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An Icon at Risk: current and emerging threats to the Victorian Alps

Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) are the classic alpine tree of the High Country, generally growing at heights between 1,300 and 1,800 metres asl. Anyone who has visited the Australian High Country will know – and probably love – these trees.

In recent decades, wildfire has been devastating huge areas of the Snow Gum forests, with significant fires in the Victorian High Country in 1998, 2002/3, 2006/7, 2013 and 2019/20. More than 90% of Snow Gum habitat has been burnt at least once in the last 20 years.

The species can survive fire. However, climate change driven fire seasons are leading to more frequent fire, which is causing more death of trees and changes to forest structure. In some instances, localised collapse of Snow Gum woodlands is now being observed. As climate scientist Michael Mann describes it, we are now seeing climate change play out in real time.

We must ask whether we are now seeing the start of the collapse of Snow Gum woodlands, one of Victoria’s iconic vegetation communities.

Continue reading “An Icon at Risk: current and emerging threats to the Victorian Alps” →
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Winter Kick-Off with ‘Steep Reflections’

There will be a series of screenings of the new Australian backcountry film STEEP REFLECTIONS, happening across a number of towns and resorts in June.

With a warming climate, there is growing concern for the future of snowsports in the Kosciuszko National Park. STEEP REFLECTIONS aims to change your perspective on the Australian backcountry, and create greater awareness around the importance of both mountain safety and our environmental footprint. Follow local guides and freeriders as they showcase the hidden beauty of the Snowy Mountains, taking you to the highest peaks and the steepest slopes, whilst uncovering the harsh reality our winters face if we don’t act now.

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Road tripping close to home

I spent May on a slow roadtrip from the northern Snowy Mountains to Mt Hotham. Lots of days out of the car – camping, walking, doing a few overnighters – including a quick trip into Mt Jagungal. I arrived in the mountains as the early May snowfalls started to settle and was blessed with more than 2 weeks of bluebird skies, with remnant snow on the higher peaks, frosty mornings (-4 to -8oC in the northern Snowies) and absolute silence. I think in the first week I spoke with three people, and had most campsites to myself.

It was wonderful to get reacquainted with the long, glorious snow plains and intact forests of the northern Snowies, the wonderful higher alpine zones of the central Snowies (that area from Kiandra to the Schlink Pass) and back in my usual stomping grounds of the Main Range (with the obligatory camp at Island Bend).

Continue reading “Road tripping close to home” →

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Extreme logging in the Upper Ovens

In March, Friends of the Earth (FoE) campaigners visited north eastern Victoria as part of a longer trip highlighting threats to the landscapes of the high country. While we were focused on the threat posed to native forests by logging, locals in the Upper Ovens wanted to show us some of the current harvesting of pine plantations in the area.

While pine (Pinus radiata) plantations have been located across the north east for decades, and provide valuable timber and local employment, the logging practices in many instances are appalling. This led to FoE making a series of recommendations to the land manager, Hancocks Plantations Victoria (HVP), about how to reduce the environmental impacts of future harvesting.

Continue reading “Extreme logging in the Upper Ovens” →

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An end to logging in VIC: what does it mean for the forests of the high country?

As part of it’s state budget process for 2023/24, the Victorian government has announced that it will bring forward the shut down date for native forest logging across the state from 2030 to January 1, 2024. This is a huge development, and follows an intensification of environmental campaigning, a series of court cases that stopped logging in significant parts of the state, and a new environment minister following the re-election of the Andrews government in November 2022.

This means the state will be spared another six years of intensive logging and allow us to start the generations long work of restoring a landscape that has been deeply impacted by intensive logging and repeat fires in recent decades.

The full details on ‘what next’ – that is, how the shut down will be managed and what logging will occur before January 1 – are yet to be released. This is expected in coming weeks. There will also be an ‘expanded transition support package’ of $200 million ‘in support for workers and their families to transition away from native timber logging earlier than planned’.

Continue reading “An end to logging in VIC: what does it mean for the forests of the high country?” →

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Good news: the Commonwealth has withdrawn federal funding for the Cradle Valley Cableway.

Sometimes stupid ideas just won’t die. Especially if they have big money or political influence behind them. Just look at the endless debate about developing a domestic nuclear power industry in Australia, which is constantly pushed and platformed by conservative politicians and the Murdoch press. Its just not going to happen, but they just can’t let it go.

It’s the same with proposals for commercial development within national parks and other important conservation reserves. The public don’t support these proposals, yet some governments keep pushing the development agenda. The Tasmanian government is an especially bad ‘repeat offender’. They actively promote bad projects like new commercial huts at places like Lake Malbena on the Central Plateau, the cable car on kunanyi/ Mt Wellington and the cableway at Cradle Valley.

In some welcome news, it was revealed in Senate Estimates that the Commonwealth has withdrawn federal funding for the Cradle Valley Cableway. As noted by Greens MP Nick McKim, “The project never stacked up, and never had a social license. It was simply a pipe-dream of the develop-at-all-costs brigade, and a lazy attempt at pork barrelling. Its cheerleaders should be ashamed of themselves.”

Continue reading “Good news: the Commonwealth has withdrawn federal funding for the Cradle Valley Cableway.” →

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Will this snow last til winter?

Snowfalls during May have got all winter lovers excited. With more on it’s way this week (and ‘opening weekend’ getting close) lots of people are saying the current snow is likely to form the basis of this winter’s snowpack, at least at higher elevations.

The image above is a rendering from Sentinel, showing the Snowy Mountains on Monday May 22. The deep valley in the foreground contains the Thredbo resort, with ski runs clearly visible.

Continue reading “Will this snow last til winter?” →

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Logging of fire damaged forests near Mt Pinnibar

The Alpine Ash forests of north eastern Victoria have been devastated in recent decades. As was noted in a report from Erin Somerville for the ABC,

“Fires destroyed many of them in 2003.

Then in 2006 and 2007 they were hit by the Great Divide fires.

The Harrietville fire pounced in 2013.

Gippsland fires flared in 2017.

Then, Black Summer.

Onslaught after onslaught of fire — ghostly black and grey skeletons of thousands of ash trees still jut sharply from the steep north-east Victorian landscape”.

Despite the impacts and potential lose of these forests at a landscape level, logging continues in the area.

Continue reading “Logging of fire damaged forests near Mt Pinnibar” →

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Snowy Mountains snowpatches survive summer for first time in a Quarter Century

As the Main Range sits under a lovely (and rapidly melting) May snowfall, new research into snowpatches provides an interesting result.

Once a common occurrence, the survival of three snowpatches, two on Mount Twynam and one on the Etheridge Range near Mount Kosciuszko was the first time snow had lasted winter to winter since 1997.

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Regeneration – Racha: A ski film like no other, taking you on a 8-day backcountry trip to Georgia.

The Backcountry film festival (Melbourne, May 4) is shaping up to be an epic night – 13 films, 4 speakers, info stalls and it just got bigger. It will be the world premiere of a new backcountry film produced after an 8 day trip in the Western Highlands of Georgia.

Continue reading “Regeneration – Racha: A ski film like no other, taking you on a 8-day backcountry trip to Georgia.” →

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Giving back and getting involved in protecting the Alps

Much of the alpine regions of south eastern Australia and lutruwita/ Tasmania are public land, and much of that is included in national parks, World Heritage Areas, or other conservation reserves.

But many threats remain, from climate change, logging, over development, weed infestation and feral animals and so on. More than ever the alpine environments need your support.

Here are some practical things you can do to support the Alps.

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Protect the Alps from feral horses – make a submission today

Australia’s alpine areas are much loved for their majestic landscapes and unique plants and animals. The heads of many rivers are found in their snowy peaks, bogs and streams. Almost a third of the Murray Darling Basin’s annual flows are born from the Alps.

But a marauding population of feral horses are trampling these unique high country habitats.

The good news? Senator Pocock has successfully launched a federal senate inquiry into feral horses in the Alps.

Have your say and make sure Australia’s much-loved Alpine wildlife and their habitats get the protections they deserve.

Continue reading “Protect the Alps from feral horses – make a submission today” →

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Walk to the Little Dargo, November 2023

The fires of 2019/20 burnt huge areas of north eastern Victoria. The remaining unburnt forests are more important than ever. One of these areas lies in the headwaters of the Little Dargo River, just south of Mt Hotham. It is a pristine area, without roads, and containing mature forest, much of it dominated by Mountain Gums and Alpine Ash. It is an area of state forest that lies right next to the Alpine National Park.

The state government logging agency, VicForests, intends to log a total of 11 “coupes”, or sections, of mature forest in the upper Little Dargo River. These coupes are located in a series of clusters, where separate sections of bush will be harvested, creating a large zone of cleared land over time. Extensive roading networks will be needed to access the coupes.

There is a growing community campaign to oppose this destruction. In 2022 and 2023, Friends of the Earth, in conjunction with the Treasure family, who have grazed cattle on the Dargo High Plains for generations, have hosted a number of walks to show people the headwaters of the catchment and surrounding area. Over the cup weekend (November 4 – 7) we will be hosting another free guided walk.

The walk itself will happen on the sunday (November 5).

Continue reading “Walk to the Little Dargo, November 2023” →

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