Groups write open letter to government, urging it to protect forests

More than 40 state, national and international groups, which represent hundreds of thousands of Victorians, have strengthened their call for the Andrews Government to accept recommendations for parks in the Central West to be protected through the creation of national parks.

A collaboration of groups, coordinated by local community conservation group Wombat Forestcare, has written an open letter to the state government to "hurry up and get on with creating and implementing new parks for Victoria".

These groups include WWF, the Humane Society International Australia, Doctors for the Environment Australia, National Trust (Victoria) Environment Victoria, Field Naturalist Clubs and Landcare networks.

Among those to sign on from central Victoria are the Bendigo and District Environment Council, Bendigo Family Nature Club, Bendigo Field Naturalists, Bendigo Sustainability Group, BirdLife Castlemaine, Friends of Crusoe Reservoir and No 7 Park, Friends of the Box-ironbark Forests, Malmsbury District Landcare and the Wellsford Forest Conservation Alliance.

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Back in 2017 the state government requested the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) to investigate public land in Victoria - specifically the Wombat, Wellsford, Mount Cole and Pyrenees Ranges areas.

That same year the environment minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, outlined the importance of biodiversity in a document titled Protecting Victoria's Environment - Biodiversity 2037.

Ms D'Ambrosio said that "the Victorian Government has an ambitious environmental agenda and is prioritising the care and protection of our natural environment".

A comprehensive two-year investigation followed, which included research and community consultation, with the intention to identify the natural and cultural values and make recommendations about how best to conserve the 160,000 hectares of public land.

Conducted by VEAC, its final recommendation was for the government to transform large areas of the Wombat, Wellsford, Mount Cole and Pyrenees Ranges forests into almost 60,000 hectares of national park and almost 20,000 hectares of regional parks.

The intention of this was to balance the protection of biodiversity with recreational activities.

With the investigation completed in 2019, the government was legally obliged to respond to the recommendations by February 2020.

In June last year, the state government said there had been delays in responding due to the bushfires followed by the coronavirus pandemic, but would respond by the end of the year.

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The continued lack of action has left regional and conservation groups from across the state feeling "deeply disappointed".

A guardian of Wombat Forest and member of Wombat Forestcare, Gayle Osborne, said the forest had many values that needed protecting.

"...The headwaters of six major rivers, many rare and threatened species and the storage of carbon."

Ms Osborne said communities were waiting for real commitment to protect the environment.

With so many people learning the value of the natural environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, many believe the recommendations present an "incredible opportunity" to provide new parks to explore, while protecting wildlife and habitat.

Making the forests national parks would protect vital habitat for more than 380 rare and threatened animal and plant species, support joint management with Traditional Owners and increase and enhance nature-based tourism and visitation to regional Victoria.

Matt Ruchel, Executive Director of the Victorian National Parks Association, said groups were "losing patience, wildlife and habitats and faith in our elected leaders to take these issues seriously" with a decision still not made.

"The Victorian Government has found time to approve mining exploration leases and logging coupes in sensitive wildlife habitat, while ignoring the recommendations and missing legal requirements to respond.

"The clock is ticking, and it's ticking very loudly for many of our most vulnerable native wildlife."

A government spokesperson said it would "advise on timing for finalising its response to VEAC's report shortly".

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