State park a saviour

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
THE Woori Yallock Creek Park Alliance has received bi-partisan support for a project that would form a new state park to protect Victoria’s endangered flora and fauna.
Labor had given a pre-election commitment to Yellingbo’s conservation groups to create a State Emblems Park, as reported in the Mail (Plan for Park, 24 November 2010).
The Liberal Coalition has now enacted the next stage in the plan, to carry out an investigation into public land in the vicinity of the Yellingbo Conservation Reserve.
The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) has been given 18 months to complete its investigation on the best way to manage the land and protect the critical habitat.
Gembrook MP Brad Battin said VEAC would be looking at opportunities for approximately 3250 hectares of public land east of the Dandenong Ranges.
“This work will build on the great efforts of conservation already being achieved in the Yellingbo Conservation Reserve Area, providing information on ways we can further protect the area’s natural assets and identifying more options to reduce threats to vulnerable species like the helmeted honeyeater.”
Friend of the Helmeted Honeyeater Bob Anderson and Johns Hill Landcare Group and Friend of Meander Jeff Latter played a large part in co-ordinating the project, which was first discussed with Monbulk MP James Merlino in 2006.
Mr Merlino has continued to advocate for the State Emblems Park, and brought up the matter in parliament again in March.
“As representatives of this region we need to ensure that our state emblems survive and flourish,” he said.
The pink heath is the floral emblem of Victoria, the Leadbeater’s possum is Victoria’s endangered fauna emblem and the helmeted honeyeater is Victoria’s endangered bird emblem.
Mr Anderson said the alliance would now sit back and wait for VEAC’s report, but they were “quietly confident”.
“We’ve had support from many state departments and organisations, and there are a great number of local conservation groups involved,” he said.
Mr Anderson said the venture was not about land acquisition.
“We don’t want to scare farmers that we’re after land, it’s about managing Crown Land that may not have been managed in the past,” he said.
Previously Mr Anderson had said a state park would be the “natural progression” of what the groups had already achieved, and linking the areas would allow for better management and eco tourism.
The habitat covers the Woori Yallock, Emerald, Sassafras, Menzies and Cockatoo creeks, and the state emblems park would link the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Kurth Kiln Regional Park, Warramate Hills Nature Conservation Reserve and Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve.
The Alliance is made up of Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater, Meander, Macclesfield Landcare Group, Monbulk Landcare Group, Johns Hill Landcare Group, Friends of Sassafras Creek, Friends of Wrights Forest, Friends of Hoddles Creek, Cardinia Environment Coalition and the Upper Yarra and Dandenongs Environment Council.