The Yellingbo Conservation Area has been renamed Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area (YLCA), to reflect its creation as a new category of park (‘landscape conservation area’ under the National Parks Act 1975).

From 13 August to 7 October we asked for community feedback on the Yellingbo Conservation Area Draft 10 Year Plan (the Plan).

From reviewing the survey responses and submissions we found seven themes consistently raised by the community. These themes will be a key input into any future changes the made to the Plan. We will consider all practical and actionable suggestions made during this process.

While we will consider all feedback made by the community, any changes made to the Plan will need to be consistent with the VEAC recommendations and existing legislation on uses within parks and reserves in Victoria.

Read the full summary of submissions here:

In response to recommendations made by an independent review of the Yellingbo Conservation Area Coordinating Committee (YCACC) in late 2018, the Victorian Government implemented new governance arrangements for the YLCA.

The independent review recommended that consideration be given to replacing YCACC with a coordinating committee of land managers focussed on coordinating land management works in the YLCA; and the creation of a community reference group.

In April 2019, the Yarra4Life Coordination Committee agreed to assume the role of coordinating committee of land managers for the YLCA. Yarra4Life is a collaborative environmental program that aims to improve the quality of land, water and natural habitat in the Yarra Valley and to help protect and enhance the survival of native species in the region. The Yarra4Life project area has significant overlap with the geographic area of the YLCA. The Yarra4Life Project is coordinated by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA) on behalf of its project partners. The Coordination Committee meets on a quarterly basis.

In December 2019, 11 members were appointed to form the new Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area Community Reference Group (CRG). The CRG has been established to assist DELWP and Parks Victoria with effective community engagement during the establishment of the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area. Members of the CRG were appointed on the basis of their high level skills and experience in areas including conservation, agriculture and horticulture, recreation, tourism, Aboriginal cultural values and fire risk management and control. The CRG will hold quarterly meetings, beginning in February 2020.

Read the FAQ on the new governance arrangements:

The draft Plan is the culmination of extensive research, community consultation and community-based feedback. Navigate the page tabs above to read more about how the draft plan for the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area has been developed.

The document library to the right of this page includes useful information, including the Yellingbo Conservation Area Bushfire Risk Management Plan and Frequently Asked Questions, developed in response to community feedback.

The Yellingbo Conservation Area Draft 10 Year Plan was open for comment via the survey below from 13 August to 7 October 2018.

The survey is now closed and the results from the consultation period can be accessed here.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is committed to protecting personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Victorian privacy laws.

The information you provide will be used to help inform the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area Plan, and to keep you updated on the project if you choose to provide contact details.

The information you provide will be made available to DELWP to help inform the future of the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area. Personal details (name/contact details) will not be made public.

Over the last 12 months, DELWP and the YCACC have been working closely with the community to develop a better understanding about the values within the Conservation Area, what opportunities there are for the future and what the existing threats and issues are.

The plans, which are available to download or view in the slides below, indicate what we have heard from you so far. The comments and ideas we have heard from the community have been divided into the following 4 key themes; Conservation, Recreation and Tourism, Industry and adjacent land use, Threats and Issues. The reason for the themes is to ensure that the new Conservation Area is being created in the context of the broader landscape rather than in isolation. It is also important that the new Conservation Area be used as an opportunity to respond to the existing threats and issues in the landscape in partnership with our neighbours.

We're now asking the community to help us further by filling out the survey below and telling us how you use the Conservation Area and what you think we should be focussing on for the next 10 years.

Responses will be used to create the draft Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area Plan.

Through the process since 2014, this new conservation area has been widely referred to as the Yellingbo Conservation Area but it is important to note that it extends much further than the existing Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and the township of Yellingbo. There will be a renaming process as part of the second round of consultation.

The agencies that make decisions about public land in the Conservation Area are working with the public to make decisions on the area's transformation.

The Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area Plan is being prepared to implement the Victorian Government Response to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s Yellingbo Investigation Final Report (March 2014).

The Plan will provide the overall direction about how the Conservation Area will be used and managed in the future. There are many different opportunities for the use and purpose of the Conservation Area and we're asking for your help to identify any additional opportunities.

The Plan will also be used to guide the use and development of the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area over the next 10 years.

Everyone with an interest in the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area was invited to participate in the below survey, outlining how they use the Yellingbo Landscape Conservation Area, and how they would like to see it used in the future. Responses are being carefully considered in developing the draft Yellingbo Conservation Area Plan, which will be released in July.

The results have now been released - thank you to everyone who took part in this survey.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is committed to protecting personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Victorian privacy laws.

The information you provide will be used to help inform the draft Yellingbo Conservation Area Plan, and to keep you updated on the project if you choose to provide contact details.

The information you provide will be made available to the DELWP/Parks Victoria Yellingbo Conservation Area Project Team to help inform the future of the Yellingbo Conservation Area. Personal details (name/contact details) will not be made public.

You may access the information you have provided to DELWP and Parks Victoria by contacting Victoria Purdue at victoria.purdue@parks.vic.gov.au

After several months of work and significant community engagement led by the Haining Farm Working Group, the final concept plan for Haining farm has been released.

Thank you to the Haining Farm Working Group for their efforts and time in investigating the options and providing their recommendations, and the broader community for sharing their feedback and helping shape the future use of the site.

Visit the Haining Farm Engage Victoria page to read more about the Haining Farm engagement process, outcomes, implementation, and community updates.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.