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Biodiversity Action Planning

Biodiversity is the variety of all life, the differentplants, animals and micro-organisms, the genesthey contain, and the ecosystems of which theyform a part. Conserving native biodiversity isfundamental to our quality of life and our economicwell-being, however many species and communitiesare under threat.

Biodiversity Action Planning (BAP) has beendeveloped in response to the State Government’sVictoria’s Biodiversity Strategy and is beingconducted across Victoria to plan for nativebiodiversity conservation at a landscape level.BAP identifies where the most significant nativebiodiversity values are, and aims to focusconservation actions on the protection, maintenanceand restoration of ecosystems at these sites.

The philosophy of BAP is that biodiversity actionsshould be directed towards:• protection of remnant habitats and the flora

and fauna populations they contain;• enhancement of the condition of these habitats

and populations; and• restoration of at least some of their former

extent of habitats by revegetation orreintroduction.

Lichenostomus melanopscassidix Helmeted HoneyeaterPhoto: Iain Stych

BAP is conducted at threelevels, ranging from abroad to a detailed scale.The Strategic Overviewis the broadest scale andprovides details of theframework andmethodology used in theBAP process and anoverview of the featuresand assets of thebioregion.

Landscape Plans are written for each landscapezone within a bioregion and contain specificinformation on assets and priorities for actions withinthe landscape zones.

The biodiversity information provided in LandscapePlans will assist in the preparation of Local AreaPlans, and other planning processes such asLandcare plans.

Local Area Plans are specific plans that nominate andprioritise actions across the local landscape thatshould be implemented to conserve the nativebiodiversity of the area. These actions are developedin conjunction with landholders and land managers.Local Area Plans can be developed by various groups– including Landcare Groups, the Department ofSustainability and Environment (DSE), LocalGovernment, and Catchment ManagementAuthorities (CMA).

Victoria has been divided into 28 bioregions, whichare areas that have similar ecological and physicalattributes. The Port Phillip & Western Port areaincludes parts of six bioregions and seventeenLandscape Zones. A map of Victoria that shows thebioregions and landscape zones can be found on theDSE website.

The Port Phillip & Western Port area

There is an amazing richness and diversity of plantand animal communities in the Port Phillip & WesternPort area. There are also large numbers ofthreatened species, many of which occur only in thisarea, such as the Helmeted Honeyeater, EmeraldStar-bush and Sunshine Diuris. These species areunder threat from habitat loss and fragmentation,weed invasion and predation.

In the Port Phillip & Western Port area, LandscapePlans have been produced for Barrabool, Barwon,Bellarine, Craigieburn, Gembrook, Hurstbridge, KooWee Rup, Phillip Island, Steiglitz, Werribee andYarra. Drafts are currently being prepared forBacchus Marsh and Mornington.

Local Area Plans are being produced in a number oflocations in the Port Phillip & Western Port area,including Merriang and Toolern Vale in the VictorianVolcanic Plain bioregion, and Macclesfield in theHighlands – Southern Fall bioregion.

All published Strategic Overviews and LandscapePlans, maps and useful resource documents areavailable on the DSE website:www.dse.vic.gov.au > conservation andenvironment > biodiversity action planning

Encouragingly, there is broad community interest inprotecting native biodiversity in this area, with manypro-active groups involved in a variety of on-groundprojects. BAP documents can provide information toassist these groups with planning for native biodiversityprotection.

Biodiversity Action Planning in the Port Phillip & Western Port area

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Bacchus Marsh

Steiglitz

Wallan

FrenchIsland

Koo Wee Rup

Melbourne

Mornington

PhillipIsland

Gembrook

HurstbridgeYarra

BarraboolBellarine

WerribeeSouth

Barwon

Craigieburn

Werribee

0 50 100 150 Kilometers

N

The statewide Biodiversity ActionPlanning Program is a partnershipbetween the Department ofSustainability and Environment,Catchment Management Authoritiesand Local Government.Preparation and implementation ofplans is funded by the Departmentof Sustainability and Environment,Catchment Management Authoritiesand the Natural Heritage Trust, andrelies on the voluntary co-operationand support from local landmanagers and communities.

versityionningthehillip &rn Portea

Highlands - Southern Fall BioregionGembrookHurstbridgeYarra

Victorian Alps BioregionYarra

Gippsland Plain BioregionFrench IslandKoo Wee RupMelbourneMorningtonPhillip Island

Bioregion boundary

Landscape Zones:

Otway Plain BioregionBarraboolBellarineWerribee South

Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion

BarwonCraigieburnWerribee

Bacchus Marsh

Central Victorian Uplands BioregionBacchus MarshSteiglitzWallan

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability andEnvironment Melbourne, December 2005

© The State of Victor ia Department of Sustainabil ity and Environment 2005

This publication is copyr ight. No part may be reproduced by any processexcept in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

Authorised by the Victor ian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, EastMelbourne.Printed by Croxton Printing, 2/72 Northgate Drive, Thomastown 3074Printed on recycled paper.

ISBN 1 74152 243 9

For more informat ion contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186

DisclaimerThis publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victor ia andits employees do not guarantee that the publication is without f law of anykind or is wholly appropriate for your part icular purposes and thereforedisclaims al l l iab il ity for any error, loss or other consequence which mayarise from you rely ing on any information in this publicat ion.

More InformationFor further information about Port Phillip Region’sBiodiversity Action Plans, please contact the Department ofSustainability and Environment’s Customer Service Centre on136 186, or email: biodiversity.ppr@dse.vic.gov.au

BiodiversityAction Planning

in thePort Phillip & Western Port area

Landscape Zones in the Port Philip & Western Port area