Urgent action

Conservation action across this vast 262,000 ha region, which stretches from the steep Strzelecki Ranges in the north to the lowland coast in the south, is becoming increasingly urgent as just 22% of South Gippsland’s native vegetation remains, and 10% of all native species are now threatened.

After securing funding for two key phases of the mapping project, SGLN appointed mapping experts who, as a first step, are gathering base data via a ‘Habitat Near You’ website that asks landholders and community members to identify habitat hotspots, sightings of key species and key areas of interest (this phase will run from May to June 2025, so please contribute if you can).

It will take about nine months to gather the foundational data. From here, the team will use the General Approach to Planning Connectivity from Local Scales to Regional (GAPCLoSR) GIS method to analyse landscape conditions and determine the best possible pathways for recreating or enhancing habitat for 4-6 target species.

The process will take a community-led, tenure blind approach and consider all environments across the region, not just those where larger patches of bushland exist.

LCV welcomes this biolinking initiative, which reflects our commitment to engaging property owners and communities in conversations about the need to secure private land and connect it to adjacent properties and/or state and national parks.

The map will also provide a well-informed basis for regional planning processes and inspire more investment in the natural values of our landscape.