Hepburn Shire Council Plan 2021-25(PDF, 5MB) commits to:
Prioritising environmental management, protection and regeneration
Protecting and regenerating the natural resources of the Shire including the soils, water and ecological systems from both current and future threats.
A key activity of the Council to achieve this objective is to 'take proactive steps to protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity, including rare/endangered species and wildlife corridors, and reduction of weeds on Council land while minimising herbicide use. Partner with other stakeholders to achieve greater weed management outcomes shire-wide’.
Supporting actions to achieve this are:
Implement the the Natural environment and biodiversity action plan within Sustainable Hepburn 2022-26
Implement actions to increase Council’s control and management of noxious weeds on reserves and roadsides under council management.
See below some of the work that Council is leading in this area. For more information visit Artisan Agriculture or our Healthy Landscapes pages.
Applications for the 2022 Hepburn Shire Biodiversity Grants closed on Tuesday 15 June 2022. We will announce the successful applicants in coming months and look forward to working with them. For more information on other Council grants, visit grants.
Indigenous plants are not only native to Australia, but they are plants that occur naturally in your local area. These plants are an important source of food and shelter for local fauna. They have co-evolved with the local environment so they can survive local rainfall patterns and soils.
Using indigenous plants also:
Helps preserve the local plant populations
Can save water and money
Enhance wildlife corridors and provide links between fragmented bushland areas
Contribute to the distinctive local character of the Hepburn Shire
And they look great too!
Read a list of species suitable for gardens below:
Indigenous plant guide - pdf version(PDF, 961KB)
Indigenous plant guide - word document(DOCX, 578KB).
The Virtual Extension officer tool has been developed to help people identify options for controlling gorse, rabbits and Serrated Tussock.
Gorse and rabbits are among the most important agricultural and environmental pests in the Shire. Serrated Tussock is an emerging weed in the Shire.
The Virtual Extension Officer includes videos, downloads and links.
Visit the Virtual Extension Officer site.
Over 130 plants and animals in Hepburn Shire are classified as threatened in Australia or Victoria.
Click here to see a list(PDF, 251KB)