A bid to have duck shooting banned at Cairn Curran Reservoir near Baringhup is gaining support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Environmental community groups say the activity is no longer appropriate for safety reasons and the area should be made a sanctuary for the threatened species that call it home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The groups have written to Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields Shire Councils seeking their advocacy for the move, following a community petition held in May to ban bird shooting in the area, which obtained 483 signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mount Alexander Shire Council voted in March 2019 to advocate for a ban of duck shooting at Cairn Curran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Karen Mander, a spokesperson for Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting, said two wetlands in Mildura were closed to shooting in 2019 for safety reasons \u2013 without 483 signatures \u2013 paving the way for Cairn Curran Reservoir manager Goulburn-Murray Water to make the same call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s disappointing that GMW appears to be ignoring community sentiment, the safety risks and adverse impacts,” Ms Mander said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Since its construction, Cairn Curran now has many more residents living in proximity, and many more people keen to enjoy the amenity. The adverse impacts to community are clear, as the comments on the petition show.\u201d
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But GMW water storage services general manager, Martina Cusack, said GMW provided access to the reservoir for “various recreational pursuits”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This aligns with the intent of the Victorian Government\u2019s Water for Victoria, which sets the direction for managing the state\u2019s water resources and acknowledges competing demands on the state\u2019s waterways,” Ms Cusack said.
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BirdLife Castlemaine District, Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club and Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests co-signed the letters from RVOTDS inc to the shire councils, seeking their support to pick up the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe understand council can\u2019t ban it. We are asking them to lobby those who can, and represent ratepayers and other recreational users who want a safer, more peaceful public amenity,\u201d Ms Mander said.
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In the letters was a link to a short video of some of the species in the region and a full 26-page list of community\u2019s comments. The petition was also sent to Maree Edwards MP who the group hopes \u201cwill heed the clear sentiment from her voters, and assist\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Economically, Central Goldfields and Mount Alexander Shires were two of 10 LGAs noted as having the least, if any, economic contribution from hunters in a government study published in 2014.
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Meanwhile ongoing polls show most visitors avoid areas where there is shooting, while birdwatching is rapidly gaining in popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Year ending December 2019, more than 1.4 million tourists birdwatched around Australia, and spent $2.88 billion. More domestic overnight tourists birdwatched than visited the Great Barrier Reef, and the number of international tourists who birdwatched was more than double those who fished (Tourism Research Australia \u2013 National Visitor Survey).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLess than half of one per cent of the population, that is only 25,000 people, are licensed to shoot ducks. Only about half that number again actually participate in the activity \u2013 (GMA data),” Ms Mander said.
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“But there are anywhere between 8000 and 35,000 public waterways \u2013 no government authority has been able to quantify it for us yet \u2013 where they can go to shoot birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Surely Cairn Curran could be handed back to the local residents and the 99.98 per cent of the non-shooting public to enjoy in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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