Wednesday, 21 February 2024

The Briars, Mount Martha

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (19:18): (539) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment. The action I seek is for the minister to take steps to ensure that the Briars wildlife sanctuary in Mount Martha in my electorate and other similar wildlife sanctuaries are better protected from decisions such as that made last year by Mornington Peninsula shire to hold a Harry Potter sound and light show within the fenced sanctuary. In August last year the Mornington Peninsula shire decided in a closed meeting to host a Warner Brothers Harry Potter sound and light show within the fenced wildlife sanctuary of the Briars. This was revealed to the public in late December last year, with much of the community being blindsided by this decision and with much condemnation then flowing and snowballing from there.

Soon a petition was launched, which I signed and promoted at the end of December. I also put out a public statement saying the event itself was right, but the location of the event was wrong given its impact on flora and fauna, including nocturnal and diurnal animals – even including a pair of nesting vulnerable powerful owls, rescued wallabies and more. I also at the time wrote to the shire CEO and to all Briars ward councillors at the end of December and the start of January calling on the event to be moved and suggesting the community Mornington Rotary forest in the Briars as an alternative location, as suggested to me by local and former councillor Anne Shaw. This suggestion was unfortunately rebuffed at the time, but then the online petition garnered over 22,000 signatures calling for the event’s relocation. Media also publicised the issue, with it making local, Victorian, Australian and even international newspapers; social media; TV, including news and current affairs programs; and radio. Locals, environmental groups and so many others banded together, with the Save the Briars group set up and a community meeting organised in Mornington that attracted over 200 people and which so many passionate locals spoke at.

In the end there was a win for grassroots community advocacy. I am very happy to say that the Mornington Peninsula shire, with Warner Bros, decided to relocate the event to the Mornington Rotary community forest in the Briars, as originally suggested. This is a win-win, as the Harry Potter event can go ahead in a suitable location, not in a fenced wildlife sanctuary. It was an absolutely dogged campaign that saw the community unite to protect the only fenced sanctuary on the Mornington Peninsula, and I was proud to be a part of this campaign and see the community stand up. The event would have had a devastating and tangible effect on local wildlife and disrupted already fragile ecosystems. In particular people like Louise Page, Anne Shaw, Peter Rawlings and so many others should be acknowledged. I acknowledge a couple of the 11 shire councillors who opposed this event to begin with but also other councillors who were able to change their minds after the further evidence was given and following the community advocacy. But this decision should never have been made in the first place, and I hope that the minister can look at what can be done to further protect such sanctuaries into the future.