Woodland defended

Jessica Benton
RESIDENTS at Indented Head want to form a community group to strengthen plans to preserve an environmentally sensitive piece of land.
The town’s community association is behind a proposal to establish a ‘friends’ group that would manage an area currently locked up to development.
Indented Head Community Association secretary Ingrid Novosel said Friends of Bengalat Nature Reserve would ensure the area and its strong cultural history were preserved.
“It’s a magnificent area of woodlands and we’re willing to do anything to satisfy council to gain control of the land,” she said.
“We want to name the area after the local Aboriginal clan and we’d love to eventually see some sort of historical display, as well as walking and cycling tracks that link up with the foreshore.
“About half a dozen people have already jumped on board because they appreciate the significance and beauty of the area.”
Ms Novosel said Bellarine Catchment Network had offered to run education courses that would outline the best practices of maintenance. She said the ‘friends’ group also planned to hold regular working bees.
The Independent reported in December that the community association and former ward councillor Tom O’Connor proposed a “land swap” of public land for part of a developer’s site at Indented Head.
The exchange included a four-hectare council-owned parcel of land and 12 hectares at Mira Ira’s Seabreeze Estate.
Mira Ira could not develop the environmentally sensitive 12ha site on Batman Road but would use the council land for residential development under the exchange proposal.
Council would preserve the 12ha site as open space.
A report to council in October recommended against the land swap but former Cr O’Connor called for further investigations of the proposal’s social, environmental and financial implications.
Councillor John Doull told the Independent he backed the exchange and said he supported the set up of a ‘friends’ group.
“It’s important to know that its not exactly a ‘land swap’, but rather an alternative developer’s contribution,” he said.
“I support what the group is trying to do by establishing a friends group to look after the area.
“It would especially help council because they wouldn’t have to monitor the area as much.
“If we got a community group like that, they’d literally be there, working hard and making a commitment to the local community.”
Cr Doull expected the plan would be retabled at council in “a couple of months”.