HAINING FARM DON VALLEY, VICTORIA, JUNE 2017
COMMUNITY INFORMATION Booklet
Quote: Help us finalise a plan for this unique parcel ofpublic land. - Haining Farm Working Group
The Haining Farm Working Group has developed threeconcepts for the future of Haining Farm and is presentingthese to the community for comment.Haining Farm is a 69 Hectare site currently managed byParks Victoria and leased as a working dairy farm. HainingFarm is located in Don Valley, at the confluence of the YarraRiver and the Don River in Launching Place.
History of the project and timeline
In 1974 Sir John T Reid gifted the land known as HainingFarm to the Victorian Conservation Trust for the people ofVictoria to use for conservation and education. Since thattime, it has remained a working dairy farm with many schoolchildren visiting the site as part of their curriculum.
In 2013, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Councilrecommended that the use of the land be changed toprovide greater community use and access as well as agreater emphasis onsustainability, including improvedprotection of riparian areas and restoration of habitat for twoof Victoria’s threatened species, the helmeted honeyeaterand lowland Leadbeater’s possum. This recommendationwas supported by the Victorian Government in 2014.
Parks Victoria together with Greening Australia and ZoosVictoria developed a draft concept for the site in late 2016with focus on habitat restoration of 50 hectares of floodplainto provide habitat for two of our critically endangered stateemblems - the lowland Leadbeater’s possum and helmetedhoneyeater. The concept raised concerns in the communityparticularly in relation to the potential for bushfire risk toincrease and that dairy farming would cease at HainingFarm.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
In response to the concerns of the community,Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment,Land Water and Planning committed to betterengaging with the community and establishing acommunity based working group to develop a newplan for the site.
Haining Farm Working Group and the concepts
The Haining Farm Working Group has, over thecourse of 10 workshops, developed two alternativeconcepts focused on Farming, Conservation,Education and Agri-Tourism at Haining Farm.
Concept 01 - BOUTIQUE FARM ANDCONSERVATION
Concept 02 - COMMERCIAL AGRI-TOURISMFARMING OPERATION
Concept 03 - HABITAT RESTORATION FORTHREATENED SPECIES WITH COMMUNITYACCESS.
These concepts are presented alongside a modifiedversion of the initial Parks Victoria and GreeningAustralia concept for review and input from thecommunity.
How to get involved
We are seeking comments on the draft conceptsuntil Sunday 2 July 2017. Your comments will bereviewed by the Working Group who will use thesecomments to make a final recommendation to theVictorian Government about how the communitywant to see the site used in the future.
Images: Image of Haining Farm Working Group completing a Workshop in a hall and image of Haining Farm Working Group on a site visit to Haining Farm.
Images: Image of several cows from the dairy farm grazing on Haining Farm and Image of the Don River flowing through Haining Farm.
PLANING FOR THE FUTURE
Quote: Haining Farm is a great opportunity to improve community benefit for both the local and broader Victorian community. - Haining Farm Working Group
Who are we?
The Haining Farm Working Group (WorkingGroup) is a community based workinggroup that was established in February2017. The Working Group is made up ofseven Don Valley community members, andrepresentatives from, Parks Victoria, DELWP,Yarra Ranges Council, CFA, YellingboConservation Area Coordinating Committeeand Yarra Waterways Group. The WorkingGroup has been supported by independenttechnical experts, who have providedinformation about a range of factors thatimpact the site and influence what the sitecan be used for.
The Working Group were supported bytwo independent bushfire experts, KevinTolhurst and Justin Leonard who assessedthe existing bushfire risk on the site andprovided technical expertise about bushfirerisk and mitigation measures that could beincorporated into the site to ensure thereis no increase in bushfire risk following thedevelopment of the site.
The other factors that were considered by the Working Group in thepreparation of the concepts for the site include:
• Bushfire risk and assesment.
• Hydrology of the site.
• Habitat requirements of the two threatened species.
• Figures associated with the viability of commercial dairyfarming.
• Process for establishing a commercial operationon Crown land.
• Tourism opportunities in the region and at Haining Farm.
• Provisions for value adding and supporting the local communityand the economy.
• Funding requirements associated with the differentproposals for the site.
Image: Image of the Haining Farm Working group sitting in a Hall around a set of tables in a U-shaped formation
PROJECT CRITERIA
Quote:There are many opportunities in the mix for the futureof Haining Farm. We are asking you to consider thecriteria to develop the best concept for the future -Haining Farm Working Group
The Working Group has developed three concepts thataddress a range of criteria to reflect the objectives forthe future of Haining Farm. All three concepts addressthe criteria to varying degree and in different ways. Thefollowing criteria were used:
BUSHFIRE RISK
The Victorian Government made a commitment tothe community that the development of Haining Farmwould not increase the bushfire risk to the community.All concepts presented to thecommunity have beenmodelled using Phoenix bushfire modelling whichindicates that they do not increase the bushfire risk tothe community.
All plans provide a fire buffer around the entireboundary of the site that could accommodate
emergency response vehicles, as well as improvedwater access points by deepening the existing
dams and providing an additional water point in thesoutheast corner at the Yarra River. The addition of theopen woodland along the eastern boundary of the sitewas modelled as a way to reduce the wind speed andthereby reduce the potential for ember attack to thesurrounding community.
FARMING & AGRICULTURE
At a community meeting in December 2016, thecommunity were supportive of maintaining dairy
farming on the site. The Working Group has respondedto the community by ensuring that all conceptsinclude some form of farming on the site. The farmingoperation in the conceptsconsidered informationprovided to the community about the area of landneeded to provide a viable commercial operation. Given the small size of Haining for a commercialdairy operation, other forms and scales of farmingand agriculture were also considered. The differentconcepts include options for a large scale commercialAgri - tourism operation, a boutique dairy farm orgrazing a small area along the eastern boundary.
CONSERVATION
Haining Farm contains water frontage to both the Donand Yarra Rivers. Due to the long history of the site asa working dairy farm, the majority of the site has beencleared of indigenous vegetation. The redevelopmentof the site presents an opportunity to restore someof the natural vegetation to the site to improve waterquality and provide habitat for the native fauna thatwould have previously been common.Haining Farm has also been recognised as one ofthe few sites in public ownership with the potentialto restore habitat for two of Victoria’s criticallyendangered species, the helmeted honeyeater andlowland Leadbeater’s possum. These species are bothin danger of extinction and without habitat restoration,these species may be lost from our landscapepermanently.
EDUCATION
The community and the Working Group are passionateabout continuing the long standingconnection HainingFarm has to educating the children of Victoria. Manycommunity members remember the bus loads ofchildren that used to visit the site to learn about farmingand conservation.
There are many opportunities to continue educationon the site, including both passive and active means.Passive education could include self-guided wakingand cycling tours through the site with interpretivesignage along the pathways and access tracks.
Interpretive signage could tell the story of the site andidentify different themes such as dairy farming andfood production, conservation, and the indigenousconnection to the site. There are also opportunities formore active education with formal tours for schools,universities and interest groups - with a focus on foodproduction, farming, conservation and threatenedspecies protection.
Quote: Access tracks and fuelbreaks will provideemergency andmanagement vehicleaccess around theboundary of the Reserve.- Parks Victoria
COMMUNITY ACCESS & RECREATION
Haining Farm is not currently accessible to the publicand the Working Group wanted to ensure that thesite could be enjoyed by both the local and widercommunity. There are a range of different recreationopportunities that could be included at the site. From aBBQ and picnic area in the northeast of the site to theinternal and boundary track network as well as largerscale opportunities such as a café, restaurant andlarge-scale tourism operation that could be comparableto the Collingwood Children’s Farm.
TOURISM
The Working Group heard first hand from Yarra Ranges Tourism about the tourism opportunities in the YarraValley. There are currently about 6 million day-trippersto the area every year and the development at HainingFarm presented an opportunity to tap into the existingtourism market. Yarra Ranges tourism advised thatHaining Farm is surrounded by tourism focussed onfood production such as the various wineries, orchardsand farm-door dairy sales and connecting peopleto the environment such as Healesville Sanctuary,National Parks and the Blue Lotus Water Gardens.Yarra Ranges Tourism also advised that Australia’snative fauna, especially threatened species, would be abig drawcard for tourists to the site.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE & MAINTENANCE COSTS
One of the main concerns of the community is theongoing maintenance of the site and both the local andbroader community wanted to ensure that the site waswell-managed in the future. The Working Group weredetermined that any development of the site wouldensure that the site would be well maintained.
All concepts will require capital expenditure andongoing maintenance. Providing a commercial tourismoperation on the site may provide an ongoing fundingsource which could be directed into the maintenance of the site. The provision of a commercial operation on the site may rely on private investment to the siteand will be market driven. There are funding sourcesavailable for the conservation aspect of the conceptsand funding for ongoing maintenance would be subjectto Government funding.
Image: Map image showing the various points of interest with located within a 10km radius around the Don Valley Area, including Haining Farm, Don & Yarra River, Yellingbo National Park, the Yarra valley rail trail and Yarra ranges national park.
Start Table: Comparison of the three concept plans against the key project criteria. Content as follows
Concept Plan 1: Boutique farm with conservation
Total Landsize: 59 hectares
Bushfire risk: 0.1% decrease in risk
Conservation: 28.6 hectares for conservation
Farming and Agriculture: 30.3 hectares for farming
Community Access: 8.9 hectares accessible
Recreation: 6.8 kilometres of walking/riding tracks
Concept Plan 2: Commercial agri-tourism operation
Total Landsize: 59 hectares
Bushfire risk: 0.1% decrease in risk
Conservation: 25.6 hectares for conservation
Farming and Agriculture: 34.4 hectares for farming
Community Access: 13 hectares accessible
Recreation: 6.2 kilometres of walking/riding tracks
Concept Plan 1: Habitat restoration for threatened species with community access
Total Landsize: 59 hectares
Bushfire risk: 0% increase in risk
Conservation: 48 hectares for conservation
Farming and Agriculture: 8.9 hectares for farming
Community Access: 59 hectares accessible
Recreation:7 kilometres of walking/riding tracks
End of Table
CONCEPT 1 - BOUTIQUE FARM WITH CONSERVATION
This plan was focussed on accommodating bothconservation and farming.
The conservation areas are focussed on the existingwaterways with restoration planting along both theDon and Yarra Rivers, as well as any areas which areregularly inundated.
Community access is to be provided in the north eastcorner of Haining near the existing toilet block androtunda.
The existing farming precinct and infrastructurewould be retained to support the land remaining
as a boutique working farm. An internal trackwould surround the conservation areas to provide
an additional fuel break and act as access formaintenance as well as recreation for the public.
Education should be included on the site and thiscould be passive through the use of interpretivesignage and more active with formal organised toursusing the infrastructure on site.
The habitat potential for Helmeted Honeyeaters inConcept 01 is dependent on additional habitat beingprovided in Crown land locations in the surroundingareas. This includes the streamside areas as well aslarger areas of land with potential for habitat restorationsuch as the Yarra Valley Water Property. This conceptwill not support habitat for Lowland Leadbeater’sPossum.
The open woodland along the eastern and northernboundaries in this concept is a bushfire mitigationtechnique. The intention of the open woodland is toslow wind speeds both entering and leaving the sitewhich has been modelled to reduce the potential ofember attack on the surrounding communities. Thespacing between trees in the open woodland area willallow for grazing of stock.
Images: Selection of images relating to Haining Farm focussing on Farming and Agriculture, Community and recreation
Quote:This concept maintains the sites long history withdairy farming while improving conservation along thewaterways - Haining Farm Working Group
Image: Proposed map of Concept plan 01. Main point of map image is to show the characteristics of Concept plan 01 visually. Text summary of concept plan characteristics: Concept plan 01 has 28.6 hectares for conservation which provides habitat for 0 Lowland Leadbeater’s Possums and 114Helmeted Honeyeaters with a 0.1% decrease in bushfire risk. 30.3 hectares of the 59-hectare farm site will be used for farming/agriculture. Of the 59 hectares a further 8.9 hectares will be community accessible with 6.8 kilometres of walking/cycling trails.
CONCEPT 2 – COMMERCIAL AGRI-TOURISM FARMING OPERATION
The focus on this plan will be retaining the majority of the site as a commercial farm.
This concept aims to take advantage of the existing tourism to the area and improve the local economy by providing jobs for locals.
The existing farming precinct would be transformed into a 4/5 star precinct with a café, restaurant and a commercial operation potentially selling food produced on site.
There is an opportunity to have a Collingwood Children’s Farm model including animals, a vineyard,
orchard and vegetable garden.
This concept aims to value add to the local community by encouraging visitation to the site for a range of uses, including providing opportunities for more people to sample produce from the Yarra Valley. The Yarra Valley is known Internationally for its produce, especially dairy products and vineyards, both of which are proposed in this concept.
Images: Selection of images relating to Haining Farm, focussing on Farming and Agriculture
Quote:This concept showcases the production of the YarraValley’s famous produce. - Haining Farm Working Group
Image: Proposed map of Concept plan 02. Main point of map image is to show the characteristics of Concept plan 02 visually. Text summary of concept plan characteristics: Concept plan 02 has 25.6 hectares for conservation which provides habitat for 0 Lowland Leadbeater’s Possums and 100 Helmeted Honeyeaters with a 0.1% decrease in bushfire risk. 34.4 hectares of the 59-hectare farm site will be used for farming/agriculture. Of the 59 hectares a further 13 hectares will be community accessible with 6.2 kilometres of walking/cycling trails.
CONCEPT 3 – HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THREATENED SPECIES WITH COMMUNITY ACCESS
Haining Farm presents a prime opportunity forlandscape restoration (50+ hectares), increasing the
biodiversity and ecological values of the area andproviding for wider range of community educationopportunities.
Community access is to be provided into the farmbuilding precinct and in the north east corner of
Haining near the existing toilet block and rotunda. Aninternal track network through the conservation areaswill provide an additional fuel break and act as accessfor maintenance as well as recreation for the public.
The focus of this concept is to provide enough habitatfor viable populations two of Victoria’s criticallyendangered species, the helmeted honeyeater andlowland Leadbeater’s possum.
These animals rely on very wet forests for survival, andwe can create the right flooding conditions to ensurethe plants will grow. There is currently funding securedto plant trees and shrubs at Haining Farm through theFederal Government’s 20 Million Trees Programme andthere is a combined total so far of $1.2 million for therestoration of Haining Farm.
The stream-side revegetation and the introductionof more natural flows across the site will in turn helpimprove the water quality in both the Don and the YarraRivers. Melbourne Water is assisting in the hydrologyof the site to ensure that any changes do not have animpact on the adjoining properties and that any floodrisk is managed.
Images: Selection of images relating to Haining Farm, focussing on Conservation and community use
Quote:‘A place where people and threatened species cango wild together’- Parks Victoria + Greening Australia
Image: Proposed map of Concept plan 03. Main point of map image is to show the characteristics of Concept plan 03 visually. Text summary of concept plan characteristics: Concept plan 03 has 48 hectares for conservation which provides habitat for 85 Lowland Leadbeater’s Possums and 190 Helmeted Honeyeaters with a 0% increase in bushfire risk. 8.9 hectares of the 59-hectare farm site will be used for farming/agriculture. Of the 59 hectares the whole 59 hectares will be community accessible with 7 kilometres of walking/cycling trails.
Images: Selection of images relating to Haining Farm, including conservation, community use and recreation
Quote: There are many opportunities in the mix for the future of Haining Farm. We are asking you to consider the criteria to develop the best concept for the future - Haining Farm Working Group
Images: Selection of images relating to Haining Farm, including agriculture, farming and education