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The Great Forest National Park is a proposed national park in Victoria, Australia. Proponents argue that the park would protect the forests of the Central Highlands and the endangered Leadbeater's possum. They also claim that the park would protect the habitat of the locally threatened native Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) - the tallest flowering trees on the planet, and a large part of Melbourne's water catchment.
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LocationEdit
The park would extend between Kinglake National Park (west) and Baw Baw National Park (east), Lake Eildon National Park (north) and Bunyip State Park (south). It would encompass 355,000 ha of land, including the Yarra Ranges National Park and existing state forests such as the Cathedral Range State Park and Toolangi State Forest.
Public debateEdit
An opinion poll conducted in 2014 showed that 89% of Victorians support a national park in the proposed area. The proposal is also supported by 30 environmental and scientific groups, including the Royal Society of Victoria, Australian Conservation Foundation and The Wilderness Society. Prominent environmentalists supporting the park include David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, Tim Flannery and Bob Brown.
Opponents of the park include the Victorian Association of Forest Industries, that opposes any extension to the state's national park system.
The proposal was a key topic in the 2014 Victorian state election. While the incumbent Liberal-National Coalition ruled out support for any new national park, the proposal was supported by The Greens. The Labor Party was divided on the issue and did not actively support the plan during the election campaign. In 2015 environment minister Lisa Neville expressed support for the national park.
In 2016 the Shire of Yarra Ranges released a report suggesting that the creation of the Great Forest National Park will have little or no positive impact on the Yarra Ranges region and could see more than 260 jobs lost.[1]