PARK WATCH Article September 2024 |

Ben Gill, Nature Conservation Campaigner, says our relentless advocacy to rescue the Mt Cole Grevillea has borne fruit

Here’s a quick recap: In 2019, the Mt Cole Grevillea (Grevillea montis-cole subsp. montis-cole) was listed as Critically Endangered under our national nature laws. In 2021, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council recommended creating the Mt Buangor National Park to give the grevillea the protection it needed.

But everything changed this year when a fire ravaged 100 per cent of its known range. The intense blaze left little behind. We were faced with the grim reality that the Mt Cole Grevillea might become Australia’s first new extinction.

The forest remained closed to the public until 1 July, when we visited to assess signs of recovery. The scene was bleak. No new growth from roots, and signs of heavy grazing that would put any surviving seed under severe pressure. Here’s where our glimmer of hope appears.

In a recent meeting with the recovery team, we learned that our collaboration with the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) has paid off. The Environment Minister has activated emergency funds for the grevillea. These funds will support recovery efforts by scientists at the Arthur Rylah Institute and DEECA’s biodiversity team. With only 232 seeds and three plants in the Royal Botanic Gardens’ collection, this support couldn’t have come at a more critical time.

We’ve urged DEECA to fence off any known sites to prevent grazing by feral species. They’ve also launched a pest eradication program to reduce grazing pressures and restore the magnificent glades of Mt Cole/Bereep Bereep. VNPA would like to see a long-term program established to expedite the plant’s return.

We commend the minister’s swift action. The impact would be even greater if the government quickly legislated the promised national parks, reserves, and conservation areas.