Excessive clearing at Tarwin Lower Cemetery

I HAVE been visiting Tarwin Lower cemetery over decades as it is a “local flora/fauna gem” including a huge diversity of orchids and a precious wildlife corridor. 

When I visited on Monday, February 26 I was horrified to find a huge area of the understorey had been totally removed by a bulldozer - similar to the clear-felling practices of Vic Forests until recently. 

On further enquiry I understand that this has been implemented by the Cemetery Trust for removal of weedy wattles. 

Surely this could be done more sensitively with employment of arborists and selective removal. Future weed management could include the removal of wattles/pittosporum and blackberries at an earlier stage in their growth.

During past visits I have sighted koalas, echidnas, wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, a multitude of reptiles, insects and bees as well as an abundance of birds. I can provide a list.

I enjoy the flora immensely and look forward to seeing the seasonal changes on each visit. As you will be well aware these remnant bush lands provide huge benefits for local farmers. They preserve massive carbon stores. 

This brutal removal of entire understorey along with the weedy wattles has destroyed precious habitat, released much carbon into the atmosphere and as I understand from numerous scientific papers – it has rendered this area more susceptible to fire. 

While the trust manages this public land well as a cemetery, there is no interest in its unique irreplaceable value from a flora and fauna /wildlife corridor perspective and a less destructive and heavy handed approach to the wattle /weed problem, has not been considered or implemented.

Dr Alicia Polakiewicz MBBS