Lost In The Woods

VICTORIANS keen to get away for Easter may well face difficulties if their destinations are state parks, which rangers are declining to unlock as part of ongoing industrial action. Earlier, they declined to take part in preventive burns intended to reduce combustible material in our forests, a policy advocated by the recent Royal Commission examing the Black Saturday fires. Give the rangers credit for thoroughness. Having compromised the state's safety, they are now doing their bloody minded best to ruin its residents' recreation.

While that attitude is shocking in its selfishness, its meek acceptance by the Baillieu government is even more distressing.

Parks are sealed with a simple gate and padlock, which would be the matter of a few moments to snip open with a pair of bolt cutters. Ideally, this should be done for the TV cameras by Minister Ryan Smith, who could then announce that the parks are open to all, as they should be on the Easter long weekend. To further alert the rangers that they have a fight on their hands, he might also have added that anyone caught breaking locks would not be to subject prosecution.


But that would require a spine.