By Tanya Faulkner
Locals are questioning the status of several walking tracks and picnic spots across the Hills as the weather starts warming up for summer.
A concerned local has spoken up about the closure of Doongalla Forest road, with concerns about whether the site will be reopened again.
It comes as there are a number of closed parks in the region with no apparent signs of repair or reopening in the foreseeable future.
Ferntree Gully CFA’s Graham Crichton said he and his wife were frequent visitors to the picnic grounds, and witnessed several locals on a recent visit attempt to access the site, not realising it was closed.
“We went for lunch, and had to take our own chairs up, and we watched at least five or six vehicles drive up, and have to turn around and go back down the hill, not knowing the road is closed,” he said.
With this closure cutting off road access to the picnic grounds, those who are less-abled or the elderly no longer have access to the site.
Mr Crichton said communication about the closure of the park has not been great, and more could be done to ensure the public know.
He said he got in touch with Parks Victoria, with no reply, and also contacted Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor, and Monbulk MP Daniela de Martino, who got back to him in recent days.
A representative for Parks Victoria said the Doongalla Forest Road was temporarily closed on 10 August due to recent vandalism and hoon behaviour at the Doongalla picnic grounds.
Parks Victoria closed vehicle access into the picnic ground to prevent further damage to the national park and to allow the local Parks Victoria team to undertake repair work along the road and at the picnic ground.
Visitors are still able to access the park and picnic ground on foot or by bike.
Parks Victoria plans to reopen the Doongalla site in October for vehicles and the public, once automatic gates have been installed to control the alleged hoon behaviour at the site.
This was echoed by MP Daniela de Martino in her response to Mr Crichton.
‘Doongalla’ is said to mean ‘Place of peace’ and is the heritage site of a 32-room mansion that was built in 1892 and burned down a short 40 years later.
The stone steps that formed the grand approach to the house remain in the gardens.
Doongalla is just one of several parks and walking tracks in the Dandenong Ranges area that remain closed to the public, mostly due to the October 2022 floods.
Similarly to Doongalla, locals have raised concerns about Duffy’s Picnic Ground and Lookout located at Cardinia Reservoir Park, specifically about the conditions of the space.
In particular, locals have commented on the area looking ‘particularly neglected’ in recent years when road access was closed, leaving only the walking track open to the public.
A Parks Victoria representative said significant improvements were undertaken in 2008 at Crystal Brook and Kangaroo Flat picnic areas, which resulted in less visitors to Duffy’s Picnic Ground.
“The ageing toilet facility, barbecues and vehicle access there was closed in 2014, however the picnic ground remains open for people to use.
“It is accessible for walkers from the main park entrance and the Crystal Brook and Kangaroo Flat car parks,”they said.
In 2022, Cardinia Reservoir Park received upgrades as part of Government’s Urban Parks Active Wellbeing program, including new picnic tables and shelters, barbecues, drinking fountains and car park repairs.
The site was one of several sites in East and South East Melbourne receiving additional funding from the Asset Regeneration Program.
