If the expansion is accepted, large parts of existing state forest will be reclassified as national and forest parks, limiting public access and restricting activities.
Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath said in appeasing green groups, the Allan Labor Government is moving to establish the Great Forest National Park (GFNP) by stealth.
"Behind closed doors Labor's created a blueprint that lays the foundation to lock up vast areas of public land without transparency, community consultation or the workforce to manage it," Ms Bath said.
"A comparison of maps for the GFNP and the Great Outdoors Taskforce Final Report shows the pathway for Labor to plough ahead and do what it said it won't."
The devil in the detail was revealed yesterday with the release of the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement Central Highlands Final Report.
Ms Bath said Environment Minster, Steve Dimopoulos, is saying one thing to unions and bush users and doing the opposite.
"The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council and the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement both recommended linking existing parks and reserves across the Central Highlands in the footprint of the Great Forest National Park," Ms Bath said.
"In March 2024 Premier Jacinta Allan said she would 'never put a padlock on our public forests'.
"Yet the Allan Government is reneging and changing tenure of vast areas of public land.
"In 2024, Labor gutted Parks Victoria workforce slashing 144 fulltime equivalent rangers, yet yesterday Minister Dimopoulos announced it will recruit approximately half the rangers cut but with a greater area to cover.
"No matter what the spin - Labor has cut boots on the ground and mismanaged our forests.
"Labor is moving to lock up more land, our bush users, communities and the environment are all paying the price."
