Premier unlocks bush tourism boost By AIDAN KNIGHT   PREMIER Jacinta Allan made use of her time in the Latrobe Valley last week, by pairing her public transport announcement at Traralgon station with another of equal importance to the area and Victoria generally. Alongside Minister for the Environment Steve Dimopoulos and Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh, Ms Allan addressed media to unveil the state government’s investment of $30 million in unlocking 1.8 million hectares of state forest to boost regional tourism. This will take place in both Gippsland and North East Victoria. “Our forests remain open to every single Victorian and visitor alike – to enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, bushwalking and all the benefits of the bush”, the Premier said. Also announced was a further investment into amenities for outdoor recreation totalling $14.2 million, in key spots that include Chenes Bridge, Heyfield. “Victorians love the bush, it’s part of who we are. We love to get out with families, to go camping, dropping a line in a river somewhere, taking a quiet moment to go fishing,” Ms Allan continued, but the bigger focus of the press conference was of the staffing this would bring. “We’re putting more boots on the ground”, was the wording used to announce a further $7.2 million was being put towards employing and training park rangers . Minister Dimopoulos told the Express he was looking forward to DEECA getting more staff to “get on the tools, so to speak”, as these are parks not managed by Parks Victoria. On the numbers and location of rangers, he said: “It’s roughly around 16 additional rangers, and it will be around predominantly the Gippsland area, the great outdoors Task Force area.” “We’ll have more information to say about where they’re stationed, how they travel around, and can I just say that’s just on top of the base we already have, not to assume we don’t have any resources out there. “We have a bunch of resources out through Gippsland, but this is an uplift, and it will include Walhalla,” he went on to say, ensuring to mention one of the local forested areas that suffered more severely from illegal dumping and other undesirable behaviour last holiday season. Stroll: Member for Eastern Victoria Region Tom McIntosh, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos tour the new Traralgon station platform. Photographs: Katrina Brandon A new Illegal Dumping Taskforce has also been established to protect the environment and preserve the amenity of natural areas. Mr McIntosh joined the conversation to detail the actual management of the land being opened up for outdoor adventurers, with the simple phrase of “It’s really hard to appreciate what you can’t enjoy.” “Conversations I’ve had, whether it’s local pubs, whether it’s supermarkets, they really want to get people in. I think a significant part of this is the pest and weed management. We’re not talking to land care groups, whether it’s farmers, whether it’s locals, they just want to they really appreciate this support.” Another key initiative under the same umbrella is the $4 million Healthy Forests Pilot Program, which will initially focus on timber towns like Orbost and Noojee. The program aims to reimagine forest management by incorporating multiple community values, including tourism, recreation, and environmental conservation. The Minister for Environment said Victoria’s new forest management trial will take a more holistic approach, recognising the many different ways people value state forests beyond their ecological importance. The pilot program will incorporate a range of community priorities, including tourism, recreation, economic use, and Traditional Owner values, into a single management framework. This approach aims to ensure local communities see themselves reflected in how Victoria’s public forests are managed in the future. The initiative forms part of a broader push by the state government to encourage outdoor recreation and tourism across regional Victoria. Over the past month, the government has made a series of related announcements, including new hunting opportunities, additional mountain bike trails in the Alpine region, and a multi-year agreement with Four Wheel Drive Victoria to help maintain off-road tracks. The plan comes after extensive community consultation, with more than 20,000 Victorians providing input through recent inquiries and task forces. Mr McIntosh emphasised the economic potential, noting that improved outdoor facilities could significantly boost regional tourism and local businesses. The government expects the plan will create new jobs, encourage outdoor recreation, and provide economic stimulus to Gippsland’s communities. The Express prepared a multitude of questions for the Premier on a range of other topics important to the Latrobe Valley, such as the machete amnesty program and ESVF levy, but were not permitted time to raise these issues after both pressers were complete and the Premier departed. Also while in town, Ms Allan made stops at Mirboo North Secondary College for a school visit, and Erica for the Healthy Forest Plans Pilot alongside Baw Baw Shire Council members. Local media were not informed of either event until a day later.

LV Express: Premier unlocks bush tourism boost #News #ChenesBridge #DEECA

Beware the magpies this swooping season LATROBE Valley residents are once again being urged to take care outdoors, with swooping season underway across the region. Magpies aren’t the only culprits. Plovers are also known to defend their nests during Spring, swooping at passers-by for up to two months while protecting their hatchlings. Both species are driven by instinct rather than aggression, and usually only swoop as a warning to ward off perceived threats. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has reminded residents that swooping season is short-lived but serious, and that harming native birds is illegal. DEECA senior wildlife project officer, Simon Ruff said not every bird will swoop, but those that do can remember faces and reactions for years to come. “Not all magpies swoop during the breeding season, so the presence of birds doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be targeted,” he said. “The behaviour normally stops soon after the young leave the nest.” While most swoops are harmless, injuries can occur if proper precautions aren’t taken. Authorities recommend cyclists dismount in known hotspots, or add deterrents like zip ties or stick-on eyes to their helmets. Walkers and joggers are encouraged to travel in groups, slow down in high-risk zones, or carry protection such as umbrellas and wide-brimmed hats. Latrobe City Council has urged residents to remain alert, look out for warning signs in parks and along shared paths, and avoid known swooping zones where possible. A swooping bird map is available online at: www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/managing-wildlife/swoopingbirds, where residents can also log new sightings.  

LV Express: Beware the magpies this swooping season #News #australia #DEECA

Coastal area considered for petroleum exploration A petroleum exploration licence may be offered for an area between Woodside and Seaspray. The state government has received requests......

Gippsland Times: Coastal area considered for petroleum exploration #News #DEECA #gippsland **Paywall**

Morwell dog attack and roaming dingoes By AIDAN KNIGHT   ON the same week Latrobe City Council moved motions surrounding the restrictions and policies on domestic animals, the community saw incidents involving a variety of pets. On Wednesday, July 2, Police attended a case of a domestic dog attack in the Manny’s Market plaza, Morwell. A man was seated at a coffee table within the market, with a dog on lead within the plaza around 9.30am, menacing anyone who happened to pass by. The owner reportedly made little effort to restrain the dog, which was of the American Pit-cross description (according to Latrobe City Council). This caused some alarm to customers and disrupted business, which was quickly noted by Mark Effenberg, owner of Out Of Dough Bakery, located within the plaza. “Every time a customer came past, the dog would lunge”, he said. “And he’d pull it back, but then let it do it again. It got to a point where a couple of our customers were saying (to staff) ‘that dog shouldn’t be in here’, so I said to him ‘look, mate you need to get your dog out’.” The man was disgruntled by this request, and began to get defensive. “He then stood up, and let the dog loose on the lead”, Mr Effenberg recounted, “one moment he had the lead all tight and the next it was completely slack, and the dog then bit me on the hand.” Mr Effenberg then repeated again to the man that him and his dog needed to leave the market, only to receive more hostility from the pet-owner. The man claimed it was a companion dog of some sort, which Mr Effenberg did not dispute or question, simply stating “I don’t care what kind of dog it is, it is not welcome in the market”, referring to it’s menacing nature and eagerness to bite anyone who approach it. “He let go of the lead again, and it bit me in the groin”, Mr Effenberg said plainly. He is now sporting a 15 centimetre bruise across the area and had to seek medical attention as a result of the attack. Police promptly attended after the situation escalated, but the owner of the offending animal “bolted”, according to the victim. At the time of the Express speaking with Mr Effenberg, there had been no follow-up from council on what was being done about the dangerous dog, or whether it was even being deemed as such. Mr Effenberg was disappointed by this apparent lack of action, stating he had seen the dog and owner walking the streets hours later that day, and called council to no avail. To his knowledge, the animal was still not apprehended, which he sees as a threat to the community. “If that happened in Melbourne, or if it was a kid who had been bitten, it would have been impounded,” he said, shaking his head. When giving his police statement on Friday , July 4, Mr Effenberg was informed that the same dog had bitten police officers the week before, which he feels indicates there is a lack of adequate community safety around dangerous animals. Aside from the bodily harm and distress, the incident also cost Out Of Dough business. “We lost customers while it was all going on, and these sorts of things have an impact on all businesses around the town”, he said. “Police aren’t allowed to do a whole lot around these sorts of things, and they don’t have enough resources lately with the mushroom case (Erin Patterson trial) and everything else going on as it is.” Mr Effenberg told the Express that the same dog had been on record as being in the pound on multiple occasions prior, meaning it was already known to council.   A DAY later, two dingoes were spotted roaming the streets of Traralgon East. Kept as pets in the area, the native animals were seen strutting around suburbia, specifically the Furlonger/Cameron Street area last Thursday (July 3) around 2.30pm. Police and DEECA quickly attended, and Latrobe City Council publicly informed residents to call 000 if they sighted the dingoes, although they only stated that one singular pet was loose. The Express spoke to a resident living in the area (who wished to remain anonymous), and was informed that several dingoes had been escaping from the same property for years due to inadequate fencing. “I would call them semi-domesticated,” the resident said. “They would not attack a human, and they would follow you home if you led them back to their property, as my partner often did when they were roaming. “Back in September 2023, one dingo was getting out consistently, and we had to euthanise our cat after the dingo attacked it.” The resident tells of one dingo entering their property during the day, where they keep multiple cats. The resident inquired with Latrobe City and DEECA concerning the fencing of the property in 2024. “He (the owner) just claimed that he could not keep it in the yard and paid for half of the vet bill,” the resident said, but claims the owner had not made any effort to better restrain the native animals, which he is registered to keep such pets under the relevant permits with DEECA. The resident alleged the owner of the dingoes has had two put down in the past, after similar incidents. “I don’t have a problem with dingoes, I’ve always been a big supporter of them, but personally don’t think they have a place in suburbia,” the resident said. Police declined to comment on the matter. While council’s revised domestic animal policy, discussed at the June 30 council meeting, included provisions for cat curfews and dog barking complaints, these two incidents have prompted further public discussion about council’s response to roaming or dangerous animals.. “Council wasn’t overly concerned with the fencing, or lack of,” the anonymous resident said concerning the dingo incident. Latrobe City Council was approached for comment on both incidents.

LV Express: Morwell dog attack and roaming dingoes #News #DEECA #Dingo

Neighbourhood batteries in #Victoria - an orderly program for #climateAction where #DEECA is the link

Another look at Tallangalook – drone survey In early 2023 Save Our Strathbogie Forest conducted surveys for Southern Greater Gliders and other tree-dwelling mammals in the Tallangalook burn unit in the Strathbogie Forest. Prior to our survey…

#Drones, #GreaterGlider, #plannedburns and holding govt to account.
🌏 #wildlife #nature #auswildlife #DEECA
#strathbogieforest

strathbogiesustainableforests.wordpress.com/2025/05/28/a...

The only solution government ever has to almost any situation involving wildlife is #killing...all alternative solutions are always deemed "too costly...inefficient" Shoot the #brumbies #wolves #bears #DEECA = 💩 for brains

The only solution government ever has to almost any situation involving wildlife is #killing...all alternative solutions are always deemed "too costly...inefficient" Shoot the #brumbies #wolves #bears #DEECA = 💩 for brains

This “out of control bushfire” is an escaped planned burn, though you wouldn’t know that from the headline or summary.
#plannedburn
#bushfire
#Victoria
#DEECA
#FFMV

Tyers Road in need of cutting back By KATRINA BRANDON   COMING up to summer, the CFA has been advising the public to clean up their local areas for flammable vegetation, but on Tyers Road, a local resident has raised concerns about a government-owned area that has been neglected.…

LV Express: Tyers Road in need of cutting back: By KATRINA BRANDON


 


COMING up to summer, the CFA has been advising the public to clean up their local areas for flammable vegetation, but on Tyers Road, a local resident has raised concerns about a government-owned… #News #CFAAllanStewart #DEECA