Call for National Parks

Over 50 regional, state, and national environment groups have signed an open letter to the Premier, calling for an immediate end to logging in the west of Victoria, and the legislation of three promised National Parks.

Groups including the Moorabool Environment Group, Australian Conservation Foundation, and Wombat Forestcare signed the open letter, which calls on the State Government to create three National Parks that were promised in June 2021 in Victoria’s central west: the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, Mount Buangor National Park, and Pyrenees National Park.

Gayle Osborne, convenor of Wombat Forestcare, said the areas of public land provided critical habitat for over 370 rare and threatened flora and fauna, including Greater Gliders and Powerful Owls.

“Recently it was discovered that there is a large population of endangered Mountain Skinks in the Wombat Forest, much further west than they were previously known to exist. If we want these creatures to continue to exist in our landscape, we need to halt the timber harvesting and ensure that they are protected forever,” Ms Osborne said.

“Not only are we likely to see some threatened species become locally extinct, but forestry in the west of Victoria is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer. It does not make sense to continue to fund the destruction of the habitat of rare flora, fungi, and fauna.”

The State Government’s announcement to end native forest logging by 1 January 2024 did not include the west of Victoria, where there are approximately 60,000 hectares of public land listed for some form of timber harvesting.

Ms Osborne says the “destructive salvage logging operations” occurring in the Wombat Forest need to come to an end, and the forest must be made part of as National Park as soon as possible.

The State Government has repeatedly denied the VicForest works in the forest are “salvage logging”, with Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas telling the Moorabool News last year that the operation was being done “under strict regulations” and “is not salvage logging, it is removing fallen trees and getting access to improve forest health and resilience, based on cultural practices and backed up by scientific research that supports active management of our forests.”

But Ms Osborne believes vulnerable wildlife in the Wombat Forest remain under threat.

“A Wombat-Lerderderg National Park will help provide a safe haven for all the species in the forest, both threatened and common and we look forward to the Allan government speedily legislating all the promised national parks and creating a legacy for future generations.” she said.

The Wombat Forest also provides critical water supply for many Victorians, with six major rivers rising in the forest, including the Lerderderg, Werribee and Moorabool to the south, and the Loddon, Campaspe and Coliban flowing north.