PARK WATCH Article March 2025 |

Ben Gill, Nature Conservation Campaigner, says recent fires highlight the need for parks protection

Western Victoria has been hit by wave after wave of bushfires in recent years, with over 168,000 hectares lost to flames. The Grampians/Gariwerd have barely had time to recover before being scorched again. Just a year ago, 98 per cent of Mount Cole burned intensely, and large sections of Little Desert National Park have been obliterated.

Lightning strikes, careless campers, arson – whatever the cause, Victoria is one of the most fire-prone places on Earth. In the west, national parks are the last large patches of native forest, islands in a sea of farmland. These fires have gutted habitats, leaving behind a patchwork of scorched landscapes struggling to recover. But recover they will – especially if resources are directed toward controlling key threats like feral cats, foxes, and deer.

Central west still waiting

Amidst so much habitat loss, the unburnt forests of Wombat, Wellsford, and Cobaw are more critical than ever, providing essential refuges for wildlife. The Victorian Government promised to legislate new national parks in the central west years ago. But delays continue, leaving these forests vulnerable.

In Wombat Forest, an outlier population of Greater Gliders hangs on, isolated from their larger eastern range. Mountain Skinks and Brush-tailed Phascogales cling to what remains of their habitat. Over in Cobaw, an island refuge in a cleared farming landscape, Powerful Owls and Brush-tailed Phascogales persist in fragmented forest.

Meanwhile, in Enfield, the rare Enfield Grevillea fights for survival. The Mt Cole Grevillea is even more precarious with 98 per cent of its range burned in the fires. Though an impressive flush of seedlings has emerged, no adult plants have yet been found resprouting from lignotubers. These plants take five years to mature before they can seed, and reduced rainfall underscores their vulnerability. A recovery program led by the Arthur Rylah Institute and the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is underway, but long-term support is critical.

The government knows these forests matter. Independent studies confirmed their importance in 2019. A formal commitment was made in 2021. Yet here we are in 2025, and nothing has been done. Meanwhile, these forests remain at risk from salvage logging, fragmentation, and further damage. Protecting them now is the only way to give biodiversity a fighting chance while fire-hit landscapes recover.

People love parks!

A Monash University survey found that 72 per cent of Australians support new national parks – a sentiment echoed in VNPA polling.

Yet, the central west forests have been in limbo for over five years. The government’s own science supports their protection. But with every year of inaction, they face increasing threats – whether from salvage logging, land clearing, or the next major fire season.

The Allan Government Government said legislation to create the central west national parks will be introduced to parliament this year. We must make sure that promise is delivered.

This isn’t just about conservation – it’s about keeping a promise. It’s about making sure future generations inherit a Victoria where nature is valued, where forests continue to provide vital ecological services, and where real action is taken on climate change. Cuts to parks agencies don’t help, and we need more resources, not less.

Serious fire impacts

The Grampians/Gariwerd fires burnt more than 76,000 hectares. Ecologists have said recovery could take decades, with important wildlife like the Critically Endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies, Long-nosed Potoroos and other small mammals badly impacted.

The burns weren’t uniformly harsh, and less-burnt pockets now provide critical habitat. Park managers, ecologists and wildlife carers are assisting recovery with emergency feeding and temporary shelters.

Fears for Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were eased when remote cameras spotted a mother and joey feeding on carrots dropped as part of emergency feeding operations – including a trial using a specialised drone to deliver food.

The Little Desert National Park fires burnt more than 90,000 ha, mostly in the eastern block of the park, while the west was spared. Sadly, the much-loved Little Desert Lodge was lost.

Strike now against invasives

While visitor access and facilities can be replaced, action against invasive species is time-critical. The control of predators like cats and foxes is crucially important post-fire to protect small mammals, while control of deer and goats will reduce grazing pressure on plants.

Now is the time to act. Fire-affected areas have an open canopy for only a short period, creating an ideal opportunity for aerial shooting. The West Victoria Deer Control Plan 2023-2028 prescribes local elimination of deer, and now is the time to bring forward these plans.

Victoria’s western landscapes have been burnt and battered, but they’re not beaten. Nature will recover, but only if we give it the support it needs.

The fires have made the case for stronger protections clearer than ever. The Allan Government must deliver on its commitment to legislate new national parks in the central west. Victoria’s forests and wildlife can’t afford to wait any longer.

Ask the Premier why nature is still waiting!