AUTHORITIES are encouraging beachgoers to be vigilant of the threatened shorebird; the hooded plover, as they begin nesting on sandy beaches and coastal dunes.Hooded plovers, which are known to nest on the peninsula, are listed as a vulnerable species, with around 700 left in Victoria. The native birds lay eggs in shallow sand scrapes and raise their chicks on beaches between August and March.As part of National Bird Week (October 18-24), the Conservation Regulator, Parks Victoria, and BirdLife Australia have launched Operation Save our Hoodies (SoHo) to educate people to keep well clear of nests, walk along the waterline, and…
Browsing: Parks Victoria
A REVAMP of the century-old Flinders Pier is set to get under way next year after Parks Victoria announced it was progressing its efforts to obtain a heritage permit to undertake repairs.Critical safety works are needed to restore the 1860s-built wooden pier on The Esplanade, as one section of the jetty remained closed to the public since April 2020 because of a “significant risk of structural failure”. The jetty is a popular place for walking, diving, snorkelling, angling and boating, and is part of the Western Port aquaculture industry. The seabed beneath the pier is also home to the weedy…
RECENT storms have caused the collapse of the staircase down to Gunnamatta beach.A Parks Victoria spokesperson told The News “We’re aware of the damage at Gunnamatta Beach following the recent storms and have discussed it with the Lifesaving Club. Signage is in place to ask people to stay away from the damaged staircase. We are waiting for the weather to improve and conditions at the beach to settle down before further action can be taken.” First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 1 October 2024
MORNINGTON Liberal MP David Morris has slammed the previous state government over its “botched” Mornington pier project. His criticism comes just weeks before Parks Victoria names the successful tenderer for the replacement of the outer, condemned section of the pier. In May 2012, the state government announced it would spend up to $15 million to replace the outer section with its 125 pylons, which had been closed since August 2010 after a series of storms weakened the structure. In the Parliament last week, Mr Morris said the project had gone “seriously off the rails” under the Brumby Labor government. “In…
DEVILBEND Reserve was officially opened on Saturday, but the battle between environmentalists, government and fishing groups is far from over. Parks Victoria’s newest reserve was opened by Water Minister Peter Walsh, bringing to fruition more than 12 years of planning and negotiation. Now called Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, the 1000-hectare reserve has an entrance gateway, asphalt entrance road, sealed car park, picnic and barbecue facilities, walking tracks and a boardwalk. Controversially, there are two fishing platforms and the 14,600-megalitre reservoir (an Olympic pool holds one megalitre) was stocked with 5000 brown and 5000 rainbow trout of “catchable” size by the…
DOGS may be banned from Mornington Peninsula National Park, bringing it into line with nearly all other national parks in Australia. Parks Victoria is seeking community feedback before deciding whether to ban dogs from the park, which covers the beaches and foreshore from Portsea to Bushrangers Bay and inland along Main Creek to Greens Bush at Main Ridge. Chief ranger Libby Jude said there had been “numerous reports of dog attacks and threats to local wildlife”. “There are 32 fauna species listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened living in the Mornington Peninsula National Park and we need to protect…
ARTHURS Seat’s historic lookout tower is no more. The 78-year-old concrete and steel tower was demolished last Wednesday by Parks Victoria’s contractors Guilfoyle Australasia. The company used a high-reach excavator that reminded onlookers of a mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex. It chewed through the tower in a matter of hours. On Monday and Tuesday, the contractors salvaged a number of items from the tower, which Dromana and District Historical Society president Peter Holloway hopes will be displayed in an interpretative centre. The centre would either be a small building on the footprint of the tower or part of the top station of…