mansfieldcourier.com.au
MANSFIELD COURIER - Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Page 1
2022
Incorporating
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Phone: (03) 5775 2115
www.mansfieldcourier.com.au
$2.00 (inc.GST)
SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN IN THE FAST LANE THE Mansfield Shire Council’s youth team ran a number of exciting free activities over the winter school holidays including fast laps at the Winton Raceway with the Mansfield-based HyUndies Race Team. And though the skies may have been overcast, the weather failed to dampen enthusiasm with council receiving great feedback on the activity. Turn to page 10 for more school holidays’ coverage. PHOTO: Supplied
Page 3
NAIDOC WEEK IN THE SHIRE
Page 39
GIRLS CLOSE TO GLORY
Rally in the park AN ESTIMATED crowd of between 300 and 400 people rallied on Saturday afternoon in Mansfield’s botanic park, in opposition to the state government’s proposed Great Forest National Park. Put forward by government body the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC), the Great Forest National Park represents an additional 355,000 hectares of forests added to the existing 170,000 hectares of parks and protected areas in the Central Highlands of Victoria. The proposed park would annex an area larger than the Australian
Hundreds ggather in opposition pp to Great Forest National Park BY EMMA OLIVER eoliver@ nemedia.com.au
Capital Territory, with the region stretching south of Eildon to beyond Warburton, from west of Kinglake to Baw Baw in the Latrobe Valley. Conservation of endangered fauna and flora, safe-guarding water catchments alongside protecting this ecological asset for tourism have all been cited as reasons for transitioning state forest into national, with the government also
promoting the carbon sequestration properties of ash forests within the region. The financial opportunity the resulting carbon credits offer is significant with revenue to be paid directly to the state when a system is established federally. However numerous community interest groups have raised concerns about the implications of such a proposal on feral animal management and bushfire mitigation, and are worried leisure activities will no longer be permitted within the park.
The government has stipulated the park will be subject to multi-tiered zoning, allowing a range of recreational activities to continue to take place albeit within designated areas. Government has also sought to alleviate concern in regard to bushfires, stating the declaration of a national park does not affect the fire management regimes applied which are determined by legislation with a view to minimising risk to the public. Yet these assurances have failed to generate
confidence with the Saturday rally drawing guest speakers from Victorians Against the Great Forest National Park, Bush User Groups United, PMAV Prospectors and Miners Association Victoria, Community Advocacy Eastern Region and the Libertarian Party. Author and director of Battleground Melbourne Topher Field acted as master of ceremonies during the hour and a half public meeting. Eildon-resident Carly Murphy started the Victorians against the Great Forest National
Park Facebook page two months ago, after attending an information session in Alexandra. The page currently has around 13,000 members. “We are united together, irrelevant to our political beliefs, our other interests and our differences,” she said. “Personally politics have never interested me. “But when politicians start making decisions that impact our freedoms to access what we have always had access to, we have to stand up and say no. “Every single one of our members love the bush and we value our access to the beauty of nature. ■ Continued page 2
Spend your Mark’s IGA points with us! Mansfield
Are you wondering how to spend your Marks Loyalty Points? Just chat with the awesome team at Marks IGA and they will supply you with a Gift Voucher to the value of your points to spend on whatever you like here in our store! It’s that easy!
For all your Whitegoods, TV’s, Floorcare, Furniture, Bedding, Music, Homewares, Gift, Lamps, Bedroom Furniture and so much more
Mansfield Betta Home Living 3 Chenery Street Mansfield Vic 3722 03-57751992