Angahook - Otway Investigation Terms of Reference

Pursuant to section 15 of the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council Act 2001 (the VEAC Act), the Minister for Environment hereby amends the request to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council made by the former Minister for Environment and Conservation concerning the Angahook-Lorne State Park dated 8 September 2002.

The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council is now requested to carry out an investigation of the public land landward of low watermark within the Otway Ranges area shown on the accompanying plan.

The purpose of the investigation is to determine the boundaries of:
(a) a single national park in the Otway Ranges including public land extending from Anglesea to Cape Otway, specifying whether or not the Great Ocean Road should be included in the park; and
(b) any other public land currently managed as State Forest which would be suitable for addition to existing State Parks or nature conservation reserves, or for inclusion in new conservation reserves once native forest logging ceases in the Otways.

The Council is required to prepare a discussion paper and draft proposals paper and to submit a written report on the results of its investigation by 24 November 2004*.

In addition to the considerations specified in section 18 of the VEAC Act, the Council must also take into consideration the following matters:

Victorian Government's policies with regard to logging and woodchipping in the Otways;
definition of 'national park' used by the former Land Conservation Council and the former Environment Conservation Council;
objects of the National Parks Act with respect to national parks;
Victorian Coastal Strategy 2002;
Victorian Government's Great Ocean Road Region Strategy;
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Development Plan;
Anglesea Heathland Agreement between the Secretary to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Alcoa Australia Limited;
relevant regional catchment strategies.

*Originally 3 September 2004