They are urging him not to “cave in to the racing industry” and change planning laws to allow racehorses to train in the Belfast Coastal Reserve.

It was recently revealed legal advice given to Warrnambool City Council showed the State Government’s decision to allow horses on the beach at Levy’s Point was illegal under the local planning scheme.

The Greens said Mr Wynne was “under enormous pressure from the racing industry” to amend the planning scheme “to allow horses onto environmentally sensitive beaches, home to threatened species like the hooded plover”.

Spokeswoman for the environment Ellen Sandell said it was “outrageous” that the government had allowed racehorses on beaches even though it was illegal under the planning laws.

“Now we’re worried Richard Wynne will give in to pressure from the racing and gambling industries change these laws, just days before Victoria goes into election mode,” Ms Sandell said.

“Our public beaches are no place for commercial racehorses and I call on Labor to stop bending over backwards to support the destructive racing and gambling industries.”

Mr Wynne sits in the knife-edge seat of Richmond. 

The Greens candidate for Richmond Kathleen Maltzahn said the party would inform voters if Mr Wynne overruled the Warrnambool Planning Scheme regulations. 

“The residents of Richmond deserve better than a Planning Minister who gives in to the racing industry and refuses to protect important habitat and threatened species,” she said.

“Dick Wynne has repeatedly delivered bad planning decisions that damage our heritage, sell our state to powerful forces and are not in the best interests of Victorian people. This November, voters in Richmond are powerful. If only 750 people change their vote, they can kick the Planning Minister out. If Dick Wynne sells out our coastline, we'll make sure voters in Richmond know exactly whose side he's on.”