Fight to save Badger house

By Dion Teasdale
Parks Victoria has admitted it is considering demolishing the solid brick family home to make room for six after-hours car spaces.
The proposal has raised the ire of Healesville identity, Ray Donkin, who believes demolishing the house would be a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Mr Donkin also fears that the construction of a car park to formalise after-hours visits to the park would increase security risks to nearby water supplies.
The caretaker’s house is located on Badger Weir Road, on the boundary of the Yarra Ranges National Park, one kilometre from the Badger Weir picnic area.
It sits on 30 hectares of land formerly owned by Melbourne Water, which was given to the Yarra Ranges National Park in October last year.
The house has historically accommodated caretakers of the Badger Weir and Frogley Treatment Plant water supply installations.
It was leased as a private residence until mid last year and has been vacant since.
Mr Donkin, who met representatives from Parks Victoria last week, described the proposal to demolish the house as ‘nonsense’, adding: “It is totally unnecessary and makes absolutely no sense at all to remove the house for a small car park.”
Mr Donkin said the house should be used to accommodate Parks Victoria staff, used as offices, leased to the general public or sold.
Yarra Ranges National Park ranger in charge, Ian Roche, said Parks Victoria had considered a range of options for the house, but believed demolishing it was the best option.
“Our main priority is to protect the land the house is part of, which includes bush with a high level of natural assets,” he said. “We want to maintain our energy and resources on park issues rather than moving into real estate management.”
Mr Roche said it was not government policy to put staff in parks in areas where there were other accommodation options.
He also said it would be extremely difficult to excise the house from the National Parks Act and make it available for sale. “The house is also unsuitable for use as accommodation for the general public. I estimate it would cost in excess of $40,000 to make necessary improvements,” he said.
“In demolishing the house, we would have a highly modified site, which could be used for a car park to provide safe and secure off-road parking to accommodate people who use the park after hours,” he said.
Melbourne Water’s manager of water supply catchments, Frank Lawless, said while the future of the house was Parks Victoria’s decision, he was concerned about the impact of an after-hours car park.
Mr Roche said Parks Victoria would continue to explore options for use of the property before making a final decision.