September 30th, 2023Your Say: National park, not state park

I was very concerned when I read the article “Wombat State Park on its way, finally” in The Local (Edition 288, September 11, 2023). The promised park is the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, not a state park. In 2010 Wombat Forestcare launched a campaign for the Wombat Forest to be protected as a state park.

However, in 2019, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) recommended that the
Wombat Forest become a combination of national, regional and conservation parks. The Victorian
government has accepted most of the recommendations.

In most of the coupes at Babbington Hill nearly every large log from the wind fallen trees has been salvaged. This is not “every tree removed, beginning with 8000 square metres at Babbington”. However, a 2-acre log landing was created and that did involve the removal of all standing trees.

I have no idea where the information that VEAC set up three storm recovery meetings at Blackwood, Bullarto and Barkstead came from. These meetings were organised by DEECA to inform the public about firewood coupes and other storm recovery works.

It is two years, not 20, since the Victorian government undertook to create the Wombat- Lerderderg National Park. The state government has allocated $4M to survey the boundaries and the work is progressing.

From: Gayle Osborne, Convenor, Wombat Forestcare

(Editor’s Note: This letter has been edited for space. The article was based on information supplied.)
Letters to the editor are always welcome. Email news@tlnews.com.au Any addressed Dear Sir will be deleted. You know why 🙂