As communities work diligently to recover from the recent flooding, local businesses are concerned that continuing forest closures are hampering the local economy’s recovery.

Gunbower Forest has seen some track openings, Koondrook Track, Hudson Track, Rifle Butts Track, Wire Fence Track, Nursery Track, Stanton’s Break, and River Track between Nursery Track and Stanton’s Break, and between Koondrook and Wee Wee Rup Track.

Guttrum and Benwell forests remain closed until April 30.

Further upstream, the Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said despite the Moama Water Sport Club delaying the world’s biggest ski race until March 24-26 because of the floods, there is still no guarantee the banks of the Murray will have been reopened to the public.

He says there is no reason beyond the usual government indifference, regional Victoria is “out of sight, out of mind.”

“On behalf of the Moama Water Sports Club, I am calling on Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt to urgently instruct her department to do the work so the Southern 80 will have the river camping areas and the viewing areas along that stretch of river between Torrumbarry and Echuca open to the public so that people can actually come to Echuca-Moama and go to the race,” Mr Walsh added.

“This is a much-needed economic boost for the river community, for its hospitality and accommodation industries in particular, and the last thing the event needs on its road to recovery is another government bungle, which this time, will stop the general public setting up at vantage points along the river,” he says.

Mr Walsh says the speed, the drama and the depth of competition makes the Southern 80 the premier boat race in Australia, if not the world.

“It’s where you have boats with two skiers up, hurtling through the twists and turns of the river from Torrumbarry to Echuca, so it is incredibly exciting for those who camp and go along the river to see the race to actually be able to see those boats go past,” he says.

“They hope that NSW Forests do the work on their side, but NSW has already made it obvious it values events such as these, and what they can do for regional economies a lot more than we do in Melbourne.

“Sadly, the Victorian Government has chosen not to be a sponsor of the Southern 80, but fortunately, Destination NSW does put significant sponsorship money into the race.

“But I would still like to think the Victorian Government could at least do something useful this year by actually making sure the river is open so visitors can come back to Echuca for the race.”

For information on road closures, please visit the forest and road closures page: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/…/closures-of-parks-and-forests.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 23 February 2023.