRE (DSE), EPA Victoria and Southern Rural Water. In 1995, a scientific reference panel was established to identify and prioritise flow-stressed rivers in Victoria. The panel identified eight priority rivers including the Maribyrnong River. That is, the catchment’s significant environmental values were being threatened by changes to water quality and natural flow (Heron et al., 2002). The subsequent report by Heron et al. found that the following reaches had overall moderate and high flow stress:

Jacksons Creek downstream of Rosslynne Reservoir in the Low Flow Season; Jacksons Creek at Sunbury in the Low Flow Season; Barringo Creek in the Low Flow Season and in June; Deep Creek upstream of Jacksons Creek in the Low Flow Season; Deep Creek upstream of Emu Creek in the Low Flow Season; and Emu Creek upstream of Deep Creek in the Low Flow Season.

The report also noted that a number of other flow components were identified as highly different from natural in a number of reaches, including:

Mean flow in Jacksons Creek downstream of Rosslynne Reservoir in June;


SRP 68

Median flow in Jacksons Creek downstream of Rosslynne Reservoir in the High Flow Zero flows in Deep Creek upstream of Boyd Creek.

According to the Hume City Council State of the Environment Report 2003, ‘Waterway management is a long standing and ongoing issue affecting the health or waterways in the northern part of Hume’. Central to the issue is that tributaries to Jacksons Creek, Deep Creek and Emu Creek in the upper part of the Maribyrnong Catchment are outside Melbourne Water’s jurisdiction, and have historically had no designated Waterway Management Authority to assist in managing the pressures of urbanisation (Hume City Council, 2003). Southern Rural Water (SRW) is the storage operator that regulates flow releases from Rosslynne Reservoir as requested by urban and rural customers as specified under the Bulk Entitlements. As a Licensing Authority on behalf of the Minister, SRW manages extractions including restrictions in low flow periods. No further surface water licences are to be issued. Significant gaps exist in the provision of assistance and direction to residents, developers and local government. These gaps have been identified as:

There are often no floodplain or drainage plans; There is no formal referral authority under the Planning & Environment Act for many

planning decisions (SRW and Melbourne Water are delegated to issue Works on Waterway Licences in their respective areas of control)

Little work has been done on erosion and weed control along Creeks; Little prioritisation and coordination of works; and Poor levels of funding for works on waterways.

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SRP 71

Yarra River Catchment According to the Yarra River Catchment Action Plan (Port Phillip CALP, 1998), the catchment of the Yarra River is the most populous and diverse of any major catchment in Victoria. It encompasses a variety of landscapes, from pristine bushland to the highly urban central business district of the City of Melbourne. The Yarra River is 245 kilometres long from its source in the Yarra Ranges National Park to its estuary at Port Phillip Bay. Its catchment covers 4044 square kilometres and includes sub-catchments based on the Little Yarra River, Woori Yallock Creek, Plenty River, Diamond, Merri and Gardiners Creeks. Of the 78 local government councils in Victoria and 18 of these are located in the Yarra catchment.

Merri Creek The Merri Creek forms the eastern boundary of the Hume City Council and since 1989 has been actively monitored by the Merri Creek Management Committee Incorporated. This integrated environmental management agency was formed in 1989 to create a shared vision for the Creek of between the many stakeholders of the Merri Creek Catchment. Members of the group include, the Darebin, Hume, Moreland, Whittlesea and Yarra City Councils, the Friends of Merri Creek and, from 2003, the Mitchell Shire Council. The group does not include members from the major management authorities of DSE or Melbourne Water. The Merri Creek Management Committee aims to ‘ensure the preservation, restoration, environmental protection and ecologically sensitive development and maintenance of the Merri Creek and adjoining catchment areas, with a long term aim of securing a major regional park ("the Merri Creek Parklands") with significant recreation and conservation value’ (Merri Creek Management Committee, 2004).

Werribee River Catchment Only a relatively small area of the Werribee River catchment lies within Hume but, significantly, this small area contains the headwaters of the Kororoit Creek which first appears on the slopes of Mount Holden in Sunbury. The Werribee River catchment has an area of 270,000 ha, containing 430 farms which supply agricultural produce worth around $70 million per annum. Over 100,000 ha of these plains support agricultural enterprises based on broad acre cropping and livestock. Around Bacchus Marsh and Werribee where water from the river is available for irrigation, there is intensive farming including market gardens and orchards. Six areas in the catchment are designated for water supply and together provide 25,600 ML for domestic, industry and agricultural use. Similar to the Maribyrnong Catchment, specific management objectives for the Werribee River Catchment have been developed by a Catchment Implementation Committee.

Water supply

The provision of water supply in Victoria is under the control of two types of water authorities. Urban water authorities provide water and dispose of urban and industrial waste for towns and cities, and rural water authorities supply water for non-urban water uses like irrigation and stock and domestic supply, manage public reservoirs and supply bulk water to urban water authorities. In addition, Licensing Authorities (Rural Water Authorities and Melbourne Water) regulate the ‘take & use’ of water from streams, and RWA’s similarly regulate and manage the extraction of groundwater. Urban water supply in Hume is shared between Melbourne Water and Western Water, while the regulation of rural water in the Hume City Council is under the control of Southern Rural Water.


SRP 72

Southern Rural Water operates one significant impoundment in the Maribyrnong catchment, Rosslynne Reservoir on Jacksons Creek at Gisborne. While some water from Rosslynne Reservoir is diverted into Jacksons Creek and the Maribyrnong River for local irrigation, the majority of water (86% of the total entitlement) is supplied to Western Water for non-metropolitan urban water supply. Melbourne Water operates a balancing reservoir at Greenvale (27,000 ML) to manage supply in Melbourne's west.

Water availability

In its recent green paper, Securing Our Water Future (DSE, 2003), the Victorian State government announced its intention to make significant changes to the way water is allocated for urban, industrial and rural purposes. As part of its proposed framework for sustainable water allocation the intention is to:

• Establish an environmental reserve under the Water Act 1989. • For rivers and aquifers that are not over allocated, allocation of further entitlements only

within sustainable diversion limits. • For rivers and aquifers that are over allocated and stressed:

- capping consumptive entitlements and diversions at current levels, and then - improving environmental entitlements and reducing caps

• Metering all significant water uses. (DSE, 2003)

The environmental reserve is intended to be a quantity of water in all streams in Victoria that will be allocated to the environment and will be managed on behalf of the environment by the Catchment Management Authority. There are no new licences to be issued in Victoria for diversions in summer. In some catchments, water is available for new licences for diversion in the winter and spring months. To guide the allocation of water within sustainable limits, the government has developed guidelines through the Sustainable Diversions Limit Project. Sustainable diversion limits (SDL) are upper limits on water extraction during the period July to October, beyond which, there is unacceptable risk of damage to the riverine environment (DSE, 2002). The green paper recommends that water allocation in the Werribee and Yarra catchments should be capped at current levels, to prevent further deterioration in environmental health. This would include the Maribyrnong catchment which is also highly committed, the potential diversion into Rosslynne Reservoir exceeding the sustainable diversion limit (SDL) for this catchment (as estimated from the Sustainable Diversion Limits Project) (Bill Hansen, DSE Catchment & Water Services; Personal Communication). The licensing authorities (Southern Rural Water and Melbourne Water) currently take the SDL's into account when issuing or transferring licences. No new licences are issued by SRW, although further winterfill licences have being issued by Melbourne Water on Maribyrnong River downstream of Deep Creek junction (with scope for up to a further 250ML). Table 4.1 summarises the current water allocation in the Yarra, Werribee and Maribyrnong Catchment.


SRP 73

Table 4.1 Summary of current water allocation in the Yarra, Werribee and Maribyrnong catchments.

Catchment Type of entitlement Average allocation (ML/year)

Yarra (fully allocated) Indicative environmental reserve

1 Bulk entitlements

Melbourne (not yet finalized)Unregulated licenses

Private rights2 (farm dams)Total consumptive entitlement

Total river flow

685,600

460,200 34,000 20,200 514,400

1,200,000

Werribee (fully allocated) Indicative environmental reserve

1 Bulk entitlements

Western WaterCentral Highlands Water

Southern Rural WaterUnallocated share of Lake Merrimu

Unregulated licensesPrivate rights2 (farm dams)

Total consumptive entitlementTotal river flow

104,170

7,190 590

21,810 2,020 860

10,360 42,830 147,000

Maribyrnong

Indicative environmental reserve1

Bulk entitlements - Western Water

Southern Rural WaterMelbourne Water

Unregulated licencesPrivate rights2 (farm dams)

Total consumptive entitlement

Water available for new development under the Statewide SDL's Total river flow

106,450

8,370 380

1,100 1430 7,670 18,950

0 125,400

Notes The environmental reserve is expressed here as an average annual volume and applies at the end of valley. The amount is at best indicative because a single number cannot adequately represent the various flow regimes at many different locations within the river basin which determine how effective the environmental reserve is in meeting environmental objectives at each location.

This number is an estimate of water taken under private rights (Water Act s.8(1)) from farm dams. This estimate includes dams used for commercial or irrigation purposes which are currently subject to a licensing process which is not yet completed. When completed, the numbers will be adjusted. At this stage, no estimate is available to record water taken directly from waterways under private rights.

The numbers in this table are estimates and will be verified in consultation with water authorities. Source: DSE Catchment & Water Services


SRP 74

Water Quality

The Environment Protection Authority, Victoria, (EPA) has a responsibility to protect the beneficial uses of Victoria's environment of through the employment of a range of measures. These responsibilities are outlined in the Environment Protection Act 1970. 'Beneficial uses' that impact on the use of water in Victoria are listed under the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) (see Table 4.2).

Table 4.2 Beneficial uses of water protected in Victoria. Beneficial Uses

Aquatic ecosystems that are: Largely unmodified Slightly to moderately modified Highly modified

Water suitable for: Primary contact recreation Secondary contact recreation Aesthetic enjoyment Indigenous cultural and spiritual values Non-indigenous cultural and spiritual values Agriculture and irrigation Aquaculture Industrial and commercial use Human consumption after appropriate treatment Fish, crustacean and molluscs for human consumption.

Source: State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria) Monitoring of water quality in Victoria is carried out by a range of organisations, including EPA, Victoria and the Department of Sustainability. Since 1996 a project has been underway to consolidate all water quality data in Victoria's Water Resources Data Warehouse. Currently, in the Data Warehouse there are 7 active monitoring sites within, or adjacent to Hume (see Map 4.4).

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SRP 76

Water quality in Victoria is monitored using the presence of physico-chemical measures such as nitrogen, conductivity and turbidity. Water quality is also regularly assessed through the assessment of biological quality using the AUSRIVAS biological protocol. Additionally, an Index of Stream Condition has been developed and applied to streams within Hume. A state wide snapshot of stream condition using this method was carried out in 1996, while Melbourne Water has carried out its own assessment of stream condition within its drainage area using this methodology. In Map 4.5 this data has been consolidated to produce a map of stream condition for Hume.

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SRP 78

4.2 GROUNDWATER

Groundwater is one of the largest sources of freshwater. As water from precipitation penetrates the soil surface, excess water percolates downwards finally reaching a level where all the spaces between soil particles are saturated with water. This level is known as the water table and the area below it as the saturated zone. Water located in the soils saturated zone or within the bedrock below is known as groundwater. The value of groundwater as an alternative to surface water supply is becoming increasingly important. The effects of salinisation are a major threat to this use of groundwater, and an important environmental issue in Australia. Salinisation is often caused by the rising of groundwater levels in the soil, bringing salts in the soil to the surface and, in turn allowing the filtering of salts back down into the groundwater. Other environmental issues involving groundwater include pollution and subsidisation (Nott, 1998). According to Nott (1998), management of groundwater resources should:

• Ensure sustainable use of groundwater resources • Minimise pollution or contamination from surface sources such as industry • Promote no or minimal rise in watertable levels, reducing the risk of salinity in the area • Promote vegetation retention and revegetation in groundwater recharge areas • Prevent inappropriate development in areas affected by groundwater salinity

As part of the National Land and Water Resources Audit (2004), groundwater management units were mapped for the whole of Victoria. These units represent discrete aquifers at the regional scale (see Map 4.7). They do not represent the smaller scale complexity that might characterise groundwater flow in Hume.

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SRP 80

Groundwater Levels and Usage (bores)

Allocation of groundwater is managed by State Government agencies. In the Hume region, Southern Rural Water is responsible for the allocation and management of groundwater. The quantity of groundwater allocated for use each year has been established through estimates of the sustainable yield, within each Groundwater Management Area. These estimates must be declared by the Minister for Water as Permissible Annual Volumes, and serve to assist in the allocation of groundwater and may indicate when protection and monitoring of groundwater should be increased. Map 4.8 shows the distribution of historical bores in the Hume and their depth. There have been a large number of bores dug in the Hume, most of these for stock and domestic purposes, although only irrigation and commercial bores are actively monitored. In addition, the State Observation Bore Network monitors groundwater levels at selected points. Map 4.9 shows those bores which are currently monitored.

Groundwater Quality

The quality of groundwater involves measurements of both suspended material in the water (such as soils) and dissolved material (such as salts and other chemicals). The salinity of water is often used as a measure of quality and suitability of the water for different uses. There are two main methods of determining the salt content of water. Total dissolved salts (TDS) is measured by evaporating a known volume of water and weighing the remaining salt. Electrical Conductivity (EC) is measured using an EC meter and measures the current flowing in the water (Anderson and Cummings, 1999). Higher EC measurements indicate a stronger current flow and therefore more dissolved salt in the water. The analysis of groundwater data involves the establishment of background levels of suspected pollutants and the determination of trend. That is, what are natural levels, and is it getting better or worse? To answer these questions there is a need for historical data. Groundwater volume and water quality variables fluctuate as a natural response to variation in rainfall and soil and rock chemistry. The mapped data presented here (Map 4.9), indicate that there are insufficient actively monitored groundwater bores in Hume to reliably state groundwater quality or indicate the likelihood of rising groundwater levels. Maps 4.10 and 4.11 represent modelled groundwater levels. That is, they are an estimation of groundwater levels, and likely salinity risk. This data was constructed for the National Land and Water Resources Audit and is an estimate based on historical data and evidence from analysis of regional topography.

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SRP 85

LANDFORMS 5.1 REGIONAL GEOLOGY

Throughout geologic history, various tectonic events have occurred resulting in the folding, faulting and deformation of the Earth’s crust. Constant erosion and deposition has shaped the Earth’s surface resulting in the deposition of a variety of igneous and sedimentary geological layers. Table 5.1 lists the various geological ages some of which are referred to below.

Table 5.1 Geological Time Scale Era Period Epoch Approximate Age

(million of years) Canoizoic Quaternary Recent 0.01

Pleistocene 1.8 Tertiary Pliocene 5 Miocene 25 Oligocene 35 Eocene 55 Palaeocene 65

Mesozoic Cretaceous 140 Jurassic 200 Triassic 250

Palaeozoic Permian 290 Carboniferous 370 Devonian 410 Silurian 440 Ordovician 500 Cambrian 570

Precambrian There is no outcropping in Victoria The ancient Precambrian rocks that form the basement of the Australian continent have not been found to outcrop in Victoria. The oldest known rocks are of Cambrian origin and are approximately 550 million years old. They form narrow but well defined belts or axes, and are composed of highly altered sediments and basaltic rocks called "Greenstones". These outcrop in several areas, and are readily accessible at Mt. William (Lancefield, Macedon Ranges Shire Council). The Early Palaeozoic was also the timing for a number of episodes of igneous activity, as well as the deposition of Palaeozoic marine sediments within the Tasman Geosyncline; a major basin extending over the majority of eastern Australia. The most extensive Early Palaeozoic beds, in the Victorian part of the Tasman Geosyncline comprise Ordovician and Late Cambrian shales, slates and fine grained sandstones. The Early Silurian Benambran Orogeny, folded the Ordovician beds of the Ballarat and Wagga Troughs, and was followed by rapid deposition in the Melbourne Troughs and in the newly formed Buchan and Grampians Troughs. The Melbourne Trough deposition occurred in the form of alternating sandstones and mudstones that reached many thousands of metres in thickness. During the late Devonian and the Early Carboniferous Periods granitic rocks intruded into the Ballarat and Melbourne Troughs. While extensive extrusions of lava formed the Dandenong and


SRP 86

Macedon Ranges. Further the subsidence of large cauldrons resulted in the deposition of massive lavas in the Acheron and Marysville areas. Late in the Tertiary Period and continuing into the Quaternary Period (in the Cainozoic Era) volcanism increased due to the separation of the Australian and Antarctic continental plates. This resulted in the deposition of one of the World's great basalt plains in the Western region of Victoria, termed the Newer Volcanics Province. This province is characterised by approximately 250 eruption points and lava flows. This extensive volcanic activity extended from approximately 6 million years ago to as recently as 1,400 years ago at Mt Gambia in nearby South Australia. Several types of lava flows occurred including sheet flows ands constricted flows along valleys (as seen in the Melbourne Hills near Lancefield). Irregular and chaotic Stony Rises occupy large areas of the basalt plains. Numerous volcanic cones dot the landscape with scoria cones being the most common (e.g.; Mt. Elephant, Mt Napier and Mt Noorat). The majority of the elevation is below 250 m above sea level. Hume is predominantly covered by Newer Volcanics (Map 5.1) and is located in the Macedon-Trentham Province of the Newer Volcanics Province. It is dominated by basaltic and felsic lava flows, scoria cones and mounds approximately 6-7 Million years old. The lava fields in the Lancefield-Sunbury areas were deposited from small lava and lava-scoria cones. Table 5.2 describes the key geological features depicted on Map 5.1 within Hume.

Table 5.2 Descriptions of Geology in Hume

Unit Name Age Description Lithology Bulla Adamellite Devonian Igneous (Intrusive) Granite

Dargile Formation Silurian Sedimentary (Marine) Siltstone, thin-bedded sandstone

Deep Creek Siltstone Silurian Sedimentary (Marine)

Siltstone, thin-bedded, minor sandstone, conglomerate

Fluvial gravels, silts and sands Quaternary Sedimentary (Non-

Marine) Alluvium, gravel, sand, silt

Newer Volcanics Quaternary Igneous (Extrusive) Tholeiitic to alkaline basalts, minor scoria and ash

Older Volcanics Tertiary Igneous (Extrusive) Tholeiitic and minor alkaline basalts

Riddell Sandstone Ordovician Sedimentary (Marine)

Sandstone, thin to thick bedded, shale, mudstone, minor

conglomerate Springfield Sandstone + Chintin Formation Silurian Sedimentary

(Marine) Sandstone, thick to thin bedded,

siltstone, conglomerate Upper Devonian

Granite Devonian Igneous (Intrusive) Granite

Undifferentiated Ordovician Sedimentary (Marine) Sandstone, shale, mudstone

Anderson Creek Formation Silurian Sedimentary

(Marine) Sandstone, thick to thin bedded,

siltstone, minor conglomerate Brighton Gp/

Moorabool Viaduct Sd/ Hanson Plain

Sand Tertiary Sedimentary (Non-

Marine) Gravel, sand, silt

Source: GIS Layer (vic_geol_poly_z55), Geological Survey of Victoria

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SRP 88

5.2 GEOMORPHOLOGICAL OR GEOLOGICAL SITES

Geomorphological or Geological sites of significance are sites that represent a specific characteristic of a region, or includes an outstanding, rare or unique geological or geomorphological feature (VRO, 2004). These sites are of primary interest to research and teaching in the earth sciences, and enable an understanding of the composition, origin and dynamics of the physical landscape of the area. The Geological Society of Australia regularly assesses the significance of geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest (VRO, 2004). Specifically, geological features identify sites that have significance to the study of the structure of the Earth and the processes responsible for its creation. Geomorphology on the other hand, is a study of the features of the Earth's surface and the processes that created landforms. Sites of geological and geomorphological scientific significance in Hume are shown in Map 5.1.The significance of sites in Hume, fall into the following categories: state, regional, local and unknown. The sites have been identified in the Minerals and Petroleum Sites Database from the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. Table A5, Appendix 1 summarises the major sites of geological and geomorphological significance in Hume. The table shows the name of the site, provides a short description of the site, the size category of the site, the site’s significance and the management status of the site.

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5.2

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Site

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and

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Sign

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SRP 90

5.3 TOPOGRAPHY

The topography of Hume is dominated by undulating volcanic and stony volcanic plains with deeply incised rivers. Map 5.3 shows an exaggerated relief map of Hume. While this map is mostly for illustrative purposes, a more complex analysis of slopes was undertaken to highlight the unique distribution of slopes that characterise the Hume landscape. The slope analysis used a Digital Elevation Model of the Hume area with a resolution of 25 metres. The Digital Elevation Model consists of a picture formed from an array of square cells; much like a television screen is made of an array of pixels. Each cell has a value for the altitude at that location. Using Geographic Information System technology this basic information can be used to produce maps of slope; that is the vertical change between one cell and its neighbour, and using a more sophisticated process, it can be used model the way sunlight casts shadows across this digital terrain. The result of this model shadow is clear in Map 5.3. Map 5.4 shows the results of the more complex slope analysis, illustrating the range of slopes in Hume. Clearly the steeper slopes are mostly near waterways. More specifically, 5.5 highlights areas of critical slope, 18 degrees and over. These critical slopes represent a significant concern for the all types of development within Hume. Steep slopes also provide high levels of visual amenity; properties with views from escarpments and other vantage points are sought after for residential development. However, steep slopes also represent a significant risk of soil erosion. Visual inspection of such residential development shows that soil erosion is currently a widespread problem on these slopes.

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Map

5.3

Sh

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rel

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from

the

25m

Dig

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tion

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(Sca

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)

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Sl

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Anal

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Map

5.5

Cr

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HUME FREEWAY

DA

LRYM

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MELBOURNE-LANCEFIELD ROAD

MICKLEHAM ROAD

HUME HIGHWAY

VINEYARD ROAD

SUNBU

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This

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:250

00.


SRP 94

5.4 SOIL ANALYSIS

Introduction

A study of the green wedge area of Hume was conducted to investigate soils as a basis for mapping soil types at a scale of 1:100,000, and assessing their potential for dryland cropping and irrigated cropping.

Published soil surveys relevant to Hume

Two soil surveys have been conducted which cover most of the green wedge area of Hume. Jeffery (1981) reported a survey of land to the north of Melbourne which included Hume. Jeffery’s landsystem map was printed at a scale of 1:250,000. It was not reported if field observation intensity was sufficient or in excess of that needed (this is estimated from the mapping scale and the complexity of the land). Jeffery (1981) stated that the boundaries of some map units were arbitrarily drawn given the difficulties in distinguishing between some landsystems. Ninety five soil profiles were described, but only one is described and presented in the published report from Hume. White and Kelynack (1985) published a survey of 230,000 ha of the semi-rural fringe of Melbourne, at a scale of 1:25,000. Their survey includes the rural areas of Hume. Their survey was substantially based on aerial photo interpretation since they had limited resources for field work and soil analyses. These authors caution the reader about the statistical deficiencies of the published report. It is not known if any soil samples used as reference samples by White and Kelynack (1985) for soil types mapped in Hume originated from Hume. Table 5.1 and Map 5.5 outline landsystems identified by Jefferey, while, Table 5.2 and Map 5.6 outline soil types identified by White and Kelynack.

Table 5.3 Landsystems in Hume from Jeffery (1981)

Landsystem Area (ha)

Geological period Landform pattern

Dominant soil(s)

Monegeeta 4,657

Pleistocene basalt Lava plain with volcanic cones

Mottled yellow, grey sodic duplex* soils, coarse structure

Mickleham 10,065 Pleistocene basalt Lava plain with volcanic cones

Mottled yellow, grey sodic duplex soils, coarse structure

Wollert 313 Pleistocene basalt Lava plain with stony rises

Shallow stony red gradational soils

Maribyrnong 892 Pleistocene basalt Lava plain with volcanic cones

Red calcareous sodic duplex soils, coarse structure

Footscray 9,997 Pleistocene with Lava plain Grey calcareous sodic


SRP 95

deposits from Silurian sedimentary rock and Devonian igneous rock

clay soils, coarse structure

Sunbury 4,657 Ordovician sedimentary rock

Low hills Mottled yellow, brown sodic duplex soils, coarse structure, and shallow stony gradational soils

Greenvale 3,804 Devonian granodiorite Low hills Brown sodic duplex soils, coarse structure

Darraweit Guim 2,764 Silurian sedimentary rock

Low hills Mottled yellow, brown sodic duplex soils, coarse structure

Marnong 576 Silurian sedimentary rock

Plain Yellow sodic duplex soils, coarse structure

*Duplex soils have a strong contrast in texture between the surface soil and the sub-surface soil in which the change in texture between the two occurs over a depth of less than 10 cm. In contrast, gradational soils either do not have a strong texture contrast or the change in texture occurs over a depth greater than 10 cm, and uniform soils have little change in texture. In Hume, the surface soil of Duplex soils is clay loam or lighter, and the sub-surface soil is light medium clay or heavier.

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Map

5.6

La

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in H

ume

from

Jef

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(198

1)

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1.Ba

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Libr

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DSE

.

Editi

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No:

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Sys

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981)


SRP 97

Table 5.4 Soil types in Hume from White and Kelynack (1985)

Soil type

Area (ha)

Brief description Landscape Parent material

3 4 Deep friable stratified loams Terraces of the Werribee River

Quaternary alluvium

4 172 a) Deep gradational soils with a bleached A2 horizon often present, or b) Deep, often gravelly, duplex and gradational soils with mottling at depth

a) Upper terraces of the Deep, Emu and Konagaderra Creeks, or b) Terraces of drainage lines of the Deep, Emu and Konagaderra Creeks and the Maribynong River

Quaternary alluvium

10 1,337 a) Deep, medium duplex soils with an A2 horizon* that may be bleached, or b) Moderately deep, well structured gradational soils

Alluvial plains and drainage lines receiving alluvium from Silurian or Ordivician sedimentary rock

Quaternary alluvium

11 76 Deep, well structured duplex soils with a friable surface

Alluvial plains of the Plenty River

Quaternary alluvium

16 4 Deep, well structured duplex soils

Plain representing an intergrade zone between the Werribee delta and neighbouring lava plain covered in loess

Quaternary pulludium

17 694 A complex of deep duplex and uniform soils. A2 horizons and calcareous inclusions may occur

Drainage lines of lava plains

Quaternary alluvium of basaltic origin

18 130 Deep, strongly structured uniform saline clays

Terraces and drainage lines near Kororoit and Donnybrook

Quaternary alluvium of basaltic origin

19 189 Deep, structured mottled yellow and yellow-grey alluvial duplex soils

Terraces and drainage lines of Greenvale, Oaklands Junction, Berwick and Pakenham

Quaternary alluvium of granitic origin

22 2 Moderately deep to deep non-coherent acidic sands

Dunes and sand sheets of Chelsea, Keysborough and Carrum Downs

Pleistocene aeolian deposits

25 1,265 Moderately deep heavy plastic cracking clays

Lava plains of Woodstock, Wollert and Mill Park

Early Quaternary and Late Tertiary basalt

26 19,920 A complex of deep well structured duplex or gradational soils of basaltic origin

Lava plains of Port Phillip catchment

Early Quaternary and Late Tertiary basalt

27 553 Deep, well structured gradational and duplex soils

Lava plains west and south of Sunbury

Early Quaternary and Late Tertiary


SRP 98

Soil type

Area (ha)

Brief description Landscape Parent material

which are calcareous at depth

basalt

28 12 Moderately deep self-mulching cracking clays

Lava plains near Diamond Creek and Maribynong River

Tertiary basalt

34 12 Moderately deep to deep duplex soils which often exhibit a bleached A2 horizon

Low hills of the Shire of Eltham

Silurian or Devonian sedimentary rock

35 13 Deep friable well structured gradational and duplex soils

Low hills of Kinglake Silurian or Devonian sedimentary rock

36 7,367 Shallow to deep gradational soils with loamy topsoils overlying gritty clay subsoils

Low hills of Toolern Vale and Sunbury

Ordovician sedimentary rock

38 2,595 A complex of deep well structured duplex soils with clayey subsoils

Low hills of Bulla, Greenvale, Oaklands Junction, Westmeadows, Konagaderra, South Morang

Devonian Granodiorite

*Lower part of the surface soil (A horizon). A1 horizon is the upper part. The two are differentiated by the A1 horizon being darker, it having more organic matter and roots. The sub-surface soil is the B horizon and is differentiated from the A horizon by being more clayey. Soils in their natural state, have at least an A1 horizon and may or may not have an A2 horizon or B horizon.

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Map

5.7

So

il ty

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in H

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repo

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Type

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0 3 4 10 11 16 17 18 19

22 25 26 27 28 34 35 36 38

Whi

te a

nd K

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ack

(198

5)


SRP 100

Methods

Investigative activities included collation and examination of the above reports, aerial photography and radiometry. Field work was also undertaken. Most effort was focused on the major soil types that had previously been reported in Hume. Soil types of minor extent were only examined where circumstances allowed. It is conceded that some minor soil types, especially those which occur on alluvial plains and terraces, may have greater agricultural potential or versatility than the major soils types of Hume. However, at the scale of 1:100,000 as used for this study, small areas, i.e. < 20 ha, or thin linear areas, i.e. < 300 m, are ignored. Field work consisted of in situ description of soils and classification of the landscape in which the soils were set (MacDonald et al. 1990). The map below illustrates the sampling of the study area (Map 5.6). Field work utilised auger holes, land surface condition, road cuttings, dams and earth works. Detailed soil descriptions were limited to auger holes in paddocks or undisturbed roadside reservations. Soil descriptions were limited to soil colour (moist), field texture, horizon classification and horizon boundary distinctness. This allowed classification of the soil types to the level of division using the Factual Key (Northcote, 1979) for comparison with previous surveys. Further analysis based on samples taken from pits is needed to classify these soils using the Australian Soil Classification (Isbell, 1996), and to indicate their fertility and hydraulic properties.

Map 5.8 Observat ion Points and Soi l Sampling si tes in Hume


SRP 101

Assessment of reports of Jeffery (1981) and White and Kelynack (1985)

Many areas in the maps of the reports by Jeffery (1981) and White and Kelynack (1985) need improvements as does the soil data base used to provide information about soils in each map unit. While at the time of publication, both surveys had sufficient chemical and physical data for their purpose, they are now deficient in terms of their range of soil analyses. The wider range of crops used in today’s agriculture demands a wider range of soil fertility analyses. Furthermore, new research has shown traditional crops have been limited by previously unknown soil factors. For example, boron analyses were not undertaken by Jeffery (1981) and White and Kelynack (1985) and it has become suspected that boron toxicity may limit cereal and grape production on the western plains of Melbourne. Data on soil hydraulic properties and moisture retention is needed to assess salinity risk posed by irrigated agriculture. Obviously, the arbitrary drawing of map unit boundaries by Jeffery (1981) to differentiate land systems of similar geologies needs improvement. However, Jeffery (1981) separated the basalt land systems on rockiness of the land surface and stoniness of the soils, amongst other characteristics, which is valuable given their impact on agricultural potential. The assignment of soil types to map units can be questioned in several instances in the maps published by White and Kelynack (1985). Here are some examples:

• Soil types 3, 11, 16 and 22, are described from landform/soil type combinations associated with areas outside Hume. For instance, soil type 22 represents aeolian sand deposits, i.e. sand dunes, related to the Carrum Swamp.

• Several map units assigned soil type 10 would have soils whose parent material would be derived from basalt rather than the stated sedimentary rock, given that these map units represent drainage lines exclusively draining lava plains, e.g. most of Longview Creek.

• Radiometric data suggests that some map units are incorrectly assigned soil type 36 when they should be a soil type associated with basalt.

• Extensive areas of some map units associated with sedimentary rock are drawn so as to represent lava plains. Radiometry and on-ground inspection suggest that they need to be redrawn.

• Several map units in the parishes of Mickleham and Kalkallo are assigned soil type 25, a cracking clay. Field inspection suggests that all or some parts of these map units are not cracking clays.

Volcanoes were not mapped by Jeffery (1981) or White and Kelynack (1985). Field work suggests separation of volcanoes would be valuable since their agricultural potential contrasts with the surrounding lava plain. Despite the above, these reports make contributions to knowledge of the landscape of Hume. They provide a useful starting point from which to improve the knowledge of soils in Hume and their fitness for sustainable agricultural production.

Soils in relation to geology and geomorphology

The soils, geology and geomorphology of Hume are dominated by four features: a) the products of volcanic activity, b) low hills of sedimentary rock, c) low hills of granodiorite and d) the incised drainage system. Of these four, the products of volcanic activity dominate the landscape.


SRP 102

Lava has flowed from volcanoes and fissures in and around Hume. Volcanic activity was not consistent. For example, soils formed on older flows have been covered by newer flows. The basalt on the land surface is between 2.28 and 2.85 million years old (Price et al. 2003). Prominent volcanoes are still evident today in Hume, e.g. Mount Holden, Fitzgerald Hill, Red Rock Hill, Bald Hill at Sunbury, Bald Hill at Kalkallo. Also, there are several unnamed hills which may be related to unrecognised eruption points. Volcanoes differ in age and composition, i.e. lava versus lava-scoria. Some volcanoes are different to their surrounding lava plain. In terms of soil parent material, basalt from sheet and tongue flows of lava is the main and most important product from eruptions in Hume. The topography of Hume was greatly altered by lava. Lava flowed over marine sedimentary rock (Ordovician and Silurian) and granodiorite (Devonian), and down drainage lines. Lava cooled and solidified into basalt. Rivers and streams changed course, sometimes to flow down the side of the basalt sheet or tongue, sometimes cutting new courses across new terrain whether it be country rock or basalt. High points such as hills would have protruded through the lava and some still do, e.g. Gellibrand Hill. Sedimentary rock was more susceptible to weathering than basalt, and it has eroded away, sometimes to levels below the lava plain. In places, incision by water erosion has cut through, and undercut, the basalt sheet, resulting in deeply incised valleys. Some deeply incised valleys have steep slopes with basalt cliffs overhanging the steep slope. Some of the areas of the lava plain which abut or once abutted sedimentary or granodiorite hills are overlain by alluvial and colluvial deposits of weathered material from these hills. Wind blown material also covers some areas of the lava plain. The surface of the lava flows were originally rough, often had no defined drainage lines and would have been covered by ejecta from explosive eruptions, e.g. tuff, scoria, lava bombs, fragments of country rock, and loose lava fragments that are part of the lava flow. Soils formed on the surface of this landscape still have loose rocks on the surface and within the profile where insufficient time has passed to completely weather away the loose rocks. The amount of outcrop, loose surface stone and “floaters” within the soil profile varies across Hume, as do the characteristics of basalt rock fragments such as size and spatial distribution. Surface rock, rock outcrops and floaters, limit cultivation on the lava plains between Jacksons Creek and Deep Creek (Figure 5.1). Some areas have been rock picked to facilitate cultivation. There is also a low broad rocky ridge, which more or less joins Bald Hill to Mount Ridley and then Mount Ridley to a hill (probably an unrecognised eruption point) at Mickelham, where little cultivation can occur. The ridge is bisected by a drain to Merri Creek. Its different parts may represent lava flows from these eruption points. There is also considerable rock in the terrain to the east of Kalkallo, between the Hume Highway and Merri Creek. All of these areas are limited to grazing.

Figure 5.1 Rocky Paddock at Wildwood


SRP 103

Many of the volcanoes are characterised by their rock outcrops and soils which contrast with the surrounding lava plains. For example, Mount Holden consists of a basalt rock cap (originally the lava in the crater) in which most of the slopes have been eroded away or excavated to expose the underlying Ordivician sedimentary rock (Figure 5.2). A road cut into the northern mid-slope of Fitzgerald Hill demonstrates the variation in composition of the volcanoes (Figure 5.3).

Figure 5.2 A Cutting at the Sunbury Landfill and Waste Recycling Centre

A cutting at the Sunbury landfill and waste recycling centre, showing scoria (material above tape) and sedimentary rock (material under tape). The white part of the sedimentary rock could be the lower part of an ancient soil.


SRP 104

Figure 5.3 Fitzgerald Hill, Sunbury

The cutting of Mundy Road, Sunbury into the mid slope of Fitzgerald Hill has exposed basalt (dark blue rock) and scoria (red unconsolidated material). Note the void in the basalt is the upper part of a volcanic vent, partly filled with scoria (grey material below void). Note also the rocky skyline and the thin layer of soil.

Soil development

Soils developed from basalt contain little sand. Generally, such soils are clay throughout the soil profile. In contrast, soils developed from granodiorite and sedimentary rock contain quartz sand and usually have a coarse textured surface soil (A horizon) overlying a finer textured, i.e. more clayey, sub-surface soil (B horizon). The sand in the soils derived from marine sediments tends to be finer in size than the sand in soils developed from granodiorite. Soils developed on the lava plains which have sand in the A horizon, show the influence of sediments from these neighbouring geologies. Soils develop in areas of the landscape where deposition occurs tend to be variable. In particular, the geology of the walls of the incised valleys may be sedimentary rock but the soil may be the product of basalt derived clay, spilling from the plain above. Soils developed on the alluvial terraces in the same incised valleys may contain more material from erosion of land upstream of Hume than the immediate vicinity or from up-slope.


SRP 105

Soil types

Most soil types in the green wedge are associated with basalt. For example, Jeffery (1981) identified 25,900 ha of soils and land systems associated with basalt, while White and Kelynack (1985) mapped 22,400 ha of soil types associated with basalt. The next most common soil types/land systems were those associated with marine sedimentary rock; Jeffrey (1981) estimated these occupied 8,000 ha while White and Kelynack (1985) mapped 9,800 ha, followed by soils associated with granodiorite; Jeffrey (1981) estimated these occupied 3,800 ha while White and Kelynack (1985) mapped 2,800 ha. There are smaller areas of soils associated with drainage lines and alluvial deposits. These have been mapped by White and Kelynack (1985) but many are too small to be mapped here (total area estimated to be 1,700 ha). The main soil types are outlined below. A brief description of a soil profile is provided to illustrate their characteristics. Finally, broad comments on their agricultural potential are given.

Uniform soils on lava plains

These soils are found on gently undulating or level lava plains. They are clay throughout the soil profile. They crack when dry. Generally, they have hard surfaces, although at the edge of lava flows, they are self mulching. Many examples have gilgai surfaces (a land surface with humps and hollows). Depth of soil profiles are variable as is the depth to rock. When wet, these soils expand so that water infiltration is very slow, drainage is poor and the soil is anaerobic. Site 1: Hume Highway, Kalkallo.

A1 0-25 cm 10YR3/2, Light medium clay, gradual change to A3 25-55 cm 10YR3/2, Medium clay, gradual change to B21 55-85 cm 10YR3/2, Mottled (10YR3/6), Medium heavy clay,

diffuse change to B22 85-115

cm 10YR3/2, Mottled (10YR3/6), Medium heavy clay, diffuse change to

C 115-150 cm

10YR5/3, Medium heavy clay, (end of core)

Agricultural potential in these soils is limited by their rockiness (abundance of rock outcrops), the abundance of coarse fragments (i.e. mineral particles > 2 mm) such as basalt boulders in the soil profile, their high clay content and their poor drainage. For example, much of the lava plain containing these soils in Wildwood, is not cultivated because of the abundance of basalt boulders on the surface and in the soil profile. In contrast, rock free areas of this plain and the rock free lava plains north of Sunbury and can be cultivated. Poor drainage, due to the clayey texture and gentle slopes, makes these soils prone to waterlogging. Crops and pastures which do not tolerate anaerobic soil conditions are at risk of failure in wet winters. Such soils are unsuitable for irrigation without measures to improve drainage.


SRP 106

Duplex soils on the lava plains

These soils are found on gently undulating or level lava plains. In contrast to the uniform soils, these have fine sandy clay loam A horizons overlying medium clay B horizons. The fine sand in the A horizon indicates that these soils may consist of uniform soils, as described above, overlain and buried by sediments eroded from neighbouring sedimentary and granitic rock. The lighter textured A horizon will provide more hospitable aeration conditions where water can be drained from the soil. The iron staining of root channels in the A horizon, and the bleached lower part of this horizon in some sites, indicates that a perched watertable sits above the B horizon in the lower part of the A horizon, i.e. the internal drainage of the soil is restricted. Site 81: Wildwood Road, Wildwood (Opposite Wildwood CFA station). A1 0-5 cm 10YR3/2, Clay loam (fine sandy), clear change to A21 5-10 cm 10YR5/2, Fine sandy clay loam, abrupt change to A22 10-15 cm 10YR4/2, Fine sandy clay loam, clear change to B21 15-60 cm 10YR4/3, Medium clay, gradual change to B22 60-80 cm 10YR4/3, Medium clay, diffuse change to C 80-90 cm 2.5Y5/2, Medium clay, (end of core)

Jeffrey (1981) provided similar descriptions of these soil types but put the surface texture in a coarser class, i.e. loam or sandy loam. White and Kelynack (1985) reported that the surface texture generally was clay loam or silty clay loam. These soils are difficult to distinguish from the uniform soils described above. Extensive field work would be required to map the boundaries separating these two soil types since they are not easily to separate using topography, radiometry and aerial photography. This would be worthwhile since the duplex soils have greater agricultural potential then the uniform soils. Agricultural potential of this soil type is limited by rockiness, the basalt boulders in and on the soil profile, and poor drainage. Rock limits the usefulness of this soil type in the same way as uniform soils on the lava plains. Poor drainage in these soils could be improved by improving surface drainage. Stony examples of this soil type with a deeper A horizon, support open woodlands of red gums in Mickleham. In contrast, anecdotal comment from a landholder in Wildwood, indicated that the establishment of eucalypt seedlings in uniform soils or duplex soils with shallower A horizons is likely to fail. Rock free examples, with deep A horizons are used for cereal cropping. Where drainage limitations are addressed, they may have potential for more intensive cropping.

Duplex soils on volcanoes

Soils on the slopes, summits and craters of volcanoes are variable since the process and material which forms the volcano varies. Each volcano would require separate sampling to properly map soil types. However, both sites sampled, on the slopes of Bald Hill at Kalkallo, and Fitzgerald Hill at Sunbury, were similar in that they were strongly structured and had clay loam A horizons over clay B horizons. Soils on volcanoes may be better drained and less prone to waterlogging than the soils on the lava plains.


SRP 107

Site 2: cnr. Gums Gully Road and Hume Highway, Kalkallo. A 0-25 cm 10YR2/1, Clay loam, clear change to B21 25-45 cm 7.5YR2/1, Medium clay, gradual change to B22 45-60 cm 10YR2/1, Medium clay, (end of core)

Agricultural potential of this soil type is limited by rockiness and slope. Where examples of this soil type are not rocky, or too steep for agricultural vehicles, they are much more versatile than soils of the lava plains, since they are likely to be well drained and their clay texture will retain nutrients and moisture. The slopes of several volcanoes near Sunbury have been, and are currently, being planted with grapes; an irrigated crop requiring good drainage.

Gradational soils on marine sediments

These soils are found on low hills of the Ordivician and Silurian sedimentary rock of marine origin, and vary with topographic position and their history of soil erosion. Generally, they have clay loam (very fine sandy) or clay loam fine sandy A horizons overlying clay loam or light clay (fine sandy) B horizons. The boundary between the two may be clear or gradual. Soils on crests are shallower than those on slopes and drainage lines. In many instances, sheet erosion of soil has stripped away the soil and deposited sediment in drainage lines remote from the site, or further down the slope. Some areas of these soils are completely stripped away to expose bare rock. Others, for example, footslopes, have deep A horizons and may have clay B horizons with a clear boundary between the two, in which case these are duplex soils. Thus, depth to bedrock varies and bedrock can outcrop. Generally, these soils are shallow. Site 73: Old Sydney Road, Mickleham.

A1 0-17 cm 10YR3/1, Clay loam (very fine sandy), clear change to A3 17-40 cm 10YR3/2, Light clay (very fine sandy), gradual change to B2 40-65 cm 10YR5/6, Mottled (10YR6/5, 10YR3/2) Light medium clay, sharp

change to rock Agricultural potential of this soil type is limited by the shallow depth of the soil, steep slopes and the risk of tunnel, sheet and gully erosion. Iron staining of the A1 horizon indicates that these soils are prone to waterlogging in winter. Most are not cultivated and are used for grazing or remain under native vegetation. The site described above was next to a eucalypt windbreak where deep ripping was done prior to planting, to improve rooting depth. Where ripping was not done, growth of some species had been limited by the lack of rooting depth. There is some potential for grape production where it is desired to stress grapes for the purposes of affecting juice quality and hence the style of wine. However, considerable care is needed in utilising these soils given the risk of water erosion in these soils.

Duplex soils on granodiorite

These soils are found on low hills of Devonian granodiorite.

Generally, these soils have sandy clay loam A horizons overlying sandy clay B horizons. The boundary between the two horizons may be clear or sharp. The lower part of the A horizon may be bleached. Depth to bedrock varies and rock can outcrop, as torrs, in some areas. The depth and texture of the A horizon varies. White and Kelynack (1985) reported that depth of the soil profile can range from 50 cm to beyond 150 cm and gave typical profile descriptions where A horizon depth varied from 20 cm to 80 cm. Jeffrey (1981) classified the surface texture in a coarser class,


SRP 108

i.e. sandy loam, while White and Kelynack (1985) reported that the texture of the A horizon ranged from clayey coarse sand to loamy sand to coarse sandy loam. The nature of the A horizon at any site will affected by erosion history. Jeffery (1981) reported that near the lava plains, the B horizon is similar to the lava plain soils, i.e. less sandy and greyer in colour, suggesting that such examples of this soil type are developed from granodiorite derived colluvial material overlaying material developed from basalt. Site 94: Dunhelen Lane, Greenvale. A11 0-3 cm , Sandy clay loam, abrupt change to A12 3-21 cm , Light clay (coarse sandy), abrupt change to A2 21-25 cm , Light clay (coarse sandy), sharp change to B21 25-45 cm , Mottled (Yellow, Black), Coarse sandy clay, diffuse change to B22 45-54 cm , Medium clay, (end of hole)

Agricultural potential of this soil type is less limited than the soils developed on sedimentary rock or lava plains. Slopes are not as steep in most areas of this soil type. Apart from small areas of torrs, rocks and drainage are less limiting. There is a risk of sheet and gully erosion in these soils especially in steep areas or in bare fallow.

Soils developed in incised drainage lines

These soils are mainly developed from recent colluvial and alluvial sediments on the flats and slopes of incised drainage lines. They exist on land surfaces below or downstream of the land surfaces occupied by the above soil types. Important soil forming factors include topographic position, erosion/deposition history and origin of sediment deposited on-site. These factors are more important than underlying bedrock in contrast to the soil types above. Deeply incised drainage lines have cut through basalt sheet underlying the lava plain. Soil types change over short distances. In deeply incised drainage lines, such as Jacksons Creek and Deep Creek, erosion has often under cut the basalt sheet. Valley slopes are often steep along these two creeks. Soils on their valley slopes often have considerable amounts of colluvial material more derived from the basalt up-slope, than the underlying sedimentary bedrock. Similarly, valley flats, terraces and alluvial plains in the deeply incised drainage lines have a mix of colluvial and alluvial material derived from basalt and sedimentary rock. Furthermore, sediments on the terraces and alluvial plains along Deep Creek and Jacksons Creek are in part, derived from land outside Hume. Mapping such variations in soil types within drainage lines of Hume at a scale of 1:100,000 is beyond the scope of this study. Agricultural potential of the strongly incised drainage lines are often limited by steep slopes and rocks rather than by soil type. Overhanging basalt makes some areas of these drainage systems, dangerous. Also, many slopes are too steep for pedestrians and animals, let alone agricultural vehicles. Such slopes are unsuitable for nearly all agricultural enterprises, including pastoral enterprises. The variation in soil types on along slopes and flats of low enough grade for agricultural vehicles, makes it difficult to assess agricultural potential based on soil type alone. Utilising the surveys of Jeffery (1981) and White and Kelynack (1985) to assess soil types in incised drainage lines requires further field work. White and Kelynack (1985) lists several soil types, all small in extent, some of which have more favourable characteristics for plant growth, especially where irrigation is available, than the majority of soils in the remainder of Hume. For example, 40 ha of terrace in Jacksons Creek, at Keilor has long been used for irrigated horticulture. White and Kelynack (1985) report that


SRP 109

these soils, soil type 4, are deep moderately to strongly structured gradational or duplex soils. Their surface textures were reported as being loams to clay loams. Other soil types in drainage lines are much less favourable. Where drainage lines have not yet incised through the basalt bedrock of the lava plains, soils are similar to soils of the lava plains. Slopes of these soils may be greater than the surrounding lava plain and, in some, rock outcrops more abundantly. Agricultural potential is likely to be less than the surrounding lava plains given the higher incidence of rock and steeper slopes. Where drainage is better, agricultural potential is greater.

Special comments on agricultural potential for irrigated cropping

The agricultural potential of land for irrigated cropping in Hume depends on the supply, quality and use of irrigation water as well as climate, soil type and topography. The limited development of irrigated horticulture reflects the lack of supply of water near suitable soils. However, the potential for future development must reflect salinity risk as well as the supply of suitable water and land. Current knowledge of ground water flow systems in the Port Phillip catchment is poor as is the knowledge on hydraulic characteristics of the soils in Hume. Without this knowledge it is not possible to determine the potential impact of irrigation development on soil salinity and the health of waterways both within and down stream. Therefore, the above comments on agricultural potential for irrigated crops are limited to factors measured for this report and do not relate to salinity risk. Further development of irrigated agriculture in Hume must address the salinity risk for the land and water down stream of Hume.

Summary

A limited assessment was conducted of the agricultural potential of the soils of the green wedge area of Hume. The assessment was limited by the kinds of analyses conducted on these soils, i.e. limited to physical description of the soil using auger holes, and the mapping resources, i.e. limited to ground truthing of previous surveys, such that only broad comments are made on the potential of the rural land for current and new agricultural enterprises and the validity of previous surveys. Comments are also made on the future work, especially chemical analyses of soil, needed to fully assess the agricultural potential of the green wedge area. No indication could be given as to the boundaries of all of the different soils; instead Map 5.9 gives a broad indication based on the survey of Jeffrey (1981). This illustrates the broad extent of the soils developed on the lava plains and the lesser extent of soils developed on marine sedimentary rock and granite. Map unit boundary lines are not definitive. Importantly, volcanoes and their soils have not separately mapped in any previous soil surveys but are indicated here based on previously mapped eruption points (gazetted as hills and mounts) and peaks speculated to be eruption points. Future work would be needed to delineate the different soil types and to classify the soils using the current classification scheme: Australian Soil Classification, rather than the superseded Factual Key (Northcote, 1979).

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SRP 111

Agriculture in the green wedge of Hume is limited by the two main types of soil, both developed on the lava plains. These soils are a) duplex soils with fine sandy clay loam surface soil and medium clay subsoil, and b) cracking clays of uniform texture, both developed on lava plains. The physical characteristics which limit the agricultural potential of these soils are heavy texture, poor drainage and rockiness. However, these characteristics are not consistent across the lava plains of Hume such that the agricultural potential of the soils developed on lava plains is not constant. Therefore, future survey work should be aimed at a) separating the duplex soils from the cracking clays since the former have better drainage and are likely to be responsive to ameliorating technologies such as raised bed cropping, b) map rock free areas since these can be cultivated, and c) separating lava plains from volcanoes. Previous soil and land surveys suggest that the soils developed on lava plains also have undesirable chemical characteristics, e.g. strong alkalinity, sodicity, salinity and boron toxicity. It is also likely that these characteristics are not consistent across the lava plains (as has been shown in soil surveys studying the lava plains in Wyndham City Council) especially since the rainfall has a north-south trend (climate will affect these characteristics) and the lava plains are composed of lava flows of varying age (development of the undesirable characteristics varies). Therefore, further investigation of these chemical characteristics in phase 2, would be valuable in separating areas where agricultural potential is limited from areas which are not limited by soil chemistry. Historically, the soils of the lava plains have been and are being used for extensive dryland grazing. They are only used for dryland cropping where they are free of rock (Map 5.9). The better versions of these soils in other areas are used for other enterprises, e.g. forestry, especially where technologies such as raised bed cropping have been adopted to overcome poor drainage, or where undesirable characteristics have been ameliorated, e.g. application of gypsum to sodic soils. Assessment of the possibility of using such technology depends on further assessment of the rockiness of the soils and their chemical characteristics. Gradational soils developed on sedimentary rock are limited by their shallow depth, typically steep slopes and erosion risk. Of the two main areas of this soil type, the area along the hilly land to the west of Jacksons Creek, from Sunbury to Clarkefield, shows many instances of tunnel and gully erosion. The other area of this soil, along the land to the east of Deep Creek, from Konagaderra Springs to Bulla, has many examples of gully erosion. Most areas of these soils are not cultivated but are used for grazing or remain under native vegetation. In other areas, similar soils in wetter climates are limited by acidity and aluminium toxicity and those in drier climates are not but are limited by sodicity. Similar soils in other areas are used for more intensive agriculture, e.g. wine grapes. Soil chemical analysis in phase 2 would clarify the potential of these soils for such enterprises. Development of agriculture on these soils must address soil degradation, especially erosion, to ensure sustainability. Duplex soils developed on granite are located at Greenvale. These are limited by slope, shallow depth of the surface soil and erosion, although less so than the gradational soils developed on sedimentary rock. They have more potential for agricultural development than the soils developed on the lava plain and sedimentary rock, since they have better drainage than the lava plain soils, and have gentler slopes and are deeper than the gradational soils developed on sedimentary rock. In other areas, these soils are used for a wider range of agricultural enterprises than occurs in Hume, but also have been found to be limited by acidity in the surface soil and sodicity in the subsoil, and they have been found to be prone to soil degradation, particularly soil erosion and acidification. Further work in phase 2 would indicate if these factors also limiting and differentiate these soils from those developed on the lava plains and sedimentary rock. Soils which have greatest potential for agriculture in Hume are also smallest in extent. These are the a) soils developed from alluvial sediments on alluvial plains and terraces of the incised valleys of


SRP 112

Jacksons Creek, Deep Creek and Emu Creek, and b) well drained rock free soils developed on the slopes of volcanoes. The agricultural potential of the soils developed from alluvial sediments is illustrated by their long and profitable history of intensive irrigated horticulture. Future survey work would seek to identify new areas of alluvial terraces and alluvial plains in the incised valleys of Hume and separate them from the valley slopes. Further work is needed to separate soils developed on volcanoes which are well drained and free of rock from those with too much rock in the soil profile and/or poor drainage and/or slopes too steep for agricultural traffic. Further survey work is also needed to delineate the boundaries of these soils developed from the volcanoes, from the soils developed from the surrounding lava plains. Such work would also account for any limitations from their chemical characteristics. In other areas, e.g. Ballarat, soils developed on volcanoes are valued for their agricultural versatility, but it is not yet known if the examples in Hume are similar to those in Ballarat or other areas in which these types of soils occur. Data on the hydraulic characteristics of all of the soils in Hume is needed to understand the impact of irrigated agriculture on salinity especially where soils are sodic and have less than ideal structure and/or if poor quality irrigation water or recycled waste water is to be used. Such analyses are also an important basis for assessing the suitability of the soils for urban uses.


SRP 113

REFERENCES REFERENCES CITED IN REPORT

Anderson, H. and Cumming, D. (1999) Landcare Notes: Measuring the salinity of water. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. Birch, W.D (ed) (2003) Geology of Victoria, Geological Society of Australia - Special Publication 23, Geological Society of Australia Victorian Division Bloomfield, T. (1999a) Landcare Notes: Foxes and their impact, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. Bloomfield, T. (1999b) Landcare Notes: Rabbits and their impact, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. Brinkerhoff. D and Goldsmith, A. (1990) Institutional Sustainability on Agriculture and Rural Development: A Global Perspective. New York, Praeger. Bureau of Rural Sciences [BRS] (2002) Land Use Mapping at Catchment Scale: Principles, Procedures and Definitions, Edition 2. Bureau of Rural Sciences, ACT. COAG (1992) National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development. Canberra, Council of Australian Governments.

DEST (1996) The National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity. Department of Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra. Dimitrou. H & Thompson, R. (2001) The Planning of Sustainable Development: The Institutional Dimension.”Planning for a Sustainable Future. DNRE (1997) Victoria’s Biodiversity: Directions in Management, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. DNRE (2000) Victoria’s Salinity Management Framework: Restoring our Catchments, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria. DNRE (2002a) Healthy Rivers Healthy Communities & Regional Growth: Victorian River Health Strategy, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria. DNRE. (2002b) Biodiversity Action Planning. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria. DNRE (2002c) Victorian Greenhouse Strategy. Department of Natural Resources and Environment., Victoria. DNRE (2002d) Victorian Pest Management – A Framework for Action. Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria.


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DNRE (2002) Victorian River Health Strategy, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. DOI (2002a) Melbourne 2030 - Implementation Plan 5 (Draft): Green Wedges. Department of Infrastructure, Victoria. DOI (2002b) Melbourne 2030 - Planning for Sustainable Growth Department of Infrastructure, Victoria. DSE (2003a) Interim Population Projections. Melbourne, Department of Sustainability and Environment DSE (2003b) Securing our Water Future, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, Victoria. DSE (2003c) Rabbit Buster Program, Phase 2 Report. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne, Victoria. DSE (2003d). Victorian Population Bulletin. (9). Melbourne, Department of Sustainability and Environment. DSE (2003e) Victoria's Native Vegetation Management Framework. Melbourne, Department of Sustainability and Environment. DSE (2002) Sustainable Diversions Limit Project, Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne. EPA (2003) Waters of Victoria - State of Environment Protection Policy, EPA, Melbourne Hall, P. (2000) Thames Gateway - Nine Year On. Thames Gateway London Partnership - Occasional Paper No.1. Hengstler, J., Way, S. and Lowe, K. (2003) Biodiversity Action Planning - Landscape Plan fro Buninyong Zone, Central Victorian Uplands Bioregion, Victoria, DSE, Melbourne. Heron, S., Doeg, T. and Sovitslis, A. (2002) Maribyrnong River Flow Restoration Plan: Management Options for Ameliorating Flow Stress. Unpublished report for the Port Phillip Catchment and Land Protection Board and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Hossain and Morse McNabb (2004) GIS and Remote Sensing for Transport, Land Use, Site and Landscape Planning, TEC 15, BDP Environment Design Guide, Australian Council of Building Design Professions, Melbourne. Hume City Council (2002) Environmental Sustainability Framework.t. Melbourne, State of Victoria. Hume City Council (2003a) Municipal Strategic Statement. Melbourne, State of Victoria. Hume City Council (2003b) State of the Environment Report 2003. Melbourne, State of Victoria. Hume City Council (2003c) Sustainable Land Management and Integrated Weed Control Strategy 2003-2006. Melbourne, State of Victoria. Isbell, R. F. (1996) The Australian Soil Classification. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria.


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Jeffery, P. J. (1981) A study of the land in the catchments to the north of Melbourne. Technical Communication No. 65. Soil Conservation Authority, Kew, Victoria. McDougall, K. (1987) Sites of Botanical Significance in the Western region of Melbourne. The Department of Geography, University of Melbourne. Prepared for the Department of Conservation, Forest and Lands. Arthur Rylah Institute – Ecological Inventory and Evaluation Section, Melbourne. MacDonald R. C., Isbell, R. F., Speight, J. G., Walker, J., and Hopkins M. S. (1990) Australian Soil and Land Survey: Field Handbook 2nd Ed., Inkata Press, Melbourne. Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) (Visited March 2004) http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mcmc/ Natural Heritage Trust (2004) National Land and Water Resources Audit, http://www.nlwra.gov.au , Last Accessed: 28 May 2004. Northcote, K. H. (1979) A Factual Key for the Recognition of Australian Soils. Fourth Edition. Rellim Technical Publications Pty. Ltd., Adelaide, South Australia. Nott, R. (1998) Groundwater Notes: What is Groundwater? Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne. OECD (2002) Governance for sustainable development , Five OECD case studies.”. Parsons, W.T and Cuthbertson, E.G. (2001) Noxious Weeds of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. Port Phillip CALP (1999) Maribyrnong Catchment Action Plan, Port Phillip Regional Catchment And Land Protection Board, Melbourne. Port Phillip CALP (1998) Yarra Catchment Action Plan, Port Phillip Regional Catchment And Land Protection Board, Melbourne, http://ppwcma.vic.gov.au/yarra/yapweb/index.htm. Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (2003) Port Phillip and Westernport Rabbit Action Plan, Victorian Government, Melbourne. Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (2004) Draft Port Phillip and Westernport Regional Catchment Strategy: Internal Draft for discussion by CMA Catchment Committees, Victorian Government, Melbourne Price, R. C., Nicholls, I. A., and Gray, C. M. (2003) Cainozoic igneous activity. In Birch W. D. ed. Geology of Victoria, pp. 361-375. Geological Society of Australia Special Publication 23. Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division). Ross, R., Lowe, K.W., Boyles, C. and Moorrees, A. (2003a) Biodiversity Action Planning – Landscape Plans for the Northern zones in the Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria. Ross, J., Lowe, K. W., and Moorrees, A., (2003b) Biodiversity Action Planning – Landscape Plan for the Werribee Zone, Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria.


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SOEAC (1996) Australia - State of the Environment. Melbourne, CSIRO - State of the Environment Advisory Council. Sutherland, P. and Richards, T. (1994) Shire of Bulla Aboriginal Archaeological Study, Shire of Bulla, Melbourne. UN (1992) Declaration of Rio de Janeiro on Environment and Development. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro. WCED (1987) Our Common Future. White, L. and Kelynack, J. (1985) Land Resource Data Atlas: Non Urban Areas. Department of Conservation, Forest and Lands, Kew, Victoria.

RELEVANT LEGISLATION

Victorian Government Legislation

Agriculture Industry Development Act, 1990 Mineral Resource Development Act, 1990 Catchment and Land Protection Act, 1994 Fisheries Act, 1995 Planning and Environment Act, 1987 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1988 Environmental Protection Act, 1970 (updated 2003)


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APPENDIX ONE A1 ECOLOGICAL VEGETATION CLASSES DESCRIPTION

Table A1 Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) Description

EVC No.

EVC Name 1750 / Current

EVC Description

22 Grassy Dry Forest 1750 & Current

Generally occurs on moderately fertile soils derived from Ordovician shales and sandstones, usually on sheltered slopes. The overstory is a low forest with woodland form. Long-leaf Box Eucalyptus goniocalyx, Red Box, E. polyanthemos, Red Stringybark E. macrorhyncha, Yellow Box E. melliodora and Candelbark E. rubida are common species. The ground layer is dominated by grasses and forbs and includes Grey Tussock-grass Poa sieberiana, Plume-grasses Dichelachne spp. and Wallaby grasses Austrodanthonia spp..

47 Valley Grassy Forest

1750 & Current

Occurs in drier areas on quaternary alluvial deposits of valley floors and dry or intermittent streams. The overstorey has a variety of eucalypts, including Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora, Red Box E. polyanthemos, Messmate E. obliqua, Narrow-leaf Peppermint E. radiata and Candelbark E. rubida. Scattered shrubs occur throughout the EVC. The ground is usually covered with dense grasses and forbs

55 Plains Grassy Woodland

1750 & Current

Due to grazing and clearing this EVC has mostly disappeared, and remnant areas are severely degraded. Occurs on flat landscapes, with fertile soils of Tertiary sands and clays. Dominant species include Yellow Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon, Swamp Gum E. ovata, Yellow Box E. melliodora or Manna Gum E. viminalis. There is generally no shrub layer. The ground layer is species rich with a mixture of low ericoid shrubs and a diversity of lilies, forbs and grasses.

56 Floodplain Riparian Woodland

Current Open woodland -dominated over a medium to tall shrub layer with a ground layer consisting mainly of grasses, herbs and sedges. Occurs along the floodplains of the larger meandering rivers, Restricted to the riparian areas of the mainly basalt plains west of Melbourne, and the Plenty and Yarra River floodplains.

64 Rocky Chenopod Woodland

An open woodland dominated by Bull Mallee, Grey Box or Yellow Gum. A very restricted EVC occurring in the lowest rainfall areas of the study area on infertile soils. Restricted to a few isolated occurrences near the Djerriwarrh Creek west of Melton and Jacksons Creek between Sunbury and Diggers Rest.

68 Creekline Grassy Woodland

1750 Only Occurs on low gradient intermittent streamlines, with fertile alluvia l/ colluvial soils. The EVC is Eucalyptus dominated with scattered shrubs over grasses and herbs. The overstorey is dominated by Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis. A scattered shrub layer includes Black Wattle Acacia mearnsii, Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon and Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa. Dense grasses and sedges usually include Tall Sedge Carex Appressa.

71 Hills Herb-rich Grassy or herb-dominated woodland with a variable, but often sparse


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Woodland shrub layer. The overstorey is a woodland of large trees, usually Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora though Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa and Bundy Eucalyptus goniocalyx can occur. Occurs in the Gellibrand hill area.

124 Grey Clay Drainage Line Complex

1750 only This complex occurs as strings of brackish seasonal wetlands associated with ephemeral drainage lines on heavy basalt-derived grey clays. It is separated from Plains Grassy Wetland by the presence of species indicative of salinity. Very localised on tributaries of the Merri and Darebin Creeks.

125 Plains Grassy Wetland

1750 Only Occurs along shallow freshwater lakes and swampy drainage lines on heavy black clays. Occasional occurrences of River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis or Swamp Gum Eucalyptus ovata may be present. Shrubs are usually sparse. Grasses, small sedges and forbs dominate ground cover. Species may include Common Spike-sedge Eleocharis acuta and Australian Sweet-grass Glyceria australis. Aquatic herbs include Floating Pondweed Potamogeton tricarinatus and Water-milfoil Myriophyllum spp.

132 Plains Grassland 1750 & Current

Occurs on lowland plains on fertile clay loams of Quaternary and Tertiary origin. Tussock grassland dominated by Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra or Smooth Wallaby grass Austrodanthonia laevis. Scattered occurrences from Craigieburn, west to Laverton. Isolated occurrence on sandstone at Evans Street, Sunbury.

175 Grassy Woodland 1750 & Current

This EVC is open Eucalypt woodland over diverse groundcover of grasses and herbs. It occurs on moderately fertile soils on plains and undulating terrain. The overstorey can be dominated by Drooping Sheoak Allocasuarina verticillata and Black Sheoak Allocasuarina littoralis or Eucalypt species including Narrow-leaf Peppermint Eucalyptus radiata, Coast Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. pryoriana, Snow Gum Eucalyptus pauciflora and Swamp Gum Eucalyptus ovata. There is high diversity of grasses and herbs in the ground cover. Some common species include Weeping Grass Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides, Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra, Soft Tussock-grass Poa morrisii, Grey Tussock Grass Poasieberiana, Velvet Wallaby-grass Austrodanthonia pilosa, Bristly Wallaby-grass Austrodanthonia setacea and Wetland Wallaby-grass Notodanthonia semiannularis.

191 Riparian Scrub 1750 & Current

Typically a dense scrub of relatively high rainfall areas that grows on infertile waterlogged substrates often with a peaty surface horizon. Riparian Scrub often occurs on the margins of wetlands and Wet Heathland and therefore often includes a suite of wetland species. Trees are not usually present in this EVC though emergent Swamp Gum Eucalyptus ovata may occasionally occur.

641 Riparian Woodland 1750 & Current

Occurs beside permanent streams, typically on narrow alluvial deposits with soil moderately deep fertile alluvial loams. Overstorey is dominated by River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis with occasional Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. viminalis. The ground cover is dominated by Common Tussock-grass Poa labillardierei. Other ground layer species include Stiped Wallaby-grass Austrodanthonia racemosa, Kidney-weed Dichondra repens and Saloop Saltbush Einadia hastata.

647 Plains Sedgy Wetland

1750 only Sedgy-herbaceous vegetation occurring in ephemeral to seasonal wetlands on fertile soils of volcanic and sedimentary plains. Soils are silty peaty or heavy clay paludal. Dominant species include Carex


SRP - 119

tereticaulis, Amphibromus sinuatus and aquatic herbs (Stellaria angustifolia, Isolepis fluitans, Myriophyllum spp., Triglochin procerum, Neopaxia ustralasica).

654 Creekline Tussock Grassland

1750 only A treeless grassland dominated by dense swards of Common Tussock-grass Poa labillardierei with herbs and other grasses in the inter-tussock spaces. It occurs along low gradient ephemeral and intermittent drainage lines of the volcanic plains and often includes small areas of sedgeland and/or wetland. Most of the flora isdisplaced by impacts of land use and relatively intact examples are non-existent.

851 Stream-bank Shrubland

1750 & Current

Occurs as Shrubland or occasionally low open woodland, on the rocky banks and beds of creeks and major rivers. Soils are skeletal sedimentary or alluvial sands and gravels. The overstorey is generally sparse, usually consisting of Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. viminalis or Red Gum Eucalyptus Camaldulensis. The shrub layer is dominant and can include Woolly Tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum and River Bottlebrush Callistemon sieberi amongst the rocks on the stream bed. Species on the stream banks include Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa, Tree Violet Hymenanthera dentata and Shiny Cassinia Cassinia longifolia.

895 Basalt Escarpment Shrubland

1750 & Current

Occurs on escarpments associated with the edges of basalt flows or where watercourses have cut through the basalt. It occurs in lower rainfall areas on fertile, skeletal soils. Species present vary depending on soil and water availability. Scattered Drooping Sheoke Allocasuarina verticillata and Candelbark E. rubida, may be present on the escarpment edges. Common shrubs include Tree Violet Hymenanthera dentata, Varnish Wattle Acacia verniciflua, Lightwood A. implexa, Hedge Wattle A. paradoxa, Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa and Sticky Hop-Bush Dodonea viscosa. Ground cover may include grasses and herbs.

997 Private Land No Tree Cover

Current Only

Source: Vegetation Mapping Of the Port Phillip & Westernport Region Alison Oates & Maria Taranto, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 2001.


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A2 RARE OR THREATENED FAUNA AND FLORA

Table A2 Australian Rare or Threatened Species in Hume (AROTS) NAME COMMON_NAM ENDEMIC FFG ESP ACTION Acacia ausfeldii Ausfeld's Wattle X Acacia enterocarpa

Jumping-jack Wattle L E A

Acacia lucasii Woolly-bear Wattle Acacia phasmoides

Phantom Wattle V

Acacia subtilinervis

Net-veined Wattle

Acacia williamsonii

Williamson's Wattle 1 X

Agrostis adamsonii

Adamson's Blown-grass 1 L E

Agrostis meionectes

Alpine Bent

Asplenium hookerianum

Maidenhair Spleenwort L V

Astelia Australiana

Tall Astelia 1 L V A

Asterolasia phebalioides

Downy Star-Bush L V

Astrotricha parvifolia

Small-leaf Star-hair 1

Caladenia tensa Rigid Spider-orchid E Babingtonia crenulate

Fern-leaf Baeckea 1 N V

Ballantinia antipoda

Southern Shepherd's Purse L E

Caladenia clarkiae

Clark's Caladenia

Bertya findlayi Mountain Bertya Boronia citrata Lemon-scented Boronia 1 X Borya mirabilis Grampians Pincushion-lily 1 L E Brachyscome muelleroides

Mueller Daisy L V

Brachyscome petrophila

Rock Daisy 1

Brachyscome riparia

Snowy River Daisy 1

Brasenia schreberi

Water-shield L

Caladenia versicolor

Candy Spider-orchid 1 N V

Caladenia pumila Dwarf Spider-orchid 1 L X Caladenia tessellate

Thick-lip Spider-orchid V

Callitriche brachycarpa

Short Water-starwort

Callitriche cyclocarpa

Western Water-starwort V


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Caladenia robinsonii

Frankston Spider-orchid 1 L E

Calochilus richiae

Bald-tip Beard-orchid 1 L E A

Dampiera fusca Kydra Dampiera Caladenia valida Robust Spider-orchid N Almaleea capitata

Slender Parrot-pea L

Dodonaea procumbens

Trailing Hop-bush V

Dodonaea rhombifolia

Broad-leaf Hop-bush

Haegiela tatei Small Nut-heads Epilobium willisii Carpet Willow-herb L Eucalyptus froggattii

Kamarooka Mallee 1 L A

Eucalyptus mitchelliana

Buffalo Sallee 1 N

Eucalyptus neglecta

Omeo Gum 1

Eucalyptus yarraensis

Yarra Gum 1 X

Euphrasia eichleri

Bogong Eyebright 1 V

Euphrasia scabra

Rough Eyebright L A

Glycine latrobeana

Clover Glycine L V

Diuris sp. aff. lanceolata (La

Small Golden Moths 1 L E

Trichanthodium baracchianum

Dwarf Yellow-heads L V

Diuris ochroma Pale Golden Moths 1 V Goodenia macbarronii

Narrow Goodenia L V A

Grevillea barklyana

Gully Grevillea 1 L A

Grevillea confertifolia

Grampians Grevillea 1

Grevillea floripendula

Ben Major Grevillea 1 L V

Grevillea repens Creeping Grevillea 1 Grevillea williamsonii

Serra Grevillea 1 E

Grevillea willisii Rock Grevillea 1 Haloragis exalata ssp. Exalata

Square Raspwort V

Haloragodendron baeuerlenii

Shrubby Raspwort

Hierochloe submutica

Alpine Holy Grass

Lepidium hyssopifolium

Basalt Peppercress L E

Leptorhynchos gatesii

Wrinkled Buttons 1 L V A

Cystopteris tasmanica

Brittle Bladder-fern

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RO

NM

ENTA

L PL

ANN

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ATL

AS

H UM

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SRP

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25

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26

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SRP

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31

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t

H

alor

agis

odo

ntoc

arpa

f. o

ctof

orm

a To

othe

d R

aspw

ort

Isol

epis

aus

tralie

nsis

In

land

Clu

b-se

dge

Isol

epis

con

grua

S

lend

er C

lub-

sedg

e

L

Is

olep

is v

icto

riens

is

Vic

toria

n C

lub-

sedg

e

K

ippi

stia

sua

edifo

lia

Fles

hy M

inur

ia

Koe

leria

cris

tata

C

rest

ed H

air-

gras

s

Lasi

opet

alum

sch

ulze

nii

Dro

opin

g V

elve

t-bu

sh

Last

reop

sis

deco

mpo

sita

Tr

im S

hiel

d-fe

rn

Last

reop

sis

hisp

ida

Bris

tly S

hiel

d-fe

rn

Last

reop

sis

mic

roso

ra s

sp. m

icro

sora

C

reep

ing

Shie

ld-fe

rn

Law

renc

ia b

erth

ae

Sho

wy

Law

renc

ia

Law

renc

ia s

pica

ta

Sal

t Law

renc

ia

Laxm

anni

a gr

acilis

S

lend

er W

ire-li

ly

Lem

na tr

isul

ca

Ivy-

leaf

Duc

kwee

d

Le

pidi

um d

esva

uxii

Bus

hy P

eppe

rcre

ss

Lepi

dium

fasc

icul

atum

B

undl

ed

Pep

perc

ress

Le

pidi

um h

ysso

pifo

lium

B

asal

t Pep

perc

ress

L E

Le

pidi

um p

seud

ohys

sopi

foliu

m

Nat

ive

Pep

perc

ress

Le

pido

sper

ma

limic

ola

Raz

or S

wor

d-se

dge

Lept

orhy

ncho

s ga

tesi

i W

rinkl

ed B

utto

ns

1 L

V

A

Le

ucop

ogon

cos

tatu

s Tw

iggy

Bea

rd-h

eath

Le

ucop

ogon

esq

uam

atus

S

wam

p B

eard

-hea

th

Leuc

opog

on w

oods

ii N

oddi

ng B

eard

-hea

th

Li

mon

ium

aus

trale

Y

ello

w S

ea-la

vend

er

Gen

ople

sium

cilia

tum

Fr

inge

d M

idge

-orc

hid

Luzu

la a

trata

S

lend

er W

oodr

ush

Mai

rean

a ap

hylla

Le

afle

ss B

lueb

ush

Muk

ia m

icra

ntha

M

alle

e C

ucum

ber

ENVI

RO

NM

ENTA

L PL

ANN

ING

ATL

AS

H UM

E CI

TY C

OU

NC

IL

SRP

- 1

32

Nic

otia

na g

oods

peed

ii S

moo

th-fl

ower

To

bacc

o

C

opro

sma

perp

usilla

ssp

. per

pusi

lla

Cre

epin

g C

opro

sma

Cor

rea

refle

xa v

ar. a

ngus

tifol

ia

Gra

mpi

ans

Cor

rea

1

Cor

ybas

aco

nitif

loru

s S

purre

d H

elm

et-

orch

id

Cor

ybas

his

pidu

s B

ristly

Hel

met

-orc

hid

Cus

cuta

vic

toria

na

Inla

nd D

odde

r

C

yper

us fl

acci

dus

Flac

cid

Flat

-sed

ge

Cyp

erus

pol

ysta

chyo

s B

unch

y Fl

at-s

edge

C

yper

us p

ygm

aeus

P

ygm

y Fl

at-s

edge

C

yper

us ri

gide

llus

Dw

arf F

lat-s

edge

C

yper

us s

quar

rosu

s B

eard

ed F

lat-s

edge

C

yper

us s

ubul

atus

P

oint

ed F

lat-s

edge

C

yper

us v

agin

atus

S

tiff F

lat-s

edge

C

yper

us v

icto

riens

is

Flat

-sed

ge

Cyp

hant

hera

alb

ican

s ss

p. a

lbic

ans

Hoa

ry R

ay-fl

ower

C

ysto

pter

is ta

sman

ica

Brit

tle B

ladd

er-fe

rn

Dam

pier

a pu

rpur

ea

Mou

ntai

n D

ampi

era


SRP - 133

A3 SITES OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Table A4 Sites of Biological Significance Site of Biological Significance Significance Level Aitken Creek Parkland, Craigieburn Regional Attwood Creek, Grey Box Stand, Attwood Regional Banksia Gardens Grassland Regional Broadmeadows Valley Park - Bracken, Glycine, Pimelea & Poa sites

Regional

Broadmeadows Valley Park - Stylidium & Themeda sites State Bulla-Sunbury Road Local Bundanoon Park - middle and northern sections Regional Cooper Street Grassland Public and Private State Craigieburn Grasslands Flora and Fauna Reserve National Deep Creek Lower Reaches State Dry Creek Shrubland State Emu Creek, Goonawarra Regional Evans Creek Drainage Reserve, Sunbury Regional Evans Street Grassland Reserve State Gellies Road Woodland, Wildwood State Greenvale Former Geriatric Centre Regional Holden Flora Reserve National Jacksons Creek, Sunbury State Jacksons Creek, Sunbury North Regional Kalkallo Cemetery State Kalkallo Public/Common State Kinnear Road Woodland Regional Lancefield Road Grassland, Clarkefield State Maygar Army Barracks Yet to be determined Maygar Gardens Regional Merri Creek - Barry Road Gorge State Merri Creek - Craigieburn to Donnybrook State Mickleham - Mt Ridley State Mt Ridley Road - Craigieburn Regional Northern Rail Reserve, north of Sunbury Regional Oaklands Road She-Oaks (Oaklands Junction) Regional Organ Pipes National Park National Radar Hill Woodland State Raes Rd Grassland (Plantation Reserve, Sunbury) Regional Reservoir Road Woodland Private Local Riddell Rd, Sunbury, roadside remnants Regional Salesian College Woodlands & Escarpment Regional Spavin Drive Reserve (Albert Rd Nature Reserve) State Sunbury - Diggers Rest Rail Reserve 1/5 Regional Sunbury Landfill State Tullamarine Airport - Oaklands Road Regional Tullamarine Retarding Basin (Wright St), Westmeadows Regional Watsons Road, Sunbury Regional Wildwood Woodlands and Escarpments, Wildwood district Regional Woodlands Historic Park (Gellibrand Hill) State


SRP - 134

A4 PEST PLANTS

Table A5 Declared Noxious Weeds


SRP - 135

ENVI

RO

NM

ENTA

L PL

ANN

ING

ATL

AS

H UM

E CI

TY C

OU

NC

IL

SRP

- 1

36

A5

GEOM

ORPH

OLOG

ICAL

SIT

ES O

F SI

GNIF

ICAN

CE

Tabl

e A6

Geom

orph

olog

ical S

ites o

f Sig

nific

ance

Si

te

Nam

e D

escr

iptio

n La

nd S

tatu

s Si

ze C

ateg

ory

Sign

ifica

nce

Man

agem

ent

1 TH

E O

RG

AN

P

IPE

S

Col

umna

r joi

ntin

g in

New

er

Vol

cani

cs. A

lso

pres

ent a

re s

coria

con

e, te

ssel

late

d pa

vem

ent a

nd

sphe

roid

al w

eath

erin

g.

Cro

wn

Larg

e (o

ver 2

5 ha

) S

tate

A

dequ

ate

2 C

RO

WE

HIL

L D

oubl

e la

va c

one

with

sco

ria. C

rate

rs a

bsen

t. O

livin

e ba

salt

flow

s. S

patte

r and

pum

ice

on

sum

mit.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) Lo

cal

Inpu

t R

equi

red

3 M

T. H

OLD

EN

Q

uate

rnar

y N

ewer

Vol

cani

cs

sco

ria c

one,

cra

ter

abse

nt a

nd la

va c

ap o

f idd

ings

ite.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) Lo

cal

Ade

quat

e

4 R

ED

RO

CK

N

ewer

Vol

cani

cs e

rupt

ion

poin

t, di

stin

ctiv

e fla

t lav

a ca

p re

sem

blin

g a

lava

dis

c ov

er a

sco

ria m

ound

. Fr

eeho

ld

Med

ium

(to

25

ha)

Reg

iona

l A

dequ

ate

5 TU

LLA

MA

RIN

E A

IRP

OR

T Q

UA

RR

Y

Hor

nfel

s, L

ower

Silu

rian

s

edim

ents

m

etam

orph

osed

by

D

evon

ian

Bul

la A

dam

ellit

e.

Whi

te m

agne

site

.

Mix

ed c

row

n an

d pr

ivat

e M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) R

egio

nal

Ade

quat

e

6 G

ELL

IBR

AN

D

HIL

L La

rge

tors

of D

evon

ian

Bul

la A

dam

ellit

e w

ith

xeno

liths

. Not

cov

ered

by

Qua

tern

ary

New

er

Vol

cani

cs.

Cro

wn

Med

ium

(to

25

ha)

Loca

l A

dequ

ate

7 O

AK

LAN

DS

R

OA

D

CU

TTIN

G

Con

tact

met

amor

phos

ed

sedi

men

ts o

f S

iluria

n ag

e.

Dev

onia

n gr

aniti

c ro

cks

resp

onsi

ble

for m

etam

ophi

sm.

Cro

wn

Sm

all

(to 1

ha)

Loca

l A

dequ

ate

8 P

YK

ES

C

RE

EK

R

ES

ER

VO

IR

FW C

UTT

ING

Per

mia

n se

dim

enta

ry s

truct

ures

, Lac

ustri

ne

sedi

men

t, sl

ump

depo

sits

, rip

pled

san

dsto

ne a

nd

faul

ts.

Cro

wn

Med

ium

(to

25

ha)

Reg

iona

l A

dequ

ate

9 B

ULL

A

KA

OLI

N P

IT

NO

.2

Dev

onia

n B

ulla

Ada

mel

lite

is a

ltere

d to

whi

te

kaol

inite

(cla

y). G

anod

iorit

e te

xtur

e is

reta

ined

. Fr

eeho

ld

Sm

all

(to 1

ha)

Loca

l A

dequ

ate

ENVI

RO

NM

ENTA

L PL

ANN

ING

ATL

AS

H UM

E CI

TY C

OU

NC

IL

SRP

- 1

37

10

DE

EP

CR

EE

K

KA

OLI

N

QU

AR

RY

The

aban

done

d qu

arry

in D

evon

ian

Bul

la

Ada

mel

lite

show

s a

prog

ress

ion

from

fres

h gr

anite

to

stro

ngly

wea

ther

ed.

Cro

wn

Sm

all

(to 1

ha)

Reg

iona

l A

dequ

ate

11

GR

EE

NV

ALE

H

OS

PIT

AL

Tors

of t

he D

evon

ian

Bul

la

Ada

mel

lite.

Thi

s lo

calit

y is

in th

e co

rdie

rite-

free

inne

r zon

e.

Xeno

liths

are

hor

nble

nd.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) R

egio

nal

Ade

quat

e

12

BU

LLA

A

DA

ME

LLIT

E-

PR

OV

IDE

NC

E R

D

Dev

onia

n B

ulla

Ada

mel

lite

in b

road

flat

sla

bs &

so

me

tors

. Xen

olith

s in

clud

e da

rk b

iotit

e cl

ots

and

Cor

dier

ite.

Free

hold

S

mal

l (to

1ha

) Lo

cal

Ade

quat

e

13

BU

LLA

A

DA

ME

LLIT

E,

SO

ME

RTO

N

RD

Dev

onia

n B

ulla

Ada

mel

lite.

L

arge

var

iety

of

xeno

liths

. Gar

net a

nd g

arne

t-bea

ring

incl

usio

ns

and

cord

erite

.

Free

hold

S

mal

l (to

1ha

) Lo

cal

Ade

quat

e

14

DE

VE

RA

LL

HIL

L E

xpos

es th

e ce

ntra

l plu

g of

the

volc

ano

and

the

side

s of

the

final

lava

flow

that

bre

ache

d th

e co

ne.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) R

egio

nal

Inpu

t req

uire

d

15

MO

UN

T Y

UR

OK

E

ER

UP

TIO

N

PO

INT

Qua

tern

ary

volc

anic

con

e bu

ilt o

f sco

ria a

nd b

asal

t flo

ws.

At s

umm

it a

V-s

hape

d w

all o

f

basa

lt is

a

rem

nant

lava

plu

g.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) Lo

cal

Inpu

t req

uire

d

16

BU

LLA

M

ETA

MO

RP

HIC

AU

RE

OLE

Ther

mal

met

amor

phis

m o

f Silu

rian

sedi

men

tary

ro

cks

by th

e in

trusi

on o

f the

Dev

onia

n B

ulla

G

rano

dior

ite.

Free

hold

La

rge

(ove

r 25

ha)

Reg

iona

l A

dequ

ate

17

FITZ

GE

RA

LD

HIL

L S

mal

l Qua

tern

ary

lava

dis

c ov

erly

ing

broa

der l

ava

flow

s. It

illu

stra

tes

the

stag

es a

nd g

row

th o

f the

vo

lcan

o.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) S

tate

Th

reat

ened

18

JAC

KS

ON

S

CR

EE

K -

OR

DO

VIC

IAN

Wel

l exp

osed

con

tact

zon

e,

foss

il lo

calit

ies,

rive

r cl

iffs,

dep

ositi

onal

feat

ures

and

sev

eral

type

s of

va

lley

slop

es.

Cro

wn

Med

ium

(to

25

ha)

Reg

iona

l Th

reat

ened

19

MO

ON

EE

P

ON

DS

C

RE

EK

- O

LDE

R

VO

LCA

NIC

S

Val

ley

wal

ls d

ispl

ay e

xcel

lent

sec

tions

of a

lluvi

al

sand

s,

silts

& c

lays

and

laye

rs o

f w

ater

wor

n co

bble

s of

bas

alt.

Free

hold

La

rge

(ove

r 25

ha)

Reg

iona

l In

put r

equi

red

ENVI

RO

NM

ENTA

L PL

ANN

ING

ATL

AS

H UM

E CI

TY C

OU

NC

IL

SRP

- 1

38

20

MO

UN

T R

IDLE

Y T

WIN

E

RU

PTI

ON

P

OIN

T

Qua

tern

ary

volc

ano

with

two

vent

s. B

oth

vent

s ar

e fla

t dom

es w

ithou

t cra

ters

or c

onsp

icuo

us e

rupt

ion

feat

ures

.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) R

egio

nal

Ade

quat

e

21

SU

NB

UR

Y

AV

ULS

ION

C

HA

NN

EL

On

the

flood

plai

n of

Jac

kson

s C

reek

is a

n av

ulsi

on

chan

nel o

ver 5

00 m

long

and

par

ts s

till c

onta

in

wat

er.

Mix

ed c

row

n an

d pr

ivat

e M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) R

egio

nal

Thre

aten

ed

22

VO

LCA

NIC

/ S

ED

IME

NTA

RY

CO

NTA

CT

SU

NB

UR

Y

Ver

y sh

arp

boun

dary

whe

re s

edim

ents

hav

e be

en

trunc

ated

by

volc

anic

rock

. Min

or e

rupt

ion

pipe

or

dyke

.

Cro

wn

Sm

all

(to 1

ha)

Reg

iona

l Th

reat

ened

23

SU

NB

UR

Y

HA

NG

ING

V

ALL

EY

Sm

all s

tream

form

s a

hang

ing

valle

y w

here

it

cros

ses

the

edge

of Q

uate

rnar

y ba

salt

flow

(p

roba

bly

from

Mou

nt H

olde

n).

Free

hold

S

mal

l (to

1ha

) Lo

cal

Inpu

t req

uire

d

24

SO

ME

RTO

N

RO

AD

G

RA

NO

-D

IOR

ITE

Exp

osur

e of

the

Dev

onia

n B

ulla

Gra

nodi

orite

. In

clus

ions

(

xeno

liths

) in

the

gran

ite,

tor

s,

dom

ed o

utcr

ops

etc.

Free

hold

La

rge

(ove

r 25

ha)

Loca

l In

put r

equi

red

25

DE

EP

CR

EE

K

WIL

DW

OO

D

OU

TCR

OP

S

Terti

ary

Bul

leng

aroo

k G

rave

l res

ting

unco

nfor

mab

ly o

n

Silu

rian

and

Ord

ovic

ian

sedi

men

ts w

hich

hav

e be

en e

xpos

ed b

y D

eep

&

Em

u C

reek

s.

Mix

ed c

row

n an

d pr

ivat

e La

rge

(ove

r 25

ha)

Loca

l In

put r

equi

red

26

MA

RIB

YR

-N

ON

G R

IVE

R

TER

RA

CE

S

Pai

red

terr

aces

occ

ur a

long

the

Mar

ibyr

nong

R

iver

. A s

hallo

w d

epre

ssio

n m

arks

an

aban

done

d riv

er c

ours

e ac

ross

terr

aces

.

Free

hold

M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) Lo

cal

Ade

quat

e

27

TUFF

O

UTC

RO

P

New

er V

olca

nic

basa

lt ov

erla

in b

y al

luvi

al c

hann

el

depo

sit o

f con

glom

erat

e an

d as

h/tu

ff ba

se s

urge

de

posi

ts, f

rom

a m

aar.

Mix

ed c

row

n an

d pr

ivat

e M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) U

nkno

wn

Ade

quat

e

28

RID

DE

LLS

C

RE

EK

- G

ISB

OR

NE

C

RE

EK

JU

NC

TIO

N

Ear

ly O

rdov

icia

n (D

arriw

ilian

Zon

e) &

Lat

e O

rdov

icia

n

(G

isbo

rnia

n Zo

ne) o

f ric

h, w

ell

pres

erve

d, g

rapt

olite

s.

Mix

ed c

row

n an

d pr

ivat

e M

ediu

m (t

o 25

ha

) S

tate

A

dequ

ate

Last

print

ed 10

/09/20

04 11

:26 A

M

Documents

Environmental Planning Atlas - City of Hume · This is a zone, where strategic planning must strike a balance between a multitude of competing interests and priorities. In this context,