Environmental reports
Hollow Tree Report
Following the January 2026 Bushfires an audit was undertaken to assess the impact on previously mapped hollow-bearing trees within the Murrindindi Shire rural roadside reserves.
Hollow-bearing trees are a critical habitat feature for native wildlife that rely on tree hollows for shelter and breeding.
The primary objective was to determine what proportion of the pre-fire hollow-bearing tree population had been lost, partially lost, or survived the fire, and to characterise that impact by location, species and tree attributes.
There were 1005 hollow bearing trees lost from nearly 2200 pre-existing trees. This amounts to thousands of hollows lost that were shelter to a range of animals and birds.
The results will be used to prioritise recovery efforts and allocate resources to heavily impacted areas and/or areas with threatened species or potential connectivity.
Fire Jan 2026 - Post Fire Hollow-bearing Tree Audit Report(PDF, 15MB)
Installing nest boxes to replace hollows across the fire affected area is a crucial recovery activity. If any person wants to install nest boxes, they can contact Council’s Environmental Programs Coordinator on 57720333 for advice.
Bird Survey
The Bird Survey of the Longwood Fire Area presents the findings of bird surveys undertaken four months after the fires, comparing post-fire observations with more than six years of bird monitoring data collected across the landscape.
Prepared by Chris Tzaros and Julie Tzaros of Birds Bush and Beyond, the report provides valuable insights into how native bird communities have been affected and the challenges facing local wildlife as recovery begins.
While the findings highlight substantial habitat loss and declines in bird numbers at many sites, they also reveal encouraging signs of resilience, with some species already returning to fire-affected areas.
The report offers an important snapshot of the environmental impact of the fires, identifies priorities for habitat restoration, and helps inform future recovery efforts. We encourage anyone interested in the recovery of Murrindindi's natural environment to read the report and learn more about the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Longwood Fire Area Bird Surveys 2026(PDF, 5MB)