Volunteers isolated over ‘The Island’

By Lachlan Ellis

Volunteers from Landcare and Friends groups say they have been “stunned” by a Pentland Hills property they’ve worked on for years going up for sale recently.

Also known as ‘The Island’ by locals, the property at Palmers Lane and Myers Road is owned by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), and was donated by William James Whyte in 2006.

In 2007, CVA, Parks Victoria, and the Friends of Werribee Gorge and Long Forest Mallee (FOWGLFM) collaborated on a track from the Quarry Car Park to a viewing point on the W James Whyte Island Reserve.

Grow West plantings took place in 2008, 2009, and 2013, with an estimated 200 volunteers attending to plant over 6,000 native plants.

But after The Island was put up for sale in late August this year, some volunteers expressed shock at not being part of discussions before the decision was made.

Bob Reid is the Historian and former Coordinator at FOWGLFM, and said the decision to put the property on the market was “very disappointing”.

“I was stunned, absolutely stunned. I suppose disbelief would cover my feelings. The Island is an integral part of the conservation landscape for Werribee Gorge State Park, both in terms of its importance as a conservation area and bridge across the landscape, and also visually it’s very important. It’s quite a striking feature, it’s quite prominent,” Mr Reid told the Moorabool News.

“What I would ask CVA is, why sell the property? And why no consultation? I don’t get it, it’s quite disappointing.”

Former Moorabool Mayor and Chair of Grow West, John Cutler, said the potential sale was concerning not just for the volunteers, but for “every taxpayer in Victoria”, as the property has received thousands of dollars in State and Federal grants for revegetation works.

“It’s government money, everybody that pays taxes has got equity in that property, it’s not just the volunteers. It’s not about ownership, it’s about stewardship. That property was gifted to CVA, and when you are gifted with something, it comes with a responsibility and an obligation,” Mr Cutler said.

“It may be that that can be achieved with the sale of the property. But there’s an ethical and moral obligation of CVA to divulge what’s going to happen to the proceeds of the sale, and what the future of The Island is. CVA is a not-for-profit that has done fantastic work, but there has to be some transparency and protection to keep faith with the community, who have invested heavily, financially and emotionally, in The Island.”

When asked about the reason for the sale, CVA’s CEO Phil Harrison firstly acknowledged the work to successfully rehabilitate The Island was coordinated over many years by scores of CVA staff and, most importantly, fuelled by the efforts of countless volunteers, and went on to say the group’s operating model had changed, but CVA would make sure any potential buyer had an interest in conservation on the property.

“Our operating model has evolved, and we now focus on initiatives that help us to achieve engagement at scale, with a long-term goal of building a community of 1 million people taking action for nature. The management of land is no longer central to that model. Therefore, we are taking steps to find new, safe hands for various property holdings including The Island. We are specifically inviting expressions of interest from new owners that have a keen appreciation of the natural values of The Island, and are able to meet all the covenant obligations into the future.”

Mr Harrison said CVA had “written to key local stakeholders to inform them of our decision”.

“Our commitment to help connect people to nature in the region remains undiminished and we will continue to look for the best opportunities to do that. This has been both a challenging and rewarding project and we are delighted that the condition of The Island has significantly improved under our management. The values of The Island are now protected under covenant forever,” he said.