Re - Wombat State Forest Update

Extract from 4WD Vic July 2004 E-Newsletter

Wombat State Forest
A new Council of Stewards will take over on the 1st August. This Council will comprise a single representative from each working group in the Wombat forest, community groups, recreational users, motorised users and three from the local indigenous communities. It will have an advisory role to the DSE which retains overall responsibility for the forest.

Agreement on the new Council of Stewards has been reached after much hard work following the May 1st meeting. The outcome is in line with the proposals being made by the majority of the people at the Daylesford meeting and has been achieved through consultation rather than a long drawn out balloting process. The proposed ballot will not now go ahead, all of the objectives having now been achieved. Thanks go to everyone who travelled to Daylesford to support your association, this result would not have been received without your support.

I keep talking about the terrific progress that has been made in the Community Forest Management (CFM) project and the barriers that have been broken down because of our involvement in this process.

The Wombat May Day meeting was a stepping stone for our Association in breaking out and breaking down its old stereotype image. Four Wheel Drive Victoria and its members drive in a sustainable environment. We are involved in a myriad of community projects and have a very important management role to play in the forests and parks of Victoria.

There is now a new reference group called TFRO (Tracks, Forests, Roads and Operations). This reference group represents vehicular users, our Association, CAMS and AMTRA, all doing what we do best.

The formation of the CFM as an advisory body to DSE on issues that affect the forest from a local perspective is a terrific move to the future of sustainable forest management involving the local community and major stakeholders.. We look forward to a successful outcome and a CFM that represents the interests of all Victorian in this important initiative.