The public launch of the Canadian Multi Use Forest Park proposal was held on Saturday 20 September. Phil Kinghorn,Steve Murphy and myself attended a Wauthawurrung 'smoking ceremony' in the messmate forest, followed by a short uphill walk to the 750ha site, which is a decommissioned Hancock plantation  on the edge of Ballarat.  A massive 350ha has been cleared, and under the terms of the reserved Crown land, it has, according to DEPI, to be put to 'productive use.' This favours re-establishing vegetation for  the recreation park using a biorich model, mixing linkages to the surrounding natural forest in with  'productive' forestry clumps.

Two of the convenors for Friends of the Canadian Corridor, Linda Zibell and Jeff Rootes, have attended our bird surveys and have come away impressed with the biorich concept. The ALP has promised $2 million towards establishing the park. With the election less than two months away, the other major parties are expected to come on board the bandwagon.

Phil Kinghorn, Gary Featherston and I marked the outer edge of the proposed 50 metre wide biolink, which will connect the south and north ImLal sites.  The biolink will sweep in an arc from the hill around the ridge along the western side of the central dam.

Imerys is contracting Jensans to respray the gorse and rip four rows approximately eight metres apart.

We have applied for Communities for Nature funding and will know the outcome in June. In the meantime, we have to take our chances and prepare the ground if we are to plant the mixed bag of selected indigenous species of shrubs and trees this spring. The CfN grant is for 2,000 plants, which Imerys will top up with another 500.

Species selected for the biolink were chosen by Stephen Murphy.