Natural Resources

	The regional climate is temperate, with patterns of precipitation and temperature influenced by geography, topography, altitude and proximity to the coast. Temperature varies according to proximity to the coast and altitude.	Climate
	The Great Dividing Range is the dominant landform feature of East Gippsland. It has a significant influence on weather patterns and this in turn, affects vegetation distribution. Dry ‘rainshadow’ valleys contrast with adjacent mountains that are characterised by wet montane forests and, at higher elevations, sub-alpine woodlands and alpine herbfields (C of A and State of Victoria, 1999). Moving southward, the terrain gradually flattens out to hilly foothills, then broad coastal plains and extensive dune systems (DWR, 1989).	Landform
	Large areas remain in public ownership (about 87% of the region), and the timber industry, rather than agriculture, has been the major landuse. With increased access by road and rail, settlement and selection laws became well entrenched in the west of the region and the practice of clearing dense forest for conversion to farmland began. Agricultural settlement was largely confined to the better quality lands along the river valleys and the plateaux, and although such areas provided good quality land, East Gippsland in general was never densely settled (C of A and State of Victoria, 1996).	Landuse
	East Gippsland has a wide variety of soil types, reflecting variations in climate, landform and geology.	Soil
	Water resources include the East Gippsland, Snowy River, Tambo River and Mitchell River Basins. Aquifer systems include the out-cropping Quaternary alluvium and ‘Haunted Hill’ gravel aquifer, the Gippsland Limestone, the Boisdale formation and Palaeozoic and Mesozoic fractured rock aquifers in the Eastern Victorian Uplands (DWR, 1989; NRE, 1998). The region’s rural water authority is Southern Rural Water and East Gippsland Water is the urban authority.	Water
	The East Gippsland region is characterised by extensive areas of relatively intact and diverse native vegetation, ranging from subalpine to montane and coastal forests. East Gippsland's native forests form a substantial and contiguous part of the forested land in south-eastern Australia (C of A and State of Victoria, 1996). While native vegetation has been retained in the mountainous areas to the east of the region, clearing has been extensive on the plains to the south and along the valleys of major rivers such as the Tambo, Macalister and Dargo Rivers (C of A and State of Victoria, 1999).	Vegetation
	Major land and water management issues in the East Gippsland region include catchment management, catchment planning (including Special Water Supply Catchment management), river health and management, water quality, floodplain management, salinity management, catchment condition monitoring, and land degradation.	Land and Water Management
	Potential for investing in East Gippsland’s natural resources include some existing industries, such as agriculture, horticulture and viticulture as well as emerging industries, such as aquaculture, neutroceuticals and phytochemicals. Forestry also presents some opportunities in East Gippsland since plantations have the potential to provide an alternative supply of particular products to the timber industry, particularly pulpwood and small diameter sawlogs (C of A and State of Victoria, 1996).	Investing in East Gippsland's Natural Resources

References:

Bureau of Meteorology. Climate Averages Website.

Commonwealth of Australia (C of A) and State of Victoria (1999). Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement: Comprehensive Regional Assessment. AGPS, Canberra.

Commonwealth of Australia (C of A) and State of Victoria (1996). East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement: Comprehensive Regional Assessment. AGPS, Canberra.

Department of Water Resources (1989). A Water Resource Handbook. Melbourne.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) (1998). Groundwater Notes, Note No. 5, May 1998. ISSN 1440-2092. (the former) Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Melbourne.

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