Too clear for us

By Tania Martin
A MT EVELYN man says the clearing of parkland near Gardener Parade has shown a disregard for the environment.
Ted Baarda and Betty Marsden from the Save the Dandenongs League said they were horrified at the clearing of the land near the Mt Evelyn end of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.
The Friends of the Lilydale to Warburton Trail said its members have been clearing weeds from the area for 12 months.
Friends of Lilydale to Warburton Trail president Pat O’Shaughnessy said the parkland was a degraded site which the group has been working to improve.
Mr O’Shaughnessy said over the past week the group has been working hard to remove rubbish.
Items include old car bodies, old mattresses and other junk that has been dumped there.
“We are now planning to revegetate the area and plants some native species to replace the weeds and rubbish,” he said.
But Ms Marsden said the clearing of the land has shown a total disregard for the environment.
She said the work was done under the pretence of weed eradication but she believes the friends group took the project too far.
“They cleaned out the gully and have taken away the habitat and protection for many birds,” she said.
Mr Baarda said the clearing of the land has destroyed the wild life habitat that the land created for wild and native birds.
Jill Cooper, spokeswoman for the Department of Sustainability and Environment, said the clearing of the land was a weed eradication program.
Ms Cooper said at this stage DSE has had no indication that any other trees other than weeds such as sweet pipposporum have been removed.
But she said DSE is continuing to make further inquiries on the matter.
Mt Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) has also supported the work of the friends group.
MEEPA president Clare Worsnop said in the past the land has been used as a glorified rubbish dump.
She said the friends group has cleared out rubbish from the area and weeds that have been a problem for a very long time.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges has also supported the move to clear the parkland.
Mayor Tim Heenan said the friends group acted in the best interest of the community and the environment in clearing up the rubbish.
“The area in question was heavily degraded and appears to have been used as tip,” he said.
“A significant amount of masonry, rubble, old car bodies and rusted metal, along with weeds such as blackberries was removed. Revegetation work using indigenous plants will be undertaken at the site.”
Cr Heenan said the group has undertaken an enormous amount of work along the trail and has added significantly to the quality of the environment.