By Luke Voogt
A plan for the You Yangs’ future “ignores” the benefits of wildlife tourism and would end Serendip Sanctuary “as we know it”, according to a local tour operator.
“It’s a huge slap in the face to locals,” Echidna Walkabout director Roger Smith said.
“My phone has been running hot with people asking what they can do to overturn this thing.”
Mr Smith labelled Parks Victoria’s draft You Yangs Precinct Master Plan, released this month, as “negligent, bordering on reckless” in “ignoring” the benefits of international wildlife tourism.
“[We] provided a complete, fully-researched and documented wildlife tourism plan to Parks Victoria and they have ignored it,” he said.
While putting aside land for uses such as mountain biking, the plan designated no land for conservation and wildlife tourism, according to Mr Smith.
“This is not about Echidna Walkabout, it’s about the communities of northern Geelong that we have supported for over a quarter of a century,” he said.
“Not only does the draft ignore our ideas, it also disregards the input of many community members and organisations, especially about the future of Serendip Sanctuary.”
Mr Smith said the draft’s plans to remove enclosures at Serendip would end its wildlife breeding programs and turn it into “another boring urban park”.
“This draft spells the end for Serendip Sanctuary as we know it,” he said.
He cited a “decline” in breeding programs at the sanctuary over the past several years in support of this.
Mr Smith believed the plan could lead to over-development at the You Yangs and called for Geelong council to intervene.
In council’s meeting next Monday Deputy mayor and Lara local Kylie Grzybek intends to call for Parks Victoria to “resolve community concerns” about the plans.
Cr Grzybek said several community groups felt Parks Victoria had neglected their concerns in the draft plans, despite surveying more than 1000 people beforehand.
“They feel like wildlife conservation is a big missing part of that plan,” the Windermere ward councillor said.
She plans to introduce a motion in council’s last meeting before going into caretaker mode, requesting Parks Victoria form a community-based stakeholder reference group for the project.
The motion also recommends council chief executive officer Martin Cutter write to Parks Victoria to raise community concerns about the plans.
The draft plans are available until October 16 at engage.vic.gov.au.
