HVP’s Stockdale plantation (in Gippsland) contains a large proportion of the area’s ‘Chain of Ponds’ ecosystem – a series of deep pools in the Perry River catchment, which are only joined together into a river following high rainfall events. This type of ecosystem is unique – although it was once common in south-eastern Australia, no fully intact chain of ponds systems now exist. The Perry River system has several intact or recovering sections.

We have been participating in the ‘Protecting Our Ponds’ project since 2017. West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority leads the initiative, in partnership with HVP and Trust for Nature. The goal of the project is to maintain and enhance ecosystem health, primarily through restoration of riparian vegetation. It is funded by the Victorian Government’s ‘Our Catchments, Our Communities’ program, and HVP has contributed further funding for these activities.  

Past programs on HVP land relating to the project have included:  

• Identification of priority erosion risk sites  

• Erosion mitigation at priority sites  

• Setting up new conservation covenants in native vegetation, in collaboration with Trust for Nature 

• Enhancement of existing conservation covenants on HVP land (i.e. weed control and supplementary planting)  

• Removal of wild pine in native riparian vegetation Addition of the Chain of Ponds streams to HVP’s ‘Sensitive Waterways’ register; these waterways have higher planning controls for operational activities.

Gradual permanent removal of pine from riparian zones within the Chain of Ponds ecosystem is the key ongoing management action. Whenever a harvesting operation (clearfall or thinning) is conducted adjacent to a ‘Sensitive Waterway’ in the Stockdale Plantation, all pines are removed within a 20 metre buffer along the stream. Then weed control is conducted, including the treatment of any wild pines, preparing for planting with native vegetation the following winter.  

In the 2023-2024 year, we planted six new riparian sites in Stockdale with native species, and revisited several older sites for supplementary planting. We removed wildlings from native vegetation; and harvested and conducted weed control at a further two sites, for planting in the next financial year. This process has become business-as-usual for HVP in Stockdale.