Churchill National Park and Lysterfield Park take in much of the southern side of the Lysterfield Hills and form a valuable public land link between the Dandenong Valley and the Dandenong Ranges. There are many opportunities for visitors to enjoy the Parks, including appreciating the native vegetation and wildlife of Churchill National Park, exploring Lysterfield Lake, and walking on the extensive trail network to discover panoramic views. For the more energetic there are opportunities to walk through both Parks and beyond, all the way from the Dandenong Valley to the Dandenong Ranges. The Plan is a framework for the future management of the Parks and will ensure protection of their conservation values. I am confident that Churchill National Park and Lysterfield Park will continue to offer a range of recreational opportunities and attract visitors to the area. I look forward to the continuing community support for the management of Parks, which are an important part of Victoria’s magnificent parks system. Tehan MP Minister for Conservation and Land Management
Strategic directions TABLE 1 MANAGEMENT ZONES AND OVERLAYS ZONE OVERLAY CONSERVATION AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA AREA/LOCATION 1646 ha; 98.7% of the planning area. Most of the Parks. 22 ha; 1.3% of the planning area. Main visitor areas. 39.7 ha; 2.4% of the planning area. Northern reaches of Lysterfield Lake. 618 ha; 37 % of the planning area. surrounding Lysterfield Lake dominated by plantations. VALUES Native vegetation (relatively weed-free to weed-infested), non-indigenous eucalypts, pasture and most of the Lake. Sites with substantial facilities in natural and settings. Wetland areas, breeding habitat for water birds. Exotic eucalypt plantations providing opportunity for passive recreation. A small section is occupied by the Park Depot and Lake wall. Areas occupied by major transmission lines. GENERAL AIM Protect natural environments and provide for sustainable dispersed recreation activities and small-scale recreation facilities without significant impact on natural processes. Provide primarily for high use visitor nodes with a concentration of recreation and/or interpretation facilities. Protect specific natural or cultural values in specific and sites where a special management focus is required. Highlight areas or sites where special management provisions are needed to provide for a particular use or activity. 7 Churchill National Park and Lysterfield Park non- standard
of the early history of Victoria, this site is where early Aboriginal/European interaction occurred (DCE 1990). All Aboriginal material and sites are protected under the Archaeological and Aboriginal Relics Preservation Act 1972 (Vic.) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Heritage Protection Act 1984 (Cwlth). The Lysterfield area was settled in the early 1850s and much of the land was cleared for farming (Coulson 1958). There are remains of an early settler’s homestead (Dargon) and orchard near Monbulk Creek. Churchill National Park was used for quarrying and firewood cutting in the 1920s and 1930s, and there is evidence of a rock crushing plant near Stonemasons Track (DCE 1990). A major water storage (Lysterfield Lake) and associated aqueducts across the planning area were constructed during the 1930s. Dairy farms and a Church of England Boys Society training farm ‘Boys Farm’ were converted to eucalypt plantations to protect water quality. There are opportunities to interpret prior land use and settlement, and other cultural values. Aim Protect significant archaeological and historic sites. Management strategies Identify, protect, manage and interpret Aboriginal sites and places in the Parks in accordance with Parks Victoria guidelines and in consultation with the local Aboriginal community and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria. Investigate, in co-operation with relevant experts, the significance of the Dargon homestead site, Church of England Boys Society training farm, other home and garden sites, aqueducts and former quarries. Protect and interpret sites as appropriate.
APPENDIX 1 SIGNIFICANT FLORA SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME STATUS Almaleea subumbellata Wiry Bush-pea rs Amphibromus fluitans Swamp Wallaby-grass n Austrofestuca hookeriana Hookers Fescue rs Azolla pinnata Ferny Azolla rs Blechnum chambersii Lance Water-fern rs Caladenia aurantiaca Orange-tip Caladenia rs Calochilus campestris Copper Beard-orchid rs Callitriche muelleri Round Water Starwort rs Calystegia sepium Large Bindweed rs Centipeda cunninghammi Common Sneezeweed rs Drosera pygmaea Tiny Sundew rs Eleocharis minuata Variable Spike Sedge rs Eucalyptus globoidea Stringybark rs Gentianella diemensis spp. agg. Mountain Gentain rs Gynatrix pulchella Hemp Bush rs Helichrysum aff. rutidolepsis Pale Everlasting rs Hydrocotyle muscosa Mossy Pennywort rs Isolepus cernua Nodding Club-sedge rs Leptocarpus brownii Coarse rs Leptocarpus tenax Slender Twine-rush rs Neopaxia australasica White Purslane rs Pallama falcata Sickle Fern rs Persicaria praetermissa Spotted Knotweed rs Podolepsis jaceoides s.l. Showy Podolepsis rs Pomaderris oraria Coast Pomaderris rs Pterostylis X ingens Sharp Greenhood rs Pterostylis furcata Sickle Greenhood rs Pultenaea humilis Dwarf Bush-pea rs Sphaerolobium vimineum Leafless rs Vallisneria spiralis rs Wolffia australiana Tiny Duckweed rs Source: Cook 1994; UYVDRA 1989a; Cheal et al. (in prep.); Gullan et al. 1990; NRE (database) 1998 Status: n nominated for listing under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Vic.). rs regionally significant
Appendix 2 (cont.) SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME STATUS Appendices Stipiturus malachurus Southern Emu-wren Lt Tadorna tadorniodes Australian Shelduck Lt Tringa hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Lt Turnix varia Painted Button-quail Lt Xanthomyza phrygia Regent Honeyeater CE* Zoothera dauma White’s Thrush Lt Reptiles Egernia saxatilis intermedia Black Rock Skink Lt Status: NRE 1998 CE critically endangered in Victoria End endangered in Victoria Vul vulnerable in Victoria UYVDRA Lt Locally threatened within the Greater Melbourne Area, including the UYVDR Region Listed under Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act
Jells Park Ranges National Park BELGRAVE Monbulk Creek Retarding Basin Creek Lysterfield Extension ROWVILLE Lysterfield Western Extension Churchill Extension Lysterfield Park SOUTH Baluk Flora NORTH Police Reserve Lake HILLS CHURCHILL NATIONAL PARK & LYSTERFIELD PARK FIGURE 2 LAND TENURE Major road Minor road Existing Park Reserved Crown Land (Parks Victoria) Unreserved Land Municipal Reserve Water m
Creek BELGRAVE HEIGHTS ROWVILLE SOUTH Lake HILLS CHURCHILL NATIONAL PARK & LYSTERFIELD PARK FIGURE 3 MANAGEMENT ZONES Major road ZONES OVERLAYS Minor road Planning area Conservation and Recreation Recreation Development Special ProtectionArea Special Management Area 0 500 1000 1500 G/6391.03 2000 m
Creek ➎ BELGRAVE HEIGHTS Quarry ➋ ROWVILLE Quarry Quarry ➊ u ➍ Boys Farm Track ➏ SOUTH Churchill visitor area Walk Cut Lysterfield visitor area Lake Walk Park HILLS Park Track CHURCHILL NATIONAL PARK & LYSTERFIELD PARK EXISTING ACCESS ADDITIONAL TRAILS PROPOSED EXISTING FACILITIES PROPOSED FACILITIES SPECIAL FEATURES FIGURE 4 VISITOR FACILITIES Major road Minor road Walkers Walkers, cyclists and Vehicles only Equestrian trail Proposed Dandenong Valley to Dandenong Ranges Trail Proposed walkers, cyclists and Management Vehicles only Barbecue electric Barbecue gas Bird hide Boat rigging & launching Car park Nature walk