Two current geological heritage problems in Victoria
Bernie Joyce
former Convener of the national Standing Committee for Geological Heritage
of the Geological Society of Australia
Proposed toxic waste disposal site in northern Victoria
The proposed site is near Nowingi, south of Mildura. It lies between the Hattah Lakes National Park and the Sunset Desert National Park. What has been overlooked is that the site is on the edge of the Raak Plain, an important geological heritage site, listed by the GSA Victoria Division’s Subcommittee for Geological Heritage and also on the Register of the National Estate in Canberra.
The Raak Plain shows active geomorphological processes including saline groundwater spring discharges, active erosion and dune building. Much of the work on the Raak area has been by local geologist Phil Macumber.
The geological heritage values of the Raak have been ignored. Perhaps this is because it is not a declared National Park, and also has less obvious flora or fauna heritage values than the adjacent Parks.
Byaduk lava flow from Mt Napier, Western Victoria
An area of private farm land on the Byaduk lava flow in Harman Valley has recently been damaged by rock crushing, rolling and stone raking. Work on the site ceased after orders were made based on likely archaeological and vegetation values.
The site is listed on the RNE in Canberra, and Neville Rosengren in 1994 in a joint GSA/NT heritage report said "the Harman Valley lava flow is one of the youngest lava flows dated on the continent…(and) a major resource for teaching and research into the origin of surface volcanic forms" — the very features now being damaged!
The Byaduk flow is an important part of the Mt Napier volcanic complex. The affected site is below a major lookout and parking area, where geology signboards have been erected in recent years by the state government-sponsored Volcanic Trail organisation, with the assistance of Ken Grimes, a member of the GSA Victoria Division’s Subcommittee for Geological Heritage.
EBJ
7 Sep 04