As If for a Thousand Years: A History of Victoria's Land Conservation and Environment Conservation Councils [Book Review] PDF
Preview As If for a Thousand Years: A History of Victoria's Land Conservation and Environment Conservation Councils [Book Review]
BookReviews The authors go farbeyond the stereotypical wondrous landscapes. These actions are aesthetic appeal ofournatural environment, summarised well on page 132, and include evidenced by the attention paid to inverte- steps such as ‘Consider the size and shape brates. Witchetty grubs, centipedes, jewel ofplanting’ and ‘Leave dead saplings and spidersandgoldenorbspidersarejustafew trees as well as fallen branches and logs ofthe many invertebrates featured in the within restored areas - they will have colourful photographs, as well as being dis- importanthabitatvalue’. cussedinthetext. Woodlands: a disappearing landscape This book does not aim to be a scientific has broad appeal, but in its final chapters reference, although it does draw on some funnels a range ofinformation into a very excellent resources, imploring the readerto precise direction, which is to ensure that studyfurther. Thebibliography spansseven future generations can enjoy woodlands as pages, and is broken into subheadings much as we do. It would be ideal for including Mammals, Frogs and Reptiles, landowners who wish to learn more about and Plants, with the largest section being and enhance the woodlands on their prop- Background Scientific Literature. The final erties, and would be well received by any two chapters, (Woodland Management and naturalist. Conservation and The Future) are the most RebeccaJ Steer pertinent, as the authors venture beyond Botanist,BiosisResearchPtyLtd dire forecasts and faint messages ofhope. 449DovetonStreetNorth Instead, concise, proven actions are provid- Ballarat,Victoria3350. ed for those striving to do more for these As iffor a thousand years: a history ofVictoria’s Land Conservation and Environment Conservation Councils by Danielle Clode Publisher: VictorianEnvironmental AssessmentCouncil, Melbourne2006 ISBN1741524636RRP$2000 The Land Conservation Council (LCC) the institutions themselves, have a high (1971-1997) and its successors, the riskofbeing sanitised ‘spin’. Clode avoids Environment Conservation Council (ECC) this by skilfully interweaving insightful (1998-2001) and the Victorian Environ- and frank comments ofboth the political mental Assessment Council (VEAC) and other players (e.g. Ministers (2002-present) are a ‘uniquely successful Borthwick and Kirner, Calder) into a read- public land planning system like no other in able ‘story’. The socio-political milieu in the world’ (p. 136), so a good history of which the institution was created is very decision-making about the most appropriate well covered andthe contextofsubsequent useofpublic landisbothvaluable andtime- changes is well explained. After the Little ly. Clode’s scholarship is accessible, data- Desert debate ofthe late 1960s (to clear or rich,informativeandreadable. not to clear?). Bill Borthwick became Histories of public institutions, particu- Minister ofLands, Soldier Settlement and larly those commissioned or published by Conservation (my how we have changed). Vol. 124(1) 2007 39 BookReviews He legislatively created and subsequently from the 1980s onward at the expense of defended the independence of the LCC. technical expertise). This allows the author Clode enlivens the text with personal com- to explain the evolution ofthe institution munications ofthis far-sighted politician to andyetmaintain acritical eye. whom the book is appropriately dedicated In Chapter9 it is suggested that the func- andwhosewordsprovidethetitle. tions ot the LCC and ECC were relatively Apart from reflections ofvarious ‘play- similar, and differed only in the particular ers’, the dryness of strict chronology is emphasis accorded to ‘development’ in the avoided by othertechniques. Comments on ECC’s functions. However (as seen from the LCC reports ofeach study area, linked the Appendices), a major difference was to their reviews and new innovations, are that the LCC’s function wasto recommend discussed in separate boxes at the end of on the ‘use ofpublic land with a view to each chapter. Important themes such as the balanced use ofland in Victoria’ mapping ofvegetation (‘structural’ suited whereas the ECC was required to recom- foresters, while floristics suited the mend on the ‘balanced use ofpublic land'. botanists and evolved into Ecological The latter is often stated as the LCC’s Vegetation Classes) are discussed in the function but this was not so, as Chapter 2 context of information bases. Apart from discusses. It is unclear whether the differ- the extensive tables and Figures, the ent wording in the ECC functions was Appendices (A-G) provide a wealth of inadvertent or deliberate. Interestingly, the detailed information including the Acts proposed legislation for VEAC was to and personnel (Councillors and all staff) include private land. However, the revised by year. There is also an index, always Act limited ittopublic land. useful forongoingreference. The book is well presented and laid out, Institutions are led by people and Clode although the photographs appear biased illustrates how successive Chairmen toward the more recent, and Chapter has 1 (Dimmick, Scott and Saunders) were able several references that do not appear in the to bring their strengths (and weaknesses) reference list. More seriously, contempora- to theevolvinginstitution that, whilst inde- neous with the LCC there was a national pendent, worked ‘within the confines of debate on indigenous land rights and relat- Government policy’. For example, after a ed issues. Clode notes that the LCC Research Officer’s initial greeting of expanded consultation with traditional ‘Pleased to meetyou Sam’, he was not K.oori owners from the early 1980s; how- spoken to by Chairman Dimmick for his ever, establishment ofreserves (including entire three years at the LCC ( p 51) - reserved forest) and parks over uncommit- which was a vety small organization. Scott ted crown land before 1994 (LCCs raison would defend Dimmick’s hard-won inde- d’etre) would inadvertently adversely pendence, yet added more successful con- affect the Koori’s native title rights under sultation to the mix, which ‘was one ofthe the Native Title Act, which flowed from defining features ofthe LCC’ (p 67). This the Mabo decision (1992). Discussion of consultation also assisted public education this important theme is a surprising gap in and thus resolution/acceptance of some- an otherwise scholarly work. Clode’s book timescontroversial decisions. will become an important reference about Efforts ofthe Field Naturalists Club of a significant institution. Victoria and Victorian National Parks Association at strategic periods illustrate how the community can affect the shape Ian Mansergh and direction ofinstitutions. Broader com- DepartmentofSustainabilityandEnvironment, munityand institutional changes are woven 8NicholsonStreet,EastMelbourne,Victoria3002 into the story providing perspectives that strengthen the analysis (e.g. ‘planning’ of the 1960s and the rise of ‘managerialism’ 40 The Victorian Naturalist
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