Who pays to protect the woodlands?

A war of words has erupted between Bass Coast Shire Council and Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale, over the Western Port Woodlands.

The government declared Bass Coast a Distinctive and Area Landscape (DAL) in 2019, and then in 2025, when the Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) was endorsed, it was indicated within the SPP that work was needed to identify the biodiversity value of the woodlands.

On Friday, Ms Crugnale issued a statement urging the council to complete the work as soon as possible to "identify and confirm if there are areas of high biodiversity value within the Western Port Woodlands".

She said that work would inform how land was used, including planning for "managing strategic extractive resources", and it was important "the appropriate protection mechanism can be placed over this important region of biodiversity".

The statement was in response to a page on the Engage Bass Coast website which called for $500,000 from the State Government to help identify the biolinks and "implement appropriate planning controls".

Both council and Ms Crugnale appear to agree that the area needs further protection, with Ms Crugnale saying an ESO (Environmental Significance Overlay) needs to happen.

"An interim ESO was raised numerous times with the Minister and her office, and the advice and rationale why this was not possible at the time, which I relayed to council back in July 2025," Ms Crugnale said.

"I have always said that we would support and assist council in the ESO process through departmental expertise and resources made available to them.

"Council also well know there is no specific grant program or funding mechanism to cover the work they need to do."

Council responds

Newly elected Mayor, Cr Brett Tessari hit back at the statement from Ms Crugnale, saying it "contained some disappointing and inaccurate statements".

"One thing we both agree on is that the Westernport Woodlands need to be protected. It seems that is where our agreement ends," Cr Tessari said.

He went on to say the responsibility for state planning overlays did not reside solely with council, and in fact the Minister for Planning had written to council stating protection of the Woodlands was a shared responsibility.

Cr Tessari confirmed the State Government had rejected requests from council for funding to begin investigating the biodiversity of the woodlands, or to apply an interim ESO, to protect the woodlands while further assessments took place.

"Council has committed $500,000 in its Long-Term Financial Plan to protect the Westernport Woodlands," Cr Tessari said.

"There is no financial commitment from the state to protect the woodlands, which are part of the internationally recognised Western Port Biosphere Reserve."

He said the council "makes no apologies for advocating strongly for appropriate state support".

"We have an ageing pool in Wonthaggi, a partially funded local hospital, a coastline in crisis, buses that come once in a blue moon and the state has lost one of the region's biggest economic drivers in the MotoGP."

It is unclear if or when any work will begin on assessing the Western Port Woodlands.

The council's Engage Bass Coast page (engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/wpwoodlands) calls for funding, but provides no timeline for the project.

With a state election in November, the debate about state funding is sure to intensify.