By JESSE GRAHAM
A NEW national park covering the Toolangi region has not been ruled out of Labor’s table for the coming State Election.
However, Eildon Candidate, Sally Brennan, said the issues around the proposal weren’t simple, and that she’d meeting with relevant groups.
Labor’s policy statement for November’s State Election in Victoria is replete with references to the possibility of creating new national parks.
“Labor will … investigate developing new national parks to protect Victoria’s threatened species, unique vegetation including unique grasslands,” the policy read.
Eildon candidate Sally Brennan said that no final decision had been made at this point in her election campaign on the Great Forest National Park (GFNP) proposal.
She said the proposal was the topic of much broader discussion, but that it was still up in the air.
“One of the things that I’m doing is informing myself around all of those issues and, as a result of that, I’ve been spending some time with environmental groups and I’m also going out with VicForests as their guest, to have a look at the way things are done in Toolangi,” Ms Brennan said.
She said the GFNP proposal – originally put forward by Professor David Lindenmayer last year – was the catalyst for discussions on the way the government dealt with the environment.
However, she said that the endangered Leadbeater’s Possum was not the only issue of importance in discussions on the forests, with people working in the industry, other industries and other Indigenous animals also to be considered.
“I think that any and every means should be taken to ensure that our native species are safe – we can’t afford to lose any more native species,” she said.
“(The GFNP) is a great opportunity to start seriously thinking through what our priorities are … but the issues aren’t simple.”
VicForests recently confirmed that the recommendations from the Leadbeater’s Possum Advisory Group (LPAG) report earlier this year are being implemented into its practices.
These practices include retention harvesting – as opposed to clear-felling – in 50 per cent of the ash forests in the possum’s range, and 200-metre buffer zones around Leadbeater’s Possum colonies.
The Victorian Liberal Party does not currently have a general list of policies in regards to the state election on 29 November or on national parks specifically.
Seymour MP and Liberal candidate for Eildon, Cindy McLeish was contacted, but did not respond by deadline.
