Rarely has a franchise captured the world like Harry Potter, so it’s no surprise fans jumped at the chance to take part in a Forbidden Forest experience on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
But residents and Potter enthusiasts were outraged to discover the location was inside a wildlife sanctuary, leaving organisers scrambling for a new venue.
The Peninsula’s Briars Wildlife Sanctuary hosts 90 hectares of fenced bush land and is a refuge for native animals.
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Locals were left scratching their heads when it was chosen to host thousands of Harry Potter fans over six weeks for an immersive experience conjured through lights and special effects.
Unhappy with the plan to transform the animal safe haven into a fandom experience, Louise Page started action group Save Briars Sanctuary.
“We have animals that live here that are really sensitive to noise and light and masses of people, they can be displaced, they live in hollows and in the crevices of these trees and they can be displaced from their territory,” Louise said.
Locals said they only found out about the plan when tickets went on sale.
“The lack of community consultation is a real concern,” resident Heather Forbes McKeon said.
“I feel that a lot of us have lost faith and trust in our shire, in our councillors as representatives of us.”
Within the sanctuary, residents also began finding flags, which they believed mapped out the proposed route.
The Mornington Peninsula Shire later put out information on managing environmental concerns and an ecological assessment.
“There are some serious concerns by the person that wrote the report – including the potential for blindness to some of the animals, and particularly the endangered powerful owls that are nesting here with their fledglings,” Heather said.
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Shannon Meilak founded Melbourne’s first Harry Potter club and jumped at the opportunity to buy tickets.
“As a Harry Potter fan, which teaches us to love and care for our animals, it seems nonsensical to put a Harry Potter event in a wildlife sanctuary,” Shannon said.
Now she’s calling on fans to boycott the event.
“Let them know that you will be demanding your refund 48 hours prior to your book time, as is your right to do so, if they do not change your location.
“We need to unite together as Harry Potter fans to ensure that our animals are protected which is exactly what Hagrid would want us to do!”
A petition to relocate the event to protect the animals, especially the powerful owls who nest in the sanctuary, gathered more than 20,000 signatures within weeks.
With resistance growing – and after being approached by A Current Affair – council pulled a rabbit of its hat today, announcing it would relocate the experience from inside the sanctuary to a nearby dog walking park.
In a statement posted online, the council said; “At today’s meeting Council approved the relocation of the 2024 Harry Potter Forbidden Forest event experience trail from The Briars Sanctuary to The Briars Community Forest (dog walking park).”
Mayor Brooks thanked the community for all their feedback and said, “The new location in the Community Forest will provide a fantastic environment for the Forbidden Forest experience.”