Thursday, 4 August 2022

Western Victoria Region

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:43): (1889) My constituency question is for the Minister for Environment and Climate Action and concerns the inconsistency in Parks Victoria’s approach to historic quarry sites in the Grampians National Park. No-one doubts that protection should be afforded to areas of important cultural heritage, but there is a complete failure to employ Parks’ own much-vaunted evidence-based park management. In essence the loss of amenity caused by climbing bans is unfair and discriminatory. It is completely illogical that climbers are singled out and banned when no research indicates rock scars in hard sandstone are at risk from climbing. Worst of all, tourists are not excluded. These artefacts are at ground level, yet daytrippers are welcome. And no protection is in place against feral animal damage or bushfires. So, Minister, on what evidence-based grounds is this discriminatory approach taken?