Conflict over proposed national park

A PROPOSED plan to merge the Lerderderg State Park to the region’s north-east with the Wombat State Forest into a single national park is continuing to divide community members.

The State Government initiative would see both forests combine to create the more-than 44,000-hectare Wombat-Lerderderg National Park.

Darley resident Stephen Smitham has used Wombat State Forest for camping with friends and family for more than 50 years.

He’s concerned the merger will mean more restrictions on the land.

“With the proposed national park, they have said you can do camping, but what that will be is designated camping areas,” he said.

“This to me is like corralled camp and caravan parks you’d find like Beachport and Discovery; you’ll have curfews, no dogs, no noise after 10pm.

“We’ll also see track closures happening, and maybe some four-wheel-drivers are rather erratic but they also help keep tracks clear to help prevent a fire. There are national parks where tracks are overgrown, gated and closed up.”

Mr Smitham is also a member of the Bush User Groups United, a collective organised by the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria.

 

A petition created by the group calling for the parks not to be established has amassed around 34,000 signatures and is set to be presented to State Parliament by Victorian Legislative Council member and Eastern Victoria representative Melina Bath.

“We don’t want future generations to miss out on the freedom we’ve enjoyed,” Mr Smitham said.

Announced in 2021, the proposed merge is part of a greater State Government-led plan to create three new national parks amidst Victoria’s central western bushlands.

Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, stretching from Bacchus Marsh to Daylesford, would be the largest of the three.

Wombat Forestcare convenor Gayle Osborne has been advocating for the national park’s creation for more than 14 years.

She said it’s essential to attain national park status to protect the area’s endangered species.

“We originally lobbied the State Government for a Victorian Environment Assessment Council assessment to make recommendations about the best way to conserve for biodiversity while still allowing for recreational activities,” she said.

“There’s a large number of endangered species in our forests. We’ve got very big populations of powerful owls and greater gliders, and black rock skinks.

“There’s also only five plants [called the wombat leafless bossiaea] left on the planet and they’re in the Wombat Forest.”

Two of the proposed creations, including Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, were set to be tabled at Victorian Parliament late last year.

 

However, the bill’s introduction has been pushed to this year.

Ms Osborne, who received written assurances from State Government representatives that the bill would be proposed last year, said she’s concerned about the delays.

“[Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and Minister for Environment] Steve Dimopoulos said it was going to be as early as possible in the new year which is now, and then he said as soon as practicable.”

Ms Osborne said national park status is important to prevent any resurgence of logging in the Wombat State Forest, with commercial logging in state forests in the Central Highlands region having ceased from January last year.

“I don’t think [opposers] realise that by not protecting the forest it’ll open it up to logging again and it won’t be as enjoyable for everyone,” she said.

“As a state forest, the Wombat can be logged at any stage particularly if we have a change in government.”

Mr Smitham said logging is a practical way to help deal with emergencies.

“A lot of those loggers were very useful during fire seasons with their vehicles and various trucks to assist with controlling them,” he said.

“As well as the proposed Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, the creation of the Mount Buangor, and Pyrenees national parks, is also being put forward as part of the initiative.

The combined spaces would comprise 75,000 hectares of newly-formed national park land.