Hundreds rally against plan to establish more national parks in Victoria
Hundreds of regional Victorians have come together to protest against a proposed national park east of Melbourne. Supporters of the park argue that it will protect native species and bring millions of dollars into the local economy. However, opponents are worried that the creation of the national park will restrict their access and effectively lock them out of the area, raising concerns about the implications for local land use and community activities.
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00:00 110km east of Melbourne, Steve and Rick Tilley love where they live.
00:07 But they're worried it could be about to change.
00:13 We're surrounded by the bush, so it would affect us very badly.
00:17 The Tilley's fear a proposed national park would restrict their access to that bush.
00:22 And they're not alone. Hundreds of people rallied to voice their opposition to the proposal.
00:27 We need you to use your voices.
00:30 The Great Forest National Park proposal links 500,000 hectares of Victorian forests and conservation reserves into one vast park.
00:39 Supporters say it would protect the environment and facilitate tourism.
00:43 Opponents say it would restrict recreation and damage the economy.
00:47 What we're really worried about is once they turn it into national parks, they will take away all access.
00:53 Supporters say it will open the land up, not lock it down.
00:57 The Great Forest National Park is actually an incredible opportunity to protect these really precious places for all Victorians,
01:04 to allow people to go in and enjoy nature.
01:07 The park was first proposed in 2009. It's not a state government plan, but one of its agencies is floating a similar idea.
01:16 As the state's native timber industry closed, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council released an interim report
01:23 recommending an expanded, linked national park system in this region.
01:28 It will release its final report at the end of July.
01:32 A petition against any new national park has almost 2,800 signatures.
01:38 I'm calling on the Premier to listen to today's response and the voices from regional Victoria today
01:44 and make it clear that they will not be adopting the recommendation from their own agency.
01:48 In a statement, the Environment Minister said there's been no decision on the future of the state forests in the region
01:54 and the council's report is just one part of the process.
01:57 process.
01:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]