Table Of ContentBookReviews
The authors go farbeyond the stereotypical wondrous landscapes. These actions are
aesthetic appeal ofournatural environment, summarised well on page 132, and include
evidenced by the attention paid to inverte- steps such as ‘Consider the size and shape
brates. Witchetty grubs, centipedes, jewel ofplanting’ and ‘Leave dead saplings and
spidersandgoldenorbspidersarejustafew trees as well as fallen branches and logs
ofthe many invertebrates featured in the within restored areas - they will have
colourful photographs, as well as being dis- importanthabitatvalue’.
cussedinthetext. Woodlands: a disappearing landscape
This book does not aim to be a scientific has broad appeal, but in its final chapters
reference, although it does draw on some funnels a range ofinformation into a very
excellent resources, imploring the readerto precise direction, which is to ensure that
studyfurther. Thebibliography spansseven future generations can enjoy woodlands as
pages, and is broken into subheadings much as we do. It would be ideal for
including Mammals, Frogs and Reptiles, landowners who wish to learn more about
and Plants, with the largest section being and enhance the woodlands on their prop-
Background Scientific Literature. The final erties, and would be well received by any
two chapters, (Woodland Management and naturalist.
Conservation and The Future) are the most
RebeccaJ Steer
pertinent, as the authors venture beyond Botanist,BiosisResearchPtyLtd
dire forecasts and faint messages ofhope. 449DovetonStreetNorth
Instead, concise, proven actions are provid- Ballarat,Victoria3350.
ed for those striving to do more for these
As iffor a thousand years:
a history ofVictoria’s Land
Conservation and
Environment Conservation
Councils
by Danielle Clode
Publisher: VictorianEnvironmental
AssessmentCouncil, Melbourne2006
ISBN1741524636RRP$2000
The Land Conservation Council (LCC) the institutions themselves, have a high
(1971-1997) and its successors, the riskofbeing sanitised ‘spin’. Clode avoids
Environment Conservation Council (ECC) this by skilfully interweaving insightful
(1998-2001) and the Victorian Environ- and frank comments ofboth the political
mental Assessment Council (VEAC) and other players (e.g. Ministers
(2002-present) are a ‘uniquely successful Borthwick and Kirner, Calder) into a read-
public land planning system like no other in able ‘story’. The socio-political milieu in
the world’ (p. 136), so a good history of which the institution was created is very
decision-making about the most appropriate well covered andthe contextofsubsequent
useofpublic landisbothvaluable andtime- changes is well explained. After the Little
ly. Clode’s scholarship is accessible, data- Desert debate ofthe late 1960s (to clear or
rich,informativeandreadable. not to clear?). Bill Borthwick became
Histories of public institutions, particu- Minister ofLands, Soldier Settlement and
larly those commissioned or published by Conservation (my how we have changed).
Vol. 124(1) 2007 39
BookReviews
He legislatively created and subsequently from the 1980s onward at the expense of
defended the independence of the LCC. technical expertise). This allows the author
Clode enlivens the text with personal com- to explain the evolution ofthe institution
munications ofthis far-sighted politician to andyetmaintain acritical eye.
whom the book is appropriately dedicated In Chapter9 it is suggested that the func-
andwhosewordsprovidethetitle. tions ot the LCC and ECC were relatively
Apart from reflections ofvarious ‘play- similar, and differed only in the particular
ers’, the dryness of strict chronology is emphasis accorded to ‘development’ in the
avoided by othertechniques. Comments on ECC’s functions. However (as seen from
the LCC reports ofeach study area, linked the Appendices), a major difference was
to their reviews and new innovations, are that the LCC’s function wasto recommend
discussed in separate boxes at the end of on the ‘use ofpublic land with a view to
each chapter. Important themes such as the balanced use ofland in Victoria’
mapping ofvegetation (‘structural’ suited whereas the ECC was required to recom-
foresters, while floristics suited the mend on the ‘balanced use ofpublic land'.
botanists and evolved into Ecological The latter is often stated as the LCC’s
Vegetation Classes) are discussed in the function but this was not so, as Chapter 2
context of information bases. Apart from discusses. It is unclear whether the differ-
the extensive tables and Figures, the ent wording in the ECC functions was
Appendices (A-G) provide a wealth of inadvertent or deliberate. Interestingly, the
detailed information including the Acts proposed legislation for VEAC was to
and personnel (Councillors and all staff) include private land. However, the revised
by year. There is also an index, always Act limited ittopublic land.
useful forongoingreference. The book is well presented and laid out,
Institutions are led by people and Clode although the photographs appear biased
illustrates how successive Chairmen toward the more recent, and Chapter has
1
(Dimmick, Scott and Saunders) were able several references that do not appear in the
to bring their strengths (and weaknesses) reference list. More seriously, contempora-
to theevolvinginstitution that, whilst inde- neous with the LCC there was a national
pendent, worked ‘within the confines of debate on indigenous land rights and relat-
Government policy’. For example, after a ed issues. Clode notes that the LCC
Research Officer’s initial greeting of expanded consultation with traditional
‘Pleased to meetyou Sam’, he was not K.oori owners from the early 1980s; how-
spoken to by Chairman Dimmick for his ever, establishment ofreserves (including
entire three years at the LCC ( p 51) - reserved forest) and parks over uncommit-
which was a vety small organization. Scott ted crown land before 1994 (LCCs raison
would defend Dimmick’s hard-won inde- d’etre) would inadvertently adversely
pendence, yet added more successful con- affect the Koori’s native title rights under
sultation to the mix, which ‘was one ofthe the Native Title Act, which flowed from
defining features ofthe LCC’ (p 67). This the Mabo decision (1992). Discussion of
consultation also assisted public education this important theme is a surprising gap in
and thus resolution/acceptance of some- an otherwise scholarly work. Clode’s book
timescontroversial decisions. will become an important reference about
Efforts ofthe Field Naturalists Club of a significant institution.
Victoria and Victorian National Parks
Association at strategic periods illustrate
how the community can affect the shape Ian Mansergh
and direction ofinstitutions. Broader com- DepartmentofSustainabilityandEnvironment,
munityand institutional changes are woven 8NicholsonStreet,EastMelbourne,Victoria3002
into the story providing perspectives that
strengthen the analysis (e.g. ‘planning’ of
the 1960s and the rise of ‘managerialism’
40 The Victorian Naturalist
