Local Environment Groups have spoken out for decades about the growing danger that environmental weeds pose to the biodiversity of the Dandenong Ranges and Upper Yarra Valley. We have taken these concerns to all levels of government. This weeks State Budget does nothing to show that the State Government has heard let alone that it is willing to respond to the crushing threat that environmental weeds present to the environment in the Yarra Ranges.

 

The budget commitment of $20million dollars over 4 years to weed management is mostly the continuation of existing programs, these programs are mournfully insufficient to meet our requirements locally.  If we consider that this amounts to $5million over a year and that there are 79 councils in Victoria – that would equal somewhere between 60 to 65 thousand dollars per council. To put this into some perspective, consider that one local Landcare group received a grant totalling $16,000 for management of an area much smaller than that the council is responsible for managing.

 

We saw no real increase in the funding for management of environmental weeds in our national parks and this continues a sad trend in the underfunding of vital environmental maintenance of our protected areas.

 

The announcement of a new ‘Natural Resources Investment Program’ amalgamates and continues some existing programs such as bush tender and eco tender, which are very valuable, but once again we question their adequacy in light of the sheer size of the problems they are designed to address, as well as the extent of their impact locally.

 

An extra $3 million for the development of the Biodiversity White paper is welcome but the proof will be in the pudding in relation to the commitments that come out of the white paper process. We anticipate a resolution and means for reversing the longstanding loss of biodiversity that continues in Victoria to date. Hidden in the back of one of the budget papers (page 400 Appendix B Service Delivery 2008-09) figures detail that the extent of native vegetation loss is still increasing and that this is occurring predominantly on private land.