By Tyler Wright
Popular national parks and reserves in the Yarra Ranges like William Ricketts Sanctuary, the Mechanics Track in the Dandenong Ranges National Park and a section of the Sassafras Creek Nature Conservation Reserve all remain closed after storm events damaged them last year.
William Ricketts Sanctuary was home to 92 clay sculptures, spanning 1.7 hectares and celebrating the heritage and culture of First Nations peoples.
Parks Victoria Acting District Manager Craig Albiston said the government agency is “continuing to work on a plan to reopen the William Ricketts Sanctuary, but it is going to take longer than other sites due to the sheer scale of the damage and the artistic and cultural importance of the sculptures”.
“We are also working on a plan to fully reopen the Mechanics Track and Sassafras Creek walk,” Mr Albiston said.
The storm and flood events last year impacted 52 parks, piers and other sites across the Parks Victoria estate, with more than 100 kilometres of roads, walking trails and picnic grounds in the Dandenongs and Yarra Ranges being cleared by Parks Victoria ranges.
Smaller-scale work to remove large fallen and hazardous trees, branches and excess debris on visitor sites and tracks continues.
Visitors should observe signage and not enter work sites.
