Victoria is fortunate to have numerous outstanding landscapes. Many of these are protected in national parks and other reserves, but others are threatened by unsympathetic development and planning, infrastructure, intrusive buildings and signs, and environmental factors such as weeds, erosion and tree removal.

The National Trust of Australia (Vic) is actively working to raise awareness of our special Victorian landscapes and advocate improving their protection and appreciation. Our Landscape Reference Group also identifies and classifies important landscapes, especially where they are poorly documented or at risk. We have progressively classified about 270 landscapes in Victoria ranging from very small reserves with local significance (e.g. the Bay Road Flora Reserve, Sandringham) to large areas with national significance such as Wilsons Promontory National Park.

The values of landscape can tend to be poorly understood, especially in relation to other natural and heritage values in Victoria (and Australia). In the United Kingdom and some other Western countries landscape values are a key consideration in planning, and protection and appreciation are high priorities.

We actively seek to raise the profile of landscape values in Victoria and support measures to identify, protect, appreciate and enhance existing landscapes and interpret their meanings to the general community.

Additional information on landscape values, assessment, management and protection is available in the following summaries prepared by the National Trust.

Landscape information: International/UK, Australia, Victoria

How can you help

1. Find out more about landscapes and their importance to communities - start with the National Trust Register and read the documents listed above [add link to these .pdf files], explore other websites and visit your local library.

2. Write to your local media and talk to your local Member of Parliament about any concerns you have about threats to landscape values – or to praise successful efforts to protect, enhance and interpret landscape values.

3. Get involved in campaigns to save or improve open space in your area – parks, gardens, linear trails, heritage places etc.

4. Support the work of the National Trust – become a member, offer your expertise as a volunteer, or contact the Trust for further information or to assist in preparing a proposal to classify a landscape.

Acknowledgement

The National Trust of Australia (Vic) wishes to thank Robin Crocker for preparing this guide and Bryn Davis for valuable comments. Robin Crocker supplied all photographs (unless otherwise identified).

The Landscape committe of the National Trust (Vic) has developed several policies related to our landscapes, such as Policies on open space, historic towns, planting etc.