These historic grasslands are becoming a weed-choked waste. It could be one of the world’s great parks
Volcanic plains stretching from Melbourne’s west to the South Australian border were once home to native grasslands strewn with wildflowers and a vast diversity of animals. Today, this grassland ecosystem is critically endangered.
To protect the last remaining large-scale patch, the Victorian government proposed the “Western Grassland Reserve”. But in June, a damning Auditor General’s report revealed this plan has fallen flat.
With weeds choking the native grasses and many animals now locally extinct, the deteriorating reserve represents a failure of imagination.