The project (scroll down for project updates)

​This project will work on 1660 ha over 12 sites identified in the Bass Coast Shire Councils Biolinks Plan, selected by the project partners, based on the most cost-effective actions in the SMP 20%. The key objective is to protect the best of Bass Coast’s remaining biodiversity, providing habitat for threatened species, by directly managing the key threats such as loss of habitat, weeds and pest animals and inappropriate fire regimes. ​
​The works proposed in this project are designed to improve the habitat and reduce predator threats to threatened species including; Southern Brown Bandicoot, Growling Grass Frog, Swamp Skink, Swift Parrot, Orange Bellied Parrot, Powerful Owl and Swamp Antechinus. The threats to these sites include predation from foxes, competition for food and habitat-displacement by rabbits and deer and weed-invasion (blackberry, boxthorn, cedar wattle, sweet pittosporum, gorse). 

A photopoint from one of the sites, the Mouth of the Bass River. These photo points are used to continually track progress, by taking an image in the same place from the same angle at intervals throughout the project, to see progress

sites

The project sites include 5 public land sites. Parks Victoria managed sites Mouth of the Bass River and Reef Island (195ha), Mouth of the Powlett River (161ha) and the Western Port Inter-tidal reserve (34ha). Bass Coast Shire sites include; The Gurdies (52ha) and Wonthaggi rail-trail (5ha). Private Land sites include Holden Proving Ground (875ha), Boral-Grantville (121ha), Lang-Lang Golf course (17ha), Sibelco-Grantville (74ha), Bell-Park Nyora (42ha) and a private property in Kilcunda (2ha)

Aims

We will work on approximately 14 EVCs of which 9 are listed as Endangered, 4 vulnerable and 1 rare. Habitat creation through revegetation in the Lower-Powlett River area and the Holden Proving Ground to improve connectivity will provide opportunities to connect the community with nature. The Bunurong Land Council will be engaged to deliver cross cultural training, cultural heritage inspections, as well as providing expert knowledge and advise on cultural burning within the Holden Proving Ground.
A Biodiversity-showcase event in year 3 of the project will provide information on threatened species protection and monitoring.

This project has been funded by the Victorian Government’s Biodiversity Response Planning program and is helping to ensure that Victoria’s biodiversity is healthy, valued and actively cared for. This project is aligned with the implementation of Protecting Victoria’s Environment - Biodiversity 2037.

Project update - october 2019

After a successful first year, we are now moving forward into the second year of the three-year project. The second year will build on much of the work completed in the first year, with some exciting additional activities:
 
Revegetation & Cultural education
At the beginning of the financial year, we completed two revegetation activities at two of our 12 project sites. The first site was an important link of riparian habitat on the banks of the Lower Powlett River. The Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC) completed a cultural heritage assessment of the site, and an informative cultural induction for Powlett River Primary School students and volunteers who attended the tree planting event. The participation of the BCLAC is a vital component of the project, ensuring culturally sensitive areas are treated accordingly and providing an educational opportunity for everyone involved.
A second tree planting event was held at the Holden Proving Ground with Holden staff and BCLN. The site was an abandoned quarry, which has now been rehabilitated to provide habitat for threatened species such as Swamp Skink, Swamp Antechinus and Powerful Owl.
 
Weed control
Weed control will continue across more than 660 hectares in late Spring to Autumn, when the annual weeds such as Ragwort, Cape Tulip, Thistles and other herbaceous weeds can be best targeted. Control programs will also continue for woody weeds such as Sweet Pittosporum, Cedar Wattles, African Box Thorn etc. in the coming months. In the first year, BCLN Works Crew rejuvenated many weed infested project sites. Westernport Intertidal Reserve is a great example of a heavily infested area, which has been turned around from extensive weed control works in the past financial year.
 
Pest Animal control
Fox control programs have begun this October and a second pulse will be run at some of our project sites in Autumn 2020. We are using 1080 baiting as our primary method of fox control for the project. Rabbit control using Pindone baiting will commence at the end of summer in early 2020 and some deer control will be implemented in 2020.
 
Ecological/Cultural Burn
In the Autumn of 2020, in partnership with BLCAC and Corinella Foreshore Committee, we will complete a cultural and ecological burn at the Corinella Grasslands Reserve (the old cricket ground). The area has been burnt in the past to reduce the spread of weedy grasses and promote the regeneration of native grass species. The area is an important patch of native grassland and the burn will be an educational experience, being the first cultural burn to be completed on the Bass Coast by BCLAC. Keep posted for further details.
 
Monitoring
We are running an ongoing monitoring program as part of the project, involving the use of infra-red, motion-sensing cameras to monitor the movement of fauna species across our sites. Over the life of the project, each site will be monitored in a 3-week program to identify pest animal target areas and survey native wildlife populations and potential threatened species.
So far we have identified dozens of species of native wildlife, proving the importance of these key habitat patches for biodiversity protection.

​This project was funded with the support of the Victorian State Government.