Public Land

Approximately 13% of the catchment region is public land and much of this has been nominated for specific purposes, such as National, State and Regional Parks, scientific/education areas and Flora Reserves. About 10% of these public lands are managed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) through licence issuing , are recognised as being multiple-use areas suitable for:

timber utilisation
grazing
eucalyptus harvesting for oil production
water production
recreation
honey production

(NCCALPB, 1997).

Crown Land Management (external link) (within the Land Victoria Division of DSE) has a number of roles and responsibilities with respect to the management of public land within the North Central region, including:

Acts on behalf of the Victorian Government as the agent for the Crown Land outside of the parks and forests systems, the majority occupied by individuals and organisations/clubs other than the Department of Sustainability and Environment;
Purchases, exchanges, sells, reserves and leases or licences land and property for DSE and other parts of Government;
Provides policy and a regulatory framework for the reservation, management and use of Crown Land;
Facilitates major Government and private infrastructure projects through the commercial leasing, reservation and delegated management of Crown Land;
Maintains the Crown land data base covering relevant Crown allotments;
For the purposes of Native Title claims, researches and determines the tenure history of Crown Land under claim and provides DSE policy input to the Government’s response to Native Title;
Coordinates responses to land use planning proposals on behalf of DSE;
Acts as a referral authority for proposed developments on private and Crown Land;
Provides new information technology developments and initiatives to support cadastral and natural resource decision-making and program delivery.

National Parks in the region include Terrick Terrick, St Arnaud Range and Greater Bendigo which is part of Victoria's network of Box-Ironbark Parks and Reserves. There is also a number of State Parks that exist in small pockets throughout the region. These include Whipstick, Kamarooka, Kooyoora and Kara Kara State Parks. Other public land throughout the region includes the Barmah and Gunbower Forests, Wandella Forest (Wildlife Reserve), One Tree Hill Regional Park and Tarnagulla Flora and Fauna Reserve to name a few. The Parks, Flora and Fauna (PFF) Division of DSE is responsible for overseeing the management of Victoria's land and resources for their environmental, conservation and recreational values. PFF is responsible for supporting the conservation of historic places on public land and overseeing the management and use of Crown land.

North Central National and State Parks

This map shows the location of State and National Parks in the North Central region, and in nearby regions (as at January 2004). Parks Victoria manages Victoria's world class network of national, state, regional and metropolitan parks, other conservation reserves, many significant cultural assets, and Melbourne's bays and major waterways. The Parks Victoria Parkweb website (external link) provides information about each of Victoria's National and State Parks.

Actual management of land use activities on Crown land has been undertaken by Parks Victoria (external link) since December 1996. Its main purpose with respect to Crown land use is to conserve, protect and enhance environmental and cultural assets throughout the North Central catchment region.

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