environmental destruction on freeway construction

Peninsula Link Pushes Through
Leader Newspaper
31 May 2010

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Where is government accountability in all this? It is scandalous that work has commenced on Peninsula Link without a finalised Environmental Management Plan.

This latest action by the Brumby Government has shown that we cannot have faith in processes supposed to protect our unique flora and fauna.

Sadly it is what we can expect for Melbourne's precious Pines Flora & Fauna Reserve. It is tragic to think that Melbourne's last intact remnant bush at the Pines will be decimated this way.

Under Brumby's leadership can we expect The Pines habitat will be trashed too with no regard to protection zones or relocation? The extent of the impact doesn't end here, in the Mornington Peninsula the freeway will have severe impacts on green wedge land and the future of agriculture in this region. Not to mention the amenity impacts and effect on peninsula biodiversity.

It is a travesty that this project has commenced when other solutions are available for Melbourne's South East. Roads are not a solution to congestion, they only create congestion and cost us and our environment dearly.

note: the images in this story were taken by a local after construction of Peninsula Link commenced.

the bandaid budget - weeds are taking over this state

Those volunteers who work tirelessly to improve our environment have good reason to disappointed with John Brumby’s bandaid budget.

Victoria has a crisis in transport, a crisis in water, a climate crisis, a housing crisis, a preventable disease crisis and a weed crisis. This budget treats the symptoms, but it ignores the causes of the crisis.

The budget contains insignificant amounts of funding to address the serious issue of invasive plants and animals.

“Weeds are overtaking our environment, they have a significant affect on water quality and quantity, contribute to extensive land degradation, impact heavily on habitat and biodiversity and create greater fire hazards”, said Samantha Dunn, Greens Upper House candidate for Eastern Victoria.

The amounts allocated to tackle weeds in high risk rural areas, for control programs in national parks and to outer suburban councils is paltry and just window dressing. “If the government is truly committed to tackling the weed crisis, then they need to provide appropriate levels of funding, this budget is a bandaid and a flimsy one at that”, said Samantha.

The Greens want to get to the root of our state’s weed problems and see effectively funded programs in place.

Hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly to rid our environment of weeds, but they need help, they need the resources to help them. Amongst many weed issues is that environmental weeds are not declared as noxious or regionally significant so local governments and community groups miss out on funding allocations through current state government programs targeted at noxious weeds.

However environmental weeds cause major problems in many of the interface regions of Melbourne. The problem is so great that the state needs to provide greater levels of support to community, to local government and to farmers trying to hold back what is fast becoming an explosive situation in Victoria.

“This budget has shown the government has little understanding of the problem and no commitment to truly tackle the weed crisis in Victoria.”

veac under threat

The Victorian Government has released plans to change conservation laws including abolishing the Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC). Without VEAC future habitat protection in Victoria is at risk.

In the past VEAC and its predecessors have been instrumental in the creation of Victoria's National Parks and Reserves. VEAC has provided an independant, scientific evaluation of ecological values across Victoria and provided advice to government on what to protect.

The last thing our environment needs is to lose VEAC.

VNPA are asking people to gather signatures for their petition to support VEAC or sign their online petition.

VEAC have been instrumental in seeing these great places in Victoria protected:
Croajingalong National Park
Grampians National Park
Alpine National Park
Yarra Ranges National Park
Marine parks and sanctuaries covering 5.3% of coastal waters
Big Desert Wilderness & Avon Wilderness parks
Box Ironbark and Goldfields Heritage parks
Great Otway National Park
and most recently the River Red Gum National Parks