Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) is currently in the process of burning significant areas of Gippsland (and elsewhere in the state) as part of it’s planned burn program.

Planned burning is intended to reduce fire risk, however the introduction of fire then triggers rapid regrowth of plants and burnt areas become as flammable again within a couple of years. Check this info sheet from the Victorian Forests Alliance which outlines why planned burns are not particularly helpful for mitigating bushfires.

Many of the burns planned for Gippsland has deeply concerned locals because of the ecological impacts of the burn. One in particular is galvanising the community and there is now a campaign to have the burn halted. This is at Mississippi Creek.

This information comes from East Gippsland resident Charley Daniel. Charley says that burning this forest will be counter productive as it will make the area more rather than less flammable: ‘This forest is not a fire hazard, it is not fire prone, in fact it is a fire buffer, a fire break, that can stop wildfires in their tracks’.

The good news

The forest walk along the Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail, between Log Crossing and the Mississippi Quarry in Colquhoun Regional Park (near Lakes Entrance,) must be one of the most beautiful old growth forest walks anywhere in the country. This remnant stretch of rare lowland Riparian Old Growth Forest, along the Mississippi Creek, is unique.

The diverse range of towering Manna Gums, River Peppermints, Blue Gums, Grey Gum, Messmates, Blue Box & Apple Box, host an incredibly rich variety of birds, Lyrebirds, rare Spotted Quail Trush, Honeyeaters – Scarlett, Yellow-Tufted, Lewins, White- Napped, Cresent, Beautiful Firetails, Gang Gangs and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Yellow Robins, Gerygones and endangered Glossy Black Cockatoos - the list goes on and on.

The lush green understory of old Blackwoods, Rough Tree Fern, Pomaderris, Blue Olive Berry, River Lomatia, Current bush and a host of delicate ferns, sedges, fungi and mosses, create a mostly, fire sensitive or fire exclusive environment.

Unlike dryer Eucalypt forests, this forest shows little or no sign of historical fire. There is little or no fuel build up as the leaf litter is swiftly broken down into rich moist hummus by the birds, small mammals, insects, micro-organisms and fungi. It is a green moist sanctuary.

The Bad News

Fire Forest Management Victoria is going to incinerate this forest within the next month. A large burn of 1373 Ha (GP-TBO-NOW-0504) has been planned to go right through the middle of this magnificent, unburned forest. This forest is not a fire hazard, it is not fire prone, in fact it is a fire buffer, a fire break, that can stop wildfires in their tracks and has done so for hundreds of years. The FFMA planned burn in this forest will change it forever, it will kill the fire sensitive species, which are replaced with fire dependant species, such as bracken, that recolonise after such fires. Another recent planned burn, that burned from the west side of the trail down to the creek, killed off the Blue Olive Berry and other fire sensitive species and has left a paddock of fire prone bracken in its place.

ABOVE: the area that will be burnt.

This burn area also contains large swaths of Black She-oak woodland which are the sole food source of the critically endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo. Glossy Blacks and their feed trees have recently been recorded in the burn area. Similar burns in nearby forests have already killed off large areas of She-oak Woodland. Even with mild burns the Black She-oaks drop their seed cones & the Glossy Blacks will not feed off the ground.

Anyone who loves forests must go and have look at this magnificent forest while you still can and decide for yourself what will be the impact of such a large fire though this fire sensitive ecosystem. Access to the trail is easy, the walk is a flat and easy and you can go by bike or horse if you wish. The whole trail is 17km but if you enter from Log Crossing you are straight into the old growth forest. https://www.railtrails.org.au/.../gippsland-lakes.../

ABOVE: this an area where a controlled burn got away and burned into the wet Riparian forest, killing the fire sensitive Blue Olive Berry. The area has now been colonised by fire dependent Bracken. This is what the reserve will look like if the planned burn goes ahead.

Some More Good News

Last year, after public pressure this controversial, and massively destructive burn (in rare, endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo habitat) was postponed. More Bad News, FFMV are again attempting to incinerate this magnificent forest.

Take action to protect this precious place

Please

• share this information
• contact DEECA 136 186, Parks Victoria 13 19 63 and Forest Fire Management Victoria &
• The Hon. Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Environment tel: 03 862 43101, email: [email protected]
• Please contact The Hon Jacinta Allan Premier of Victoria tel: 0396515000, [email protected]

with your opposition to this proposed burn. Quote this burn number GP-TBO-NOW-0504.