Introduction
Indigenous plants are the original native plants occurring naturally in a specific area, revegetating with these plants provides many benefits including:
- protecting the soil from land degradation such as erosion and salinity
- providing a means for weed control
- providing shade and shelter for stock and humans
- providing habitat for native plants and animals
- protecting rivers, streams, wetlands and water resources.
The broad term vegetation refers to trees, shrubs, grasses and undergrowth plants such as herbs, orchids and mosses. Vegetation varies with changes in geology, drainage pattern, topography, soil characteristics and climatic conditions.
Council's information sheets "Indigenous plants of the Geelong region" has been divided into 19 different zones based on the above physical features.
Historical decline
Victoria&s flora has changed significantly since European settlement. In 1869, Victoria&s forests covered 20 million hectares or about 88% of the State, and grasslands covered about a third. By 1967, only 35% of Victoria&s forests remained compared to 5% of grasslands.
Of the remaining forest and woodlands, 70% is not in a natural condition but is modified to some degree. Most remnant native forest is on public land whilst only 5% of privately owned land is now covered by native forest (Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 1999b).
Significant Flora in the Geelong Region
The Geelong region supports 1033 recorded plants including 7 endangered, 13 rare and 17 vulnerable in Victoria (Department of Natural Resources and Environment, April 2000). The Geelong region also supports a number of significant flora, as listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, these include the:
- Bellarine Yellow Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp bellarinensis
- Buloke Allocasuarina luehmannii
- Rare Bitter-Bush Adriana quadripartita
- Western (Basalt) Plains Grassland Community.
Significant Roadside Vegetation
The City of Greater Geelong, together with the Victorian Roadside Vegetation Committee (VRVC), local conservation groups and interested individuals have assessed the conservation status of rural roadsides throughout much of the municipality.
These have been broadly classified into high, medium or low conservation value. The VRVC in a joint project with VicRoads has developed a system of signing, recording and education to help protect these roadsides. At the moment there are signs displayed to indicate high conservation areas on roadsides, and the Council and NRE must be consulted before any works are undertaken in these areas.
These signs indicate that the site contains habitat for rare or threatened flora or fauna, or remnant vegetation not common in the region. This is why it is necessary to contact the Council or NRE if, for example, as a private landowner, you were carrying out weed management on your property and the adjoining undeclared/local roadside, which you are responsible for.
