Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Here’s a reminder: you have two days to give an opinion on the draft plan for indigenous co management of five parks in north central Victoria.

We’ve noticed a bit of negativity in some web discussion groups about this proposal, based, as far as we can see, on misconceptions, or worse. In our opinion the draft proposal is a generous effort to be inclusive of all groups in the community. An example, from the document:

‘Prospecting continues to be welcome in many areas of the Parks. However careful examination of the registered Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites identified four areas with a high density of sites where prospecting is currently allowed. In addition, three small fauna refuges that include significant cultural heritage, and where prospecting is currently allowed, were identified. It is proposed to restrict prospecting in these seven areas to protect the significant heritage values.’

In other words, some tweaking has been done to arrangements for this activity. Unfortunately this has been interpreted by some as follows: ‘Dja Dja Wurrung are taking over the management and banning various user groups…prospectors would be excluded from this land grab.’ [Quotes are from a Castlemaine website.’]

Facts are still facts. Let’s judge things on that basis, and not on prejudice and rumour.