Southern Grampians mayor Peter Dark made the call following the destruction by a farmer this year of part of the iconic lava flow at Harman’s Valley at Byaduk.

The farmer used rock crushing to destroy part of the lava flow at Byaduk, which was part of the shire’s volcanic trail and a popular visitor stop with its own lookout.

The destruction put the council in the spotlight at its meeting this month when it faced questions from the public about what action it had taken to protect the lava flow with a significant landscape overlay.

Speaking after the meeting, Cr Dark said the lava flow that went through Harman’s Valley flowed through three shires and the state government should be responsible for protecting such a large-scale geological feature.

However Deakin University’s professor James Dunbar, one of the three Deakin professors who raised concern last month about the destruction of the lava flow, said Cr Dark was trying to fob off responsibility for protecting the geological feature.

Professor Dunbar said Southern Grampians had to only make a phone call to Moyne Shire to organise protection across the shires for the lava flow.

He called on Southern Grampians to take action against the farmer who destroyed the lava flow “to make sure other people do not do it”.

Southern Grampians has said the farmer was told he needed a planning permit for the work but the shire received no such application.

It said it does not release publicly what action it takes against those who breach council regulations.

There was also concern the destruction of the lava flow might have damaged Aboriginal sites but Aboriginal Victoria inspected the site on two occasions and found no evidence of harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage.

However it said the landowner was required to get a cultural heritage management plan approved before proceeding with the rock crushing.

It warned it was an offence to proceed with the rock crushing without getting a plan approved.