The future of the prized forests around Daylesford, Bendigo and Avoca hangs in the balance.
Over the next few days, the Victorian Government will respond to recommendations before it to protect some of western Victoria’s most iconic forests—the Wombat, Wellsford and Pyrenees. Have you added your recommendations in to help them make the right decision?
Take three of your favourite reasons why (below—or write your own!) western Victoria's forests need protection and add them to your email to the Premier.
12 good reasons to create new parks in the Central West:
1. Incredible natural values—380 ...
The future of the prized forests around Daylesford, Bendigo and Avoca hangs in the balance.
Over the next few days, the Victorian Government will respond to recommendations before it to protect some of western Victoria’s most iconic forests—the Wombat, Wellsford and Pyrenees. Have you added your recommendations in to help them make the right decision?
Take three of your favourite reasons why (below—or write your own!) western Victoria's forests need protection and add them to your email to the Premier.
12 good reasons to create new parks in the Central West:
1. Incredible natural values—380 threatened species, such as Powerful Owl, Brush-tailed Phascogale (similar to a small quoll) and Greater Gliders.
2. National parks are great for both people and nature, and already support at least 20,000 jobs.
3. Every year, more and more people want a nature experience; nature-based visitor numbers have grown by 36% since December 2014.
4. National parks are great for camping, horse riding and mountain biking, and generally the rules regarding 4×4 driving, are the same as in state forests. The Central West reserve system recommended by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council has been carefully designed to include almost 20,000 hectares of regional parks close to townships which allow almost all forms of recreation, including dog walking, fossicking and prospecting.
5. The last decade has seen the lowest level of national parks creation in Victoria in the last 60 years.
6. New national parks in our state’s Central West would be an impressive Andrews Government legacy for future generations of Victorians.
7. The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s final recommendations were developed through a thorough consultation process over a two-year period.
8. Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia and much of our key habitat remains on public land. While public land only covers 40% of the state, it contains 70% of the highest biodiversity values.
9. New parks in the Central West will help deliver key elements of the Government’s Victoria’s Biodiversity 2037 strategy.
10. New parks will protect eleven significant headwaters of important rivers including the Moorabool, Werribee, Lerderderg, Maribyrnong, and Wimmera rivers.
11. Better protection and management as national park or other conservation reserves is critical to improve resilience of Victoria’s special places and species in the face of climate change—for example snow gums on Mount Cole.
12. New national parks will be a drawcard for recreation and tourism to the Central West of the state. They would be assets to the growing Melbourne population, particularly in the western suburbs.
Image: Sandy Scheltema / VNPA
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