25/06/2024
Hello Everyone
Victoria's state forests are under attack and we need your help!
Currently, a 'Great Forest National Park' is being proposed for Victoria.
While a new national park might initially seem like a good thing, it's just another attempt at taking more of our freedoms away under the guise of environmental protection.
The truth of the matter is that they are going to absorb existing state forests (which is land for public use that anyone can access) into the proposed national park where you will lose access, save for the designated areas they allow.
This means:
• No camping
• No mountain biking
• No motorbiking
• No 4WDing
• No hunting
• No fishing
• No prospecting/fossicking
• No horse riding
• No firewood collection
• Not even bushwalking (you’ll be fined for leaving a designated path)
Those promoting the park will say “you’ll still get to do xyz,” but the reality is they will close hundreds of tracks (to save on maintenance costs and wages for rangers) and keep half a dozen open so they can tell you you’re still allowed to do it.
I could make this a much longer post and talk about how it will hurt towns in rural Victoria through a drop in tourism revenue, how it will contribute to the loss of jobs for rangers in our current forests, and worst of all, lead to worse bushfires as the parks are locked up and fuel is allowed to accumulate, but I’ll save that for another post.
So if you enjoy the outdoors here in Victoria, please take some of these practical steps:
• Join this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1532948714306752
• Sign this petition: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/.../stop-the-creation...
• Write a letter or email to your local MP
• Visit this website: https://notogreatforestpark.org/
Share with a friend or family member who loves the outdoors.
We are a group of Australians united to protect our rights to freely access and use our State Forests and Crown Land without restrictions.