Land and Biodiversity

Vegetation Loss and Modification

About half of Victoria’s native vegetation has been cleared to make way for agriculture and urban development. Most of the clearing occurred before the middle of the 20th century, on private land, which now retains only about 20% of its original vegetation cover. Much of the vegetation remaining on private land is of threatened vegetation types and is critically important, as it supports about 30% of Victoria’s threatened species populations. Native vegetation on public land, in contrast, is relatively intact, as most of Victoria’s public land has been managed for conservation purposes and timber production.

While the vegetation on Victoria’s public land is stable and reasonably resilient to disturbances such as fire, flood or drought, the fragmented vegetation on private land is at risk of decline in extent and quality, and in its ability to regenerate after disturbance. Although broadscale clearing has been banned in Victoria since 1989, the loss of vegetation quality, along with small-scale clearing, means that Victoria is still losing several thousand hectares of native vegetation each year.

This section looks at the impacts of historic land clearing on Victoria’s native vegetation, distinguishing between the management histories of public and private land. It identifies the ongoing threats to Victoria’s native vegetation, and discusses implications of the current condition of native vegetation for Victoria’s native species. The section also provides an overview of policy responses to the management challenges for native vegetation in Victoria and presents recommendations for improving habitat in a time of rapid environmental and social change.

Part 4.2.1 - Vegetation Loss and Modification (PDF - 2.2 MB)