Environmental Change and Management

Assessment - Peter Hoang 9.05

West
Gippsland
 Contents:
Introduction
Environmental Challenge 1 - Landslides
Land Management Strategy 1 - Revegetation to Rebuild Soil
Structure
Environmental Challenge 2 - Soil Salinity
Land Management Strategy 2- Improved Irrigation Management
Environmental Challenge 3 - Invasive plants
Land Management Strategy 3 - Revegetation of Native Plants
Data story
Conclusion
Introduction

West Gippsland is a region of Victoria that is famed for its natural beauty. In its
northern regions, it is bordered by the Baw Baw Plateau, part of the Great
Dividing Range. In its southern regions there are lush, green,
rolling hills and countless streams and rivers.

It is also famed for its numerous charming country towns as well as its thriving
agricultural sector, which is esteemed for its dairy and wine products. The
Gippsland region has experienced steady economic growth, from 14 billion in
2014 to 15 billion 2022. (Regional Development Victoria).

Environmental Challenge 1 -
Landslides
Landslides are an increasingly concerning problem in West Gippsland.
Landslides affect West Gippsland in a variety of ways. Landslides are simply
dangerous for wildlife as well as humans, because of the instability of the land
there can be potential injuries and deaths. Further, landslides can potentially
block off roads, which cut off people from vital services such as law
enforcement, medical services and food. The landslides also negatively affect
West Gippsland’s economy, as it may become a challenge to transport goods
across the region, as well as the labour cost of removing the landslides.

Landslides are extremely common in the hilly areas of West Gippsland, such
as the Strzelecki Ranges, south of the town Trafalgar. Each winter, due to
heavy rainfall in the region, landslides occur. The heavy rains trigger
movement in the clay rich residual soil slopes. (Victorian Resources Online).
Land Management Strategy 1 -
Revegetation to Rebuild Soil
Structure
Revegetation is the process of replanting vegetation and rebuilding the soil of
degraded land. This works by replanting vegetation, and allowing the root
system to hold the ground together and avoid its displacement.

By revegetating the land, this will help prevent landslides. This works as the
landslides are caused by the heavy rains that trigger movement in the clay
rich soil. Revegetation will alleviate this issue by holding the ground together
more strongly and resisting landslides. The average survival of plants (overall
counts) per plot after the 2019/20 summer was 61%. (Arthur Rylah Institute).
Environmental Challenge 2 -
Salinity
Soil salinity is another concerning problem in West Gippsland. Soil salinity
simply refers to how much soluble salts are in the soil. While soil salinity can
occur naturally, human activities such as irrigation, deforestation, and certain
agricultural practices can exacerbate the problem.

Soil salinity is a concern in West Gippsland for numerous reasons. It can

reduce crop yields, and is toxic to many plants. Soil salinity can also
potentially degrade soil structure, by causing particles to stick together,
reducing water infiltration and drainage. Soil salinity leads to a lot of broader
environmental effects. The salinity of the soil can contaminate nearby bodies
of water, negatively affecting aquatic ecosystems. Due to its potential toxicity
to plants it can also kill entire ecosystems that rely on freshwater and plants.

Soil salinity can have major economic consequences for West Gippsland. As
West Gippsland is primarily an agricultural community, the effects of soil
salinity on crop yields and the environment can mean financial trouble for
farmers in West Gippsland.
Land Management Strategy 2 -
Improved Irrigation Management

In order to solve soil salinity problems in West Gippsland, irrigation

management can be improved. This can be done by installing sub surface
drainage systems to drain away saline water, using more groundwater in
recharge areas by pumping water from bores and redirecting it to other
storages as well as installing bores and interceptor drains in discharge
areas—water of suitable quality can be used to irrigate adjacent areas.

Improving irrigation management systems can solve soil salinity problems in

West Gippsland by draining the saline groundwater in the soil and replacing it
with fresh water.

Environmental Challenge 3 -
Invasive Plants
Invasive plants are a growing issue in the West Gippsland region. There are
countless invasive plants, also called weeds, in the West Gippsland region.
These include: African Lovegrass, Agapanthus, Alligator Weed, Angled Onion,
Blackberries, and much more. (Shire of Baw Baw).

Invasive plants are an issue in the West Gippsland region for numerous
reasons. This is because they invade the environment, and allow for less
native plants. Too many invasive plants in a region can also negatively affect
the local ecosystem, which was reliant on native plants before. This can lead
to a mirriad of negative effects on the environment, such as disrupting the
natural soil composition and also changing the diet of native animals.
Land Management Strategy 3 -
Revegetation of Native Plants

In order to curb invasive plants in West Gippsland, native plants must be

replanted in place of them. To replant native plants in place of invasive plants,
first the invasive plants need to be killed. This can be done by using chemical
control on the invasive plants, such as herbicides. Herbicides work by being
absorbed by the plant’s leaves, and it then spreads throughout the plant's
vascular system, thereby killing the entire plant.

Once all the invasive plant species are removed, they must be replaced with
native vegetation. Native vegetation must be restored to prevent reinfestation
of the invasive plant species. This also allows the land to become healthier
and is overall much better for the local ecosystems of West Gippsland. Native
vegetation is better for local ecosystems as they promote biodiversity, can
make soil healthier and can also maintain water quality. It is also imperative
that native vegetation is supported in order to support endangered species of
both plants and animals.

Data Story

This graph showcases the survival rates of various native species planted in
the West Gippsland area. The bars represent standard errors. The survival rate
was calculated by measuring the mean abundance of the plants. In the West
Gippsland area, the survival rate of the planted native vegetation was >60%.
(Arthur Rylah Institute).

The data shows a correlation between Spring and higher survival rates, as well
as a correlation between Summer and lower survival rates. A reason for this
could be due to Spring having more rainfall, allowing the plants to grow much
more easily. There does not seem to be an exception to this correlation in the
graph.
Conclusion

The West Gippsland region’s land has degraded. Major issues it faces include
landslides, soil salinity and invasive species. These issues all cause major
environmental issues, as well as economic issues. In order to alleviate these
issues that West Gippsland faces, land management strategies need to be
implemented. The proposed land management strategies include revegetation
to rebuild soil structure, improving irrigation management systems, and
revegetation of native plants. Together, these land management strategies can
help revitalise West Gippsland and fix its degraded land.

These land management strategies interact with each other seamlessly.

Improving irrigation management systems will fix the soil salinity problem in
West Gippsland that results in the land being hostile and toxic to plants. By
fixing the soil salinity problem in West Gippsland, the land can then be
revegetated with native species. Revegetation of native species can help
rebuild the degraded soil structure, as well as help fight back against invasive
plant species.

Some potential issues and consequences associated with the implementation

of the land management strategies could be that it may be too costly to be
worth the investment of the government. Improving irrigation management
systems may also have unforeseen consequences on the land and
groundwater if sufficient reports or research are not done to find the best
solution to the issues. Revegetation of native plant species also requires
extensive reports and research, to find which plants are suitable for a specific
area. It must also be found if the plant species is invasive or not, otherwise the
need to revegetate with native vegetation is negligible.

In conclusion, West Gippsland’s land has degraded from numerous issues,

such as landslides, soil salinity and invasive plant species. However these
issues can be fixed using the proposed land management strategies, such as
improving irrigation management systems and revegetating the land with
native plants. By utilising these land management strategies, West Gippsland
can revitalise and fix its degraded land.
References

Regional Development Victoria:

https://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/2063900/Gippsland-REDS-2
022-Supporting-Analysis.pdf
Victorian Resources Online:
https://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/wgregn.nsf/pages/wg_landwtrmgmt
_degrad_narracan
Arthur Rylah Institute:
https://www.ari.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0046/499978/ARI-Technica
l-Report-321-Evaluating-revegetation-outcomes-through-community-based-mo
nitoring.pdf
Baw Baw Shire:
https://www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/environment/docum
ents/weed-id-booklet-sep18_proof.pdf