Baw Baw Shire Council has welcomed the new that Noojee will be one of two towns in Victoria selected for the Healthy Forest Plans Pilot, backed by a $4 million dollar investment in the project.
Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allen and Minister for the Environment, Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos made the announcement in Erica yesterday alongside Baw Baw Shire Mayor, Danny Goss.
The funding boost for Noojee is part of the Government’s plan for Victoria’s great outdoors and will see them invest $30 million to unlock 1.8 million hectares of state forests in Gippsland and North East Victoria with better tracks and trails, and amenities to boost regional tourism.
Following the end of native timber harvesting, the Government commissioned the Great Outdoors Taskforce to reimagine the future of Victoria’s forests to meet community expectations with targeted investment to promote community access, support regional economies, and better manage the forest.
Mayor Goss thanked the Victorian Government for recognising the work that had been done in Noojee over the last three years to support economic transition and create local jobs that align with the community’s values.
“’The Shaping the Future of Noojee’ project has been running since August 2022 and was established to support the local economy in the forestry transition,” he said.
“We’ve worked closely with the community to support local businesses to establish, expand and create local jobs.”
Noojee is one of 11 Victorian towns and communities receiving support to transition away from native timber harvesting and implement new strategies to support their local economy.
The project comprises three key working groups that feed into the strategic direction of Noojee. These working groups are:
- The Eco Tourism Working Group
- The Specialised Agricultural Industry Development Working Group
- The Power and Connectivity Reliability Working Group
Yesterday, the Government also announced a Forestry Transition Fund Grant of $45,164 for Five Tales Farm in Piedmont to construct a greenhouse for high-value crops. Five Tales Farm is a member of the Shaping the Future of Noojee Project and is the second business to receive a grant to expand operations and create new local employment opportunities.
