Residents living around the Wombat State Forest are alarmed the state government is nearly a year late in responding to a report recommending new protections for the forest.
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At the request of the Minister for Environment in 2017, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) undertook an investigation into more than 160,000 hectares of public land comprising the Wombat, Mt Cole, Pyrenees and Wellsford State Forests.
Completed in 2019, the final report of the Central West Investigation recommended that large areas of these forests be converted into National, Regional and Conservation Parks to protect the headwaters of seven major rivers and the habitat of more than 380 rare and threatened birds, mammals and plants.
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The recommendations balance the protection of biodiversity with recreational activities.
The Andrews government was required to respond to the recommendations by late February 2020 but is yet to do so.
Released in 2017, Victoria's biodiversity strategy titled Protecting Victoria's Environment- Biodiversity 2037, was created "to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment".
One of its objectives is to "maintain and enhance a world-class system of protected areas".
But convenor of Wombat Forestcare, Gayle Osborne, said the community was yet to see a commitment to this strategy.
"How long do we have to wait for the Victorian government to take environmental issues seriously?" she asked.
It comes as the Little Eagle, which inhabits the Wombat and other forest margins, was recently listed as a vulnerable species in Victoria.
Ms Osborne said this meant the eagle was vulnerable to extinction, adding to the long list of endangered species in Victoria.
In the strategy, Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio stated:
"Despite understanding the importance of our natural environment, not enough has been done to protect it from harm.
"Victoria's biodiversity is in decline. More than half of the state's native vegetation has been cleared since European settlement, and many native plant and animal species are at risk from a range of pressures, including the impacts of climate change.
"The decline of our biodiversity also impacts the future health, wellbeing and prosperity of all Victorian communities."
Ms D'Ambrosio added the strategy was a "turning point for Victoria". She said the government had an "ambitious environmental agenda and is prioritising the care and protection of our natural environment, which in turn will lead to greater economic stability and healthier communities."
At a time when more Victorians are seeking to connect with nature for their health and wellbeing, Ms Osborne called on the minister to act on the VEAC report and protect the natural environments in the investigation area.
"We call on the Victorian government to act on their policies regarding the critical role that Victoria's parks can play in encouraging healthier, more liveable, and more connected communities.
"A healthy environment also provides the people of Victoria with clean water and fresh air."
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Ms Osborne said it was concerning that the government "only listens to the science when it suits them".
She is particularly concerned about a number of recent approvals for mineral exploration licences in the investigation area, and that logging could soon resume.
"The VEAC report was a rigorous scientific study with extensive community and stakeholder consultation and recommended converting 50,000 ha of the Wombat State Forest to National, Regional and Conservation Parks.
"Yet, we are now faced with immediate threats to the VEAC recommendations with recently approved mining exploration licences and VicForests' stated intention to resume logging."
"Now is the time for the Andrews' government to accept the science and commit to the protection of the Wombat, Mt Cole, Pyrenees and Wellsford forests."
Another resident said the lack of action was becoming frustrating.
"We are becoming very frustrated that our forest isn't being given the protection it deserves. Why aren't the politicians listening to the science? A healthy environment means healthy people."
Asked when the recommendations would be responded to and about mining and logging activity in the forest, a spokesperson said the government was aware that stakeholders and communities were "keenly interested in the response to the VEAC report".
"We'll have more to say in due course," they said.
"All currently permitted activities in the investigation area can continue as normal until the response is finalised and publicly released."
