APIARISTS

What guarantee do apiarists have in regard to what will happen to their licenses at the end of their current license period?

As indicated in the Government response to the Environment Conservation Council recommendations, apiculture will continue to be allowed in National Parks, State Parks and the National Heritage Park.

Apiarists in the Box-Ironbark area will continue to operate under their current licences until they are converted to National Parks Act licences, in keeping with the change in land category. This will mean apiarists will have two six-month licences. Provisions for apiculture licences are contained in the National Parks Act 1975.

A grievance process is being established, involving input from stakeholders (including apiarists) to ensure that any concerns over discretionary decisions made by land managers can be dealt with in an open and transparent manner.

What is the Box-Ironbark Ecological Management Strategy?

The Ecological Management Strategy is an approach being developed in the national parks and reserve system to focus on the techniques and logistics that might best be used to achieve a Box-Ironbark forests and woodland ecosystem that more closely resembles the pre-European forests.

Scientific research and scientific methods will be used to develop a strategy that embraces a realistic vision of an ‘ecologically healthy’ Box-Ironbark forest/woodland and how it can be achieved. This science-based approach will be applied to National Parks, State Parks, Regional Parks, Conservation Reserves and the National Heritage Park.

The approach will be ecosystem-wide and will involve appropriate investigation, research and trialing of techniques to achieve ecological objectives.

Initially an Ecological Thinning trial will be undertaken in selected parks and reserves and some firewood may be available from this process. For State Forests in the Box-Ironbark area, a silvicultural thinnings program will be implemented (see below). Both of these programs will be undertaken by the employment of 'displaced forest workers'.

What is ‘ecological thinning’ and what does it achieve?

Ecological thinning is one of the methods that will be used as part of the Ecological Management Strategy to improve the ecological integrity of the forests and woodlands and their flora and fauna species instead of just maintaining the status quo. Ecological thinning is driven by biodiversity objectives.

Contrary to silvicultural thinning, Ecological thinning will retain trees of all forms and sizes, leave stems in a patchy distribution (clumps of high tree density will be retained within a general mosaic of wider spaced trees to support species that favour both or either habitat) and competition is reduced to address the low proportion of larger trees in these forests.

Thinning is a process of removing some trees which allows the remaining trees to grow faster and larger. In Box-Ironbark forests there are vast areas where tree density is very high, sometimes 700 stems per hectare, which may be very small in diameter (less than 10cm). Thinning of the Box-Ironbark forests will stimulate growth of remaining trees, which may otherwise remain static for generations.

What is the Government doing about developing a fire strategy for the new parks and reserves?

Fire management is critical to protecting the public from the dangers of wildfire and environment protection. All public land in Victoria, including National and State Parks, Nature Conservation Reserves and State Forests, is subject to fire prevention and suppression activities conducted in accordance with Fire Protection Plans. The plans ensure an integrated approach to fire management across all public land regardless of tenure and are prepared by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) in consultation with the community. DSE, Parks Victoria and Country Fire Authority in partnership will continue to provide high quality fire protection services in the new Box-Ironbark parks and reserves.

How could the short-term firewood supply issue be summed up?

The domestic supply of firewood to local communities will be mostly unaffected until the end of winter 2003 because timber in the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands that has already been felled for community firewood purposes can still be collected by people with a domestic firewood permit.

In addition commercial firewood cutters, including those who have traditionally sold their wood locally, will be able to collect firewood that they have already fallen for up to three years and can still sell it in the normal way.

The Five-Year Firewood Plans have identified that there is a sustainable long-term domestic supply of firewood from public land for most towns in the region, (although there may be some increased travel distances and some supply of different species to meet current demand).

In the next Five-Years the Government has committed to meeting firewood shortfalls in the Box-Ironbark area.

How much firewood will I be able to collect?

The amount of firewood that you will be permitted to collect is based on the average amount that households across the whole Box-Ironbark area currently use each year.

Dry firewood: a maximum of 6m³ per year per fireplace* for Box and Ironbark species or 8m³ per year per fireplace* for other species.

Green firewood: (felled by DSE/or by licence holder): a maximum of 8m³ per year per fireplace* for Box and Ironbark species or 10m³ per year per fireplace* for other species.

Green firewood blocks: (standing trees) - a maximum of 10m³ per year per fireplace* of durable species.

Where people can demonstrate a need, these amounts may be increased to 12, 16, and 20m.

(* To a maximum of two fireplaces)

How can I raise concerns in relation to day to day park management decisions?

The Government recognises that it is important for local park users to have a way of raising concerns over discretionary land management decisions (those not already stipulated in law, policy or management plans) that may affect the day to day management of the land. An open and transparent grievance process is being established to deal with serious concerns of this nature.

What is being done about developing management plans for the new parks and reserves?

A three-year program of preparing plans of management for each park has been implemented to guide ongoing management and achieve nature conservation, heritage, recreational and other outcomes. Parks Victoria, in partnership with the community and user groups, will ensure park plans are prepared through an open and transparent process.

What consultation has been done with traditional owners and aboriginal groups regarding their native title rights and interests?

The Government is committed to genuine ongoing consultation and negotiation with Aboriginal communities, including native title claimants, regarding their interests in Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands areas. Prior to the implementation of recommendations for parks and reserves, and changes in public land management, the Government will ensure that the provisions of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cwth) are implemented within the framework of Government's Native Title policy. The Government will also work with Victorian Aboriginal communities to identify and establish effective processes for continued consultation regarding their native title rights and interests.

Is prospecting allowed in the new parks and reserves?

Government recognition of the popularity of prospecting means that the activity is to continue in much of the Box-Ironbark region through appropriate zoning of public land and the publication of prospecting guidelines.

• Prospecting will continue to be permitted across much of the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands where it is currently permitted including many parks and reserves.


• In a statewide context, prospecting is generally excluded from National Parks and State Parks and in areas where there is an overriding requirement to protect significant species or cultural heritage sites.


• In the Box-Ironbark region, prospecting is allowed within the new areas of Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park (other than the Barambogie Water Supply Area and the Pilot Range Reference Area), Greater Bendigo National Park, (other than the former Coliban Water Supply Area and the Kamarooka and Sandhurst Reference Areas), Heathcote-Graytown National Park (other than the Mount Black Reference Area), St Arnaud Range National Park (other than the Mt Separation Reference Area) and Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park - a new category of park. Areas previously unavailable for prospecting remain in force until a management plan is finalised.


• In three of the five State Parks, the new park areas will be available for prospecting except in identified zones of high conservation values. Previously, the whole park was unavailable for prospecting unless otherwise zoned to allow it. State Parks where this new approach will apply are Kooyoora, Paddys Ranges and Reef Hills State Parks.


• There is also provision for prospecting for gemstones in specific sites within Heathcote-Graytown National Park, Kooyoora State Park and Warby Ranges State Park.


• Other areas available for prospecting include nature conservation reserves (NCR). However the areas previously not available for prospecting in Wychitella NCR and the whole of Deep Lead NCR remain off limits.
• In the well-known Golden Triangle area, which is the focus for much of Victoria's prospecting activity, there will be only minimal change to the areas available for prospecting. This is recognised by the extensive tract of State Forest and other generally available public land categories from Wedderburn to south of Maryborough, where prospecting will continue to be allowed.


• In the new parks in which prospecting is allowed, currently available areas will continue to be available and will be reviewed as each new park management plan is prepared in consultation with the community and peak user groups.

Will thinnings be used to provide additional firewood?

Thinnings are not currently required because the Five-Year Firewood Plans have revealed that alternative areas are available for firewood supply without requiring access to the parks and reserves system.