Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Adjournment

Warrnambool foreshore vegetation

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:00): (761) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is for the minister to direct his department to cut back and where necessary replant areas along the coastal boardwalk and surf lifesaving club in Warrnambool for the safety of locals and visitors. The lack of visibility due to the density of so-called native vegetation is causing a significant safety risk for people along parts of the boardwalk, particularly women, due to fears that the dense foliage leaves them vulnerable to being attacked. Similarly, the surf lifesaving club is struggling to look out for beachgoers because of the growth, and it is obstructing their vision on parts of the beach that they supervise. The club have been asking to restore the visibility they once had of the beach so that they can keep the community safe.

There are dozens of families in Warrnambool who have been involved with the surf lifesaving club for more than 60 years and know the area intimately, going back to when only marram grass was there holding together the dunes. They are committed to the safety of their community and understand the environment that they have been working and playing in for decades and in some cases generations. So imagine the community’s surprise when none of these families were consulted by the department during a recent visit. What the community got instead from consultants was a grand vision of a raised boardwalk with new plants to be introduced underneath the current overshadowing trees, which will subsequently be removed much later when the new plants underneath have supposedly established. But if you know anyone who knows a thing or two about the area or anyone working with the natural environment, whether it is gardens, landscaping or indeed farming, they will tell you that expecting young plants to try and grow in these circumstances is laughable. The effects of shading from the dense population of tea-trees will prevent younger plants from establishing, and the removal of the old-growth tea-trees will also inflict trauma on the root system. This planned approach by the department simply will not work. Like in many old gardens, there comes a point when some plants just need to be removed and new ones planted to replace them. It does not have to take place all at once and we recognise dune stability is a concern, but it can be done strategically without harm to the dune structure.

I said ‘so-called native vegetation’ because while tea-tree is indeed native to Australia it is not native to this spot. The boardwalk was constructed in the 1980s, and the tea-tree and other species were planted alongside and have spread considerably. They were not present prior to the boardwalk’s construction, so the excuse of them being native and therefore protected is hindering safety. Tea-tree is clearly good for stabilising the dunes, but being too scared to trim them back and replace them when necessary with new native plants is affecting the community’s safety. Rather than waiting for tragedy to strike, the government needs to get on with its task and get the balance right between caring for our natural environment and the safety of our community and swimmers so that the surf lifesaving club can do their job – and apply some common sense. Action should be taken now.