Ballarat West Town Common : Landscape plan and future management

Ballarat West Town Common : Landscape plan and future management

Wicks, A. (Landscape and Architectural Services Section, Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands Victoria);

"The Ballarat Common originally covered a large area on the Western outskirts of the City of Ballarat. Parts of the common have been alienated for urban and industrial development, other parts for recreation and for the Ballarat airport". (LCC 1982).
"Some 680 hectares of the original Ballarat Common and adjoining Crown Land remains as public land. The bulk of this area is grazed under licence and supports very few trees or other native vegetation*. (LCC 1982) (See Map 1).
This report is concerned with the future of the common and the opportunity to reverse the trends mentioned above. The Public land should be consolidated and managed as a single unit.
Natural resources such as Winter Swamp, Flax Mill Swamp and remnant indigenous vegetation will form the basis of a management philosophy that aims to enhance wetland values, re-introduce indigenous vegetation, decrease grazing activity whilst increasing education and recreational opportunities. It is proposed to re-instate lost landscape character.