Media Release
Local conservation group, Wombat Forestcare, is alarmed that exploration drilling for gold is being carried out along Yankee Road in the Wombat State Forest, south east of Trentham
This area near Trentham is not part of the newly legislated Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and remains a section of the Wombat State Forest where mining is a permitted activity. The state government has promised to change the tenure of this section of forest to a regional park along with approximately 20,000 hectares that remain categorised as a state forest. This undertaking is part of the acceptance of recommendations by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s investigation into the Central West, which has not yet been fully delivered.
As a regional park this area would not be exempt from a gold mine, but it would not be an automatic right. The recommendations from the Central West Investigation Final Report state “Where compatible with recreation, minor resource extraction activities, such as metal detecting and prospecting may also be permitted. These extractive uses are assessed by the land manager for each park and vary depending upon local circumstances and the values present. Regional parks are restricted Crown land under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 with ministerial consent required for exploration, mining and searching.”
Wombat Forestcare is urging the state government to speedily create the promised regional parks as well as the bushland and nature reserves. Gayle Osborne, Wombat Forestcare said:
“We do not want to see an industrial gold mine, with associated road transport and pollution issues, in the Wombat Forest. Residents should be aware that mineral exploration and mining are generally permitted uses in a state forest.”
“The exploration works are being carried out in the headwaters of creeks that drain into the Heritage listed Lerderderg River and it would be immoral for the government to permit a mining licence in this catchment.”
The proposed Blackwood Regional Park is home to the iconic endangered Greater Gliders and Gang-gang Cockatoos as well as many other faunal species. Their habitat needs to be protected so that they will continue to exist in the Wombat Forest.
The local group opposed to mining in the Wombat Forest say:
“No Wombat Gold doesn’t understand how mining can be considered. According to Parks Victoria, ‘visitor recreation is the primary purpose of regional parks.’ A working gold mine and enjoyment of the natural environment cannot co-exist.”
Wombat Forestcare is asking residents to immediately write to the Premier, the Hon. Jacinta Allen and the Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Steve Dimopoulos, with copies to your local Members of Parliament requesting the prompt creation of the promised regional parks and reserves.
