PARK WATCH Article December 2024 |

Executive Director Matt Ruchel mulls over how promises for better protection and new parks became lost in the wilds of an anti-park echo chamber

For years, the Andrews/Allan Labor Government promised ‘the largest expansion to our forest reserve system in our state’s history’.

But, despite deep, enduring public support for national parks and nature protection, these commitments have veered off track. In May 2023, the Victorian Government planned ‘an advisory panel to consider and make recommendations to Government on the areas of our forests that qualify for protection as national parks, the areas of our forests that would be suitable for recreation opportunities…’

This process, called the Great Outdoors Taskforce, was established to look at the north-east and east Gippsland state forest areas. The first formal communication to nature and community groups, contained a clear back track: ‘…the Taskforce will not be making any recommendation for large-scale changes to land tenure, including not creating any new national parks’.

Five years ago in 2019, a similar commitment for the Central Highlands was made for ‘…an advisory panel to consider and make recommendations to Government on the areas of our forests that qualify for protection as national parks, the areas of our forests that would be suitable for recreation opportunities…’ which established an Eminent Person Panel for Community Engagement to look at the Central Highlands and potential for Great Forest National Park.

The public consultation process has been hijacked by recreational interest groups and political posturing from opposition and minor parties. While only representing a small but noisy minority, their theatrics seem to have unsettled the Allan Government.

In June 2024, cracks began to show when the new Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, told ABC Drive that the idea of creating new national parks was a ‘myth,’ contradicting earlier promises. Although he later softened his stance in a Guardian article in July, acknowledging the importance of public input, the damage may have already been done.

We understand the Eminent Person Panel’s final report has been submitted, but at time of writing the Allan Government has not publicly released it. This raises questions: by bluntly avoiding considering new national parks is the Taskforce acting independently, or are our elected representatives peddling mixed messages?

Meanwhile, the social media misinformation campaign against national parks is failing to sway the broader community. Support for national parks remains overwhelmingly strong across Victoria, regardless of where people live or their backgrounds.

Recent statewide polling, commissioned by VNPA and The Wilderness Society and conducted by Red Bridge Group, found that 84 per cent of Victorians see national parks as important, and 80 per cent support creating new ones, while only 8 per cent oppose them.

The polling also shows that many voters would reconsider their long-term political allegiances if key nature protection promises aren’t met: 34 per cent might shift their vote if Labor fails to establish the Great Forest National Park, and 48 per cent might vote against the Coalition if it opposes new parks.

Over half of all Victorians said that presence of a national park would make them more likely to visit regional Victoria. People support national parks not only for conservation but also for passive recreation, like short walks, birdwatching and photography.

Activities like hunting and trail biking have far less public support, with fewer than five per cent of Victorians participating.

These results are consistent with previous state and national polling, and no surprise to us. But the message seems to be lost on the current Labor Government, who, incidentally, hold the worst record on new park creation in recent times.

Nature protection shouldn’t hinge on special interest groups who want to capture 1.8 million hectares of public land to pursue their own, exclusive hobbies. There’s room for both, but our most rare and special places, habitats and wildlife need the highest level of protection – and that includes new national parks.