Save Western Port Woodlands
Dear Woodlanders
The clock is ticking on our efforts to secure part of the former Holden Proving Ground for conservation.
To recap, this is about 400 hectares of very high grade remnant woodland which forms the central chunk of the Western Port Woodlands and is a haven for wildlife, including threatened species. In December Save Western Port Woodland in concert with 20 other environmental and community organisations asked the Environment Minister to buy the site.
You can read the letter here.
Four months later we’re still waiting for a response … even an acknowledgement.
Meanwhile, the real estate company handling the sale has begun a new marketing campaign aimed at the international market.
What might happen if an overseas buyer secures it doesn’t bear thinking about, given that the proving ground is zoned for farming and lies within a designated sand extraction area.
So please – one last effort. Tell the Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos to seize this rare opportunity: steve.dimopoulos@parliament.vic.gov.au
And copy in our local MP, Jordan Crugnale, so she can continue to advocate for us:
Jordan.Crugnale@parliament.vic.gov.au
To see what’s at stake Watch Terry Melvin’s short film What LiesBeyond The Fence.Grantville Family Fun Day
Save Western Port Woodlander will have a stall at the Grantville Hall next Sunday, April 21.
Hosted by Grantville Business and Community Association, this is an opportunity for Waterline residents to catch up with some important news on the campaign and sand mines operating in the area.
A new sand mine set to open in McGrady Road will have a major impact on residents of the Adams Estate. A major development is also pending at the Dandy Premix sand mine at Grantville. Meanwhile, international mining giant Holcim is tight lipped about the future of its sand mines behind the Grantville township and in Glen Forbes.
Talk to our team and learn the latest.
Woodlands honey
While you’re at the family fun day, pick up a jar of honey made by fees foraging on the flora of the Western Port Woodlands.
Emma and Steve Plowright, who own a property in the woodlands, have donated their entire 2024 harvest – their first! – to raise funds for the campaign to save the woodlands.
The honey is $10 for a 140ml jar and has been described by cognoscenti as “light, bright and intensely floral”.
Woodlands honey is on sale at the Grantville Family Fun Day, at the Grantville branch of the Bendigo Bank and at the Wonthaggi Market.
SEANA camp
Save Western Port Woodlands will provide the keynote speakers for the opening night of the South East Australian Naturalist Association annual camp/get-together this weekend.
This year the camp is hosted by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and up to 100 members from around the state are staying on Phillip Island. It’s a great opportunity for us to reach a new and learned audience.
Gerard Drew will give an overview of the SWPW campaign so far while Ed Thexton will talk about the amazing flora, fauna and natural highlights of the woodlands.
