Community
7 February, 2025
Britnell questions golf club’s hefty fine
PORT Fairy Golf Club is facing fines of up to almost $120,000 after being charged with the alleged removal of protected vegetation.
According to Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell, the club received the charges on December 23 in relation to some “pulled weeds” on the community golf course.
Ms Britnell has since questioned the government’s “disproportionate behaviour” and said club members were reeling from the “heavy handed approach of the government.”
“This is a completely disproportionate response to the issue of some pulled weeds on a community golf course,” Ms Britnell said.
The matter dates to June 2023, when a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) representative was there to negotiate the lease and photographed a pile of weeds that contained a protected species (coast bearded heath), which were removed as part of general course maintenance.
“Despite DEECA having a range of more moderate options available to them to manage this matter such as issuing an official warning or a penalty infringement notice, they have taken the action of laying criminal charges,” Ms Britnell said.
“DEECA seem to have lost all perspective.
“We have real law and order issues – such as knife attacks, stealing and criminal behaviour across the state but instead the government is focusing on some weeds on a golf course. It is poor use of public resources.
“What are they thinking laying criminal charges just before Christmas on a country golf club?”
Ms Britnell added that she was told that there was little to no attempt by DEECA to work with the club to resolve these issues in a conciliatory manner.
The Port Fairy Golf Club board are volunteers running a community asset, for the enjoyment of the public.
They have implemented an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) with protocols and policies to manage the mapping and identification of vegetation species on site, in particular protected species.
“They are a group of club volunteers who we would hope DEECA would support, educate and assist.”
