LCC Murray Valley Area (1982-1985)

Progress

Overview

Notices showing the boundary of the study area and advising that an investigation was to be carried out were published in the Victoria Government Gazette and in local and other Victorian newspapers in April 1982. A descriptive report was published in October 1983. The Council received 278 submissions on the future use of public land from individuals, associations, companies and local and State government bodies.  After considering these submissions and having visited the study area, the Council formulated its proposed recommendations, which were published in July 1984. The Council received 471 submissions commenting on these proposals. The Council published its final recommendations in May 1985. 

The low proportion of public land in the Murry Valley area (9%) contributed to the low level of recommended parks and reserves as a proportion of the study area (2%).

A state park for part of the Barmah forest was recommended to exclude cattle grazing and timber production, although these were ultimately allowed to continue within the park as well as elsewhere within the river red gum forests. Timber harvesting continued until 2003 in part of the state park and cattle grazing continued until the Barmah National Park was established in 2009.  

The descriptive report, proposed recommendations and final recommendations are available from this page.

Most of the Murray Valley Area was included in the ECC’s Box-Ironbark Forests and Woodlands Investigation (1996-2001) or VEAC’s River Red Gum Forests Investigation (2006-2008).