By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council is scathing of some of the submissions presented throughout the Inquiry Hearing for the Warburton Mountain Bike Destination Environment Effects Statement (EES) which concluded as of 7 April 2022.
The Council believes a number of the submissions made by Parks Victoria, the CFA, Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), Warburton Environment Inc, the Green Wedge Colation, Yarra Riverkeeper Association, Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum and Friends of Myrtle Beeches included expert witness statements from members within their own groups.
In their submission, Yarra Ranges Council was disappointed the representative of Parks Victoria allegedly was unknowledgeable of the extent of Parks Victoria’s participation in the project to date, such as ongoing representation in the Project Reference Group, membership of the Technical Reference Group and provision of advice to Council in the development of the EESE documentation.
Yarra Ranges Council said this had the potential to mislead and undermine Parks Victoria’s knowledge and role in the process and imply extensive engagement and consultation were not undertaken.
Yarra Ranges Council also submitted that it was inappropriate for Dr David Cheal and Dr Charles Meredith to give evidence as expert witnesses called by the VNPA, as did not disclose they are current members of the association until prompted by the Council in cross-examination and provide an explanation as to why this status would not affect the weight of the evidence.
“In Dr Meredith’s case – an association that has been in place in the order of 50 years,” the submission reads.
“Any suggestion that this is not a matter that ought properly have been brought to the attention of the IAC, that it is of no relevance, that it has no potential to impact perceived or actual independence is – in Council’s submission – unsupportable.”
In contrast, Yarra Ranges Council pointed to the independence of their expert witnesses. They also noted their experts, Mr Looby and Mr Lane, had conducted site visits prior to finalising their written evidence, while VNPA’s had not, and argued that Dr Meredith and Dr Mary Cole had not based their evidence on key documentation and reviewed it insufficiently as found in cross-examination.
Nature Campaigner Jordan Crook from the VNPA was willing to speak to Star Mail in response.
Mr Crook said he or VNPA couldn’t speak on behalf of the expert witnesses, but thinks Yarra Ranges Council was deflecting from not dealing with issues raised in the EES.
“It seems the Council has gone on to personal attacks, playing the man instead of playing the ball,” he said
“The EES showed us the project is very unpopular and will cause severe damage to the Yarra Ranges National Park and possibly cause the extinction of wildlife on Mt Donna Buang.”
Mr Crook said the expert witnesses were hired as independent consultants, and especially pointed out alleged hypocrisy in the criticism of not visiting the site.
“It seems Council would rather attack them, then deal with the issues the very valid issues they raised, the Council has experts living in different states,” he said.
“Their transport expert (Brett Young) and fire expert (Mark Potter) aren’t from here. Many of their experts haven’t visited Warburton at all, and many of the experts were also mountain bike riders which carries a level of bias with it as well.”
Mr Crook said the Council hasn’t taken the goal of the VNPA and others on board.
“The many submissions from experts, from state government representatives and the community, is they don’t want the track in the National Park,” he said.
“It’s not about saying no to the whole track system, I don’t think anyone is saying so. It’s about not putting it through this highly sensitive area on Mt Donna Buang.”
On Dr Meredith’s admission to not being briefed to read the Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP), Mr Crook said it was may have been beyond his responsibility in the submission.
“He was asked to look at the impacts the tracks would have on the path and the legislation and government policies on how we manage national parks,” he said.
“Dr Meredith was brought in to look at national park management, how management plans work and Land Conservation Committee recommendations, which in the 1990s recommended that Mt Donna Buang become a national park.”
Mr Crook made a last personal statement on the issue.
Not just as someone who helps the VNPA, but as a former Australia Day Award winner for the Yarra Ranges Council, and as a Yarra Ranges resident and ratepayer is incredibly disappointing to see the Council attack community members,” he said.
“Instead of just reading the writing on the wall and not putting the mountain bike track through the National Park due to the high amount of damage that it will do. It does sometimes feel like being the fun police, but about putting tracks in places that won’t knock out some the nicest places in the Valley, if not Victoria.”
Star Mail reached out to Parks Victoria for comment but received no response.
