FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT

The country of and around this locality forms part of the Victorian Volcanic Plains, the third largest tract of land in the world formed by volcanic action. At the time of white settlement in the 1840’s the greater part of this land expanse was without extensive tree cover. It was comprised of grasslands, lakes, wetlands, sedgelands, stony rises and lightly timbered watercourses. As a consequence, when the pastoralists and their flocks took possession, they had no need to clear the land before using it. They had stumbled across a naturally made “sheep walk”!  Unlike most other regions of Victoria, such as the Mallee and Gippsland, no large scale deforestation has taken place, and the countryside, in its basic topology and physiography remains as it was when Major Mitchell travelled across it in 1836, proclaiming it as land more fertile and picturesque than anything that he had ever before seen in New South Wales. A person today climbing Mount Emu, Mount Misery or even Stockyard Hill is afforded a vast, panorama of the countryside. Screening out, from a distance, the unimposing signs of settlement, windbreaks, roads, clusters of farm buildings etc, it is not difficult to see this land as the first explorers saw it.

VEGETATION
The land forms of the Western Basalt Plains are grouped into what botanists call Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC ‘s). Each EVC has its own list of commonly found herbs, flowers and grasses. Many of the EVC’S present on the plains form the most threatened eco systems in Australia. Temperate grassland is one such threatened ecosystem and little of the original grassland cover remains on the basalt plains. Natural Temperate Grassland of the Western Volcanic Plains is now listed as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Probably the largest area of reasonable quality remnant grassland is on a reserve just below Stockyard Hill; The Blacks Creek Nature Conservation Reserve. Grassland reserves are also found at Mooramong, a National Trust property close to the proposed development area. Many plant species found in this area are rare or threatened on a Victorian, or nation wide basis.

FAUNA
A great variety of species once occupied the vast grasslands of the basalt plains but have since disappeared or had their range greatly restricted. A few species are in a threatened position. The brolga is one of these. It regularly nests in this area and when flying, its huge slow moving profile is an awe-inspiring sight. The Brolga often falls victim to power lines and would be at risk from wind turbines. Of greatest concern is the loss of, and fragmentation of the significant breeding habitat that such a large project poses in this area.

The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is a distinctively marked small animal that was quite commonly found on the plains country up until the 1950’s. It is now only seen in introduced colonies, two of which are close to the proposed installation; Lake Goldsmith and Mooramong.

The Striped Legless Lizard is a rarely found species that makes its home on the basalt plains. The massive ground works required for wind turbine installation may well interfere with its habitat.

The Fat Tailed Dunnart is another uncommonly found species that makes its home on the plains.

The Plains Wanderer, an unusual, quail like bird was known to have occurred in this area, and it has recently been discovered in a nearby district. This bird is listed as “vulnerable” on the Federal Government’s list of threatened species.

PASTORAL HISTORY
The pastoral occupation of the Port Phillip District and the Victorian Volcanic Plains was perhaps the quickest, and most remarkable in the history of human migration. In the space of a few years massive tracts of land had been taken up and huge flocks of sheep, and to a lesser degree cattle, had been depastured on the wide grassy plains of Western Victoria. Within less than ten years pastoral establishments were producing fine wool of a quality that hugely impressed the European markets. It would not be inaccurate to say that the district around which this proposed development is centred was the birthplace of fine wool merino production in Australia. For many years Australia economically rode on “the sheep’s back,” and the nursery for those productive merino flocks was the country around Skipton and Beaufort. This country is of immense historical significance to Victoria and it warrants protection from inappropriate development of the type countenanced by this proposal.

ABORIGINAL LAND USE
The Wathourong tribal grouping that once roamed this country in small, familial bands have left many marks and relics of their prior occupation. A number of these can be found in the general area affected by this proposal, for example the Lake Wongan stone arrangements and Lake Goldsmith’s oven mounds. Some landholders, having known of such sites on their land, and fearing interference in their farming operations, have deliberately withheld information about these. Local Wathourong representatives would be troubled if the destructive ground clearing operations required by wind turbine installation, carried out on private land, was allowed to disturb sites of aboriginal significance.

GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
The four Catchment Management Authorities whose geographical area of responsibility falls within the Victorian Volcanic Plains have been given the task of administering the Plains Tender Project. This project has arisen out of the identification of the western Victorian basalt plains as being a “ national biodiversity hotspot” The Federal and State Governments have determined that native vegetation exists on less than 5% of the volcanic plains and that most of this is on private land. These remnant areas are seen as crucial for flora and fauna preservation, salinity control and water quality, and the overall protection and enhancement of biodiversity.

The Plains Tender Project is designed to encourage landholders, with remnant vegetation, to protect and improve it.

In 2004, the Department of Sustainability and Environment designated areas within the Pyrenees Shire as being of “Biodiversity Significance”, recommending significant habitat and aquatic systems overlays. At least three of these areas are designated for wind turbines in the Beaufort/Skipton development.

A fundamental inconsistency would seem to exist between one body of Government policy designed to protect threatened landscapes, and another that invites wind energy developers to treat privately with landholders so that large-scale ground clearing and habitat destruction can take place, without any government supervision.

HYDROLOGY
Much of the land upon which wind generators are proposed is hydrologically sensitive. Springs, aquifers and recharge areas abound within this district and the consequences attendant upon the breaking up and disturbance of the water table are troubling to all local residents. Stockyard Hill is known as a source of spring water.

THE ARTISTS RECORD
Many of the well known colonial artists depicted aspects of this locality in their works. Most recorded the magnificent dwellings constructed by pastoralists who had outlived the bad times, the climatic extremes and the tyranny of distance to financially and politically prosper. Some depicted the countryside, but none in more detailed fashion than Duncan Elphinstone Cooper, who painted and drew a collection of works titled “The Challicum Sketchbook” back in the 1840’s. He captured the rare beauty of the countryside with its mountain backdrops and endless rolling plains. Coopers vision is still obtainable from the volcanic peaks that dot the plains.  

AMENITY ISSUES
Local residents and landholders are concerned by the possibility of the loss of amenity associated with their use of their land. Interference with sight lines, destruction of views and outlooks, noise and light flicker nuisance are all matters of vital importance to people who live or make use of land in the neighbourhood of the proposed development.

CONCLUSION
The WPLGA maintains that the country in question is of immense scenic, cultural, natural, and historical significance to the whole of Victoria, indeed Australia, and that the introduction of large numbers of wind turbines would irrevocably detract from that value, causing great distress and loss of amenity to residents and visitors alike.