 Local News and Issues |
Recreational Angling Under Threat by NRE  Tourism development in the King Valley is being undermined by our statutory bodies. First we had the issue of the de-manning of Lake William Hovell by Goulburn Murray Water and now we face the end of recreational fishing in the King River system at the hands of DNRE. At a recent peak body meeting, it was revealed that there will be no more trout released into the river as the DNRE have transplanted Trout Cod into our waters to see if they will breed here. The Trout Cod was first discovered in Seven Creeks, Euroa, some thirty years ago and was immediately declared a protected native species and it has been illegal to catch and keep them ever since. Contrary to their regulations, one young angler has beem licensed to take Trout Cod from the King River to be returned for analysis to establish their breeding capacity. Trout Cod were also transplanted to the Upper Ryans Creek and this water has now been closed to all fishing after declaring it a Trout Cod breeding area. The King River may also suffer the same fate. The King Valley is traditional Trout Country as much as the Kiewa Valley, the Ovens Valley and the Howqua Valley. Those who have grown up in the area have all learned their angling skills on the King River. Your children and grandchildren may not have that same opportunity if the Trout Cod program succeeds. We have a rich angling heritage which brings many tourist dollars into the area. The loss of our recreational angling facility will affect everyone in the greater King Valley. Retail business in the valley will be hit hardest with reduced sales at caravan parks; petrol outlets; general stores and hotels. The King Valley Tourism Association needs to investigate this matter and act accordingly on behalf of the tourist operators they represent. The loss of our recreational fishery is contrary to the intentions of the Wangaratta to Mansfield Link Master Plan which notes that the significance of rivers and lakes in the region to recreation and tourism is undervalued. It also notes that the de-manning of Lake William Hovell is a threat to a key tourist destination in the Upper King Valley. The Shire of Delatite and the Rural City of Wangaratta cannot walk away from this issue after accepting the Master Plan as Council Policy. We need a "whole of Government " approach to issues such as these. For a statutory body to have the arbitrary power to affect the very livelihood and culture of our community is obscene. If vandalism brings about the closure of Lake William Hovell and we eventually lose our recreational angling to the introduced Trout Cod, we will have been undermined by our State Government which has been so public in helping rural communities. Tourism Accreditation ... a defense against litigation? At the Tourism Accreditation Workshop held on June 4, we learned about the need for tourism operators to become accredited. We already knew that Tourism Victoria will only include accredited operators in promotions and publications from March next year. However, this workshop showed us that accreditation is your greatest defense against litigation from your customers. Insurance companies are also looking for accreditation before providing cover. It also showed us that the public is being conditioned to look for accredited tourist operators on their travels. No matter how small your operation, you will need to be accredited. Accreditation is about having all your business activities documented setting standards that your business lives by. Accreditation is a two part process. First, you submit your business details, business description, your legal requirements and insurance details along with a registration fee based on the size of your business (typically $300). At this point, you receive your accreditation. Next comes the documentation. Over the next 12 months, you need to be able to provide proof of documentation of all of your business procedures including:
To help you with the paperwork, the KVLE will hold regular workshops on each of the above topics at Moyhu and Whitfield. Check the dates here Wangaratta to Mansfield Tourist Route Master Plan Urban Enterprise Pty.Ltd. have completed a master plan for tourism in the area on behalf of the Delatitie Shire and the Rural City of Wangaratta. The Final Report is in and has been adopted by Council as a policy. Read it here "Planning and Plotting the King Valley Future" ... Peter Kenyan revisited
With a master plan now developed for the Mansfield to Wangaratta Tourist Route and a Rural Transaction Centre being evaluated, we had better get motivated if we want to manage the inevitable change to our lives in the King Valley. At that workshop, many people registered their interest in working on the following projects:
|
|
All contents © 2001 King Valley Learning Exchange Inc. and/or content providers |