Dutson Downs

Project overview

Conservation across an 8,500 hectare
multi-use site.

As part of a much broader scope of work for Gippsland Water across the Gippsland region, the Dutson Downs project stands out as one of significance. The approximately 8,500 hectare site near Seaspray hosts an assortment of land uses such as forestry, conservation, industry and agriculture. ID Ecological Management was engaged to help monitor and conserve the large areas of remnant vegetation on this huge site. Originally scoped with the control of noxious weeds in the wetland areas adjacent to the Nationally Endangered Dwarf Kerrawang, ID Ecological Management's directive quickly increased to utilise the remnants as native vegetation credits under the BushBroker system, preparing an integrated pest animal management plan, monitoring rare and threatened species, constructing a corridor link for threatened fauna, improving threatened species habitat and assisting in the reporting to government departments on land management activities. In 2019 and 2020 two areas of the site underwent a significant carbon offset planting program which has resulted in excess of 219,000 plants being revegetated across 3 EVC's.

Activities undertaken
during this project

• Planning and implementation of a pest animal management plan including transect spotlight counts, remote camera monitoring, baiting, trapping, fumigation and release of calicivirus.
• Planning and implementation of a 1.3-kilometre wildlife corridor designed to link two isolated populations of New Holland Mouse.
• Weed control of conservation areas and in sensitive sites adjacent to rare and threatened species.
• Monitoring of threatened fauna including Green and Gold Bell Frog and the New Holland Mouse.
• Utilisation of remnant vegetation as BushBroker offset sites and implementation of the requirements of the subsequent Landowner Agreements.
• Installation of carbon offset plantings across two sites, totalling 219,000 plants in 190 hectares.

Project highlights

• Installation of grazing controls around significant populations of the Nationally Vulnerable Wellington Mint-bush.
• Monitoring of, and construction of a wildlife corridor for the Nationally Vulnerable New Holland Mouse.
• Noxious weed management around the Nationally Endangered Dwarf Kerrawang.
• Monitoring of the Nationally Vulnerable Green and Golden Bell Frog.
• Assistance in the translocation of the Nationally Endangered Metallic Sun-orchid.
• Successful establishment and repair of former farmland through revegetation into Carbon offsets.