Rrrrr – Rabbits, Restoration, Rushes and Riparian reading materials

Posted on 20 December, 2015 by Connecting Country

Over the past week or so, there has been a flurry of new documents available to read and use. All of them are relevant to the appreciation and restoration of the landscapes of the Mount Alexander Region and beyond.

Rushes of the Castlemaine District
In conjunction with the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC), local botanist Ern Perkins has just released a guide to the rushes of the Castlemaine district. This is a fantastic easy-to-use key to all of the native and introduced Juncus species that you’re likely to encounter locally. This document is attached (CLICK HERE), and complements the many other local guides that Ern and other field nats have produced over the years. Some of the others brochures are available on the CFNC website (click here) – with more to be uploaded over the coming weeks and months.

National Standards for Ecological Restoration in Australia (final draft)
This (4th) version of the standards represents the views of 12 NGO partners and over 100 practitioner, research, conservation and agency commentators from around Australia. One of the coordinators of its development, Tein McDonald from SER Australia, states in her email to us that “(a)t a time when climate change looms large and willingness to counter it is increasing – these Standards are a crucial tool to encourage all Australians to reduce damage and repair ecosystems to the highest and best extent that we can.”

The final draft of this document is now publicly available for viewing (click here). It is open for comments through until 15 February 2016. The final version will be accompanied by an online interpretation that will be illustrated by examples. Both are scheduled to be launched on 15 March 2016.

Regional Riparian Action Plan
This is a new five-year plan to improve the health of Victoria’s rivers, wetlands and estuaries (click here). According to DELWP, the action plan outlines priority riparian management outcomes to be achieved across regional Victoria from 2015-16 to 2019-20, with these priorities informed by regional waterway strategies developed by the CMAs.

The action plan aims to accelerate on-ground riparian work, such as stock management fencing, revegetation, weed management and the provision of off-stream stock watering infrastructure. It also has new initiatives to improve the management of riparian land.

Rabbit Threat Abatement Plan – draft for feedback
The Australian Government’s Minister for the Environment has released the draft Threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by rabbits for public comment. Also released is an associated background document. Further information is available from their website (click here). The public comment period closes on 16 March 2016.