Harcourt residents are lucky to enjoy the natural beauty of a place that affords them bush to exercise and socialise in, views to Leanganook (Mt Alexander), wildlife to encounter, Barkers Creek and rich soils to nourish us and majestic, tall trees to watch over us.

Whether we live in Harcourt township and stroll the streets with our dogs in the morning, or spend our weekends caring for larger properties, whether we grow our livelihood from the land or just seek solace from it after earning our livelihood elsewhere, we all benefit from the land the Dja Dja Wurrung people have cared for, for generations.

And yet we are at risk of losing this. Harcourt was identified in 2014 as a town that can support growth and Mt Alexander Shire Council has been developing Plan Harcourt, the document that shapes how this might look, since 2020. Safeguarding the nature we love in Harcourt hangs on the strength of the environmental protections in this document.

Nature needs you to let Mount Alexander Council know you care about Harcourt's precious natural environment and that you're watching this process with interest, by signing this petition.

We understand that a growing population needs new housing, but we want to see development done in a way that benefits you, your fellow residents and future residents. We want it done in a way that minimises the impacts on our local flora and fauna. The Australian government's Planning for Biodiversity guidelines state that it needs to be demonstrated that environmental benefits of planning action outweigh any costs it will impose (p.17 Step 7).

Research also shows the links between biodiversity loss, climate change, community cohesiveness and poor health outcomes yet this can be avoided by careful and progressive strategic planning. 

While it can feel like Plan Harcourt has been going on forever, now is the time to voice your concern. The second stage of a biodiversity audit is now in progress (because Harcourt Valley Landcare used our voice to demand we find out more about the plants and animals that will be affected). Environmental consultants Ranges Consulting has begun work to find habitat for threatened species, the Brush-Tailed Phascogale, Brown Toadlet and Sun Moth Orchid.

Their report to Council will be complete in June 2024, after which time Council will get to work reviewing and updating planning and environmental controls. These environmental controls are all we have to protect the majestic trees of Harcourt, the bush that small mammals like the Brush Tailed Phascogale, Antechinus and Echidna; and the extraordinary diversity of wildflowers that can be found right here in Harcourt.

Join us in calling for Mt Alexander Shire Council to protect wildlife corridors that allow safe passage for our precious native species from Leanganook (Mt Alexander) to the Walmer Forest. These wildlife corridors include roadside vegetation corridors like Elys Lane, Douglas Lane, Shady Lane and Eagles Rd; and waterways such as Barkers Creek and Picnic Gully Creek. We call for strong protections for Large Old Trees, habitat for the Brush-tailed Phascogale, Brown Toadlet and Golden Sun Moth Orchid.

Image by Gary Chapman

River Red Gum on Reservoir Rd, Harcourt North