council wants halt to logging in Toolangi

report from the roundtable – 8 jun

At this week's council meeting the following motion was moved:

That Council write to Mr Ben Hardman MP, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joe Helper, the Minister for Environment, Mr Gavin Jennings and the Premier, Mr Brumby, calling for an immediate halt to current logging and any future logging proposed on the Bicentennial Trail and Mt St Leonards due to significant adverse impacts on the local economy, tourism features and the environment.

This is a logging coupe in the Central Highlands (which includes the Toolangi region). If logging continues in the region, key areas will turn into this and will impact greatly on our thriving tourism industry in Yarra Ranges.

I was happy to support the motion. In speaking to the motion I talked about the importance of Mt St Leonards and the Bicentennial Trail to tourism and biodiversity in the shire. The Bicentennial Trail is a significant tourism icon not only to Yarra Ranges, but to Victoria and Australia. There is nothing like it in the world and it is immensely popular with horseriders. As it stands at the moment it is currently illegal to use some parts of the trail due to current logging operations, this is shocking use of a tourism icon and its degradation by logging will have a significant impact on tourism in the region and beyond.

Mt St Leonard is an iconic mountain in the shire, it can be seen from Kew, such is its prominence in the landscape. It is a jewel in our landscape, but it is currently being tarnished from logging operations. To make matters worse the wood logged will be mostly woodchipped. We should be focusing on Mt St Leonards as a biodiversity sanctuary, not a woodchipping supply and it would be far better placed being incorporated into the adjoining Yarra Ranges National Park where it could be preserved for future generations.

I urged the ministers to intervene because they have the power to do so. Our community's future lies in tourism not wasted in woodchips.

I'm pleased to say the motion was supported unanimously.