By Casey Neill
Filming for a major movie is underway in Sherbrooke.
The True History of the Kelly Gang cast includes Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe and it’s based on Peter Carey’s Booker Prize-winning novel.
Darren Jones lives nearby and contacted the Mail with concerns about the impact on the environment.
“Trucks and equipment have devastated the surrounding area,” he said.
“They are planning to have a shootout which involves hundreds of explosive charges being placed around the building and detonated to replicate gun shots.
“Then in a grand finale, burn the whole place down.
“I can only imagine what precious little wild life including marsupial and reptiles left living directly in the filming zone will be devastated, not to mention the wholesale destruction of vegetation and soils.
“I can only feel great sorrow that our beautiful forest is being exploited in a way that is not in the public nor environmental interests.
“The production has no meaningful significance to local business and employment either.”
But Parks Victoria area chief ranger Matthew Hoogland said the authority issued a film permit for the project, which was being produced in association with Film Victoria at a number of locations across Victoria, including the potato paddocks at Sherbrooke in Dandenong Ranges National Park.
“The permit allows for horses, replica firearms, pyrotechnics and fires which are not normally permitted in the park,” he said.
“Parks Victoria staff have had several planning meetings with the production company to ensure set construction and filming activities do not have a significant impact on the environmental and conservation values of the park.
“The location chosen was previously utilised for agriculture until the late 1960s and was chosen for its low environmental impact.”
Mr Hoogland said filming was not permitted within vegetated areas “and any ground disturbance, including access roads and walking tracks will be fully rehabilitated post-production”.
“Parks Victoria has consulted Friends of Sherbrooke Forest and the Sherbrooke Lyrebird Study Group to ensure key lyrebird foraging areas are identified and filming is excluded from these areas,” he said.
“Filming is scheduled to be completed by mid-September.”
NIXCo communications director Courtney Mayhew spoke on behalf of the project.
“We can confirm Parks Victoria’s remarks and are taking every precaution to protect the environment under the direction of Parks Victoria and local rangers,” she said.
“As part of our obligations, we will remediate and restore the area once our set is removed.”
