The Great Outdoors Taskforce consultation officially opened on November 19, allowing Victorians to share their ideas for the future management of the state’s forests. Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos visited Coopers Creek Campground in Gippsland to announce the launch of the consultation.
The Labor Government established the Great Outdoors Taskforce earlier this year to engage with the Victorian community and provide recommendations on the management of state forests in Gippsland, East Gippsland, and the North East.
The taskforce aims to explore ways to open up 1.8 million hectares of Victoria’s native forests, previously used for native timber harvesting, for new recreational and tourism opportunities.
The goal is to protect the aspects of the environment that are most valued by Victorians while also expanding opportunities for outdoor activities. However, the taskforce will not recommend large-scale changes to land tenure.
Dimopoulos highlighted the current range of outdoor opportunities in Victoria, pointing to recent developments such as 31 new and 60 upgraded campgrounds, as well as improvements to 155 four-wheel drive tracks and 16 walking tracks, totaling 31 kilometers, as part of a $106.6 million investment in Victoria’s Great Outdoors.
“Victoria is home to some of the most impressive forests in the world, and we want as many Victorians as possible to enjoy the great outdoors,” Dimopoulos said in a press release.
He added, “We want to grow opportunities for Victorians to enjoy the outdoors and ensure our forests continue to attract visitors from across the globe to camp, bush walk, hunt, horse ride, BMX, four-wheel drive, walk their dogs, fish and more.”
Lisa Neville, chair of the Great Outdoors Taskforce, also offered her perspective. “The outdoors are there to be experienced and admired, not locked away. Our focus is to bring more families to the bush and more jobs to the regions – while still protecting our environment,” said Neville.
The public consultation will remain open until 12 January 2025. To participate, individuals can visit engage.vic.gov.au/the-future-of-state-forests.
