General News
23 September, 2025
New park to protect endangered wildlife
With legislation now before parliament to create the long proposed Pyrenees National Park, experts have outlined what this will mean for recreation and biodiversity.
Following the Parks and Public Land Bill introduction to the Victorian Parliament on September 10, Pyrenees Shire Council has acknowledged the many uses of the region’s assets has been important for the area’s growth.
“The Pyrenees region is known for it’s natural beauty, gold rush history and a destination for wine lovers, it boasts stunning mountains, natural bushland and native wildlife,” they said.
“Multiple use management of these forests has served the community well in the past and is important for our economic, tourism and social growth into the future.”
Current uses of land by residents and tourists for recreational activities include horse riding, cycling, bush walking, four-wheel driving, trail biking, picnicking and outdoor education.
Local tourists can continue fishing, dog walking in some areas, mountain bike on designated tracks and four-wheel-driving.
Prohibited activities will include hunting, diverting water, or obtaining vegetation from within its boundaries.
The shire acknowledges the move will either promote or restrict activities in these regions.
“Council is concerned that restrictions to certain activities, as a result of the declaration, such as prospecting and domestic firewood collection will impact the local community and visitation to the region,” they said.
“The shire is also keen to ensure the Victorian Government honours past commitments to renew and construct built assets in the park to support visitors and users.”
Pyrenees Shire will not have a management role in respect to this land.
A major component leading to the region being chosen for national park recognition, is the endangered wildlife and vegetation that calls the area home.
President of the Mount Cole and Pyrenees Nature Group Christine Baines said they want people to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the region.
“We schedule nature walks, and have them once a month, we have also had guided walks with ecologists and bird experts,” she said.
“There have been very successful big picnic days open to the public and we then walk into the forest guided by an ecologist who points out all of the different plants.”
The area is also home to creatures such as the brush tailed phascogale, sugar gliders and the powerful owl.
The region is also home to the Pyrenees gum and a rare grevillia.
“We’ve been doing some really interesting citizen-science work. We have been putting in trail cameras and monitoring the remnants of wildlife, seeing what is there after the fires,” she said.
National park boundaries provide a safe area for endangered wildlife by designating an undisturbed habitat and restricting destructive activities or invasive species, and managing fires.
The group hopes the preservation and protection of endangered and threatened flora and fauna in the region can continue with the federal recognition.
“Hopefully the endangered animals of this area will be protected, and the endangered flora such as the Mount Cole Grevillea,” Ms Baines said.
“We have made nesting boxes. We are very worried about the phascogale, which is one of the endangered animals of the forest, and also the sugar gliders. The nest boxes are suitable for both of those species.”
She said once the boundaries become official, maintenence and enforcements will still be required for endangered wildlife protection to work.
“It can’t be made a National Park and just left, after the fires, there have been more weeds and feral pests,” Ms Baines said.
She agrees there are numerous geographical features that make the region unique.
“The Pyrenees mountains and the surrounding area has a beautiful and diverse section of landscape from the southern side at Mount Buangor is wetter, the northern side at Mount Cole is dryer, there is over 100 species of birds, and then there is the endangered powerful owl and various gliders,” Ms Barnes said.
Now the legislation has been tabled in the Victorian Parliament, it will need to pass through both houses for the park to be officially created.
Pyrenees National Park is expected to be finalised by October 2026.