SERENDIP: Help the "Bring Them Back" Campaign

Currently live on the Parks Victoria website this video makes a mockery of the people of Lara and Geelong

The truth is that most of Serendip's captive wildlife has been removed. Today Lara Care Group announces the Bring Them Back campaign. Here's how you can help.

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How can we bring them back?

As we've noted in a previous post, Parks Victoria has removed nearly all the captive wildlife* and breeding programs from Serendip.  Yet the You Yangs Precinct Master Plan (YYPMP) said that community consultation was required before any changes happened in the region. 

*You can see a list of removed wildlife here

Parks Victoria (PV) has refused to bring back the wildlife stating that it's not the appropriate organisation to keep and breed captive wildlife. This stance is difficult to understand because Serendip has been breeding and holding captive wildlife for over 30 years! 

Lara Care Group (LCG) has identified a way that Serendip can restore the Captive Breeding Program. All that's required is for PV to collaborate with Zoos Victoria as has been done recently at Kyabram Fauna Park.

If this happened Serendip could have its captive wildlife back before the end of the year.

Sounds simple doesn't it? But PV has said it will not return what they call "re-homed" wildlife to Serendip. LCG does not accept this which is why we're moving forward with the "Bring Them Back" campaign.

Get involved in the "Bring Them Back" campaign

To help PV appreciate how much the people of Lara and Geelong support captive wildlife and breeding at Serendip, LCG is planning a public awareness campaign. 

This campaign is just starting. You can help in these ways:

• can you help distribute flyers around Lara?
• do you own a business with a shopfront where we can display flyers?
• have you got a great high quality photo of captive wildlife at Serendip?
• do you have a photo of a child or children that look like they are learning about wildlife at Serendip (rear view is best so that the child cannot be identified)?
• can you donate to the campaign?
• can you write or call our local Member, Ella George?

If you'd like to offer your support please fill out this form

OTHER NEWS

Concerns over structure of Stakeholder Reference Group 

More than a year after the YYPMP was released Parks Victoria has finally begun the process of setting up a community consultation process. This was required by Section 8 of the Plan and should have been set up before implementation of the Plan AND before any wildlife was removed from Serendip.

Lara Care Group has been instrumental in forcing Parks Victoria to create this Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) but we are already very concerned about its proposed structure. At present the SRG does not include our local Councillors (Kylie Grzybek and Anthony Aitken were not even invited!) nor are local schools, the Lara Community Network Group, a commercial tour operator and many other interested parties.

Lara Care Group will be represented on the SRG by Barry White and Michael Helman (who was the Chief  Ranger at Serendip for many years).  We'll keep you posted on the workings of the SRG.

Tour operator Echidna Walkabout departs the region

Last week wildlife tour operator, Echidna Walkabout, advised that it would depart the region after 30 years providing high quality wildlife tours. 

The tours brought tens of thousands of international travellers to Serendip and the You Yangs along with significant economic and employment benefits.

In a media release, Roger Smith, Director Operations at Echidna Walkabout, said company's reason for leaving was Parks Victoria's poor handling of the Master Plan. 

He said:  “The entire process has been a stuff up from start to finish but there is one thing that’s become clear: Parks Victoria has little interest in wildlife or wildlife tourism and no interest in the local community

“Since 2019 we’ve endured bushfires and Covid, which both had a substantial impact on our business, but Parks Victoria’s disastrous Master Plan has hurt the most."

Mr Smith thanked the people of the region saying:  “We’re painfully aware that many people and a number of communities that have supported us will be impacted

“Without these people — or their businesses — we could not have achieved the amazing success that we have,” he said, “None of these people deserve what’s happened.

“I say to them: if you have any questions, talk to Parks Victoria, but be very careful, we’ve learnt the hard way that they are masters of spin.

You can read the full Media Release here: Local tour operator leaves Geelong and the Great Ocean Road slamming Parks Victoria on the way out

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Join Lara Care Group

Please click here: Join the Lara Care Group

Visit Lara Care Group's Facebook page

Visit Save Serendip Sanctuary Facebook page 

Help continue to put pressure on the State Government to stop wrecking Serendip.

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NOTES on this Newsletter

• This is an ongoing series of updates about Serendip direct from the Lara Care Group. 
• We will publish these stories regularly and post them on social media. 
• To follow this blog go to: saveserendip.blogspot.com
• Your comments are welcome (be nice 😊please)