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Public Acquisition Overlay - Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats Analysis.
Strength
Opportunities
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Weakness
Threats
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In the 1960's the Flinders Shire Council ill conceived a plan for a freeway on the Southern Peninsula something that needs to be removed.
Strengths.
Fire Resistant Plants. Plants that will not burn in the face of continual flame;
Strengths.
- There are numerous environmental and biodiversity considerations at least 6 EPBC and 1 EPBC listed community and over 25 FFG species and 2 listed communities, 5 state significant communities, a number of regional significant species and not to mention the even greater number of common species.
- Indigenous Vegetation that occurs in the Swamp and Coast Moonah is low fire risk, local indigenous vegetation can provide for low fuel levels around houses and buildings, whilst retaining habitat values. Under extreme conditions almost any vegetation will burn but low fuel loads make it easier and safer for firefighting. Native vegetation contributes to our State’s basic life support
systems and valuable biodiversity. It makes our landscapes more resilient to the effects of natural disasters (eg fire, erosion,
drought, storms) and climate change and it ensures the future survival of our unique wildlife and plant species [1]:
Fire Resistant Plants. Plants that will not burn in the face of continual flame;
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Fire Resistant Plants |
Rhagodia candolleana |
Seaberry Saltbush |
Extremely low |
Mimulus repens |
Creeping Monkey-flower |
Extremely low |
Myoporum insulare |
Common Boobialla |
Extremely low |
Selliera radicans |
Shiny Swamp-mat |
Extremely low |
Zygophyllum billardierei |
Coast Twin-leaf |
Extremely low |
Carpobrotus virescens |
Pigface |
Extremely low |
Scaevola albida |
Small-fruit Fan-flower |
Extremely low |
Tetragonia implexicoma |
Bower Spinach |
Extremely low |
Fire Retardant Plants. Plants that will not burn in the first wave of a bushfire, but may burn once dried out:
Acacia mearnsii Black Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon Blackwood
Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae Coast Wattle
Ajuga australis Austral Bugle
Alyxia buxifolia Sea Box
Allocasuarina verticillata Drooping Sheoak
Banksia integrifolia Coast Banksia
Bursaria spinosa Sweet Bursaria
Correa alba White Correa
Cyathea australis Rough Tree-fern
Dianella brevicaulis Small-flower Flax-lily
Dianella longifolia Pale Flax-lily
Dianella revoluta Black-anther Flax-lily
Dianella tasmanica Tasman Flax-lily
Dichondra repens Kidney-weed
Kennedia prostrata Running Postman
Lomandra longifolia Spiny-head Mat-rush
Senecio odoratus Scented Groundsel
Senecio pinnatifolius Variable Groundsel
Solanum aviculare Kangaroo Apple
Solanum laciniatum Large Kangaroo Apple
Viola hederacea Ivy-leaf Violet
Acacia mearnsii Black Wattle
Acacia melanoxylon Blackwood
Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae Coast Wattle
Ajuga australis Austral Bugle
Alyxia buxifolia Sea Box
Allocasuarina verticillata Drooping Sheoak
Banksia integrifolia Coast Banksia
Bursaria spinosa Sweet Bursaria
Correa alba White Correa
Cyathea australis Rough Tree-fern
Dianella brevicaulis Small-flower Flax-lily
Dianella longifolia Pale Flax-lily
Dianella revoluta Black-anther Flax-lily
Dianella tasmanica Tasman Flax-lily
Dichondra repens Kidney-weed
Kennedia prostrata Running Postman
Lomandra longifolia Spiny-head Mat-rush
Senecio odoratus Scented Groundsel
Senecio pinnatifolius Variable Groundsel
Solanum aviculare Kangaroo Apple
Solanum laciniatum Large Kangaroo Apple
Viola hederacea Ivy-leaf Violet
Low fuel load grasses. Plants that will not burn in the first wave of a bushfire, but may burn once dried out:
Native grasses generate about 10 per cent of the fuel load (1.5-8 tonnes/Ha) of introduced pasture grasses such as Phalaris and Wild Oats (17-27 tonnes/Ha). This is why we encourage the retention and regeneration of native grasses. This can only be achieved if we allow them time to re-seed. Not doing so encourages introduced grasses which create a much greater fire risk.[2]
Austrodanthonia sp. Wallaby grass Minimal fuel load.
Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides Weeping grass Minimal fuel load.
Austrostipa sp. Spear grass Minimal dry fuel load, year long green foliage.
Themeda triandra Kangaroo grass Moderate. If not removed, accumulated dry leaf matter can give rise to a significant bank of very flammable material, but spring / summer mowing or burning results in a summer persistent green sward.
Native grasses generate about 10 per cent of the fuel load (1.5-8 tonnes/Ha) of introduced pasture grasses such as Phalaris and Wild Oats (17-27 tonnes/Ha). This is why we encourage the retention and regeneration of native grasses. This can only be achieved if we allow them time to re-seed. Not doing so encourages introduced grasses which create a much greater fire risk.[2]
Austrodanthonia sp. Wallaby grass Minimal fuel load.
Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides Weeping grass Minimal fuel load.
Austrostipa sp. Spear grass Minimal dry fuel load, year long green foliage.
Themeda triandra Kangaroo grass Moderate. If not removed, accumulated dry leaf matter can give rise to a significant bank of very flammable material, but spring / summer mowing or burning results in a summer persistent green sward.
A large section of the PAO runs through Coastal Moonah Woodland (an FFG listed component of Coastal alkaline scrub - EVC 858) still dominates and, when not weed-invaded, has been has been shown to be a non fire-prone vegetation type. This vegetation type is restricted in Victoria to only a few locations on old alkaline dunes. It should also be understood that the natural, weed-free structure of the Southern Peninsula vegetation communities is one of a sparse ground cover by perennial and annual herbs that have disappeared by summer and scattered native grasses that are small and actively growing (green) in summer with a sparse open mid story. This is a mossy low woodland with a substantial cover of climbing, scrambling and creeping, genuinely flame-retardant indigenous succulents e.g. Bower Spinach and Sea-berry Saltbush.
Many of the native mid-story, Coast Beard Heath, Olearia and Correa etc.in these woodlands have a comparatively low flammability. Plants such as the Moonah tree are also fire sensitive and killed by severe fires. [3]
Many of the native mid-story, Coast Beard Heath, Olearia and Correa etc.in these woodlands have a comparatively low flammability. Plants such as the Moonah tree are also fire sensitive and killed by severe fires. [3]
Weaknesses.
- The 50 year old PUZ and POA have never been assessed for cultural or biodiversity considerations.
- This any proposal for this construction would see immense amounts of public funds to fix an issue that occurs only 6 weeks of the year. Encouraging even more visitors during peak season rather than off peak.
- Approx. 65% of Mornington Peninsula residents leave the Peninsula for work, there is poor public transport and limited options to provide rail service to the Nepean Peninsula and also the Mornington Peninsula.
- A natural disaster on the Southern Peninsula that blocks or reduces road usage puts lives at risk as road is the only available transport option. Freeway corridor through Arthurs Seat has been repeatedly blocked by severe Bush risk of Arthurs Seat national park.
- Weeds are a fire risk on the Southern Peninsula. Environmental weeds often contribute to high fuel loads, which increases bushfire risk. Priority should be given to removing environmental weeds within the property.
- The thought that this road proposal will provide jobs during peak times, comes at the long term expense of Agricultural, Eco-Tourism employment.
Opportunities.
- Protection of water resources, collection and re-release of water over time, enabling recovery from unpredictable events and safeguarding the landscape against severe heat and cold, as well as drought.
- Act like sponges (especially wetlands with peaty soil) to buffer against the impact of floods.
- Pollution breakdown and absorption; filtering and trapping sediments and recycling nutrients.
- Soils formation and protection.
- Helps recharge the aquifer by trapping excess surface water and displaying the aquifers health.
- Help mitigate climate change by contributing to climate stability and carbon dioxide storage.
- Reduce weed invasion through inundation.
- Life support processes such as pollination and water purification.
- Diversity in genes, species and ecosystems.
- Provides a vital food, breeding and habitat source for over 130 species of birds, and many other mammals, reptiles, fish, frogs and insects.
- Recreation and tourism.
- Life fulfilling conditions such as beauty and serenity.
- A rethink of the Southern Peninsula's traffic system, a smarter traffic system is needed on the Nepean Peninsula, one that splits traffic up based on destination.
- Such as ideas upgrading already existing roads.
- Many members of the community, and ourselves are concerned that the Shire is not taking an overall approach to traffic management on the Southern Peninsula, and is rather engineering a final solution that requires state government intervention. This is through creating further congestion through, traffic calming devices without a well conceived overall strategy, that limits traffic on the Southern Peninsula such as the use of passenger ferries similar to the EnviroCat that services Port Arlington to Docklands. A ferry service allows an new transport option rather more of the same road.
- Provide economic benefits, through the marketing of wetland ecosystem services. (The benefits of ecosystem services may be underestimated as future research may reveal more valuable scientific research over time).
Threats.
- The Biodiversity of the entire Southern Peninsula is at risk by this sword of Damocles that hangs over it. Gene pool depletion and death by attrition for species.
- Southern Peninsula permanent residents should not have their liveability dictated to by the interest and use of guests and carpetbaggers.
[1] http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/infrastructure/bfpronelandsc.pdf
http://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/ahc-resident/Documents/RFRI_End%20of%20Calendar%20Year%20Report%20Final_01042015.pdf
https://apsvic.org.au/fire-resistant-and-retardant-plants/
http://www.ozbreed.com.au/download/fire_retardant_plants.pdf
http://www.cradocnursery.com.au/plant-categories/fire-retardant-plants.shtml
http://www.mtelizacfa.com.au/about/native-garden/
[2] http://www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/Customer-Service/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Fire-Management
[3] http://www.florabank.org.au/lucid/key/Species%20Navigator/Media/Html/Melaleuca_lanceolata.htm
