News

VVPB News - Volume 1 No 1

Published Tue 27 Oct 2020

Newsletter of the VVP Biosphere Inc.

Volume 1 No. 1 October 2020.

see link at bottom of page to read as a pdf file

Victorian Volcanic Plain Biosphere Inc.

Association No: A0050709T ABN: 62 305 543 599

New website

Our New Website for managing our communications and finances is: www.vvpb.com.au

While initially designed to help sporting clubs, many community groups appreciate its versatility. It can handle event bookings, memberships and finances.

Memberships Due for 2020-21

Due to the Strangeness of the COVID 19 year of 2020 we have waived membership fees for 2019. But you are welcome to make a donation. Our benefactors will make up any unpaid 2019 fees for you.

Memberships for 2020 became due on June 30 and should be paid by November. There is an initial joining fee of $10 then an annual membership fee of $5.

You can become a member (or renew a lapsed membership) via our website or by EFT and complete the membership/update form included. Members will be invoiced via email annually with payment instructions provided in the invoice.

VVPB bank details: BSB: 633-000 Account: 1338 951 51 Name: Vic. Volcanic Plain Biosphere Inc.

Tax Deductible Donations may be made to VVPB Trust account: BSB: 633-000 Account: 1746 494 67, and via the website. As the website is new, it assumes you are all new members, but just pay the $5 renewal.

DGR and REO achieved

The road to achieving tax deductible gift recipient status, (DGR) and being accepted onto the list of Registered Environmental Organisations (REO) has been a long one. Thanks to the stamina of Michael Treanor this was finally achieved in March 2020. Here is his summary of the saga:

“The Victorian Volcanic Plains Biosphere Inc. was recently recognised on the national Register of Environmental Organisations (REO) by the Commonwealth Government and the linked endorsement as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) enabling us to receive tax deductibility status for grants and donations. This status gives VVP Biosphere Inc the opportunity to seek funding and raise money to support the process for gaining Biosphere status. In 2018 we began the process of applying for DGR and REO status through the Commonwealth government’s application process, requiring quite a few changes to our constitution, how we must manage funds and how we operate as an organisation. For a small group, such as the VVPB, it can be a long challenging process, primarily one of providing layers of information then waiting to hear something. The application for REO and DGR status was finally announced in March 2020 after almost 18 months of anticipation. We now forge ahead in raising donations and funds to spearhead the nomination for a VVP Biosphere and protection of the Victorian Volcanic Plain.” Michael Treanor

Your Committee and Trustees

The 2020-2021 VVPB committee is:

President: Ray Maino, Threatened Ecosystems Network

Vice Pres: Michael Treanor, Grassy Plains Network

Secretary: Stuart McCallum, Friends of Bannockburn Bush

Treasurer: Dr James Maino, cesar Predictive Modelling

Committee:

Dr Christine Connelly, Victoria University

Lincoln Kern, Practical Ecology, Ecological consultant

Ray McMahon, Environmental Planner/ Ecologist

Dr Elia Pirtle, Environmental Researcher

Peter Haffenden, Inherit Earth, Volcano Dreaming,

Colleen Miller, Angair

Group email: vvpbiosphere@gmail.com

Biosphere Structure

The Three functions of Biosphere Reserves are:

Conservation: contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation.
Development: foster economic and human development which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable.
Logistic Support: support for demonstration projects, environmental education and training, research and monitoring related to local, regional, national and global issues of conservation and sustainable development.

The criteria for designation as a Biosphere include:

"Encompass a mosaic of ecological systems representative of major biogeographic region(s), including a gradation of human interventions".
"Be of significance for biological diversity conservation".
"Provide an opportunity to explore and demonstrate approaches to sustainable development on a regional scale”.
"Have an appropriate size to serve the three functions of biosphere reserves"

Three Zones need to be determined: The Core area, devoted to long term protection, the Buffer Zone where only activities compatible with the Core can take place, and the outer Transition area where sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed.

Extract from: UNESCO - Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme Biosphere Reserve Nomination Form - January 2013

The Road ahead

Now that we have attained our tax deductibility status we can move to complete the next process; gaining all the required approvals and completing the UNESCO MAB Nomination Form.

Just the Introduction is copied below and the full form is attached below for your information.

To complete this detailed process we will need to raise funds and to engage a VVPB Project Officer to assist in the work. If you or someone you know would be interested in helping with this task, please get in touch.

UNESCO Biosphere Nomination Form

Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystems, or a combination thereof, which are internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO's Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB) They are established to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere. Biosphere reserves are designated by the International Coordinating Council of the MAB Programme at the request of the State concerned. Individual biosphere reserves remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the State where they are situated. Collectively, all biosphere reserves form a World Network in which participation by States is voluntary.

The actions recommended for the implementation of biosphere reserves are set out in the "Seville Strategy" and were further developed in the Madrid Action Plan (2008-2013). These documents should be used as basic references for the completion of this nomination form.

The nomination form consists of three parts:

Part one is a summary indicating how the nominated area responds to the functions and criteria for biosphere reserves set out in the Statutory Framework, and presents the signatures of endorsements for the nomination from the authorities concerned. Part two is more descriptive and detailed, referring to the human, physical and biological characteristics as well as to the institutional aspects. Part three consists of two annexes: the first annex will be used to update the Directory of Biosphere Reserves on the MABnet, once the site has been approved as a biosphere reserve. The second annex will be used to provide promotional and communication materials of the biosphere reserve. Tables, illustrations and maps as appropriate throughout the nomination form are welcomed.

UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences. http://www.unesco.org/mab

VVP Biosphere 2020 AGM

Date: Tuesday November 24 at 7pm via Zoom (or MS Teams)

Contact Stuart if you wish to attend and/or nominate yourself or another worthy person.

Administrative Structure and Governance of a Biosphere.

There is much to negotiate. Different Biospheres have variations on the basic theme according to their communities.

We have yet to decide our 3 Zones, Core, Buffer (Care) and Transition (Live and Work) and this will involve consultation at many levels.

We anticipate working with DELWP, Parks Vic, the Catchment Management Authorities, particularly CCMA, GHCMA and Port Phillip CMA as they are already key leaders in this area.

The Local Communities, Local Government, Conservation Networks, Landcare, VFF, Education bodies and Traditional Owners etc are also important and will constitute a local co-ordinating/administrative body termed a Round table.

There is a strong Research and Education role for Biospheres referred to as Logistical Support. This is the role we have been building over the last several years and now we will pick up the pace.

We welcome your support in this important work and encourage you if you are not already, to become a financial member and perhaps make a donation. This can be done through our new website.

https://www.vvpb.com.au/home/

And to help us focus on Zone selection, we have received this comment from Professor Peter Bridgewater at University of Canberra:

EPBC listing is not especially relevant to a BR nomination, although presumably the areas concerned would become part of the core areas.

Much more important is the interaction between core-buffer-transition and how community support is involved across ALL community sectors (including especially any TO concerns) for the BR.

It’s why I stress the need for a full zonation map as the start for discussions.

Key to remember is that a BR nomination is about sustainable living, it’s not primarily about threatened species or ecosystems – rather how a structured BR can support People and the rest of nature together.

Peter Bridgewater Adjunct Professor Institute for Applied Ecology and Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra

I acknowledge, respect and celebrate the First Australians on whose traditional lands I live and work.

How can You help?

Some suggestions:

Join or renew your membership which we need to maintain for DGR status. It’s only $5 pa.
Encourage your contacts to join us.
Suggest Core areas to us. We are currently considering the Western Districts Ramsar Lakes area, the Greening Australia borrell-a-kandelop area and the Budj Bim World Heritage area. Fragmentation is a problem!
Share information on VVP events of interest to members

The highly fragmented Victorian Volcanic Plain.

The Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion overlaid onto Local Government Authority boundaries.

The dotted-line boundary west of Melbourne denotes the Western Grasslands Reserve.