By NOEL MURPHY
STAFF cuts, feral animals, weeds, trail bikes and planned burns are threatening years of Otways conservation work, according to Geelong Environment Council.
President Joan Lindros was “appalled” at Department of Environment and Primary Industries’ planned fires, demanding the exclusion of rainforest, ash and wet sclerophyll forests because they were “ecologically unsustainable for burning”.
Mrs Lindros hit out in the environment council’s newsletter at “problems … we see on an everyday basis”, including job cuts that made managing weeds and feral animals, trail bikes to legal tracks or facilities maintenance “almost impossible”.
“Fire will always take place in the forests and heaths but current planned burning programs have escalated as never before,” she said.
“For this fire year the increased aim is to burn 7460 hectares. In 2014/2015, the plan is to burn 9131ha and a massive 14,300ha the following year.
“We are appalled. DEPI is approaching over 10 per cent of forest and heath to be burnt.”
Ms Lindros said the environment council was also “exceedingly concerned” at plans to burn 1400Ha of the West Barwon catchment.
“The loss of future water production and pollution of the catchment as a result of burning is well documented by Melbourne Water.” said.
DEPI Otway district manager David Rourke said the highest priority for the planned burning was to reduce the risks to human life.
“Planned burning reduces the damage caused by bushfires by slowing them down and making them less intense,” he said.
“By having a well-managed planned burn program undertaken over a period of years in the Otways, DEPI aims to also provide for more diverse ecosystems rather than a single-age forest generated by a large and intense bushfire across the landscape.
“In addition to priorities for reducing the risk to human life, DEPI aims to provide for maintaining ecosystems and managing our flora and fauna.
“In the Otways, DEPI has an extensive biodiversity monitoring program, Otway HawkEye, to measure and model the impacts of planned burning and bushfires on the environment.
“Key values are taken into account in the planning of all burns.
