Travis Peake
Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited
Travis Peake has worked for 22 years in the field of biodiversity survey, management, restoration and impact assessment, across Australia but particularly in NSW. He has prepared and led numerous investigations into vegetation survey, mapping and classification, threatened species management and ecological reconstruction. He has had a particular focus on the Hunter Valley, having prepared the first comprehensive vegetation map of the Central Hunter Valley, including the main coal mining district. Travis has worked closely with government, private industry and landholders through his career. He is the Practice Leader for a large team of Ecologists at Umwelt’s Newcastle Office.
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Abstract
The Landscape Benefits of Ecological Mine Rehabilitation – A Hunter Valley Perspective.
The effects of past land clearing practices on native biodiversity are widespread in the Hunter Valley. Current land management practices continue to challenge the resilience and longevity of a range of threatened plant and animal species, and the composition of native vegetation types has been substantially altered. Consequently, the Hunter Valley supports a large number of plants, animals and ecological communities that are listed under legislation. Despite historical trends and current patterns, there have been numerous worthwhile actions that have benefitted and will improve the outlook for the native biota. These range from property-scale action by landholders and strategic actions by mining companies, through to strategic planning by government. Although coal mining has contributed to the challenges faced by many threatened species, it also provides a potentially very significant opportunity for ecological reconstruction. This opportunity will be realised, in part, as an outcome of the continuously improving steps towards impact avoidance, impact mitigation, and biodiversity offsetting that are now routinely undertaken by mines. The other very critical contribution will come from successful, coordinated ecological mine rehabilitation. This presentation examines the ways in which ecological mine rehabilitation can and will contribute to the landscape ecological reconstruction of the Hunter Valley.
The Landscape Benefits of Ecological Mine Rehabilitation – A Hunter Valley Perspective.
The effects of past land clearing practices on native biodiversity are widespread in the Hunter Valley. Current land management practices continue to challenge the resilience and longevity of a range of threatened plant and animal species, and the composition of native vegetation types has been substantially altered. Consequently, the Hunter Valley supports a large number of plants, animals and ecological communities that are listed under legislation. Despite historical trends and current patterns, there have been numerous worthwhile actions that have benefitted and will improve the outlook for the native biota. These range from property-scale action by landholders and strategic actions by mining companies, through to strategic planning by government. Although coal mining has contributed to the challenges faced by many threatened species, it also provides a potentially very significant opportunity for ecological reconstruction. This opportunity will be realised, in part, as an outcome of the continuously improving steps towards impact avoidance, impact mitigation, and biodiversity offsetting that are now routinely undertaken by mines. The other very critical contribution will come from successful, coordinated ecological mine rehabilitation. This presentation examines the ways in which ecological mine rehabilitation can and will contribute to the landscape ecological reconstruction of the Hunter Valley.
Presentation
The Landscape Benefits of Ecological Mine Rehabilitation – A Hunter Valley Perspective.
Presented on 30th March 2017 at the 7th Annual Best Practice Ecological Rehabilitation of Mined Lands Conference (2017)
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