Regional park gets more space

BENDIGO Regional Park will expand by more than seven thousand hectares in response to the final report in the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s Central West Investigation.

The reclassification of land from the Wellsford State Forest will still allow for activities like four-wheel driving, trail-bike riding, mountain biking, recreational prospecting and bushwalking, while also seeing an end to commercial timber harvesting.

State members Maree Edwards and Jacinta Allan said environmental protections would still be in place for the newly added park land.

“Growing the regional park means there is more space for all of the recreational activities Victorians love, while continuing to provide a safe, protected habitat for the regions unique flora and fauna,” Ms Edwards said.

“These changes preserve our precious environmental and biodiversity assets and strike a sustainable balance to meet the needs of all land users, now and into the future.”

Ms Allan said, “We are adding more than 7000 hectares to the Bendigo Regional Park to ensure it remains both a site for the protection of wildlife and an enhanced space for thousands of Victorians to explore.”

The expansion of the Bendigo Park is part of a suite of actions taken by the State Government following a final report from VEAC, including the creation of three new national parks.

In total, 65,106 hectares of land has been allocated to the new parks, the largest of which covering more than 44,000 hectares between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh.

According to the State Government, traditional owners were consulted extensively during the VEAC investigation and will continue to be involved in identifying suitable names for the new parks and reserves.