Hopes for a new national park dashed, to the delight of hunters
Conservationists had for a decade campaigned for the creation of a Great Forest National Park, which would add another 355,000 hectares of forests to triple the area of Central Highlands that is currently protected.
The expanded national park, joining seven existing forests and state parks, would have offered critical protections for endangered and imperilled animals like the Leadbeater's possum.
But the proposal has been controversial among bush users' groups, who say it would lock recreational park users out.
Gold prospectors, 4WD enthusiasts, shooters, horse riders and other groups, backed by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), have joined forces in a growing campaign against national parks, and have strongly campaigned against the creation of a Great Forest National Park.
Sparked by a renewed push to ban duck hunting in Victoria, the ETU (Victorian branch) in 2023 brought together hunters, bush user groups, rock climbers and prospectors to form the Outdoor Recreation Advocacy Group.
Speaking at an ETU delegates' conference this week, Dimopoulos assured attendees the Great Forest National Park proposal was not Labor policy, and Labor would not implement it.
After the 2014 state election, Labor established a taskforce comprising representatives from environment groups, forestry unions and the logging industry to work towards a consensus on the creation of a Great Forest National Park.
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an hour ago
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