Politics & Council
1 February, 2026
SECRET PLANS: Government document shows more lake, creek bans
HORSES, dogs and camping could be banned at Lake Boort and curbs put on farmers along the Kinipanyial Creek under a confidential State Government plan.
A high-level delegation from the powerful Department of Premier and Cabinet is expected to release details on moves to protect the lake’s Aboriginal heritage scar trees and artefacts when they meet Boort Tourism and Development Committee on Monday.
Plans in the leaked Government document come days after First Peoples Assembly member Gary Murray launched a bid for Federal Government intervention to stop duck shooting on the lake and moves for the wetlands to be given state, national and World Heritage listing.
According to the State Government, farming and recreational activities are creating harmful impacts on the Lake Boort cultural landscape.
But community leaders have quickly labelled proposals to limit activity around the wetlands lake as divisive and an attack on local people. Lake Boort was excluded from the then-government’s land recognition agreement with Dja Dja Wurrung in 2013.
“It’s called public land for a reason and should be open to all the public,” said Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh who committed a future Coalition government to reversing any potential restrictions on use.
“The statements about agricultural use impacting the area are absurd.
“The sound condition of the area is because multiple generations of farmers have cared for the land,” he said
‘And duck shooters don’t come to Lake Boort to knock down or destroy trees, they are here for recreational shooting
“These revelations just show it is only a matter of time before they (government) will come after Little Lake Boort.”
Loddon Shire ward councillor David Weaver said: “We are under attack on a lot of fronts, things being imposed on us by governments. Give us what we need - like child care - instead of the government imposing what it wants,” Cr Weaver said.
Former Loddon mayor and chairman of the Little Lake Boort committee Neil Beattie also disputed claims in the confidential government document that water flushed from the little lake into the big was impacting Aboriginal heritage and the environment.
“Since 1992, only once has there been flushing into the big lake,” Mr Beattie said. The Government document that will be shared with members of Boort Tourism and Development on Monday by Premier’s Department heritage services director Harry Webber and first peoples state relations community relations and heritage executive director Matt Lloyd says:
“Artificial release and holding of water at Lake Boort has and continues to cause harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage including scarred trees, culturally significant plants, animals and ceremony.
“Water quality has been affected when dirty water has been flushed from Little Lake Boort into big Lake Boort.
“Delivery of environmental water to Lake Boort is reliant on the irrigation network and future operational changes to infrastructure may limit opportunities to deliver this water to Lake Boort.”
Irrigation infrastructure vital in a district that last year faced water rationing is also listed as harmful.
“Dam and channel construction has impacted Aboriginal heritage and maintenance activities continue to impact,” says the leaked document. Private agricultural activity can impact on Aboriginal heritage.
“Hooved animals including livestock compact and pug the ground surface which impacts fragile Aboriginal heritage.
Questions have also emerged in the last week around how $5 million of State Government funding announced last June will be spent..
Then Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Natalie Hutchins, the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation were at Lake Boort committing funds for the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Fund.
Mr Murray and other Aboriginal leaders have flagged a cultural centre for Boort, saying cultural ecotourism and will bring greater economic benefits to the town than duck shooting.