Farmers, park rangers and environmental enthusiasts gathered together at Haining Farm to learn about the fascinating world of the Liwik Barring Landscape Conservation Area (LCA) on 10 September.
The event was part of the Birarrung Riverfest 2025 and it was led by members of Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Attendees took in the sights and sounds of Haining Farm while learning about the goat-conventional biomass reduction trial and the newly installed wombat doors.
Parks Victoria ranger Melissa Tuliranta lead the crowd on the walk and talk, and said the event was a good place for local landowners to learn about the unique Liwik Barring Landscape Conservation Area.
“We literally have thousands of landowners that border that landscape conservation area, so it’s incredibly complex. Every property is different, every boundary is different.
“We obviously love to see the local people engage with the site and take ownership for it and be proud of it,” Ms Tuliranta said.
The Liwik Barring LCA is a series of conservation areas connected by rivers and creeks which spans from the top of the Yarra Ranges down into the Dandenong Ranges.
The conservation area is 3000 hectares in size and it aims to conserve the Crown land along waterways, enhance its unique biodiversity, water quality and provide more recreational opportunities.
Because there are large amounts of public land occupied by adjacent landowners that fall within the conservation area, a key priority is to assist landowners with separating livestock from the waterways.
Landowner Jeff Buchanan runs a farm which borders the Liwik Barring LCA and he said he was interested in finding out more about it.
“I came along to Riverfest to learn really, as I run a farm which is very close to the river.
“So anything that DEECA or Parks Victoria or Melbourne Water does affects what I do on the farm and so I wanted to be well informed,” Mr Buchanan said.
He also said he was “staggered” at the amount of Government resources Parks Victoria, DEECA and Melbourne Water had to spend on these conservation projects.
However, in November 2024, the State Government cut around $95 million in funds to Parks Victoria.
People had the chance to learn about the goat-conventional biomass reduction trial, which was started in collaboration with Melbourne Water to help manage the growth in certain sections along the Birarrung.
Medium-sized goats were introduced to the areas enclosed by temporary fencing.
“We just had an issue of low-quality vegetation along the Birarrung and we wanted to reduce herbicide use.
“We wanted to use the goats to bring the biomass down and then make it more manageable for us to do a combination of conventional weed management with some spraying but also manual removal,” Ms Tuliranta said.
The use of goats in managing weed growth however isn’t a permanent solution, but rather something to aid park rangers’ efforts in reducing the low-quality vegetation, so they can replant it with new plants.
Ms Tuliranta also explained the installation of new wombat doors which help the animal move between the conservation areas while stopping predators from getting in.
“We identified that the wombats, especially at Haining, were causing a lot of issues with the fence. They were digging underneath on a nightly basis.”
She said within four kilometres of fencing, she had personally identified 150 breaches caused by wombats.
“It’s obviously a risk… we can’t have the wombats digging underneath all the time and letting foxes and cats in. So that’s why we installed an additional 20 wombat gates,” she said.
The wombat doors, which act similarly to a cat flap, are made up of a heavy steel plate that the wombat can push open.
Due to the weight of the plate, its predators aren’t able to go through, allowing easy access for wombats while restricting predators.
The name Liwik Barring, which means Ancestors’ trail, was chosen by Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to reflect the First Peoples history and connection to the land and waterways.
The conservation area will also support the implementation of Leadbeater’s possums and Helmeted Honeyeater recovery plans.
