Hoddle Creek Walk

Hoddle Creek Walk 21.7.24

Last Sunday, PCEL committee members and friends met with Chris Gittins of Gippsland Hills Bushland Management for a Hoddle Creek site walk on private property in Fish Creek.

Against a backdrop of remnant mountain ash, nesting wood ducks took flight as Chris guided us through his regenerative property. The land includes both remnant forest and new plantings taking place over a 20-year period. Nesting boxes made by La Trobe University’s Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary dotted the younger trees. Inside these boxes, both sugar gliders and feather-tailed gliders nested, safe from larger, unwanted visitors.

Chris has worked tirelessly tending to the revegetation and regeneration of his parcel, which is one of several sharing this particular stretch of the Hoddle Creek. Running alongside Meeniyan-Promontory Road, the joint land serves as a link between the creek and the Hoddle Range Nature Conservation Reserve, via a Greenfleet planting site. From here, the Hoddle Creek flows northwest to connect with Battery Creek, home to platypus and native rodents. With time and care, this portion will expand the vital habitat for our water-dwelling natives.

Once choked with willow and blackberry, the creek has been cleared of invasive species and the channel is starting to form again. Chris anticipates that with time, the rock bed will emerge. The rejuvenated soil now allows burrowing crayfish to excavate their chambers more easily and form chimneys above the surface, creating prime conditions for new fern growth.

As a group, we are dedicated to accelerating biodiversity efforts in South Gippsland. Visiting properties like these allows us to seek and identify ways to assist landholders. We look forward to seeing how this land evolves and determining how PCEL can best facilitate and expand on this integral work.

Key Takeaways from Our Walk:

• Our bush can self-revegetate with adequate weed control and exclusion from grazing.

• Once the canopy is established and leaf matter accumulates on the ground, weeds struggle to colonize.

• Nest boxes are vital in revegetation work as tree hollows can take upwards of 100 years to form, and 42% of Australian wildlife rely on them for roosting and nesting. 

• Regenerating the Hoddle Creek will expand much-needed habitat for native fauna, potentially including Platypus and Lyrebird.

• Native Rodents, Swamp Rat and Bush Rat, initially favour weed grasses, sedges and ground covers before returning to traditional diet - making their presence a win-win for our waterways.

• Extending on remnant and established bushland is always preferable to a standalone revegetation site.

• When adjoining landholders share a vision, valuable links are forged for wildlife and biodiversity.