Land & Biodiversity
Our community's long-term economic sustainability and social wellbeing are intrinsically connected to the health of our land.
Mansfield Shire's unique natural landscapes and biodiversity are under pressure from population growth, subdivision, land management strategies and climate change. Through the development of our Environmental Strategy 2019-2023, we aim to implement sustainable practices, information and connection to our community and its relationship with the land.
We all have a part to play in protecting our physical landscapes and flora and fauna diversity.
Long Term Goals
We collaborate with the community to uphold diverse and self-sustaining landscapes that support healthy ecosystems now and into the future.
Our Environment Strategy 2019-2023 sets out these actions for Council:
- Develop a Land Use Strategy.
- Identify mechanisms to protect large old River Red Gum, Yellow Box and other species of remnant indigenous trees, via a Tree Protection overlay, or policy statement in the Mansfield Planning Scheme.
- Advocate for State and Federal Government funding and support for pest weed and animal control programs, and legislative change to reduce pest animals (i.e. deer).
- Advocate for roadside weed control funding to be based on weed density and impacts (need) and not roadway length.
- Work in partnership with Taungurung, Landcare, Country Fire Authority, and public and private land managers to support the implementation of indigenous land management techniques (such as burning) to enhance biodiversity.
- Develop guidance on ‘green-gardening’ and soil health for residential allotments.
- Support citizen science projects for the protection of biodiversity and threatened species.
- Work with local environmental groups and Taungurung to develop information for new landholders on topics such as land management plans, protection of biodiversity and threatened species and cultural heritage.
- Work in partnership with community-based groups (Landcare, Friends of Rail Trail and other groups) to improve biodiversity on Council managed land.
- Advocate for the establishment of native vegetation off-set sites within Mansfield Shire.
How community members can support sustainable land management
- Support and encourage community-based environment groups, such as Landcare to continue their contributions to restoring the natural environment.
- Investigate Carbon Farming initiatives to improve land management.
- Plan and develop a network of landscape scale biodiversity corridors.
- Protect and promote native vegetation on private property – particularly large old River Red Gum, Yellow Box and other species of remnant indigenous trees.
- Plant native trees and grasses.
- Encourage local schools to celebrate the environment.
- Participate in cultural heritage workshops.
- Apply soil health management practice, such as compost, conservation tillage, cover crops, crop-livestock integration and crop rotation.
- Organise regenerative agriculture workshops and forums.
- Implement practices to reduce pest plants and animals.