2016-04-20
Samantha Dunn, Greens spokesperson for forests, says that a leaked report commissioned by the Yarra Ranges Council is unreliable at best, biased at worst. Hosting a copy of the report on her website, Ms Dunn believes it is the right of the residents to see what their ratepayer dollars are being spent on.
“I can see why the council has sat on this report in its current form, even though it’s been leaked to two newspapers already. It’s jam-packed with errors, assumptions and poor logic.
“It is beyond belief that this document reportedly cost thirty thousand dollars. The conclusions it draws are completely unfounded to the point that it seems politically motivated.
“While there are councillors in the Yarra Ranges who have already thrown their full weight behind this report in condemning the Great Forest National Park, it’s my belief that this report has been engineered for a predetermined outcome and has no merit as a usable document.
“It does not accurately assess the impact on recreational activities, on employment or on the environment. The report itself, in multiple instances, admits that relevant data was not available and that conclusions are based on assumptions.
“In many instances this information was available, it seems the consultant has ignored available information and failed to used standard modelling tools to draw feasible conclusions.
“A fair analysis would have looked at the effect creating employment in tourism and associated sectors with the establishment of a Great Forest National Park.
“The Greens want to see a transition of our native forest timber industry jobs to sustainable plantations.
Contact: Samantha Dunn 9850 8600
More analysis coming soon
» Download the report here (.pdf, 27mb)