Wombat State Forest
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Stakes high for forests
In the same week that the Victorian Government announced permanent protections for Victoria’s three new national parks, the government also flagged new penalties for anti-logging protesters. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, last Thursday announced $4 million to establish the new boundaries for the parks, which will be created by linking existing…
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Logging disrupted
VicForests’ storm recovery works in the Wombat State Forest are continuing despite temporary disruption from anti-logging protesters last Monday. At Babbington Hill near Lyonville, concerned locals and ecologists halted work in VicForests’ salvage operation. The area is home to the threatened greater glider, which is listed as vulnerable to extinction, and there is concern that…
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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…
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A new national park
Three new national parks will be created following the Victorian Government’s tabling of its response to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s Central West Investigation report last week.The Wombat State Forest will become a combination of national, regional and conservation parks. Wombat Forestcare campaigner Gayle Osborne said the new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park was a great result.“Areas…
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Forests and parks remain closed to visitors
Following the severe weather and storm event last week, the Wombat State Forest, the northern part of Lerderderg State Park, Macedon Regional Park and Trentham Falls remain closed to the public.Forest Fire Management Victoria crews have been working hard over the past week to access impacted areas and assess damage to roads, recreational sites and…
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Forest frustration
More than 40 state, national and international groups are calling on the state government to accept recommendations for new national parks in the state’s central west including Wombat State Forest. Following the two-year expert investigation by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, recommendations have been made for large areas of public forests of the Wombat, Wellsford,…
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Exploration shock – Residents protest gold drilling in the Wombat
Blackwood residents protested in the Wombat State Forest last week after they discovered mining company Currawong Resources had begun exploratory drilling for gold. Residents said they were distressed to become aware of the mining operations in an area that was recommended by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council to become part of the Wombat Lerderderg National…
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A win for conservation – National Park recommended for the Wombat Forest
A Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and Cobaw Conservation Park will be created if the state government accepts recommendations released by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council on Friday. Tasked by the state government to conduct a two-year investigation into the forests of central west Victoria, VEAC’s final recommendations aim to restore the health of the forests. They…
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Reckless ignorance
Local fire brigades were left in disbelief when they discovered a group of campers in the Wombat State Forest had lit a potentially disastrous campfire last Friday afternoon. Woodend, Macedon and Mount Macedon Fire Brigades were called out to a smoke sighting about 4.13pm, spotted by the Mount Macedon fire tower. Woodend captain Mike Dornau…
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Forest fears furore
With less than a fortnight before the state election, a fight has erupted over a plan to reclassify the Wombat State Forest as a national park. The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council has released a draft report recommending a combination of national, regional and conservation parks for the forest, stretching from Woodend to Daylesford. The new…
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Higher status for forests
Greater conservation protection for the Cobaw and Wombat State Forests has been proposed following the completion of an investigation into significant areas of native forest in Victoria by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council. Requested by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change in March 2017, the purpose of the investigation was to identify and…