BACKGROUND

Yarra Valley Parklands have a diverse range of landscapes an d significant recreation, natural and cultural assets. The Yarra River is the common element linking the landscapes from the steep narrow valley gorges at Warrandyte, Glynns and Laughing Waters with tall trees and semi-remote bush, the open paddocks witha well-treed backdrop at Tikalara, remnant orchards at Pettys, to the wide billabong-rich floodplain between Plenty River and Burke Road.  

 

HISTORY

The geomorphology of the parklands is among the most diverse and accessible in metropolitan Melbourne. Sandstone, siltstone and mudstone were laid down when the area was part of a vast seabed some 450 million years ago.

 

Subsequent uplifting, warping, erosion, volcanic activity and human influences have shaped the landscape of the parklands and surrounds. The western end of the parklands incorporates a large portion of the Chandler flood basin; the flood basin was created 2 million years ago when lava flowing down the Darebin Creek partially blocked the Yarra River and caused the area to flood. The resulting sedimentation produced a large number of billabongs that were carved in the flood basin as the Yarra River created a new channel south of Ivanhoe.

 

As a result of their proximity to Melbourne, many floodplain wetlands have been cleared, filled-in for agricultural and urban development, or lost when their water source was diverted. The Yarra River still regularly floods into wetlands such as Bolin Bolin Billabong, Banyule Wetlands and the Annulus, but for much shorter periods of time.

 

Further upstream, east of the Plenty River confluence, there are uplifted areas that expose the underlying geology. In a number of places along this section of the river there are small islands, rapids and cliffs.

 

BIOREGIONS

The parklands are within two Victorian bioregions, the boundary between the two bioregions being around Diamond Creek. The western end of the parklands (62% of the parklands area) is within the Gippsland PlainsBioregion, of which there is relatively little protected on public land. The eastern end (38% of the parklands) is within the Eastern Highlands — Southern Fall Bioregion. Candlebark Park contains the only substantial intact remnant of the overlap between these two bioregions. 

 

A section of the Eastern Highlands — Southern Fall Bioregion is classified under the Interim Biogeographical Regions of Australia (IBRA) as Victorian Midlands (DEWHA, 2000). This includes the Eltham and North Warrandyte areas of the parklands, with drier rainshadow vegetation communities of similar character to the Broadford to Castlemaine region. This IBRA bioregion in the parklands contains many threatened and listed species of National and State significanc

 

VEGETATION DIVERSITY

SIxteen ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) have been mapped in the parklands, and eight of these are classified as endangered (NRE 2002a). The high number of EVCs results from the parklands extending across the boundaries of two bioregions, with a resulting diversity of species and communities. The EVC mapping is being enhanced by a more detailed investigation of vegetation subcommunitie EVCs that existed before 1750..

 

Swampy Riparian Woodland and Swampy Woodland/ Swamp Scrub — have disappeared from the parklands as a result of land clearance for agriculture and urban development