By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
YARRA Ranges Council has voted in favour of commissioning a report by an independent external consultant on the ‘Great Forest National Park’ proposal.
The motion was carried by a margin of one vote after Cr McAllister moved to amend the recommendations of the motion.
The report will balance the benefits and drawbacks of establishing the new national park and recommend whether or not council should support the proposal.
A spokesperson the Great Forest National Park has congratulated council on its decision and said the review would give them a vision for the future.
“The shire should be congratulated on its foresight in exploring these opportunities for residents and businesses in the region.”
Not everyone was supportive of the council commissioning a review into the park, with a representative of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria speaking at the meeting.
“The Great Forest National Park is going to close land for bush user groups that spend millions of dollars in the region,” he said.
The proposal was also called a “green ideology” by the speaker who cited job losses in the timber industry as a reason not to support the park.
State MP Christine Fyffe also expressed her disagreement with the council’s decision.
“As a ratepayer I am angry at councillors moving and passing this motion,” she said.
“This is a decision that will waste ratepayers’ money investigating a proposal on land they do not own, land that they have no control or responsibility over and on a proposal that they will not be able to make a decision on.”
Cr McAllister said in relation to her amendment to the motion, it was important that they were well informed on issues affecting their region.
“Tonight is not about making a decision,” she said.
“It’s about looking thoroughly at what is being proposed and weighing all these things.”
The independent consultant will have six months to prepare the report before it will be presented to council.
