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The Moorabool News – 26 April, 2022 Page 3
Forest salvaging not logging By Lachlan Ellis Over 100 people have protested a “destructive salvage operation” undertaken in the Wombat State Forest, though the State Government says the works are merely to reduce fire risk. On Good Friday, members of the Wombat Forestcare group took to the Wombat State Forest with signs bearing slogans such as “stop the destruction” and “VicForest salvage savages”, opposing what they call an “industrial scale salvage operation”. Gayle Osborne from Wombat Forestcare said VicForests’ actions put local wildlife and the environment at risk. “The local community fought long and hard for the forest’s protection from logging and for its protection with park status, and are now very distressed and angry to see this environmental destruction,” Ms Osborne said. “This block of the Wombat Forest is considered to have conservation values that make it deserving of national park status, including a large population of greater gliders, a species threatened with extinction.” Last June, the State Government committed to establishing three new National Parks, including a ‘Wombat-Lerderderg National Park’, following the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) Central West investigation. Ms Osborne argues the operations in the Wombat State Forest “completely ignore the government’s undertaking to protect the environment and biodiversity”. But Victorian Minister for Regional Development MaryAnne Thomas, whose District of Macedon takes in much of the Wombat State Forest, said VicForests’ works were no cause for concern. “Many members of my community have contacted me about the amount of fallen and hazardous trees and debris. We know Wombat State Forest was one of the hardest hit areas during the storms in June last year, and VicForests, in partnership with Traditional Owners, is clearing only fallen and windblown trees,” Ms Thomas told the Moorabool News.
Protesters in the Wombat State Forest. Photo - Sandy Scheltema “No trees are being removed unless they present a safety or operational hazard.” VicForests follows a ‘Timber Utilisation Plan’, a formal mechanism under which some timber will be removed during the recovery efforts for the forest. All works will also adhere to the ‘Code of Practice for Timber Production’. DJAARA Chief Executive Officer on the Wombat Forest, Rodney Carter, said DJAARA was working with VicForests to ensure the forest was restored in an environmentally friendly way. “Our Country as Landscape has been modified in many ways, so placing us back into the Landscape allows a positive
influence on the Country’s plants and animals’ healthy future. We better understand now how our Forest Gardening is applied to create open woodlands as our Ancestors had created in forested areas,” Mr Carter said. “Our priority in the greater Wombat Forest area is to restore the undergrowth to its natural ecology by removing the fallen trees from the 2021 storms, and we are actively working with VicForests as they assist our capacity to care for Country in the restoration and clean-up.” Royalties from timber sales will be paid to local Traditional Owners Corporation DJAARA, for restoration, healing, and care for Country.
Pollies invited to commit a splash of cash With the federal election less than a month away, Moorabool Shire Mayor Cr Tom Sullivan has invited the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to Moorabool, to discuss Federal funding. High on Council’s agenda is obtaining funding for an indoor pool, a facility that has been desired and advocated for by the community for many years. “Building an indoor pool in Bacchus Marsh is one of our highest advocacy priorities, and we’d love both sides of the federal government to commit funding for it,” Cr Sullivan said. “We hope they will use their cap and goggles on a return visit to see what they’ve helped create and test it out with a swim,” he said. In a Council survey, 56 per cent of respondents said they had to travel outside the Shire, to participate in swimming activities at indoor pools in other municipalities. An indoor pool would form the third and final stage of the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC), with Stage One being an Indoor Sports Stadium, and Stage Two being a Regional Bowls Facility.
The facility recently began construction on Stage One at Taverner Street, Bacchus Marsh. “Council has already made a huge investment of close to $15 million to build the indoor stadium component of MARC, a facility that will be used by residents throughout Moorabool and beyond,” Cr Sullivan said. “We’re asking for both the federal and state governments to commit to providing funding for a project that we know will create massive economic benefit to the region.” Council has also highlighted a number of other key priorities for funding in its letter to Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese, including a regional bowls facility, Stage 4 of the Bald Hill summit trail, female friendly change rooms for Dunnstown Recreation Reserve, and the sewering of Bungaree and Wallace. “We’d love to have both leaders visit us so we can highlight some of our priority projects, show them our advocacy prospectus, and let them experience the beauty of our Shire,” Cr Sullivan said. To view Council’s advocacy prospectus and read about Council’s priority projects, visit www.moorabool.vic.gov.au/advocacy.
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Moorabool Mayor Tom Sullivan is advocating for the Bacchus Marsh Aquatic facility. Photo - MSC