I oppose private development in the Vic. Nat. parks

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I must say Premier of VIC.[ Chief Tory Rock ape ] , Big Ted's plans to put a Golf course , a 5 star hotel and a KFC in every Nat. park is just wrong and I will be joining the fight with the VNPA to stop this rock ape trashing these places of unspoiled beauty in the name of a $$.

[Kinsayder]

I'm with you 100%, Paidal. I don't mind if they do some work on tracks (or something radical in the GNP like actually opening them again) or even building some low impact huts that hikers could use and even pay a nominal fee for but anything beyond that is plain wrong and the type of thing you'd sadly expect from their clan of privileged right-wing developers.

I'm really surprised that there hasn't been more made of this issue here. It reminds me of the old statement; First they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
So if you hear of anything I could lend my support to, let me know, Paidal, because bad things happen when good people do nothing.

[Pongo]

I'm really surprised that there hasn't been more made of this issue here... So if you hear of anything I could lend my support to, let me know, Paidal, because bad things happen when good people do nothing.

Hear hear!

[Nuts]

We have some notable privately owned infrastructure down here. I have always been opposed to it, always will. The irony is that they seem to be the very assets parks should exploit themselves (commercially speaking), if at all. I think it's like a collective inferiority thing.. 'Let it happen' rather than 'bring it on'..

[TerraMer]

I grew up in a NP on a small privately owned lease hold. The NP took such a huge portion of our profit we came very close to bankruptcy. Some fellow lease holders were not so lucky. We were hit by so many fees it wasn't funny while the big resorts were left alone in comparison. Thankfully, after my father took them to court and fought for fairer fees measured against quality and quantity of services, many of the smaller businesses up that particular road were given some slack. But back then we were not seeing where our money was going and the services they claimed we paid for were poor and, in some cases, non-existent. I hope it has changed otherwise I pity the poor buggers trying to make a living in a NP through small private business.

I oppose franchise and large development because they generally mean too much money and insufficient monitoring of environmental and cultural damage. And private development in Vic Parks has a very bad track record for damage and destruction of sites of cultural/aboriginal significance, near extinction of colonies of threatened species, irreversible damage to habitat...

Where I grew up the NP had very stringent rules for building materials, colours, textures, proximity to trees, road surface, capacity, lighting, signage, etc, etc.It was difficult to get approval to fix and/or build anything but it was a very important part of maintaining a balance with the natural environment we lived and worked in. Unfortunately these rules didn't apply, at least not to the same degree, to larger more profitable enterprises up the road and they have been making a mess of their patch of lease hold for decades and not being held accountable except by a handful of us who don't mind voicing our opinions and sharing them with anyone interested like the news.

Small, well managed and environmentally sensitive private enterprise is great with strict limitations on expansion or development.
Large, laissez-faire, environmentally threatening private enterprise is bad news from any angle the government takes.

[MartyGwynne]

Bring it on make it happen when are we going to get this happening it has been too long to wait for this to happen.........
Oh my god I will have to wait and see what they/it/??? are going to propose.
I do know that where I go no 'tourist' is going to want to go there as to make a road there is going to far outweigh the return anything is going to get even if the silly vic gov is willing to subsidise it.
OK some of the big ticket items such as Otway's and Prom are going to get development (maybe with some protests to rein it in a bit - no more than 40 storeys at tidal river) but if you have to drive for hrs to get there on roads which wash away every other 100 yr event then I don't really care much.
The Vic Gov is just going to ttry to milk them dry of all money they can.
Current built up NP's The Prom. Baw Baw NP Mt HOtham. so forth and so on.
I think and hope - fear not.
Marty.

[Pongo]

I'm not sure why we don't incentivise development external to the parks, then take a management approach with what's there. That to me is a simple and eco friendly approach. This is just a grab for cash grab, which appeals to the vanities of the modern consumer.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The kind of ' pave paradise and put up a parking lot' bad trip these development for $$$ rock apes are on will only be affordable by pudgy cashed up high rollers in Toorak tractors/Cremourne cruisers so it will trashing nature by the rich for the rich.
The VNPA are running a HANDS OFF THE NATIONAL PARKS campaign. Please get involved if you suspect the worst will always happen when the Tory Govt. rock apes know the price of everything and the value of nothing and good people do nothing . Not tears, money or toil can bring these places back once they are turned in to Northland crossed with Mt Buller ski resort .
Big Ted wants to open the parks up to resort style developments, mining, cattle grazing, logging and G*d knows what else.
Imagine if a sealed road was built from Licola right up to to Mac Springs or a all weather road was built from Merrijig to Mac springs.
This wouldn't be cost effective or at the top of their list, but if the rock apes get away with trashing the Prom , Mt Buffalo , the Grampians,Croajingalong and the Great Ocean road reserves/parks then that is the beginning of the end.