western port green wedge management plan - discussion paper- october 2011 v11oct11
TRANSCRIPT
DISCUSSION PAPER, OCTOBER 2011
WESTERNPORT GREEN WEDGEMANAGEMENT PlAN
2
Published by the Department of Planning and Community Development, 1 Spring St, Melbourne Vic 3000. October 2011.©Copyright State Government of Victoria 2010. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Disclaimer. This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
Accessibility
If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, please telephone Emily Allsopp on (03) 9223 1767, or email [email protected] This publication is also published on www.casey.vic.gov.au and www.cardinia.vic.gov.au
We gratefully acknowledge representatives from the following Government Departments, agencies, local organisations and businesses who attended the Westernport Green Wedge May 2011 workshops, including: - Agpath Soil Labs- Bunyip Landcare- Bunyip Food Belt PPAG- Cardinia Ratepayers and Residents Association- Cardinia Shire Council- Casey City Council- Coolibah Herbs- Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD)- Department of Primary Industries (DPI).- Department of Transport (DOT)- Devon Meadows Residence Association- Frankston City Council- GMT Trading- Green Wedge Coalition- Growth Areas Authority- Koo Wee Rup Township Committee- Melbourne Water- Mornington Peninsula Shire- Parks Victoria- Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA)- South East Water- South Gippsland Shire Council- VFF Chicken Meat Group- VicRoads- Victorian Farmers Federation- Western Port Biosphere Reserve- Western Port Catchment Committee- Western Port Catchment Landcare Network- Zappia Flowers- Other individuals representing Westernport Green Wedge land owners
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Table Of Contents
Introduction 5
Agriculture and Horticulture 15
Water 23
Urban Development Pressures 29
Biodiversity 37
Leisure and Tourism 43
Other Issues 47
Summary and Next Steps 53
References 57
Maps
Metropolitan Context 7
Westernport Green Wedge Study Area 18
Pre-1750 Vegetation 13
Agricultural land use in the Green Wedge 20
Bunyip Food Belt (Investigation Area) 21
Land areas subject to Inundation and Flooding 27
Catchment Region Stream Condition 28
Lot Sizes 34
2010 Urban growth boundary 35
Ecological Vegetation Classes 41
Environment and Landscape Land use overlay areas 42
South Gippsland Railway line 48
Land use and Development - Zones 51
Land use and Development Constaints - Overlay 52
Tables
Community Profile 9
Agricultural Commodities 16
Significant Flows in the Bunyip Main Drain 24
River Health 26
Services in the Townships 30
Farmers Markets 45
Summary of Rural Zones 50
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1. Introduction
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This Discussion Paper is the first step in preparing a Green Wedge Management Plan for the Westernport Green Wedge. The Westernport Green Wedge is one of 12 green wedges on the outskirts of Melbourne which lie outside the urban growth boundary and which separate Melbourne’s urban growth areas. Green wedges comprise rural and natural areas which have been set aside to provide a range of non-urban uses. These can include agriculture and open countryside close to the metropolitan area, protection of significant fauna and flora, opportunities for recreation and tourism, airports and extractive industries which need to be close to the city.
Although they are set aside as non-urban land through a planning scheme, green wedges are subject to intense pressures for urban development and change. There are often competing pressures from urban development, hobby farms, tourism, intensive agriculture and infrastructure because they are on the edge of the city’s population of around four million people. A proactive approach is therefore required to ensure that these pressures are managed properly and that the scenic and natural qualities of our green wedges are not eroded over time. Green Wedge Management Plans have been introduced to identify these values and to work with the local community to set priorities as well as make proposals to improve the future planning and management of these areas. Map 1 shows the Westernport Green Wedge in context with metropolitan Melbourne.
The Study AreaThe Westernport Green Wedge study area is shown on Map 2. It measures 40-45 kilometres across at its widest point, and up to 20-25 kilometres in a north-south direction and occupies an area of 800 kilometres. About one-third of the study area is within the City of Casey and includes the settlements of Pearcedale, Cannons Creek, Warneet, Devon Meadows and Tooradin. The remaining two-thirds are within the Shire of Cardinia including the rural settlements of Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Cardinia, Bayles and Heath Hill, and the Gippsland railway line townships of Garfield, Bunyip, Tynong and Nar Nar Goon.
About 85 per cent of the study area is used for agricultural purposes such as broad acre farming, vegetable growing and poultry. About 10 per cent is used for other rural uses such as hobby farms, rural living, and nature conservation (mainly along the Westernport coast) and the remaining 5 per cent is occupied by the scattered townships and settlements.
HistoryIt is important to consider the future of the Westernport Green Wedge in its historical context. The study area coincides closely with the former Koo Wee Rup swamp which was originally covered in swamp paperbark, reeds and bulrushes and was a natural barrier between Melbourne and West Gippsland (refer Map 3). The history of this
Notes:
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1 There were in fact two swamps - the inland Koo Wee Rup Swamp (Iona, Cora Lynn, and Koo Wee Rup areas), and the coastal Dalmore Swamp (Dalmore, Bayles and Cardinia areas). References throughout this paper to the Koo Wee Rup Swamp should be taken to include the Dalmore Swamp.
Map 1 - Metropolitan Context
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area has been one of constant struggle with the natural environment, typically in relation to flooding of the former swamp but also with bushfire, erosion and drought2.
Western Port was the tribal area for the Bunurong people who hunted for game and food in the Koo Wee Rup swamp while camped on higher ground around the edge. During the wetter winter months, they would retreat to the hills to the north around the Bunyip State Forest. Many Aboriginal sites have been identified around the former swamp and also along the Westernport Coast where there are shell middens and artefact scatters.
Land was opened up for European settlement in the 1860s but could not be farmed due to the dense vegetation and the threat of flooding. In the 1870s the Lands Department decided to drain the swamp so that it could be farmed, and the Koo Wee Rup Drainage Committee was formed to oversee the process. The main channel connecting the Cardinia Creek and a number of smaller drains were excavated from 1876 using shovels and wheelbarrows, but these initial efforts proved unsuccessful and major floods still occurred. The drainage system was extended from 1889 with the construction of the Bunyip Main Drain to channel the Bunyip River through to Western Port.
The first village settlement was then built but flooding occurred again in 1893 leading to further widening and deepening of the main drain. Drainage works were completed by 1897, but later bushfires caused the underlying peat to catch fire and burn beneath the surface for several months. The new drainage system and drought then led to the soil shrinking and compacting with the land surface dropping as a consequence. A major flood in 1900 caused damage to crops and livestock and a new round of widening and extension of the drainage system took place as a result. Nevertheless, the area was proving to be fertile land for horticulture and in the early 1900s the area was the potato capital of Victoria.
Around this time, there was extensive clearance of the hills to the north of the Koo Wee Rup swamp. This in turn led to erosion of the drains because of the increased runoff, and sedimentation in the lower parts of the system. In 1917 the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District was proclaimed to oversee an improved drainage system for the whole area which was required by severe flooding again in 1911. The needs of World War I promoted vegetable growing in the area, and also led subsequently to the subdivision of small-holdings for returned soldiers (“soldier settlements”).
Major floods in 1923 and 1924 and the gigantic flood of 1934 caused significant damage and the latter made over 1,000 people homeless. The 1936 Royal Commission was set up to produce an improved scheme with new levees, the removal of sediment, and a further extension of the system. Only minor flooding occurred after this time and the construction of the Tarago Reservoir in 1969 also enabled better downstream flood control.
2 There are extensive areas of Aboriginal cultural sensitivity in the study area and as a result, many types of development will require a Cultural Heritage Management Plan to be prepared before development can proceed. Areas of cultural sensitivity are shown on Map 12.
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By the time of World War II potato growing in the area had fallen due to market fluctuations, and the area became the prime supplier of Melbourne’s milk and vegetables. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s this trend was accelerated by an influx of growers who were forced out of Melbourne’s traditional market gardens in Dingley and Oakleigh by urban expansion. Potatoes again took over as the dominant land use replacing dairying which moved further out to Gippsland. New sources of water were needed to provide for this expansion and a permit system was introduced in the 1950s to allow farmers to pump water directly from the main drain.
Groundwater was also being extracted from the aquifers from 1922 for stock and domestic requirements. This process went unchecked until water levels in the aquifers had dropped by 15 metres and in the 1967-68 drought they fell below pumping levels and no water could be extracted. The area was declared a Groundwater Conservation Area in 1971 which controlled the rate and volume of water that could be extracted and prohibited new bores in some areas.
Community Profile
There are over 20,000 people living within the study area. Table 1 shows the population for both councils as well as for the study area within each of the council areas.
The area grew by 0.65% pa from 2001-2006 which is much slower than the overall growth rate of 4-5% pa for each of the two councils. The proportion of people born overseas (11.9%) is much lower than for Casey or the metropolitan area (30.4% and 29 %), and the population is younger than for the metropolitan area, but not as young as the two councils. A summary of the data for the green wedge is shown in Table 1 below, which also includes data for the two councils and the Melbourne metropolitan area for comparison purposes.
Table 1 - Community Profile
3 The study area broadly coincides with “small areas” from the Community Profiles on the Cardinia and Casey websites.
NoArea Study
Area 1 - Cardinia
Study Area 2 - Casey
Study Area
Cardinia Shire
City Of Casey
Melbourne Metropolitan
AreaIndicator
1Population 2006
10929 9380 20309 56,270 213,558 3.59m
2Population 2001
10599 9058 19657 45,404 176,075 3.34m
3% Growth 2001-2006
3.1 3.6 3.3 23.9 21.3 7.6
4% Overseas Born
10.3 13.5 11.9 14.2 30.4 29.0
5 0-4 years 6.3 5.5 5.9 7.6 7.8 6.3
6 5-17 years 22.9 20.0 21.5 22.2 21.6 16.6
7 18-64 years 59.5 59.8 59.7 60.8 62.9 64.5
8 65-84 years 10.3 9.3 9.8 8.4 7.0 10.9
9 85+ years 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.1 0.7 1.6
10 Dwellings 3809 4939 8748 19,670 71,478 1.47m
11 % Renting 15.1 10.0 12.6 17.2 17.5 24.5
12Persons/Dwelling 2.85
2.88 2.87 2.84 2.97 2.44 29.0
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There are variations within the study area with higher growth rates recorded in the Casey Coast area (2.9% pa) and Garfield and Bunyip (1.2-1.5% pa) and negative growth recorded in both the Lang Lang and Devon Meadows-Clyde area. There are higher numbers of people born overseas in the Cranbourne South and Devon Meadows-Clyde areas while the communities in Cranbourne South and the rural parts of Cardinia (Lang Lang, Koo Wee Rup etc) are generally older than the other areas. These areas also have a higher number of households renting their properties than elsewhere in the green wedge.
Community Engagement and MethodologyThis Discussion Paper has been informed by a community engagement program that seeks to examine the key challenges and opportunities for the Westernport Green Wedge. The program was devised to reach a broad cross-section of government agencies, industry representatives, local businesses, interest groups, and local people and consisted of the following:
• facilitated workshop with government and agency representatives;• facilitated workshop with key stakeholders including community
groups, growers, and industry representatives;• surveys with a cross-section of people at Pearcedale, Koo Wee Rup,
Bunyip, and Tooradin;• an online survey, and• interviews with key stakeholders.
Findings from the workshops and survey have been used to identify issues and values for the Westernport Green Wedge and to help define a draft vision for the Green Wedge. Findings from this program can be found in Community and Stakeholder Engagement - Summary Findings (Capire Consulting Group, May 2011).
A word map4 from the community and key stakeholder workshop is shown below to highlight the topics which were raised.
In addition, there has been an extensive review of relevant literature to inform this Discussion Paper and the key characteristics have been mapped. A list of the main references is included at the end of the Discussion Paper.4 The word map represents the number of times the word was recorded in the transcripts of the meeting.
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Report StructureThe following chapters discuss issues that have emerged from the study and are described under themes relevant to the Westernport Green Wedge, namely:
• Agriculture and Horticulture (Chapter 2)• Water (Chapter 3)• Urban Development Pressures (Chapter 4)• Biodiversity (Chapter 5)• Leisure and Tourism (Chapter 6)• Other issues e.g. Planning Controls etc (Chapter 7)
The final chapter (Chapter 8) discusses a draft vision for the Westernport Green Wedge and explains the next steps that will be taken to prepare the Green Wedge Management Plan.
Draft VisionThe Westernport Green Wedge will be a permanent green and rural area dedicated to best practice agriculture and environmental management. Intensive horticulture for the long-term food security of Victoria is at the heart of this vision. Best practice environmental management will lead to healthy streams and watercourses with no adverse impacts on Western Port and the risks of flooding will be minimised. The green wedge will be home to small, clearly defined settlements which have a strong identity and provide jobs and services for the local community. The green wedge economy will be driven by its agriculture, but also by an emerging tourist industry based on cycling and walking trails, food, education, and Western Port. The Westernport Green Wedge will be the permanent edge to Melbourne’s southeast and the urban interface will be designed to consolidate this vision.
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RoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoad
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Pakenham
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oodla
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inia
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de -
Toora
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Na
r N
ar
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on
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yle
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rdin
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ke
nh
am
So
uth
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ke
nh
am
Off
ice
r
To
ora
din
Lin
ew
ork
taken f
rom
Calla
nan (
1859)
Legend
Scru
b e
dge
Bottom
of
slo
pe
Gra
ssla
nds
taken fro
m U
rquhart
(1847)
and
Yallo
ck G
rassla
nds,
in G
unson &
Key (
1968)
Inner
sw
am
p
taken f
rom
soil
mappin
g b
y S
arg
eant
et
al. (
1996)
Oute
r sw
am
p b
oundary
taken fro
m U
rquhart
(1847)
and
Yallo
ck G
rassla
nds,
in G
unson &
Key (
1968)
Tobin
Yallo
ck
Sw
am
p
Prote
cto
rs Fla
ts
Map 3 - Pre-1750 Vegetation.From Vegetation Mapping of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp and Adjacent Grasslands (Biosis Research Pty Ltd 2005)
14
15
2. Agriculture and Horticulture
16
A Profile of AgricultureThe Agricultural Industry is a crucial and valuable land use activity for Melbourne’s green wedges, and agriculture has a highly productive value (highest per hectare in Victoria) for the Port Phillip and Westernport region (11% of Victoria’s value).A wide variety of peri-urban farming activities contribute to the landscape and scenic qualities of Melbourne’s green wedges creating recreation and tourism opportunities; ranging from farm accommodation, pick-your-own produce, through to internationally recognised wineries. These activities contribute to and underpin many of the green wedge communities both socially and economically.
Farming is an vital activity in the Casey-Cardinia area and accounts for more than 2000 jobs and an economic value of nearly $400 million to the local economy. This equates to 3.6% of the combined municipalities employment and 4.6% of economic output, although it should be noted that it is 2-3 times more important to the Cardinia economy than it is to the Casey economy. Although other sectors contribute more to the local economy5, agriculture is an essential sector in its own right and is the dominant land use and economic activity within the study area.
In the Casey-Cardinia region6 livestock products such as poultry, beef, milk and eggs are the most valuable commodities with an output of $188m although they comprise only a fairly modest share of the state’s total output. Vegetable growing is also important with an output of $115 million but it has a much greater strategic value to the state producing more than 50% of Victoria’s asparagus, celery, leeks, herbs, silver beet, radishes, and spring onions. Fruit growing is a relatively minor activity with an output of $12 million.
Comments made during/from workshops and interviews• “We need to be careful how we
use the land – a lot of land is currently being lost to housing” (interview)…
• “Government does not recognise and understand the uniqueness of the area and the importance of farming” (interview)…
• “Every activity in the Green Wedge is interrelated to that of its neighbour and there are tensions from non-agricultural uses” (workshop)…
• “The soil in the Westernport Green Wedge has high organic matter for intensive agriculture – this is our natural capital” (workshop)
5 The manufacturing, retailing, construction and property/business services sectors each contribute around 10-15% to local jobs and economic output.
6 The Casey-Cardinia region includes the whole of the two municipalities and is therefore about double the size of the Westernport Green Wedge and production figures are approximately 30% higher than for the study area.
Table 2 - Agricultural Commodities (food and farming) produced in the green wedge 2006-2010.
No CommodityOutput Value
$MillionState Output %
A livestock - Products 188 7
1 Poultry meat 97 27
2 Cattle slaughtered 31 2
3 Milk 43 2
4 Eggs 17 15
B Vegetables 115 18
5 Asparagus 39 88
6 Potatoes 18 16
7 Celery 13 50
8 Leeks 10 71
9Others eg Asian vegetables, herbs etc
17 34-79
C Other 70 na
10 Nurseries 26 10
11 Cut flowers 25 17
12 Turf 7 30
13 Apples 9 5
14Other fruit - berry fruit, kiwi fruit
3 9-12
17
The main farming types are shown on Map 4 (Agricultural land use in the green wedge) which indicates the vegetable growing areas in three locations in the west, middle and east of the study area. Intensive animal production is scattered across the study area as are a small number of orchards. Other land use types, mainly hobby farms and rural residential areas, are largely confined to the smaller lots, particularly in the Pearcedale/Devon Meadows areas in the west of the study area. Broad acre grazing for beef or dairy cattle is carried out across the study area.
The Westernport Green Wedge is a highly productive agricultural area and has an increasingly vital role to play in feeding Victoria’s population. Melbourne’s vegetables, chickens, eggs and milk will frequently originate from the study area and the value of agriculture in the Casey-Cardinia region is greater than for any of Melbourne’s other green wedges. Its strategic importance as a food supply for the metropolitan area will increase over time as Melbourne grows and rainfall patterns change with increasing uncertainty over rainfall and water allocations to Australia’s traditional food bowl - the Murray Darling Basin.
The operating environment for farming is constantly changing with local factors affecting the Westernport Green Wedge. The area under farming dropped by 25% in Cardinia from 1984-2006 although production value remained constant because of more efficient and intensive farming methods7. Some types of farming, particularly broad acre operations, may no longer be viable under current circumstances, and change may be accelerated when farmers with established operations retire or move away from the farm.
The ageing of farmers can also affect operations and productivity. Children from farming families may be less inclined to take over the farm than in the past, and without a succession plan, farmers may remain on the land but farm it less intensively for instance, turning a dairy farm to beef or to lie fallow.
The study area has water availability combined with a temperate climate, a range of versatile soil types and close proximity to ports, airports, markets and workforce. The peat soils of the Koo Wee Rup swamp support the vigorous export-orientated asparagus industry and the sandy soils on the outskirts of the former swamp are ideal for horticulture. The community consultations showed support for stronger policies and zonings to retain this land for agriculture.
The Bunyip Food BeltCardinia, Casey and Mornington Peninsula Councils are collaborating with Melbourne Water, Southern Rural Water and South East Water to build on the agricultural strength of the green wedge. They are jointly investigating the feasibility of an intensive agricultural precinct to be known as the Bunyip Food Belt which would roughly coincide with the study area. An area of interest has been identified which could be irrigated through a gravity-fed system from the Eastern Treatment Plant shown on Map 5. The precinct has potential to be supplied with
7 The Agricultural Profile for the Shire of Yarra Ranges (2009) showed a decline in farm area for the Westernport Green Wedge of 25% between 1984-2006 with only a 4% decline in productive value. For Yarra Ranges, the equivalent figures were 22% decline in area but with a 92% increase in value, largely due to expansion of the wine industry.
18
Class A recycled water8 from the Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum on completion of its upgrade in 2012-13 and if the project proves to be viable the precinct would have a water supply which could withstand drought. This would bolster the area’s competitive advantages for intensive horticulture and food production which could then be expanded across the area.
The Bunyip Food Belt Ancillary Impacts Analysis (Access Economics 2010) suggests the following benefits:
• Enhanced agricultural production with the overall value increased by almost $200 million pa with an additional 1400 jobs in agriculture and a further 1000 jobs in the wider economy.
• Flow-on benefits for the regional economy estimated at over $220m by 2030
• Greater food security for Melbourne and the State because the proposal will not be dependent on regular rainfall and less vulnerable to climate change impacts.
A pre-feasibility assessment is currently underway (September 2011) which will consider the financial viability of the scheme including the capital and maintenance costs of piping the water up to 80 kilometres from the Eastern Treatment Plant and the likely take-up rates and income from local and potential growers. If the assessment is positive, then funds will be sought from State and Federal Governments with a view to commencing works by 2015.
The Horticultural and Food Production IndustryAs a fertile and productive horticultural area close to Melbourne, the Westernport Green Wedge has an important role in terms of food production. Although Australia as a whole produces much more food than it requires, it is vulnerable in terms of future capacity to meet the demand for fruit and vegetables. These commodities are central to a nutritious diet and the Westernport Green Wedge has been shown to be strategically important to meeting the state’s needs for vegetables.
Climate change and population growth will place pressures on the world’s food supplies and it may become difficult and expensive to import these commodities. The strategic importance of horticulture in the green wedge can be expected to grow under these circumstances.
There may also be opportunities to provide better access to nutritious, healthy food for disadvantaged and low income households in Casey and Cardinia. Some 30-35% of Casey residents “… don’t always have the food they want because (a) it is too expensive or (b) it’s not the right quality” - both well above the state average, while in Cardinia nearly 10% of respondents to the survey “… ran out of food in the previous 12 months and couldn’t afford to buy any more” - again well above the state average (Victorian Population Health Survey 2008).
It may also be possible to improve access to local vegetables and produce for residents in Casey and Cardinia through specialist outlets, farm sales, a local produce section in supermarkets, and through new community markets.8 Class A recycled water is water which is 70% pure and suitable for irrigation for market gardening, but not for domestic use.
19
Managing Climate Variability and Climate Change risksAlthough there are many uncertainties, two recent reports - the Garnaut Review 2011 and The Critical Decade (Climate Commission 2011) - have concluded that the world’s climate is changing and temperatures are rising. The most likely estimates for Victoria are for temperature increases within the range of 1.5o-3.0o by 2070 and for a decrease in rainfall of between 5% and 20%, particularly in spring and winter. This has huge implications specifically for agricultural production and rising sea levels in the Westernport Green Wedge.
The agricultural industry will need many years in which to plan and respond to these changes, and individual farmers will no doubt wish to have their succession plans in order. Research has therefore been commissioned for this study to consider the potential impacts of climate change on local agriculture with a view to informing farmers and the industry so that they can plan accordingly. The impacts of climate change on commodities that are already being grown in the green wedge - and which may have the potential to be grown in future - are being researched with the help of the Victorian Department of Primary Industry, including asparagus, celery, perennial rye grass, pome fruits (eg apples, pears etc), brassica (eg broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc), leeks and kiwi fruit. This research will be used to inform the development of the Green Wedge Management Plan.
Questions for Discussion: • What value should the Green
Wedge Management Plan place on agriculture in the Westernport Green Wedge… and specifically its strategic importance for growing vegetables?
• Should the Plan promote the expansion of intensive livestock farming - poultry, dairy and cattle - and if so, how?
• How best can the Plan develop local horticulture to improve food security for the State and to generate jobs and investment?
• How can the Plan support the Bunyip Food Belt project most effectively?
• Can the Plan improve food security for residents in Casey and Cardinia by providing better access to locally grown products?
• What action should the Plan be taking now to minimise the risks of climate change?
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Map 4 - Agricultural land use in the Green Wedge
21
Map 5 - Bunyip Food Belt (Investigation Area)
22
23
3. Water
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Flooding and InundationAs described previously, the recent history of the Westernport Green Wedge is largely the history of the Koo Wee Rup swamp and its ongoing struggle to drain the swamp and to contain flooding in the area. This was made more evident during the flooding on the 5 and 6 February 2011.
Map 6 (Land areas subject to Inundation and Flooding) shows that most of the area is subject to flooding and is covered by a Land Subject to Inundation Overlay in the planning scheme as well as a Flooding Overlay along the main watercourses. Only the railway townships to the north of the Gippsland railway line, and the extreme west and southeast of the study area are not affected by these overlays.
One approach suggested during the community consultations was that there should be an integrated water management plan for the whole area. Such a plan could address a range of water management issues, how they could be integrated with land use planning for the area, and whether there may be opportunities to capture stormwater run-off to augment water supplies.
About half of the study area is within the declared Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District which was originally declared in 1917. The district has flooded many times in the 20th Century with the largest flood on record being in 1934 when the entire district was inundated. The comparative scale of that flood is demonstrated in Table 3 which shows the main floods in reference to significant flows in the Bunyip Main Drain from 1901-1996. As a result of this and subsequent floods, the Yallock Outfall was eventually constructed which provides a higher level of flood protection for the Koo Wee Rup township.
By way of comparison, the floods of 5 & 6 February 2011 recorded a peak flow of 151 metres3 which was the highest flow for 27 years but well below the 1934 flows of 859 metres3
Comments made during/from workshops and interviews• “There are opportunities for
habitat creation and slowing of flows through wetland development eg proposed wetlands at Clyde” (workshop)
• ”Water quality is a big challenge. Silt laden runoff impacts the Westernport mangroves and fish nurseries as well as the ground water quality” (workshop)
• “The Bunyip Food Belt project and intensive horticulture is good for the region and will increase the viability of small farms. Access to water year round will encourage this intensive farming… the Class A recycled water that is proposed is a good option” (interview)
Table 3 - Significant Flows in the Bunyip Main DrainFrom Guidelines for Development within the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District; Melbourne Water 2003
1000
Flow
(m
3 /s)
Year
Capacity of the Bunyip Main Drain (225 m3/s)Assuming minimal vegetation in drain
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
019 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19
93127
192 219
347
141
859
277
524
132127
284
219 184
120
238
184147 132
D1 11 18 23 24 32 34 35 37 44 51 52 53 59 60 71 84 90 96
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Climate Risk and Rising Sea levelsIt is expected that climate change will cause sea levels to rise because of thermal expansion of the oceans, melting of glaciers and ice caps, and melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The impacts of those rising sea levels cannot yet be predicted accurately and will always be subject to tide and weather conditions. However, the Federal Government has released maps through its agency OzCoasts which show the impacts for the year 2100 with increases in sea levels of 50cm, 80cm, and 100cm.
The impacts of rising sea levels for the Westernport Green Wedge could be as follows:
• greater intensity and frequency of storm surges and coastal flooding,• increased salinity of rivers, bays and coastal aquifers,• increased coastal erosion,• inundation of low-lying coastal infrastructure, and• loss of wetlands and impacts on the mangrove and seagrass ecosystems.
The area likely to be impacted by extreme events with storm surges and high tides is shown on Map 6 for the year 2100. This uses a scenario where sea levels have risen 0.8 metres and shows impacts along the Westernport coast around Warneet, Cannons Creek and Tooradin. The South Gippsland Highway could provide a barrier to sea level intrusion for communities further inland unless there is the worst combination of circumstances. The State and Federal Governments and agencies will need to monitor these predictions and consider an appropriate response in terms of development and planning for these areas.
Since May 2011, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance has been carrying out a project for the federal Coastal Adaptation Decision program in the Westernport region. The report is due for completion in June 2012, and at that time SECCCA will deliver the findings to the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.The project titled “Deciding for the coast: implementing effective adaptation actions”, will investigate effective adaptation actions to develop a framework for assessing the economic, social and environmental impacts of coastal adaptation options for the region. This will improve the ability of local government town planners and land use decision-makers to assess the impacts of coastal hazards on key assets, leading to better land use planning outcomes for the Westernport region.
Water Quality and River HealthMelbourne Water and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority share responsibility for water quality and river health in the Port Phillip and Westernport catchment. The quality and health of watercourses is monitored and the Regional River Health Strategy 2007 sets out priorities for improving those watercourses.
The strategy assesses the water quality, aquatic life, habitat/stability, vegetation and flow of the region’s catchments. It describes the quality of watercourses in the Westernport Green Wedge as generally “poor” or “very poor” and their catchments are all classed as “poor” (refer Map 7 Catchment region stream conditions (2004). This compares
26
unfavourably with the condition of other parts of the Port Phillip & Westernport catchment and community consultations suggested that runoff and stormwater from urban areas and agriculture contribute to the poor condition of watercourses. Targets are set to improve their condition and are summarised below for the four sub-catchments in the Westernport Green Wedge.
An important concern for river management within the Westernport Green Wedge is that its streams and watercourses are depositing considerable amounts of sediment into Western Port. The resulting sedimentation and turbidity is in turn putting the bay under severe ecological stress with the loss of some of the bay’s valuable seagrass meadows, as well as threatening its mangrove and saltmarsh communities.
Sedimentation in the bay has increased in the last 150 years as a result of large scale land clearance, the draining and channelling of the Koo Wee Rup swamp, and the resultant increase in water flows and catchment erosion. The CSIRO investigated the scale and nature of sedimentation in 20039 and identified the Bunyip and Lang Lang River systems as the main sources of sediment, as well as erosion of the clay banks along the coast near the Lang Lang jetty10. The study recommended a program of rehabilitation and stabilization to reduce the problem over the following decades. Priorities in the Regional River Health Strategy should reflect these recommendations.
SalinitySoil salinity across Cardinia has been investigated both in relation to urban development and conditions across the shire. A report on dry land salinity, National Heritage Trust Salinity Project 2004/2005, identified ten groundwater flow systems in Cardinia including six which affected the study area. Two of these systems were considered to represent a soil salinity hazard for the south-west and the south-east of the study area and a range of management responses were suggested including waterlogging control, groundwater pumping, and discharge management.
No Sub-Catchment Current Condition Target
1 Lang Lang River Poor Moderate
2 Dalmore Outfalls Poor Poor
3 Cardinia/Toomuc/Deep/Ararat Creeks Poor Moderate
4 Lower Bunyip River Poor Moderate
Table 4 - River Health
9 The Westernport Sediment Study; CSIRO Land and Water, 200310 The clay banks on the Lang Lang coast have eroded badly over the years and scour pockets have developed. The prob-
lem has been investigated to consider how to prevent or reduce this erosion and options including a floating breakwater to reduce wave impacts are being considered.
Questions for Discussion: • What more can be done to
minimise the risk of flooding in the area?
• Are some activities - and urban development - making matters worse?
• As a former swamp adjacent to the coast, is some level of risk unavoidable?
• Should an integrated water management plan for the area be prepared or are existing arrangements adequate?
• What action should be taken now in response to forecast rising sea levels and the threat of stormtide inundation?
• What can be done to improve water quality in local watercourses and to reduce sedimentation in Western Port?
• How serious are the impacts of soil salinity in the area and what more can be done?
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Map 6 - Land areas subject to Inundation and Flooding
28
Map 7 - Catchment Region Stream Condition
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4. Urban Development Pressures
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Current Settlement PatternsAs noted earlier, the Westernport Green Wedge is home to more than 20,000 people, the majority of whom live in the townships scattered across the area. These townships comprise three main types11:
• the railway towns of Nar Nar Goon, Tynong, Garfield and Bunyip along the Gippsland railway line;
• the coastal communities of Cannons Creek, Tooradin, Blind Bight and Warneet along the Westernport coast; and
• the rural service centres of Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Pearcedale, Bayles, Heath Hill etc
As can be seen from the table below, the main service centres in the green wedge are at Bunyip, Garfield and Nar Nar Goon in the north, Lang Lang, Koo Wee Rup and Pearcedale in the rural areas, and Tooradin on the Westernport coast.
Away from the townships, the areas around Pearcedale and Devon Meadows have been subdivided and settled more intensively for rural living, hobby farms and equestrian activities, while there is also a more intensive pattern of subdivision in the market gardening areas between Koo Wee Rup and Bunyip (refer Map 8).
Public transport to these townships is minimal and consultations repeatedly raise this as a concern, although some residents are concerned that this will encourage unwelcome growth and development.
Metropolitan Development PressuresThere are ongoing pressures for development for rural living, urban development and activities associated with the metropolitan area. These are generally focused on those areas abutting and close to the urban growth boundary but there are also pressures to expand the townships.
11 Garfield, Bunyip, Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang are also identified as “Large Rural Townships” in the Shire of Cardinia Municipal Strategic Statement whilst Bayles, Cardinia, Nar Nar Goon and Tynong are identified as “Small Rural Townships”.
Comments made during/from workshops and interviews • “I would not like to see
urban encroachment in the Westernport Green Wedge - the urban growth boundary has already gone too far” (online survey)
• “The key challenge for the Green Wedge is stopping development on key agricultural land - people are being offered a lot of money for their land, it’s hard for some to resist” (community survey)
• “I live here because it’s a nice area and it’s semi-rural. We have a quieter lifestyle on an acreage block. It’s a nice area to bring up children” (community survey)
• “Around towns subdivision is okay, but outside towns reduce development and maintain farming” (community survey)
Table 5 - Services in the Townships
No ServiceBu
nyip
Cra
nbou
rne
Sout
h
Dev
on
Mea
dow
s
Gar
field
Koo
Wee
Rup
lang
lan
g
Nar
Nar
Goo
n
Pear
ceda
le
Toor
adin
Tyno
ng
1Primary School
2Secondary School
3 Kindergarten
4Maternal & Child Health
5Doctor/Medical Clinic
6 Shops
7 Hotel
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In particular, there will continue to be pressures to further expand the urban growth boundary although the community consultations have clearly indicated that further expansion should be resisted. The ongoing pressures are illustrated by Map 9 (Urban Growth Boundary 2005 and 2010) which shows the successive extensions to the urban growth boundary which have occurred since it was first introduced in 2002 as a tool to manage the outward growth of metropolitan Melbourne. The Coalition Government's election commitments to work with relevant councils for the immediate assessment of logical inclusions to the urban growth boundary and to conduct a biennial audit of land supply in Melbourne's growth areas reinforce the message that proposals for the green wedge must be robust and well-researched. The future expansion of the Port of Hastings will add to these pressures, especially if it becomes a container port to help cater for an anticipated quadrupling of container traffic to Melbourne by 2035.
There have been three significant extensions to the urban growth boundary, most notably in 2010 when it was extended to incorporate 5000 hectares in Casey which was formerly part of the Westernport Green Wedge and which included one of Victoria’s richest and most productive market gardening areas. Although farming will continue for the short-term, it will eventually be developed for housing to meet Melbourne’s expanding population unless the State Government decides to reverse the urban growth boundary extension and find alternative locations for housing land.
Township Development PressuresThere will also be pressures on the green wedge to accommodate the needs of the townships. For instance, the adopted strategies for four townships all anticipate a growing population with annual growth rates as follows12 (a growth rate of 10%pa will double the population in 7-8 years compared to 24 years for a 3%pa growth rate):
• Bunyip (3%pa)• Garfield (10%pa)• Lang Lang (5-6%pa), and• Koo Wee Rup13 (8%pa).
The townships of Pearcedale, Devon Meadows, Tynong and Nar Nar Goon may be faced with similar pressures and their capacity to accommodate future growth is still being examined.
There is also the question of whether it is appropriate to plan for any level of growth in settlements such as Koo Wee Rup, Warneet and Blind Bight which are surrounded by land liable to flooding or sensitive coastal environments. Growth in the railway townships may be a more acceptable planning solution to accommodate local housing needs or it may be preferable that future growth be directed beyond the green wedge into larger towns such as Drouin and Warragul.
An urban growth boundary has been adopted for some of the
12 Recent population projections anticipate lower growth rates over the 2006-2031 period ie Koo Wee Rup annual average growth of 3.2%, Lang Lang 3.5%, Bunyip 2.2%, and Garfield 3.0%.
13 The strategy for Koo Wee Rup is currently being reviewed and is likely to suggest more intensive development but with no outward expansion.
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small towns - Garfield, Bunyip, Lang Lang and Koo Wee Rup - but not for others including Nar Nar Goon, Tooradin, and Pearcedale. A defined urban growth boundary for these towns provides a measure of certainty and limits growth to within this boundary, but it may also suggest that any level of development within this boundary is acceptable when this may not always be the case.
Accommodating Urban InfrastructureUrban growth will lead to pressures to locate associated infrastructure outside the townships. The Green Wedge Management Plan will need to recognise that urban growth - whether of the metropolitan area or the local townships - will generate pressures to locate activities that are needed by the community within the green wedge. These activities will include uses ranging from racetracks and sewage treatment plants, to water pipelines, new freeways, and the other infrastructure necessary for a metropolitan population. Whilst these uses may all be justified and needed by the wider community, there may be negative impacts on the green wedge and local communities, for instance because of the loss of agricultural land or impacts on a rural landscape.
The Green Wedge Management Plan will need to develop a considered response to how the demands for new infrastructure can be accommodated without compromising the vision for the Westernport Green Wedge.
Rural livingExtensive areas in the green wedge have been subdivided into lots of less than five hectares and are used for rural living and rural residential allotments (refer Map 8). They are used for a variety of semi-rural uses such as hobby farms and keeping horses but residents will frequently commute to work elsewhere and only have limited time to manage their land and any farming activities. Much of the land around Devon Meadows, Pearcedale and South Cranbourne is set aside for rural living.
Many people wish to live in a rural location away from the busy city where they can for run horses or grow plants but within reach of urban facilities and employment. However, there is also a significant downside in that low density, rural residential living can take agricultural land out of production and it is costly and difficult for services such as public transport and waste collection. It can also create problems with adjoining agricultural activities because residents may have suburban expectations in terms of noise, spraying and amenity, which are quite different from those of neighbouring farmers who are legitimately pursuing agricultural activities and see their right to farm being eroded.
This issue was raised during the community consultation as both an opportunity and a threat to the green wedge. An appropriate way forward may be to identify suitable locations where rural living can be supported away from the most productive agricultural areas.
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Constraints on DevelopmentThere are convincing reasons why no further large-scale extension of the urban growth boundary will take place, in particular :
• most of the green wedge is former swamp and prone to flooding, and
• the green wedge is one of Victoria’s most productive and valuable agricultural areas.
Other local constraints include areas with high biodiversity value, areas subject to potential inundation from rising sea levels, areas with aboriginal heritage significance and areas at risk from salinity and acid sulphate soils.
Planning the Edge - The Urban-Rural InterfaceDespite these constraints, the Devon Meadows-Pearcedale area may be more vulnerable to pressures for development because most of this land is not prone to flooding. In this area and higher ground adjoining the urban growth boundary, the Green Wedge Management Plan may need to identify appropriate land uses and activities consistent with the overall vision for the green wedge. Hobby farms, small acre subdivision and equestrian activities may be solutions and rule out subsequent development for conventional housing by virtue of the fragmented subdivision pattern. This graduated response at the urban edge could align with the Coalition Government's election commitment proposals for an Urban Interface Zone which would provide for a lower density residential buffer between farming and residential zones. Proposals for a minimum lot size of two hectares in such areas would also respond to community feedback that larger lots are too difficult to manage as hobby farms.
A careful selection of other uses such as golf courses, biolinks (areas linking natural habitats) and wetlands may also be appropriate in some locations to create an effective buffer for intensive agriculture.
A strategic design response is also needed to ensure that the urban-rural interface is planned and designed as the edge of the city. Timber fences along the back of residential suburbs are the traditional approach, but there are better alternatives. Local streets can demarcate the edge with housing on one side and open fields and farmland on the other. Houses can be designed with an outlook on rural vistas instead of turning their backs on this outlook, and the edge can be planned and used for walking and equestrian trails, with a landscaped buffer between housing and farmland to reduce tensions between farming practices and residential amenity. With this sort of design approach, the interface can be recognised as an attractive and meaningful permanent edge to the city, rather than a temporary boundary before the next extension to the urban growth boundary.
Questions for Discussion: • Should the growth of all
settlements within the Westernport Green Wedge be supported or limited - or should there be a selective approach?
• Should the Westernport Green Wedge be planned as the permanent edge to Melbourne’s growth or should it be accepted that the urban growth boundary will again be extended in some areas?
• How should the Green Wedge Management Plan respond to the need for urban infrastructure (freeways, pipelines, treatment plants, sports facilities etc), whether for the metropolitan area or for local townships?
• Should the Plan identify new areas for rural living and if so, where?
• How can the urban-rural interface be planned and designed most effectively as the edge of the city?
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Map 8 - Lot Sizes
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Map 9 - 2010 Urban growth boundary
36
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5. Biodiversity
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Significance of the Westernport Green WedgeAlthough the original Koo Wee Rup swamp was cleared a century ago there are still many significant habitats and a number of rare and threatened species in the area which need to be protected and managed. The community consultations consistently confirmed the need to protect and enhance the area’s biodiversity and its features, particularly the Ramsar wetlands and nationally endangered species such as the Southern Brown Bandicoot and the Growling Grass Frog.
The dominant vegetation habitats (Ecological Vegetation Classes or EVCs and Significant Fauna and Flora) are shown on Map 10. The map shows that there are numerous and fragmented EVCs across the study area and that most of these are rated as endangered and vulnerable largely because they are the remaining fragments of what was previously the Koo Wee Rup swamp habitat which was almost entirely cleared for drainage and farming. Thus the remaining remnants are of great significance because they are remnants of what was previously the biggest swamp in southeast Australia.
The Landscape Plan for the Gippsland Plain Bioregion 2003 also identifies 30 threatened flora species and 42 threatened fauna species in the Koo Wee Rup Landscape Zone14. The following species are included as endangered either at a Commonwealth or State level:
Flora• Filmy Maidenhair• Grey Billy Buttons• Maroon Leek Orchid• Matted Flax Lily
Fauna• Barking Owl• Blue Billed Duck• Dwarf Galaxias• Freckled Duck• Growling Grass Frog• Gull Bulled Tern• Intermediate Egret (critically endangered)• Little Egret• Orange Bellied Parrot (critically endangered)• Southern Brown Bandicoot• Swift Parrot• Warragul Burrowing Crayfish• White Bellied Sea Eagle
Ramsar ConventionNearly the whole of Western Port and adjoining mudflats within the study area are recognised through the 1971 Ramsar Convention as being a wetland of international significance. This designation was granted because of Westernport’s wetland qualities and its significance as a bird habitat. There are implications for the Green Wedge Management
Comments made during/from workshops and interviews• “We need to make
improvement at the bay and stop pesticides. Man is buggering it up by draining the Koo Wee Rup Swamp. It’s all clogged up with silt and seagrass won’t photosynthesize” (community survey)
• “There is an opportunity to link agriculture with environment, biodiversity and Ramsar practices” (workshop)
• “There is an opportunity to ensure that high quality habitat links are preserved for vulnerable and endangered species including the Southern Brown Bandicoot. This includes habitat links along waterways and other easements and reserves” (interview)
14 The Koo Wee Rup Zone is somewhat larger than the Westernport Green Wedge and extends nearly to Drouin in the east and to San Remo in the south.
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Plan in terms of planning for the coastal interface and the management of watercourses and their quality and sedimentation. The designation can also trigger regulatory requirements and the need for permits and environment assessments.
Biosphere ReserveWestern Port and the Mornington Peninsula were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO following its nomination by the community, state government and five local governments in 2002. The declaration does not have legal status but its focus on sustainable development, conservation and research may create opportunities for productive partnerships.
Planning Scheme ControlsThere are planning controls in place through the Casey and Cardinia Planning Schemes which identify and protect areas of environmental importance from inappropriate land use and development, including the following:
City of Casey Planning Scheme• Environmental Significance Overlay 1 (Coastal Environs) to conserve
and enhance the ecological values of Western Port;• Environmental Significance Overlay 4 (Cranbourne South
Conservation Area) to conserve and enhance the ecological values of the Cranbourne South/Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne area; and
• Significant Landscape Overlay 2 (Westernport Coast) to maintain the landscape quality and natural ecosystems of the Westernport Coast.
Shire of Cardinia Planning Scheme• Environmental Significance Overlay 1 (Northern Hills) to protect the
environmental and landscape values of the northern hills (generally north of the Princes Highway;
• Environmental Significance Overlay 2 (Westernport) to protect mangrove and saltmarsh communities along Western Port; and
• Significant Landscape Overlay 3 (Lang Lang/Heath Hill) to protect and enhance the Lang Lang/Heath Hill landscape.
The areas affected by these overlays are shown on Map 11 (Environment and Landscape land use overlay areas).
Creating BiolinksBiolinks aim to create a healthy landscape which protects important habitats and helps restore a sustainable environment in terms of land management, waterways and native vegetation. This is achieved through a program of revegetation and land management which aim to link habitats by improving their connectivity using core areas of native vegetation and natural ecosystems.
The Cardinia Environment Coalition prepared a Biolinks Project Action Plan for much of the Westernport Catchment in 2007 and this action plan includes the Westernport Green Wedge. The Port Phillip and
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Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA) has used this study to develop the Spirit of the Bunyip project which is working to reduce the amount of sediment flowing into Western Port and to prevent degradation of the coastal and marine environments.
In Casey, a similar approach has been adopted through the Revegetation Strategy 2008 which proposes a series of habitat corridors and bio zones through the study area. These corridors would have similar goals to biolinks and would connect the important core of natural habitat around the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne with remnant vegetation east along the Cardinia Creek and south to the Westernport Coast.
Biolink initiatives would also need to be integrated with the planning of adjoining growth areas and other strategies such as the Southern Brown Bandicoot Strategic Management Plan 2008 which aims to create a sustainable long-term habitat for this endangered species.
There are also sub-regional species strategies currently being prepared for the Southern Brown Bandicoot and Growling Grass Frog as part of the Victorian Government's agreement with the Commonwealth Government for the 2010 urban growth boundary change15.
Other initiativesCouncils and other agencies are moving increasingly to a more proactive and market-driven position for dealing with biodiversity values on private land. Initiatives such as the BushTender, EcoTender and Biolinks programs16 are part of this approach. They also complement the more established programs such as Landcare and friends groups which are active across the green wedge and depend on the support of volunteers.
15 For further information see the Melbourne Strategic Assessment and Program Report (www.dse.vic.gov.au).16 BushTender is an auction-based approach to achieving better management of existing patches of native vegetation on
private land. Landholders competitively tender for contracts to improve their native vegetation and the successful bids are those that offer the best value for money. EcoTender is a similar process but to achieve broader environmental and land management benefits. Biolinks are planted corridors designed to connect habitats of biodiversity significance and to make these more viable for the long term.
Questions for Discussion: • Is there more that can be done
to protect significant habitats and vulnerable species in the area - or are existing controls and programs adequate?
• Can the Green Wedge Management Plan do more to protect the ecology of the Western Port coast and wetlands?
• How can local Landcare and Friends groups be supported to engage more effectively in land management in the Westernport Green Wedge?
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Map 10 - Ecological Vegetation Classes
42
Map 11 - Environment and Landscape Land use overlay areas
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6. leisure and Tourism
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The Westernport Green Wedge has a number of attractions which can be used to promote a local tourism industry and to enhance leisure opportunities for the local community. Although tourism is modest at present, there are a number of opportunities which can be developed and promoted to create an attractive package which in turn can support local agriculture, generate employment opportunities, enhance the area’s biodiversity, and produce recreation opportunities for local residents.
Cycling, Walking and Equestrian TrailsThe green wedge has great potential for cycling because it is flat, many roads have little traffic, and there are scattered settlements and attractions for cyclists. There is also the prospect of a rail trail to be constructed along the former Great Southern Railway line which linked Cranbourne to Leongatha with former stations at Clyde, Tooradin, Dalmore, Koo Wee Rup, Monomeith, Caldermeade and Lang Lang which are all within the study area17. This project offers significant benefits for the local community and for cyclists from Melbourne, although parts of the rail reserve provide habitat for the Southern Brown Bandicoot which would need to be considered in the development of a rail trail.
A further initiative is for a walking and cycling track along the Westernport Coast. The City of Casey has proposals for a trail to link the towns of Tooradin, Blind Bight, Warneet, Cannons Creek and Pearcedale subject to a feasibility study to consider costs, access to private land and environmental impacts, especially on the sensitive coastal and mangrove ecosystems. The feasibility study could also consider extending this trail further along the coast to the Lang Lang River and beyond as a long distance Westernport coastal trail.
Food TrailAs one of Victoria’s prime growing areas, the Westernport Green Wedge has scope to build a successful tourist industry based on fresh and healthy local produce just a short drive from Melbourne. Some initiatives have been taken in this area with the Gateway to Gippsland Regional Produce Directory which promotes food and wine producers in Cardinia and Baw Baw Shires. The Directory lists outlets at Garfield, Cardinia, Nar Nar Goon and Tooradin but the overall profile for the green wedge is low because of the lack of a sufficiently strong cluster of attractive destinations. There are also a number of community markets in and around the study area which contribute to a food tourism industry (refer Table 6).
There are untapped opportunities for farm sales, more outlets for local produce in the townships, cafés and restaurants specialising in local produce, an organic food industry, branding and marketing of local foods. There may even be scope to promote this area as a food trail in its own right. Some of these possibilities may require local regulations or amending the planning scheme, however a Green Wedge Management Plan provides an opportunity to consider these options.
Comments made during/from workshops and interviews• “Branding of Bunyip Food
Belt to sell the green wedge as an agricultural region for Melbourne and also as a tourism destination. This will help to keep urban growth from the area” (workshop)
• “Markets are good and we used to have a museum and a boat that went up river, but these are now closed down. People need to be drawn here to stay” (community survey)
• “The Green Wedge townships could become key educational hubs for the community, with a focus on agriculture education, TAFE and practical education” (workshop)
17 A branch railway went from Koo Wee Rup via Bayles and Heath Hill to the Strzelecki Ranges but it appears that the rail reserve has now been dismantled and sold off so there is no potential to create a rail trail along this former railway line.
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Westernport CoastA third dimension for leisure and tourism in the green wedge is the Westernport Coast. The coast will continue to attract fishermen and other boating enthusiasts who moor craft in the area, or launch their boats from the ramps at Lang Lang Jetty, Tooradin, Warneet and Blind Bight. The coast is also renowned for its environmental significance because of its birdlife, wetlands and mangroves and can capitalise on this reputation through developing eco-tourism opportunities for specialists such as bird-observers, researchers and students.
There are a number of commercial enterprises which have developed this eco-tourism role. For instance Tidemaster Tours which are based in Tooradin and offer environmental tours as well as fishing, sight-seeing and party trips, and the Moonlit Sanctuary near Pearcedale which offers an Australian bush experience based on native animals, birds, trees and plants including several endangered fauna species.
Education and learningThe Westernport Coast is already an educational resource for schools and other institutions who are studying this intricate and well-researched ecosystem. The Marine Life Centre at Tooradin was an example of how this educational role could also be developed as a tourism resource, although it now needs to be replaced after it was recently destroyed by fire.
There may be other opportunities to expand this educational role beyond Western Port and into other areas such as agriculture, drainage and history and cultural heritage. This is the richest agricultural area close to Melbourne and could be a natural home for a new training facility for agricultural science or a similar discipline. Similarly, as a former swamp there are opportunities to investigate and learn from the area’s drainage and waterways systems, particularly in the context of rising sea levels.
No Markets Monthly
1 Pearcedale Farmers' Market 3rd Saturday
2 Tooradin Lions Community Market 3rd Sunday
Outside the Study Area
3 Casey-Berwick Farmers' Market 4th Saturday
4 Drouin Produce & Craft Market 3rd Saturday
5 Gembrook Market 4th Sunday
6 Nyora Craft & Produce Market 3rd Saturday
7 Rotary Pakenham Farmers' Market 2nd Saturday
Table 6 - Farmers Markets
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Finally, there is the area’s unique local history with its succession of floods, drainage, reclamation and resettlement schemes which could be the focus for a local heritage or history trail. There are many heritage properties in the area and a fascinating aboriginal history based on the Koo Wee Rup swamp and the folklore of the bunyip that lived in the swamps and would devour anyone who went too close, particularly at night.
The Pakenham Racecourse at TynongThe proposal to relocate the Pakenham Racecourse to Tynong is well-advanced. The proposal includes a special zone for trainer accommodation and was considered by the state government’s Priority Development Panel in 2009-10 and a planning application was placed on public exhibition from 23 March-8 April 2011. The Priority Development Panel found the proposal to be “clearly consistent with the purposes of the Green Wedge Zone”. The permit for Pakenham Racecourse was granted August 2011.
If approved, the new facility will attract large numbers of visitors to the area with projected visitor spending of $5-10 million per annum. The facility could help activate educational tourism through conference facilities in its proposed Event Centre, and could help to promote local equestrian activities and trails.
Questions for Discussion: • What more can be done to
promote leisure and tourism opportunities in the area?
• How can walking and cycling opportunities be developed and promoted more effectively?
• How can tourism opportunities based on healthy local produce be developed and marketed?
• What is needed to build up the eco-tourism offer?
• Is there a realistic prospect for an agricultural college or training facility in the area and what might such a facility look like?
• Can more be done to develop tourism activities linked to local heritage?
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7. Other Issues
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There are a number of other land use issues which warrant consideration in the Westernport Green Wedge Management Plan.
Cultural History and landscapeThe Westernport Green Wedge has been recognised as having natural and cultural heritage values which have been documented in a number of key studies, numerous historical accounts and local publications.
There is a need to adequately assess and recognise the cultural use of areas that form large sections of the southern parts of Casey and Cardinia. The former swamp of Dalmore and Koo Wee Rup are important cultural landscapes and have been highlighted in a number of historical events and land use patterns which are still visually evident today.
For example:• Aboriginal traditional usage and spiritual association,• the extraordinary engineering feat of successfully draining the former
Koo Wee Rup swamp and construction of extensive drainage systems,
• construction of historical railway lines and bridges,• the pastoral era and settlement ; and the • solider settlement area.
There are a number of key drain railway bridges that the National Trust regard as having survived changing bridge making techniques. Significant features and sites located throughout the Koo Wee Rup swamp landscape today which are largely associated with the Great Southern Railway include:
• the railway track, ballast and formation, which is still intact;• station sites such as Clyde, Tooradin, Dalmore, Monomeith, Koo Wee
Rup, Caldermeade and LangLang,• bridges and brick culverts,• remaining exotic mature trees normally associated with railway sites,• signalling and other infrastructure; and• departmental/station residences
An extract from the Statement of Significance for the Westernport Green Wedge highlights the cultural layering and landscape of the former swamp:
Map 12 – Westernport Section of the South Gippsland Railway line
To Melbourne
Dandenong
lyndhurst
CranbourneClyde
TooradinDalmore
MonomeithCaldermeade
lang lang
Nyora
Koo-Wee-Rup
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“The changes brought about by selection era profoundly altered the pre contact landscape. They created the distinctive rural landscape strongly characterised by steeply rolling vegetated hills in the north whilst the south is defined by hedgerows, windbreaks, tree rows, clusters of farm buildings and mature exotic trees that is an important and distinctive part of Cardinia’s character. The extent of agricultural occupation extended greatly by draining of the Koo Wee Rup swamp at the end of the 19th century and intensified more through solider settlement after WW1, the construction of the historic Great Southern Railway and the Strzelecki Line. The farming area created by the swamp drainage scheme in particular has a unique character defined by the network of drains along with infrastructure such as bridges, culverts and crossings, which is overlaid upon the remnants of the pastoral era landscape such as hedgerows and windrows.” (Context, 2008 Vol:5)
Post-Contact HeritageThere are 44 sites of heritage significance which are identified through the Heritage Overlay in the Planning Schemes (refer Map 12). They include the following:
• Homesteads such as Harewood, Monomeith, and Warrook• The Cheese Factory at Cora Lynn• Bridges over the main drain and the Bunyip River• St Josephs Convent, Iona• The Picture Theatre and ANZ Bank at Garfield• St James Church and the Commercial Bank, Nar Nar Goon• Cottages at Lang Lang
These and other heritage sites could inform a historic drive or tour through the study area.
Planning Scheme ZonesThe main Planning Scheme Zones affecting the rural parts of the Westernport Green Wedge are shown on Map 13 (Land use and Development Zones) and include the following:
Special Use Zone (Schedule 1 - Horticultural Preservation) is of particular interest. It was introduced in the 1990s to permanently preserve horticulture in the Koo Wee Rup/Cora Lynn/Iona area which has particularly fertile soils and which is the heart of Victoria’s export-orientated asparagus industry. The zone objectives include “…to preserve land of high agricultural quality for horticulture and other farming activitie”, and “…to discourage non-agricultural and non-soil based uses establishing on soil of high agricultural value.”
Planning Scheme OverlaysApart from the Heritage Overlay referred to previously, the planning scheme also includes a number of other overlays which affect small areas in the Westernport Green Wedge (refer Map 14 Land Use and Development constraint Overlays). They include a:
• Wildfire Management Overlay which applies to small areas in the extreme east (south of Lang Lang) and extreme west (Cranbourne South) of the study area. Cannons Creek and Warneet are also at risk from bushfires and there may be a case for the Overlay to be extended to these areas, and a
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• Restructure Overlay for an area of old and inappropriate subdivisions south of Bunyip which only allows subdivision and development in accordance with a plan to restructure the subdivision pattern.
Extractive IndustryThe Lang Lang-Grantville region contains significant sand resources. As current sand resources in the Heatherton-Dingley area are exhausted, the Lang Lang-Grantville area is expected to become the major supplier for Melbourne concrete sand. The Regional Sand Extraction Strategy 1996 and the Extractive Industry Interest Areas Review 2003 provide guidelines for the extraction of sand and rehabilitation of sites. They aim to achieve a balance between the need to retain a reliable source of suitable sands for the growth of Melbourne, but also to protect environmental assets and local amenity.
In addition, the community consultations also raised the prospect of competition from farming interests. The sandy soils around Lang Lang are ideal for intensive horticulture and will be sought after as growers relocate from the Clyde area and other metropolitan fringe areas. The Green Wedge Management Plan will need to outline how these competing needs are to be addressed.
Table 7 - Summary of Rural Zones
Questions for Discussion: • How can the local heritage
of the area - including its rich aboriginal cultural heritage - be celebrated and communicated more effectively?
• Is there a case to introduce a Wildfire Management Overlay to the Warneet/Cannons Creek area in order to better manage the risk of bushfires?
• Is there support to protect the most productive land for horticulture by extending the Special Use Zone? 8 What can be done to balance the needs of sand extraction in the Lang Lang area with the needs of biodiversity and agriculture?
Zone% Area
(Approx)
Minimum SubdivisionHectare (Ha) Main Objective
Cardinia Casey
Green Wedge Zones 65 40 2-40Farming & agriculture
Special Use Zone 20 25 na Horticulture
Rural Conservation Zone 10 40 40Rural
conservation
Green Wedge A Zones 1 8 0.92-98 Rural living
Public Conservation & Resource Zone
1 na na Conservation
Urban Zones 3 Variable Variable Urban uses
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Map 13 - Land use and Development - Zones
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Map 14 - Land use and Development Constaints - Overlay
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8. Summary and Next Steps
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This Discussion Paper is the first step in preparing a Westernport Green Wedge Management Plan. It is the basis for community consultation and responses to that consultation will help inform a draft plan which will then be the subject of a second round of community consultation.
A Draft VisionThe consultation will aim to develop a shared vision and goals for the Westernport Green Wedge. Suggestions for a vision were made during the first round of the community engagement program and a draft vision based on the initial community response is presented below:
The Westernport Green Wedge will be a permanent green and rural area dedicated to best practice agriculture and environmental management. Intensive horticulture for the long-term food security of Victoria is at the heart of this vision. Best practice environmental management will lead to healthy streams and watercourses with no adverse impacts on Western Port and the risks of flooding will be minimised. The green wedge will be home to small, clearly defined settlements which have a strong identity and provide jobs and services for the local community. The green wedge economy will be driven by its agriculture, but also by an emerging tourist industry based on cycling and walking trails, food, education, and Western Port. The Westernport Green Wedge will be the permanent edge to Melbourne’s southeast and the urban interface will be designed to consolidate this vision.
Strategic IssuesThe consultations and research to date have highlighted many issues and a number of questions for discussion. The following are proposed as the questions of strategic importance that will need to be addressed through the Green Wedge Management Plan:
Agriculture• What value should the Green Wedge Management Plan place on
agriculture in the Westernport Green Wedge?• How best can the management plan develop local horticulture
to improve food security for the state and to generate jobs and investment?
• Is there support to protect the most productive land for horticulture by extending the Special Use Zone?
Water• What more can be done to minimise the risk of flooding in the area?• What action should be taken now in response to rising sea levels
and the threat of storm tide inundation?• What can be done to improve water quality in local watercourses
and to reduce sedimentation in Western Port?
Urban Development Pressures• Should growth in the green wedge settlements be supported - or
should new development be limited to selected townships or outside the green wedge?
• Should the Westernport Green Wedge be planned as the
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permanent edge to Melbourne’s growth and if so, how should that edge be planned and designed?
• Should the management plan identify new areas for rural living and if so, where should these be?
Biodiversity• Is there more that can be done to protect significant habitats and
vulnerable species in the area, or are the existing controls and programs adequate?
leisure and Tourism• What more can be done to promote leisure and tourism
opportunities in the area, especially opportunities linked to healthy local produce and eco-tourism?
Other Issues• How can the rich local heritage of the area, in particular its aboriginal
cultural heritage, be celebrated and communicated more effectively?
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Next Steps and IndicativeTiming
February 2009PRELIMINARY
Project Plan, initial scoping, set up Steering Committee
PUBLIC CONSULTATION 2
DRAFT GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLANTo include draft vision
and objectives
PUBLIC CONSULTATION 3
ADOPTION BY COUNCILSRevised Green Wedge
Management Plan
PUBLIC CONSULTATION 1DISCUSSION PAPER
Literature review, research, mapping etc
March-July 2011
October-November 2011
December-March 2012
May-June 2012
October 2012
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References
Primary References1. Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Production in the
Westernport Green Wedge; DPI 20112. Biolinks Project Action Plan: Linking Habitats across the Westernport Catchment;
Cardinia Environment Coalition 20083. Bunyip Food Belt: Land Capability and Environment & Cultural Heritage
Assessment; PB and RMCG June 20104. Bunyip Food Belt Project: Pre-Feasibility Phase - Ancillary Impacts Analysis; Access
Economics Pty Ltd for Cardinia SC 20105. Casey Revegetation Strategy; Casey CC 20086. Casey and Cardinia Regional Agricultural Audit and Action Framework; Casey &
Cardinia Councils 20047. Climate Change in Port Phillip and Westernport; DSE 20088. Coastal Villages Strategy (Preliminary Draft); Casey CC April 20119. Community and Stakeholder Engagement - Summary Findings; Capire Consulting
Group, May 201110. From Swampland to Farmland - A History of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection
District; David Roberts 198511. Guidelines for Development in the KWR Flood Protection District; Melbourne
Water 2002?12. Impacts of Climate Change on Settlements in the Westernport Region;
Westernport Greenhouse Alliance 200813. Improving Rural Land Use - Independent Report to the Minister for Planning;
Rural Planning Group, December 200914. Port Phillip and Westernport Regional River Health Strategy; Melbourne Water
200715. Square Pegs in Green Wedges? Peter Parbery for DPI/PPWCMA 200816. Submission to Parliamentary Inquiry; Peter Parbery DPI Jan 200917. The Casey Submission on the Melbourne @ 5 million Investigation Area; Casey
CC Feb 200918. The Critical Decade - Climate Science, Risks and Responses; Climate Commission
201119. The Garnaut Review 2011 - Australia in the Global Response to Climate Change;
Ross Garnaut 201120. The Westernport Sediment Study; PJ Wallbrink et al for CSIRO 200321. Victorian Food Supply Scenarios - Impacts on Availability of a Nutritious Diet;
Kirsten Larsen et al, April 201122. Victorian Population Health Survey 2008 - Selected Findings; Department of
Health, Dec 200923. Westernport Ramsar Site Strategic Management Plan; DSE 2003
Other References24. Agricultural Assessment: A Cardinia Rural Residential Strategy; Phillips
Agribusiness 200025. Agricultural Profile - Shire of Yarra Ranges; Neil Clark & Associates 200926. A Land Capability Study of the Cardinia Shire: Technical Report No 29; MJ
McMillan et al for DNRE 199727. Annual Report; PPWCMA 2008/0928. Biosites Update; DNRE 200529. Bunyip Township Strategy; Cardinia SC 200930. Calendar of Grants and Incentives; PPWCMA 200931. Cardinia Economic Profile; 200932. Cardinia Shire Flora Surveys; Cardinia SC 200733. Casey Sustainability Plan; Casey CC 200934. Coastal Communities of Casey - Community Action Plan; City of Casey 200835. Come Play In Cardinia Shire; Cardinia SC 200836. Community Atlas; Cardinia SC Website 200937. Community Profile; Cardinia SC Website 2009
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38. Equestrian Strategy; Cardinia SC 200239. Future Farming – Productive, Competitive and Sustainable; DPI 200840. Garfield Township Strategy; Cardinia SC 200241. Gateway to Gippsland - Food and Wine Regional Produce Directory; Cardinia &
Baw Baw SC 2009?42. Healthy Eating – Food Security Investment Plan 2005-2010; Vic Health 200543. Koo Wee Rup Economic Development Strategy (Vols 1&2); SGS44. Koo Wee Rup Township Strategy; Cardinia SC 200045. Lang Lang Township Strategy; Cardinia SC 200946. Leongatha Rail Line Strategic Rail Corridor Plan; CPG for VicTrack 200947. Major Agricultural Soils of the Cranbourne and Koo Wee Rup Vegetable Growing
Region; DNRE 199648. Management Plan for Lang Lang Clay Banks Stabilisation; Cardinia SC 201049. Melbourne 2030 - Submission to State Government; City of Casey 200750. Melbourne Supply Area - Extractive Industry Interest Areas Review; DPI 200351. Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2009–13; Cardinia SC Nov 200952. Native Vegetation Plan; PPWCMA 200653. Open Space Strategy Volume 4 (Draft); Casey CC 201154. Parliamentary Inquiry into Agribusiness in Outer Suburban Melbourne;
Submission by Casey & Cardinia Councils 200855. Population Forecasts; Cardinia SC Website 200956. Public Open Space Policy; Assets & Services 200657. Salinity Project 2004/2005: Planning Decision Support Framework for Salinity;
SKM for Cardinia SC 200558. Soils of the Cranbourne - Koo Wee Rup Region (East); Victorian Resources
Online map database 200959. Southern Brown Bandicoot Strategic Management Plan for the Former Koo Wee
Rup Swamp Area; Ecology Australia 200860. Stormwater Management Plan Vols 1&2; Cardinia Shire Council 200861. Submission to Parliamentary Inquiry into Rural & Regional Tourism; Cardinia SC
June 200762. Submission on the Victorian Desalination Project; Submission by MJ & RR Cohen
200863. Sustainable Development and Greenhouse Reduction Strategy; Cardinia SC 200964. Sustainable Water Use Plan; Cardinia SC 200665. Vegetation Mapping of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp and Adjacent Grasslands; Biosis
Research 200566. Victorian Coastal Acid Sulphate Soils Strategy; DSE 200867. Victorian Desalination Project: Assessment Under Environment Effects Act 1978;
Minister for Planning 200968. Weed Management Strategy; Cardinia SC 2007
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Notes
