Latest news with #ParksVictoria
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Helicopter landing site riles locals in this prized coastal area
He said it was inappropriate and concerning that a helicopter could be taking off, landing and flying near such an environmentally sensitive area teeming with birdlife. His group raised concerns about noise, but the tribunal heard expert evidence that the sound produced by the proposed helicopter would be within the legally allowed levels. Queenscliff resident and former councillor David Kenwood, who opposed the application in tribunal hearings, said it was deeply worrying that the distinctive areas and landscape designation had not been considered. 'The great worry of this is the precedent it sets particularly for this area,' he said. 'It's virtually impossible to stop another helicopter operation.' The Borough of Queenscliffe has previously reported nearly 200 bird species have been seen in Swan Bay and that its intertidal mudflats are home to about 10,000 migratory birds each summer. Ramsey's property is located within a rural conservation zone, and it is also covered by a significant landscape overlay and environmental significance overlay. But the tribunal found these were also not relevant to the proposed use in the helicopter landing site application. The Age made multiple attempts to seek a response from Ramsey, including through his lawyers, but he could not be reached for comment. Kenwood said the area beside Lakers Cutting was serene and inappropriate for a helicopter. 'It's probably the quietest place in the borough.' The zoning of the land and its designation as a distinctive area and landscape should have been enough to protect it from uses including helicopter flights, he said. 'You think you've got safeguards, but once you get into VCAT they're not existent.' The tribunal determined the Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy was not incorporated or referred to expressly in the planning scheme. The statement of planning policy sets out a 50-year vision for the area to protect its 'outstanding landscapes and coastal landforms', living Indigenous cultural heritage and history and important infrastructure. The policy lists more than a dozen public entities that are responsible for the declared area, including the Borough of Queenscliffe, Parks Victoria and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. However, VCAT is not among them. Monash University urban planning and design senior lecturer Liz Taylor said the Queenscliffe council had initially refused a permit for the landing site, but later supported the application. Third-party objectors then spoke out against the application at the tribunal hearings. Taylor said the state government declared the Bellarine Peninsula a distinctive area and landscape several years ago, which meant it was part of Victoria's planning provisions. However, she said the state government needed to make a planning scheme amendment to formally incorporate the declaration into the Queenscliffe planning scheme. A Victorian government spokeswoman said work was under way to incorporate the Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy through an amendment to relevant planning schemes. However, it said local councils must consider the policy when making relevant decisions within the declared area. The tribunal granted the permit to Ramsey subject to several conditions, including that flight movements not exceed 16 per calendar month. The helicopter movements can only occur between 7am and 7pm.
The Age
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Helicopter landing site riles locals in this prized coastal area
He said it was inappropriate and concerning that a helicopter could be taking off, landing and flying near such an environmentally sensitive area teeming with birdlife. His group raised concerns about noise, but the tribunal heard expert evidence that the sound produced by the proposed helicopter would be within the legally allowed levels. Queenscliff resident and former councillor David Kenwood, who opposed the application in tribunal hearings, said it was deeply worrying that the distinctive areas and landscape designation had not been considered. 'The great worry of this is the precedent it sets particularly for this area,' he said. 'It's virtually impossible to stop another helicopter operation.' The Borough of Queenscliffe has previously reported nearly 200 bird species have been seen in Swan Bay and that its intertidal mudflats are home to about 10,000 migratory birds each summer. Ramsey's property is located within a rural conservation zone, and it is also covered by a significant landscape overlay and environmental significance overlay. But the tribunal found these were also not relevant to the proposed use in the helicopter landing site application. The Age made multiple attempts to seek a response from Ramsey, including through his lawyers, but he could not be reached for comment. Kenwood said the area beside Lakers Cutting was serene and inappropriate for a helicopter. 'It's probably the quietest place in the borough.' The zoning of the land and its designation as a distinctive area and landscape should have been enough to protect it from uses including helicopter flights, he said. 'You think you've got safeguards, but once you get into VCAT they're not existent.' The tribunal determined the Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy was not incorporated or referred to expressly in the planning scheme. The statement of planning policy sets out a 50-year vision for the area to protect its 'outstanding landscapes and coastal landforms', living Indigenous cultural heritage and history and important infrastructure. The policy lists more than a dozen public entities that are responsible for the declared area, including the Borough of Queenscliffe, Parks Victoria and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. However, VCAT is not among them. Monash University urban planning and design senior lecturer Liz Taylor said the Queenscliffe council had initially refused a permit for the landing site, but later supported the application. Third-party objectors then spoke out against the application at the tribunal hearings. Taylor said the state government declared the Bellarine Peninsula a distinctive area and landscape several years ago, which meant it was part of Victoria's planning provisions. However, she said the state government needed to make a planning scheme amendment to formally incorporate the declaration into the Queenscliffe planning scheme. A Victorian government spokeswoman said work was under way to incorporate the Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy through an amendment to relevant planning schemes. However, it said local councils must consider the policy when making relevant decisions within the declared area. The tribunal granted the permit to Ramsey subject to several conditions, including that flight movements not exceed 16 per calendar month. The helicopter movements can only occur between 7am and 7pm.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
$9,800 fine warning after Aussie driver gets bogged in bushland
Authorities have once again issued a stern warning to Aussies after a man hauling a trailer allegedly filled with illegally felled firewood became bogged in a wildlife reserve. The man was driving a rented 4WD at about 5am on Thursday when he got stuck in mud near Reedy Lake in Victoria's Nagambie Wildlife Reserve, the state's Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) said. Inside a tandem trailer, officers allege they discovered a load of recently cut Red River Gum timber, and another "freshly felled" tree nearby. The trailer and its contents, along with two chainsaws, were confiscated. While it is Illegal to cut up trees from national parks for firewood, numerous states have reported an annual spike in offences during the winter months, prompting officers to ramp up patrols. In Victoria, Taskforce Ironbark, a state-wide initiative led by the Conservation Regulator in partnership with Parks Victoria, has been established to crack down on commercial firewood thieves taking wood from public land. Offenders caught in the act face steep fines between $814 and $9,879. Victorians can legally collect free firewood for personal use from designated collection areas in state forests during the autumn and spring firewood collection seasons. Rules apply around where, when, what and how much wood can be collected. The latest incident comes after another man was intercepted twice in one day by authorities near Reedy Lake on July 2. During a targeted patrol, the man was allegedly caught in the act of cutting up a recently felled River Red Gum tree on the dry lakebed, according to DEECA. Despite being issued a series of infringement notices, the same man was allegedly seen returning to the area that night, prompting officers to seize his trailer, the timber and a chainsaw. "We are working with Parks Victoria and Victoria Police to disrupt illegal firewood harvesting across Victoria and prevent further damage to this ecologically and culturally significant area," Greg Chant with the Conservation Regulator said. "The message to black market firewood operators is that if you're caught illegally harvesting timber from public land for commercial sale, you will be held accountable for the environmental damage, and risk facing prosecution and losing your vehicles and equipment." A couple of weeks ago, two more Victorians were allegedly caught by police "loading freshly cut and split timber" into a tandem trailer in a pre-dawn sting at the Wandong Regional Park. Protected Red River Gums are vital for the environment Red River Gums — alive or dead — are vital to the environment and are protected by law, making it illegal for them to be chopped down. The trees provide critical roosting habitat for local threatened species, DEECA said. Authorities have reminded people that logs, branches and leaf litter aren't waste; they serve as critical habitats and nutrients. Removing them clears away vital shelter and breeding grounds, damages soil health, and impedes natural decomposition, undermining ecosystem function. For live trees, removing vegetation destroys habitat, disturbs native species, and fractures the interconnected web of forest life. 💰 Aussies warned over fines up to $5,500 for illegal bush act 🪓 Warned over $137,850 fines after illegal national park trend 🌳 Incredible discovery at beloved Aussie national park after tragedy Illegal felling of trees 'often undertaken by black market operators' Taskforce Ironbark Manager Brady Childs previously told Yahoo News the "systematic illegal felling of trees for firewood" is often undertaken by black market operators "with full knowledge that the activities are illegal". "The Conservation Regulator's intelligence sources, including community reports, confirm firewood theft occurs all year round, with a significant spike in activity leading into and during winter," he said. Childs said the taskforce targets firewood theft hotspots, working with other regulators both within Victoria and interstate. Officers can issue on-the-spot fines exceeding $814 for breaches of firewood collection rules. More serious offences can attract penalties of up to $9,879 and 12 months' imprisonment. The issue is occurring all around the country, prompting both Queensland and New South Wales to issue alerts last month. The Queensland government warned residents against committing the illegal act after a ute driver was allegedly caught on camera filling up his tray with logs. The Hunter Local Land Services, a division of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has warned significant fines are in place for anyone caught "removing timber or disturbing vegetation" on the state's Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) network. TSRs are sections of publicly owned land in NSW that were originally set aside to allow farmers to move their livestock, such as sheep or cattle, across the countryside. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Age
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Age
Public lockout at Albert Park GP precinct set to triple in length
New laws would allow the Albert Park Formula 1 precinct to be closed to the public for up to three weeks during race periods, extending the current maximum seven-day lockout. The proposed changes, to be introduced to parliament by the state government, are part of the Australian Grand Prix Amendment Bill. The new laws would permit a race 'declaration period' of between seven and 21 days to accommodate the set-up and dismantling of the race infrastructure. The community will be invited to provide feedback on the plan, which also includes updates to corporate and intellectual property rights, new permissions for non-motorsports events hosted by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, and an increased annual state payment to Parks Victoria for the ongoing maintenance of Albert Park. 'The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is one of the highest attended races on the Formula 1 calendar,' Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said. 'This consultation will ensure we're listening to the community as we create a safer and more secure Albert Park.' The proposed changes come as the scale of the Melbourne Grand Prix continues to grow. The 2025 event broke attendance records, drawing 465,498 spectators over four days – an increase of more than 10,000 from the previous year. In 2023 and 2024, Victorian taxpayers paid $100 million each year to cover the shortfall in revenue which failed to meet the costs of staging the grand prix. The government says the new 21-day window will allow for safer, more controlled access for workers and reduced risk for park users during construction periods.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
Public lockout at Albert Park GP precinct set to triple in length
New laws would allow the Albert Park Formula 1 precinct to be closed to the public for up to three weeks during race periods, extending the current maximum seven-day lockout. The proposed changes, to be introduced to parliament by the state government, are part of the Australian Grand Prix Amendment Bill. The new laws would permit a race 'declaration period' of between seven and 21 days to accommodate the set-up and dismantling of the race infrastructure. The community will be invited to provide feedback on the plan, which also includes updates to corporate and intellectual property rights, new permissions for non-motorsports events hosted by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, and an increased annual state payment to Parks Victoria for the ongoing maintenance of Albert Park. 'The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is one of the highest attended races on the Formula 1 calendar,' Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said. 'This consultation will ensure we're listening to the community as we create a safer and more secure Albert Park.' The proposed changes come as the scale of the Melbourne Grand Prix continues to grow. The 2025 event broke attendance records, drawing 465,498 spectators over four days – an increase of more than 10,000 from the previous year. In 2023 and 2024, Victorian taxpayers paid $100 million each year to cover the shortfall in revenue which failed to meet the costs of staging the grand prix. The government says the new 21-day window will allow for safer, more controlled access for workers and reduced risk for park users during construction periods.
