The 'Melbourne Ark' collaboration

A cluster of groups in the Central Vic Biolinks, spanning across the Great Divide from the Strathbogie Ranges across to Macedon and through to the Brisbane Ranges have been meeting to explore synergies between their existing and planned biolink projects. The collaborative project has been given the name the working name, the “Melbourne Ark” is being developed by a team from Moorabool LCN, Strathbogie CMN, Piper Biolink, Upper Deep Creek LCN and the Upper Campaspe LCN, CVB and Trust for Nature.

The Melbourne Ark groups have joined together on the basis of their geographic connections (adjoining landscape-connectivity projects) and recognising that collaboration will ensure regional-scale conservation outcomes are achieved as well as more local-scale conservation objectives.  Additionally, collaboration will allow for resource and knowledge sharing, and for unified approaches to monitoring and reporting to be undertaken to ensure that adaptive management is central to the project.

Groups see that the area faces many shared issues – from its conservation values to the threats to those values - and a premise of the project is that it makes good sense for them to work together to address these shared issues.

Building on existing work, and working with by other conservation and land management bodies and organizations in the area will be central to this collaborative venture. So the groups are now talking to other organizations who need to be at the table to achieve the project’s vision – to restore health and resilience to this important area in Central Victoria.

The groups are exploring the potential to obtain funding from various sources including the next round of the Commonwealth Biodiversity Fund.