Dear Editor,
Gannawarra Shire Council promotes itself as “Victoria’s Nature Based Tourism Destination” with up to 175,000 people currently camping in Gunbower Forest each year with a conservative benefit of $8m to the shire by 2030, according to a report presented to Council in March this year.
The Central Murray Environmental Floodplain Group Inc., along with many others, have serious concerns about this over-exaggeration as to the benefit to the shire as a result of the environmental watering of the forest.
As an environmental group, we have undertaken our own monitoring of the tourists in the forest, both along the Gunbower Creek and along the Murray River. Between May and September this year we have conducted 26 surveys and found an average of 56 campers per day not the 479 required to meet the shire’s figures.
These figures may even have been lower over the past three years with many tracks being closed for up to 12 months as a result of the environmental water.
The number of tourists clearly has a direct relationship to the financial benefits that can be expected throughout the shire, so amplified tourist numbers result in unrealistic tourist dollars.
We queried each council candidate as to their opinion of the real number of campers per year with only four candidates responding and they all said less than 50,000 people. Those candidates were (in alphabetical order): Lisa Farrant; Keith Link; Pat Quinn; and Garner Smith.
What we need in our local shire councillors is an open mind, a willingness to consult locals on council matters and to fact-check data presented to the council.
Geoff Wakeman
Central Murray Environmental Floodplain Group Inc
