Healesville’s Badger Weir Picnic Area still closed after two years
BUREAUCRACY has kept the gates to a popular Healesville park closed for two years.
Outer East
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BUREAUCRACY has kept the gates to a popular Healesville park closed for two years.
Badger Weir Picnic Area remains shut despite Parks Victoria previously telling Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader works would start by May and finish before spring.
The State Government stopped the public accessing the popular park after wild storms uprooted trees and damaged a toilet block, water tanks and picnic tables when it tore through the region on October 9, 2016.
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Healesville business owner Garry Christie said the community should be outraged.
“It’s an atrocious set of affairs,” Mr Christie said. “It’s hurting Healesville businesses.
It’s all good for people to go to wineries but people also wanted to see the beauty spots.”
He said Parks Victoria’s performance, maintaining the area around the Maroondah Dam had been “dismal”.
Badger Creek mum Renee Feehan, 29, who wanted to hold her daughter’s first birthday at the picnic ground was told by Parks Victoria tenders had only just gone out and it should be opened by the start of 2019.
“I’m so over waiting for it to reopen that I’ve got to the point if finding somewhere else to make family memories,” Ms Feehan said.
Eildon state Liberal MP Cindy McLeish said it wasn’t good enough and put questions about the tender process to Parliament.
Ms McLeish said it was the third time she had asked Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio about reconstruction and an opening date. “With tenders not even awarded there is no chance that Badger Weir will reopen before Christmas,” Ms McLeish said.
“Our community has been misled into believing Badger Weir would open this year.”
She said it was the Government’s responsibility to maintain and repair community assets in a timely manner and keep the community informed about the progress.
Parks Victoria Yarra Ranges area chief ranger Naomi O’Byrne said the design and procurement work for repairs to Badger Weir was complete, and a contractor will be appointed to repair the damage and upgrade the picnic area.
“This upgrade work is expected to be completed by the end of summer,” Ms O’Byrne said.
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