Natural resource management services

Nature Advisory team members have undertaken a range of projects that provide technically sound management direction for the protection of environmentally valuable and sensitive areas.

Effective Natural Resource Management relies on a thorough understanding of the location, extent and condition of the natural resource values of an area.  It also requires assessment of current and future threats to those values and the actions needed to mitigate those threats to provide for protection and enhancement. Identifying and monitoring key indicators to provide for ‘adaptive management’ of values in response to the results of such monitoring is a critical ingredient for effective natural resource management.

Both state and Commonwealth government guidelines for natural resource management plans require clear objectives (defined in consultation with the area managers) and auditable performance targets for key indicators of environmental condition, including both values and threats. This enables both area managers and regulators to audit the implementation of the management plans at any stage. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements are also documented in such plans. If required, contingencies are presented, where known.

Specifically, our natural resource management advice covers projects such as:

• The preparation of native vegetation offset plans for remnant ecosystems that are set aside to offset native vegetation removal.
• The preparation of conservation management plans for threatened species, such as Southern Brown Bandicoot, Growling Grass Frog and Natural Temperate Grasslands.
• Monitoring of vegetation and tree canopy assessments in northern Victorian riparian environments.
• Development of biodiversity management plans for private and local government reserves with high biodiversity values.
• Zero Net Impact Brolga Compensation Plans for wind farm developers who have approval for impacts on the Victorian Brolga population.