Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10

HEALTHY PEOPLEParklands to EastLink (City of Manningham)❚ Taylors Creek Trail from Burrowye Crescent to theCreek crossing (City of Brimbank)❚ Hallam Valley Trail from Shrives Road to NarreWarren/Cranbourne Road and from Hallam Road toMenindee Terrace (City of Casey)❚ A section of the Maroondah Aqueduct Trail (Shire ofNillumbik)❚ Warburton Rail Trail from Lilydale Railway Station toMercy College (Shire of Yarra Ranges)Planning for the Darebin Creek Trail project progressedwith a VCAT decision that will allow the connectionof the Lower Darebin Creek Trail to the Main YarraTrail. Parks Victoria also negotiated an agreement withLatrobe Golf Club for the sale of land for the trail link.Bays and Maritime InitiativeOver the past three years, Parks Victoria has beenworking with government departments and agenciesto strategically plan and develop Victoria’s bays andmaritime areas. During the year, Parks Victoria wasappointed lead agency for maritime precinct planning.In addition, a new maritime precincts policy wasincluded in the State Planning Policy Framework. Boththese achievements will help cut the red tape requiredfor statutory approvals.Parks Victoria finalised plans for two key maritimeprecincts – the Portarlington Safe Harbour MasterPlan (released October 2009) and the WilliamstownForeshore Strategic Plan (released April 2010). Bothplans aim to accommodate growth in recreational andcommercial boating on Port Phillip Bay.A new dive attractionThe ex-HMAS Canberra, a former warship, was thefirst artificial reef specifically created for diving inVictoria when it was scuttled in September 2009. Lyingin about 28 metres of water, the ex-HMAS Canberra isan interesting site for divers to explore as many of itsoriginal fixtures have been preserved. Since openingto the public in December 2009, it has proved popularwith about 99 licensed tour operator trips and 129public trips. Dive Victoria, the licensed tour operatorwith exclusive use of two moorings at the site, hasguided more than 4,300 divers on the site.TourismParks Victoria is one of the largest providers andfacilitators of tourism in Victoria, significantlycontributing to state and regional economies. ParksVictoria works in partnership with the tourism industryto facilitate sustainable tourism opportunities in parks.Highlights during the year include:❚ Signing a Memorandum of Understanding withConservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) to developParks Victoria’s research programs into CVA‘NatureWise’ tourism products❚ Working with Ecotourism Australia to offer incentivesto licensed tour operators to become eco-certified❚ Participating in the Australian Tourism Exchangetradeshow to promote the premium tourismproducts and experiences offered by Parks Victoriaand its commercial operators to the internationalmarket❚ Winning the RACV Award for UniqueAccommodation for Parks Victoria’s WildernessRetreats at the 2009 Victorian Tourism Awards.Icon walksThe Grampians Peak Trail is one of Victoria’s new iconwalks, and along with the Great Ocean Walk, is a keyinitiative in Victoria’s Nature-based Tourism Strategy2008-2012. In June 2010, Minister for Regional andRural Development Jacinta Allan announced a $1.3million Regional Infrastructure Development Fundgrant for the trail. The grant will fund a three-day looptrack from Halls Gap in the Grampians. The project isscheduled for completion within two years.Great Ocean WalkParks Victoria continued to work with its tourismpartners to promote the Great Ocean Walk. Amarketing campaign featuring the Great Ocean Walkran during the year that was developed by TourismVictoria to assist positioning Victoria as a great naturebasedtourism destination.The Art of Walking is a documentary that followedthree remarkable people, John Francis, Katarina Wittand Michael Milton, as they walked the Great OceanWalk. A Parks Victoria ranger also features in thedocumentary. As part of Tourism Victoria’s marketingcampaign, 250,000 copies of the documentary were24 Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10