Special Stuart Mill bushland protected

Native bushland and rare animal habitats in central Victoria have been further protected with a new nature reserve opening in Stuart Mill, south of St Arnaud.Grasstrees dating back as far as the 1400s and rare wildlife, including the swift parrot, are among the natural features conservation group Bush Heritage Australia are trying to preserve.Leading a tour of the reserve, Bush Heritage field officer Jeroen van Veen said the site was critical to local woodland conservation. Gallery: John Colahan Griffin Nature Reserve“When you see some of the trees and the animals that live in the habitat, you know it’s something special,” Mr van Veen said.“It’s a rare site with nationally protected orchids and endangered animal species, so it’s really significant that we can protect it,” he said.Bush Heritage Australia chief executive Gerard O’Neil said the site could also feature in future carbon trade negotiations, with its high levels of carbon in the soil.“This area is great in terms of carbon sequestration in the soil and old trees,” he said.“We’re currently working out the methodology of carbon credits for future negotiations but for now we’re managing the protection of the site.”The John Colahan Griffin Nature Reserve was officially established after more than a year of talks with the state government, neighbours and local environmental groups.Nearby residents met with Bush Heritage officers to offer advice and discuss land management concerns.“It was great that we could work with the local farmers and meet our common interests we have in keeping the land intact,” Mr van Veen said.Local landowner John Proctor lives in Kooreh, 15km north of Stuart Mill, and said it was important the surrounding community was consulted.“My family have been in the area since 1876 and I think a lot of the locals are really proud of this area and hoping the land can be managed well,” Mr Proctor said.“The main concern we have now is maintaining the area, looking after the roos and other pests that ruin the habitat,” he said. For Jeroen van Veen, who will be managing the reserve, pests aren’t a concern.“As soon as I see a rabbit, I’ll kill it and as soon as I see another pest, I’ll kill it,” he said. The creation of the new reserve, which will be owned and maintained by the Bush Heritage group in perpetuity, is important for the future of the Box-Ironbark forest region. Less than 10 per cent of the Goldfield bioregion is currently protected, making it an under-represented area in national classifications.Local stewardship officer Kirsten Hutchison, from Trusts for Nature, said she was relieved the land was in the hands of a conservation group.“There’s always a risk that people who buy the property might not care about the environment,” she said.“But now we will be able to see the natural reserves maintained and the amazing amount of animal species in the area protected.”Mrs Hutchison is also hoping the reserve will extend to neighbouring properties, which can connect and broaden the area of protected wildlife.