From Victoria National Parks Association (14/12/24)…
‘Chaos’: Parks Victoria under review as national parks promises broken
We’ve been working hard to get this story out to the public. Today the Age reported on how and why your elected leaders are unravelling nature protections in Victoria.
Last week we shared their failure to legislate your new central west parks.
Straight after that came the news Parks Victoria is under review, their CEO gone. Year after year they slash funding for nature, and then wonder why the agency struggles to manage.
The Victorian Government say they’ll legislate the promised central west parks next year. We’ve heard that before.
Tell the premier to stick up for nature
They’re not only throwing the wonders of the west under the bus. It’s the whole state.
In the last twelve months they’ve reneged on ambitious conservation plans and invented new ways and ‘taskforces’ to avoid their legal responsibiities. For what end?
I summed up environment minister’s problem in the article: “…he doesn’t know which portfolio he’s representing. Environment should be about the environment; outdoor recreation, tourism and major events are something else”.
State forests get 16 million visits a year. Our national parks enjoy 54 million visits and safeguard threatened wildlife from extinction. They are undoubtedly popular and precious.
People want to be with nature, where it’s safe. Peaceful.
But this Victorian Labor Government isn’t listening to those people. People who understand the legacy and value of national parks. They’re not listening to the scientists and experts who tell them that nature needs more protection, not less.
We have to kept the pressure up.
After all, the minister for the environment tends to forget what his day job actually is. And who he works for.
For nature,
Matt Ruchel
Executive Director
Victorian National Parks Association
