New national parks to be created in the region

After years of debate, the state government announced on Thursday that 65,106 hectares of new national parks would be established across central and western Victoria.

A 15,000-hectare Pyrenees National Park will be established north-west of Avoca in addition to a 5282-hectare Mount Buangor National Park.

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The national parks will be established by linking existing state forests, parklands and reserves. The largest will join the Lerderderg State Park with much of the existing Wombat State Forest to establish 44,000 hectares of national park between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh.

Conservation parks, covering 5246-hectares, will also be established to protect flora and fauna, while 7560 hectares will be added to expand existing nature and bushland reserves.

Regional parks will be expanded by 27,735 hectares.

The national parks, along with new reserves, aim to balance the protection of habitat for rare and threatened species while ensuring the region remains a drawcard for recreation and tourism.

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Executive Director for the Victorian National Parks Association, Matt Ruchel, was "thrilled" with the decision.

The announcement comes after the Victorian Environmental Assessment Authority's final report from the two-year long Central West Investigation, tabled in August 2019, which recommended a swathe of changes.

Mr Ruchel said the parks would create "critical habitat connectivity over a fragmented landscape and be good for both the environment and local economies".

Gayle Osborne, convener of Wombat Forestcare and one of many who has campaigned for the decision for many years, said it was a positive step forward.

While the VNPA was pleased the government had made the commitment to "permanently protect these incredible natural places for current and future generations," Mr Ruchel said, "the decision has come with strings attached".

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He is particularly concerned about the staged implementation plan which will allow logging to continue in some areas for a number of years as per the government's Victorian Forestry Plan, which will see the government phase out native timber harvesting by 2030.

Meanwhile, recreational deer hunting will continue in the Pyrenees and Wombat-Lerderderg national parks, in the areas where it is currently permitted.

Prospecting will also be allowed to continue in regional parks, bushland reserves, state forest and historic reserves "where these activities will not impact on environmental and cultural heritage values," the report adds, while four-wheel driving, trail-bike riding, mountain biking, bushwalking, picnicking and nature observation will not be impacted.

Stephen Smitham, from the Bush User Group United, said the group would work as one to thoroughly read through it and provide a response during the next few days.

Environment Minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, said the government had listened to the communities that use and care for the areas and was balancing the protection of the environment with the needs of public land users and industry.

While the government response has been tabled, it has not yet been legislated.

Mr Ruchel and Ms Osborne urged the government to legislate the parks as quickly as possible.

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