Victorian National Parks Association
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Heritage questioned in cross tree clearing
A dispute has emerged between the Victorian National Parks Association and Parks Victoria over woodland clearing works at Mount Macedon, with differing interpretations of the heritage basis for the project. The controversy centres on vulnerable snow gum removal near the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, which Parks Victoria says was undertaken to restore views associated with…
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Timber removal challenged
Environmental activists have called out the removal of large volumes of fallen timber from the Wombat State Forest as being done “under the guise of reducing fire risk”. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is removing trees and debris that fell during the 2021 storms but environmental groups argue the works are destructive…
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Anger at broken promise
The creation of a new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park has been delayed until next year, angering local environmental activists who describe the failure of the state government to legislate the park as a broken promise. Members and supporters of Wombat Forestcare were assured in letters from the environment minister, Steve Dimopoulos, and local member, Mary-Anne Thomas,…
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Cross plan splits views
Plans to remove native vegetation to restore historic views to Melbourne from the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross have prompted passionate debate. The cross is considered the second most significant war memorial in Victoria but decades of growth have altered its original view lines. Parks Victoria’s viewscape project seeks to clear 0.79 hectares of native vegetation…
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Native forest logging to end
The state government has announced it will bring forward the end of native forest logging to January 2024. The end date will be accelerated from 2030 to the start of next year through additional $200 million of measures announced in last Tuesday’s State Budget. The move has been welcomed by the Victorian National Parks Association.…
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Crucial habitats logged
The Victorian National Parks Association is calling for greater oversight of salvage logging, holding concerns that crucial habitats are being decimated under the guise of fire mitigation. The VNPA lodged complaints with the Victorian Ombudsman this month over recent activities at the Cobaw State Forest near Woodend, which is covered by a Special Protection Zone…
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Forest clearing angers
As ‘salvage logging’ gets under way in the Wombat State Forest, local residents have raised the alarm over the nature and intent of the works. About 100 residents gathered in the forest at Babbingtons Road, Lyonville, last Friday to inspect the first clearing of what VicForests claims is recovery work to clean up wind-thrown trees…