Levy’s Beach and the surrounding area is in a coastal reserve, but that has not stopped the W’bool City Council from agreeing to industrial racehorse training there.6/1. That was the final vote by the Warrnambool City Council to allow industrial-scale racehorse training in a coastal reserve near Warrnambool.
This overwhelming vote sends one strong message and it is heartbreaking: stuff the environment, because horse racing is “the cornerstone of Warrnambool”. Did you know that?
Apparently our entire economic future rests not on a green, pristine, sensational coastline, but on a tiny leather saddle and a whip, because tonight (21/12/18) the Warrnambool City Council gifted the racing industry one of our wild beaches at Levy’s.
This beautiful and biodiverse area has been raped and pillaged for years by illegal activities, but instead of committing to heal these weeping wounds, the council has decided to hurt it some more.
And it is all because of money. It is that dirty and that cheap.
[You can hear the whole sorry affair for yourself via the audio link below]
It is also the oldest trick in the book, used by every industry from forestry to oil to coal to poker machines – just offer to pay for the roads, the fences, the gates, the bollards, the carparks, and the government will toss you the keys. Please lock the gates when you leave.
Whether you like horse racing or not is beside the point, our wild beaches and reserves should not be for sale: to anyone or anything.
Tonight, they were sold and the council sold out.
Bring on the WCC elections in 2020 where, I hope, we can finally drag our city into a future beyond platitudes and meaningless statements and where this precious planet actually runs FIRST – it actually WINS the race – rather than being placed last. Dead last.
[This is a modified version of a Facebook post that ran after the meeting.]