A number of national parks in Victoria are to be closed over the hectic Easter period as a dispute over park rangers’ pay in the state escalates.
The closure of at least 24 parks and bans on collecting rubbish and cleaning toilets is expected to cause chaos over the perhaps the biggest camping weekend of the year. There is particular concern over the long-term impact on tourism in northern Victoria, which is still recovering from recent floods.
Popular camping spots such as Wilsons Promontory and day trip destinations such as Werribee Park are on a list of 24 places set to be closed by Parks Victoria rangers. Unions have said its members will close car access to the parks they manage for the Easter break, from midnight on Good Friday to midnight on Easter Monday.
Other destinations threatened with closure by the industrial action include Buchan Caves Reserve, Churchill National Park, Dandenong Valley Parklands and You Yangs Regional Park. For information about which parks are open call the Parks Victoria Information Centre on 131 1963 between 9am and 5pm over the long weekend, except for Good Friday.
Environment Minister Ryan Smith has said the action is ‘appalling’.
“This action achieves nothing but spoiling thousands of Easter breaks for families, and goes against the spirit of family time at Easter,” he told the Herald-Sun newspaper. “This union action is also undermining regional communities that are trying to get back on their feet after the floods at one of their busiest and most popular times of the year.”
For its part, the unions have accused the government of shedding crocodile tears and is warning that more actions could be planned.
The Baillieu government has refused to offer more than of a 2.5 per cent annual pay rise, plus whatever trade-offs can be obtained via productivity improvements. The dispute has been running since before Christmas.
