Gippsland Plain Strategic Overview

This Strategic Overview for the Gippsland Plain Bioregion - revised December 2003, was produced in collaboration between G. Wallis - Consultant, Fish Creek; T. Rodaughan - Biodiversity, Conservation & Bushcare Officer, WGCMA; K. Roberts - Manager, Environment Strategy, Latrobe City Council; M. Halley - Senior Flora & Fauna Officer, DSE, Port Phillip; S. Taylor - Senior Flora & Fauna Officer, DSE West Gippsland; K. Lowe - Principal Policy Analyst, DSE Melbourne; M. Bramwell - Senior Flora & Fauna Officer East Gippsland; T. Fox - Native Vegetation Officer, DPI East Gippsland; B. Ward - Corodinator, Flora & Fauna, DSE Central Gippsland; D. Ziebell - Native Vegetation Officer, DPI Central Gippsland.

The bioregion covers 1.2 million hectares extending over 30 local government areas and three catchment management regions. It stretches from Melbourne Central Business District in the west, to Lakes Entrance in the east, and from Moe in the north, to Foster in the south. The Gippsland Plain bioregion is now the most populated bioregion in Victoria, including the demographic center of Melbourne and major populations on the Mornington Peninsula and Latrobe Valley. The landscape has been radically altered within the last 150 years. Most of the region is private freehold dominated by urban and rural residential, industrial and agriculture pursuits and there are small blocks of public land. The native vegetation of the Gippsland Plain bioregion is one of the better represented in the State. Approximately 18% of the cover remains as native vegetation of which 8.2% is in formal reserves. Six species of indigenous flora and fauna are extinct, whilst of the remaining species, 184 species are considered threatened, 77 plants (35 dicotyledons, 35 monocotyledons, 6 ferns and allies and 1 moss) and 107 animals (12 mammals, 66 birds, 6 reptiles, 2 amphibians, 11 fish and 8 invertebrates). The bioregion includes lowland coastal and alluvial plains characterised by generally flat to gently undulating terrain, vegetated in parts with open forest with a grassy and herbaceous ground layer with areas of Swamp Scrub. Twenty-seven river systems transect the Gippsland Plain bioregion. Most river reaches in the Gippsland Plain bioregion are in moderate to good condition and represent systems that retain significant natural features. The Bennison River is considered to be in good condition, whilst the Agnes and Franklin Rivers are considered to be in moderate condition.

This Strategic Overview consists of three components.

Part 1: The Bioregion Gippsland Plain Part 1 Strategic Overview (PDF - 3284 KB) Gippsland Plain Part 1 Strategic Overview (DOC - 4291 KB) Part 2: Principles and Methodology Gippsland Plain Part 2 Strategic Overview (PDF - 827 KB) Gippsland Plain Part 2 Strategic Overview (DOC - 1578 KB) Part 3: Additional Appendices Gippsland Plain Part 3 Strategic Overview (PDF - 1052 KB) Gippsland Plain Part 3 Strategic Overview (DOC - 12670 KB) Viewing the PDF documents above requires Adobe Reader (external link).

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