For Save Western Port Woodlands members and allies, the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes hearing was arduous, time-consuming, costly and also unexpectedly worthwhile. Protecting the woodlands from a surge in sand mining proved to be the major issue of the eight-week hearing, which started in the Wonthaggi Town Hall in early March and closed in Spring Street in late April. Click 'read more' for the full story. After 747 submissions, 27 hearing days, 72 presentations, 32 expert witnesses and 570 documents, the community’s work on the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) hearing is done.
For Save Western Port Woodlands (SWPW) members and allies, it was arduous, time-consuming, costly and also unexpectedly worthwhile. Protecting the woodlands from a surge in sand mining proved to be the major issue of the eight-week hearing, which started in the Wonthaggi Town Hall in early March and closed in Spring Street in late April. Of the 747 written submissions, more than 500 called for an end to sand mining in the woodlands. They came not just from SWPW members but from organisations including the Victorian National Parks Association, the Western Port Biosphere and our two local conservation societies. Protection of the woodlands also formed a large part of the Bass Coast Shire Council submission and presentation. Seven councillors attended on the first day of SWPW’s presentation to the hearing at the Cape Paterson Surf Lifesaving Club. It sent a strong message to the panel that the council and community were united on this issue. SWPW formed an alliance with VNPA and the South Gippsland Conservation Society for the hearing, employing an advocate and calling seven expert witnesses in ecology, biolinks, zoology and planning. Even before the alliance presented its case, the Department of Transport and Planning officers accepted the finding of a conclave of ecologists that the Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy “should explicitly recognise the unique, significant and intrinsic biodiversity value of the Western Port Woodlands corridor as a whole, irrespective of land tenure, and the potential for cumulative, permanent impacts associated with extractive industries in the region.” This was a real breakthrough. It means that for the first time the woodlands are acknowledged, valued and named in official government documents. The State Government can no longer pretend that the extractive industry regulatory system will take care of the community’s legitimate concerns about the impact of sand mining on our last major forest. DTP agreed with the alliance and the council on most points, supporting further work to map the woodlands, to identify biodiversity values and habitat connectivity and to use planning provisions to strengthen protection. However they continued to argue that most of the work must be done after the SPP is completed. The dangers of delay are obvious. The council argued for interim environmental and landscape overlays – a virtual moratorium – over the woodland corridor to protect it while the planning work continues. In a closing submission for the woodlands alliance, Gerard Drew spoke of four decades of conflict and anxiety for the community over destruction of this rare and precious coastal forest. He noted it had been left to the community, rather than the environmental department, to do the work to identify environmental values so they could be protected. Now it’s up to the planning panel to adjudicate. They have 40 business days to report to the Planning Minister, Sonia Kilkenny, and she will make the final decision. Ultimately the decision to end sand mining in our woodlands will be political. SWPW plans further actions to ensure the issue doesn’t slip off the agenda in the meantime. Article and image supplied by Neil Rankine (Landcare & Save Western Port Woodlands member) |
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