The Sustainability of Land Uses in the Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria, Australia

1
The Sustainability of Land Uses in the
Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria, Australia

• Daniel M. Mainville MIEAust., P. Eng.
• Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Associate Professor John C. Brumley
• School of Civil and Chemical Engineering / RMIT
  University.

2
Outline

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussions
• Summary
• Acknowledgments

3
Introduction

• Location of Study Area

4
Introduction

• Policy and Legislation
• Catchment and Land Protection Act 1984
• Environment Protection Act 1970
• State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of
  Victoria), 2003
• State Environment Protection Policy (Groundwaters
  of Victoria), 2002
• Code of Practice
• Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production,
  1996
• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
• Planning and Environment Act 1987

5
Introduction

• Policy and Legislation
• Commonwealth of Australia Department of the
  Environment and Heritage (2003), Default Target
  Values for Upland Rivers
• 2 - 25 NTU for turbidity, and
• 30 - 350 µS/cm for EC (at 25Celsius)
• Land Uses
• Reserved / Protected Forests
• Forestry
• Agriculture

6
Land Use - Control Catchment

• Features
• steep slopes
• Mountain Ash plantation, established in 1972 and
  1973
• riparian vegetation - Wet Forest, EVC 30
• natural surface track, 1850 meters
• fire access track, 2650 meters
• extensive recreational use
• healthy stream

7
Land Use - Plantation Forestry

• Features
• steep slopes
• Mountain Ash plantation
• riparian vegetation, Central Highlands Cool
  Temperate Rainforest EVC 31-01
• 3550 meters of unsealed roads and tracks
• healthy stream with bioturbation

8
Land Use - Agriculture

• Features
• steep slopes
• gravel surfaced road, 3900 meters
• natural surface tracks
• 8 homes with outbuildings
• continuous grazing
• unrestricted livestock access to the steam
• visible damage to the streambanks
• limited riparian vegetation
• in-stream farm dams

9
Methodology

• Paired Catchment approach
• Water Quality Indicators
• Turbidity
• Stream Flow
• Electrical Conductivity
• Temperature
• Experimental Site Set Up
• Fixed Horizontal Bank
• Electrical Conductivity
• Turbidity Probe

10
Fixed Horizontal Bank
11
Methodology

• Visual Survey
• the extent of leaf litter and presence of bare
  earth along the stream channel and embankments
• areas exhibiting clear indications of lateral
  corrasion
• tree fall
• bioturbation such as the evidence of foraging and
  crayfish burrows
• newly incised drainage channels
• landslips

12
Results
13
Timber Harvesting
General Harvesting Area
Buffer
14
Agriculture
Stream Crossing / Track
Livestock Crossing
15
Bioturbation
Control Catchment
Forestry Control Catchment
16
Bioturbation
Bank Disturbance
Crawfish Burrows
17
Recreation
Wet Area
Slope
18
Discussion

• Forestry
• Harvesting Operations
• Riparian Vegetation
• Agriculture
• Grazing
• Riparian Vegetation
• Recreational Use
• General
• Roads and Tracks
• Policy
• Community Engagement

19
Summary

• Research Methodology
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Recreational Use

20
Acknowledgments

• Special Thanks To