When it comes to protecting the environment, the community, in many cases represented by under resourced and often fragmented groups, struggles to make any headway, for the power lies with governments that can easily ignore the calls for change.

For this reason, I launched this petition to give the wider community the chance to highlight some of the issues facing Western Port and its region. 

While some progress has been made to curtail sand mining in the Western Port Woodlands, the Allan Labor government is still to approve an interim planning protection order.  Undaunted, the Save Western Port Woodlands group is persisting with its negotiations to secure the woodlands’ long-term protection.

Now on the other side of Western Port, a new battle is emerging: “Cerberus Sell Off”.

Led by the Save Westernport group, around 340 people attended a public information session about the Federal Government’s divestment of over 1,100 ha of foreshore land at HMAS Cerberus between Crib Point and Somers.  Reports suggest, the community strongly opposes any plans to subdivide or develop the environmentally significant land.

Allied with these issues, is the constant pressure to open up the region’s Green Wedge environments: non-urban land adjoining Melbourne’s urban growth boundary.  It seems no sooner has one development proposal been repelled, than another arises.  The Western Port Green Wedge Protection Group is doing what it can to save these environments.

Couple these issues with the urban expansion of Pakenham towards Western Port; the multi-million dollar theme park for Arthurs Seat; ongoing sand extraction in the Lang Lang area; the likelihood of a commercial airport at Cardinia; and the proposed Port of Hastings wind terminal facility and its potential impact on Western Port’s Ramsar wetland, perhaps you can see why I keep coming back to the need for a Western Port Region Strategic Management Plan.

Without a strategic plan, I fear the ad hoc planning approach will continue and governments of any persuasion, will lurch from one development proposal to another, never coming to terms with the fact they are dealing with a fragile and interdependent bioregion.

I’ve asked the major political parties to state if they will incorporate a Western Port Region Strategic Management Plan in the policies they take to the Victorian state election in November this year, but will they listen?

If you think you can help, please sign the petition and share it with others, for this is one way of helping the community overcome the political inertia and ensure future generations will inherit an environment where nature and people can live side by side.

Photo: Dave Newman