Victorian Liberal Government

Video inside story.Richard Hughes gives a short, eloquent history of what residents achieved to safeguard the Rock with a buffer zone and to encourage native flora and fauna. He points to the 1993 report by the Loder & Bayly Consulting Group [which we make available below], who were commissioned by the Hanging Rock Recreation Reserve Committee of Management to prepare a Landscape Management Plan for the Hanging Rock Recreation Reserve. (We cite from this document and link to the original.) Also in here a description of soils and geology of Hanging Rock.

As it says in the Report [downloadable here as .pdf (8MB!) and here as a much smaller 'doc (2.95 MB)'], [and which I paraphrase here] the timing of the study was opportune, as it co-incided with the realization of a long term goal of the Committee of Management to purchase the adjacent property of 22 hectares to the east of the Reserve and incorporate this land into the existing Hanging Rock Recreation Reserve.

The new land acquisition was a real asset, as it facilitated the easier implementation of the main study goal as recommended by the Land Conservation Council in its review of District 1 of the Melbourne Area:"That the area continue to be used for the purposes approved by Government following publication of the final recommendation for the Melbourne area in 1977."

The Report notes that "the existing recreation reserve, Parish of Newham, encompasses Hanging Rock. The significant geological, scenic, historical and floristic values of Hanging Rock should be protected. "

The plan achieved this by allowing greater scopes for the dispersal of activities which were then concentrated close to the base of the rock, exerting pressure on the values requiring protection. In addition to the protection of natural values, major historical values preserved included the bi-annual picnic race meetings which have been run for over 100 years on the site and are of significant tourism and cultural value.

The study brief aimed to achieve a balance between natural and cultural values so that both are enhanced by implementation of the final management plan which was developed following a public review phase

Soils and geology

[1]

Hanging Rock is a 100 metre high volcanic mamelon lying on the time boundary between the older volcanics and a newer series. It is part of an area with affinities with other volcanic provinces in N.S.W. and Queensland and it has resulted from a process of Lava differentiation that is restricted to two small areas of Victoria, those two being Gisboume/Woodend and Daylesford.

On eruption approximately 6 million years ago, small volumes of silica rich soda-trachyte lava were produced. Hanging Rock is the only recorded location of this rock in Australia. The Lava was of a higher viscosity than most, and the greater resistance to flow caused a dome to form around the point of eruption, on cooling producing a
steep sided, fractured mass which has been exaggerated by weathering to produce the rock as we know it today.
During the initial weathering process, a solution rose to the surface to form an erosion resistant crust. Where the crust has been disturbed, the erosion process has been accelerated. As a generalisation sods are deepest where the vegetation is most substantial, these areas being the central area forest and around the base of the Rock.
The local soils are moderately fertile with those derived from the soda-trachyte being less so with lower levels of Phosphorus and Calcium.

NOTES

[1] From the Report by the Loder & Bayly Consulting Group made available here.

Video inside story.Anne Lambert, who played Miranda, the girl who disappeared at Hanging Rock (1975 film called Picnic at Hanging Rock) returned on 23 February 2014 to speak to concerned environmentalists, regional residents and visitors at a Respect the Rock activism day. People who live near the rock are worried about development plans announced by the local Shire which would change the natural beauty of this place and alienate it from ordinary people and encourage over-use which would threaten the many native animals and plants that enjoy this beautiful and mysterious place. Update: Changes to comments as to who is proposing the new developments. See notes at end of article.

As Ms Lambert speaks, we can hear the strong emotion she feels due to her environmental concern and personal links to the rock. She has said that people sometimes ask her if she gets sick of being identified with the fictitious character, Miranda, and Hanging Rock. She says that she doesn't. It sounds as though she feels that it gave her a unique start in life and has been a strength ever since. The film, Picnic at Hanging Rock, attracted people to her for positive reasons.

Picnic at Hanging Rock was made in 1975 at a time when the Australian Government gave useful tax-breaks to Australian film, in an attempt to support Australian culture and artists. This tax-break probably was responsible for the rebooting of a languishing local film industry.

As with almost all Australian industry, the Australian film industry is under stress from globalisation and many Australians seem culturally confused by globalised television and film. Ironically, what today's councillors at Hanging Rock seem to be proposing for the Rock is to capitalise on its qualities of a local phenomenon to attract rich international traffic. They want to build a huge convention center with deluxe accommodation on a scale that risks dwarfing the rock itself by changing it into a commercial symbol.

If you listen to the other filmed speech I have now published of former Shire President, Richard Hugh, you will get a good impression of the importance of a buffer zone to keep activities around the edge of the rock to a minimum, and of the work done to revegetate and to help native birds and animals to flourish there.

The rock itself is a wonderful natural three dimensional maze of huge rocks, many of which look like monsters with faces, and other rocks forming walls pitted with caves. Large, mature native Australian trees also flourish on the rock. It is indeed a beautiful place with its own personality and force.

Time and time again we have seen big-deal developments promoted over the objections of locals. The local Liberal MLC Amanda Millar is said to be vehemently opposed to the development (as is Labor MLA Joanne Duncan), but big business has many seats in our parliaments. It is therefore necessary to keep it out of local government and to relocalise power where you can look it in the eye and speak to it. Mathew Guy, the Victorian Minister for Planning proposes to tour the site on 21st of March 2014 and locals hope he will not support the proposed changes.

NOTES

Changes made to this article on 27 February 2014 at 02.51am:
I originally wrote that the Liberal Government was proposing the new development plans, but have since changed this article to reflect a correction informing me that the plans are proposed by the local shire. I apologise for my inaccuracy. At the Hanging Rock meeting described above, the local Liberal member, Amanda Millar and Labor's Joanne Duncan both spoke against these developments. I filmed both their speeches but am always more inclined to promote the voices of ordinary activists who tend to be more independent than professional politicians. Call me a cynic, but I must say that I am not personally convinced by what Labor and Liberal Members say they are in favour of or against regarding planning because, in my experience, planning is largely imposed by the Minister within regulations that are very much subject to the influence of developers. However this is my reporter's viewpoint, not that of any spokespersons for Hanging Rock. And, you never know. Mathew Guy has surprised some of us before. -- Sheila Newman