Northern Victoria Region
Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:57): (1828) My question is for the Minister for Environment. The current Macedon Regional Park Strategic Management Statement was written in 2009, and even though the area has changed drastically it has not been updated since. In its 2021 central west report the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council recognised this and recommended that as a high priority a new management plan be prepared. Since the last management plan was created 16 years ago the Macedon Ranges has undergone an exponential growth in population and in tourism. To echo the words of the hardworking Mount Macedon Landcare president Kate Lawrence:
We need a master plan based on wide community discussion and deliberation so we can balance the needs of the environment with the needs of tourism, fire protection and cultural history of the ranges in a cohesive and considered way.
So my question is: will the minister provide an update on the creation of a new comprehensive management plan for Macedon Regional Park?