PARKS Victoria has called for “feedback” on a “discussion paper” about development at Point Nepean National Park.
The discussion paper, based on a 2010 master plan, “allows people the opportunity to put forward key issues and ideas in advance of the renewed plan”, Parks chief executive Bradley Fauteux said.
“Point Nepean has a long and rich history, including Aboriginal occupation, its role as an important Australian military and defence facility and most recently as a national park. Protecting this significant heritage to ensure this rich history is conserved for future generations is of primary importance,” Mr Fauteux stated in a letter to Nepean Ratepayers’ Association president Colin Watson.
“Many people have contributed valuable ideas about possibilities for the future of this iconic site, and I look forward to your participation in the development of a master plan for Point Nepean National Park.”
Submissions on the discussion, paper end in March with Parks Victoria aiming to exhibit a final master plan for further comment in June and its adoption late this year.
Mr Watson has criticised the state government for rejecting plans for Point Nepean by the Point Leisure Group (PLG).
He said the amount of public land required by the group for its upmarket development (including spa, boutique hotel and a university campus) was “tiny compared with the overall size of land in Victoria with its national parks”.
Mr Watson says the Nepean Ratepayers’ Association is “very concerned that another proposal may be put forward that has nowhere near the financial benefits that the PLG proposal had, and the government may try and sneak it through to appease the Victorian National Parks Association”.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 January 2016
